This list features 10 of the most iconic performances of the year; players shining in the most pressured environments, producing jaw-dropping displays of individual dominance, and team-carrying efforts under severe duress.
A lot goes into judging the top on-field performances in our code, systems and algorithms don't seem to capture the memorability of the moment, the conditions of the arena, the magnitude of the contest or even the match-winning efforts that transpire.
Fantasy points and SuperCoach scores highlight the best accumulative players on any given day, but also don't do justice to what will appear in the history books decades down the line. Bobby Hill's fantasy scores in his Norm Smith Medal performance might not jump off the page, but the emotion and buzz it created as it unfolded will leave it fresher in the memory banks to tell future generations.
Without further ado, number 10 on this list is...
1. Zak Butters - Rd 10 vs Melbourne
Stats: 41 disposals (18 contested), 2 goals, 12 score involvements, 10 clearances
This will be remembered as the breakout party for Zak Butters, a performance that established his name into superstar status and Brownlow contention.
On a wet and slippery night at the Adelaide Oval where seemingly no one could win a clean footy, Butters stared down the most powerful opposing midfield you can face in the league, led by Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney, and carried his side for three entire quarters in a midfield masterclass from start to finish.
Environmental conditions seemingly didn't apply to Butters on the night, winning just about every contest that he entered with countless clean ground balls, hard balls and loose-ball gets without a single fumble.
His two third-quarter goals, including a 50m bomb on the siren to give his side an even-money chance in the fourth quarter, lifted the performance further.
But the ability to produce a slick ball-using spectacle, with just about every single one of his 41 disposals being delivered with elite execution and pivotal to Port Adelaide's eventual four-point victory and competition statement to the league, raises this performance to a level we believe is unmatched by any player this season.
