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...
3. James Sicily - Rd 11 vs St Kildaย
Stats: 43 disposals @ 90%, 22 intercepts, 16 marks, 11 score involvements
James Sicily made it known to the football world that Hawthorn may hold a key on-field figure for a future era of success after producing one of the most insane stat lines by an intercept defender we've ever seen.
He single-handedly held up the Hawthorn defensive line with a whopping 22 intercepts, - 13 more than any other player on the ground, plus 43 disposals with barely a target missed.
The match was seemingly out of reach as we reached the fourth quarter and the Saints broke to a 20-point lead, until Sicily decided to unleash the best defensive quarter for the season; 16 disposals, six marks and nine intercepts in the final term comeback.
An inspired Hawks side booted the last four goals for the match in the dying stages and closed out a famous 10-point victory under the roof at Marvel.
