First-year SUNS captain Noah Anderson has been rated the #1 captain in the AFL this year by one of the great captains in modern football – easily.

Luke Hodge, a three-time premiership captain at Hawthorn, told SEN listeners in Melbourne this week Anderson was “a long way in front at #1” at the notional halfway point of the season.

Hodge had Anderson at #1 followed by Adelaide’s Jordan Dawson at #2, Western Bulldogs’ Marcus Bontempelli at #3, Essendon’s Zach Merrett at #4, Collingwood’s Darcy Moore at #5 and GWS’ Toby Greene at #6.

“And I’m very comfortable with that decision,” added the now SEN and Channel 7 commentator, who excluded Brisbane co-captains Harris Andrews and Lachie Neale from considerations because they share the role.

Describing 24-year-old Anderson as “an absolute ripping captain”, Hodge pointed to a moment in the SUNS’ loss to Fremantle last weekend that showed why the AFL’s youngest captain was such a standout.

“He (Anderson) was sitting inside the forward 50 when a teammate panicked a bit because he was under pressure. He should have made that short kick to Anderson but instead he went long to the goal square,” Hodge said.

“What do you normally see players do? They turn around and throw their hands up.

“Noah just turned and ran straight to the next contest. He’s not there about himself, he’s there to play his role. If he gets passed over from getting a touch he doesn’t care because he knows the next contest is more important.

“His maturity and the way he’s leading a young side, his work ethic and the way he’s playing, he works just as hard back into the D50 (defensive 50m zone) to help out as he works forward. He’s outstanding.”

Hodge’s glowing assessment of Anderson comes as the fourth-placed SUNS travel to Geelong to take on fifth-placed Geelong at 4:15pm on Saturday in what looms as a real barometer game at a venue where they’ve never won.

And it comes as Anderson and his team take on the mid-season Brownlow Medal favorite and the game’s leading possession-winner this year, Bailey Smith, in what could be a preview to a similar battle between Anderson and Smith on Brownlow night.

Smith and Anderson also sit at the top of the leaderboard in the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year Award. It’s Smith (59 votes) from Anderson (55), Dawson (54), Brisbane’s Hugh McCluggage and North’s Tristan Xerri (49), Melbourne’s Max Gawn (47), Collingwood’s Nick Daicos and Fremantle’s Caleb Serong (45) – with Anderson having played one less game.

Statistically, Anderson has continued an annual upward spiral in his sixth season in the AFL.

Having averaged 16.53 possessions per game in his first season in 2020, he’s improved to 22.65 in 2021, 26.14 in 2022, 26.91 in 2023, 28.96 in 2024 and 30.91 this year.

He trails only Smith (31.55ppg) and GWS’ Tom Green (31.36ppg), with Daicos and GWS’ Lachie Whitfield (30.00) the only other players averaging 30.0.

But it is more Anderson’s contribution right across the statistical landscape, highlighted by Hodge, that underpins his best season. And explains why he has polled in the coaches award eight times in 11 games, including 10, 10, six in his last three outings.

He also averages 13.36 contested possessions, 18.36 uncontested possessions, 7.36 clearances, 6.01 inside 50s and 1.09 goal assists to rank #9 in the league for contested possessions, #12 for uncontested possessions, #4 for clearances, #6 for inside 50s, and #8 for goal assists.

Anderson has played at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium headquarters only three times, only twice against Geelong and not since 2021.

He had 18 possessions against Geelong in Round 5 of the 2020 Covid season, 14 against Geelong in Round 10, 2021 and 25 against Essendon in Round 22, 2021.

The SUNS have had eight different players top the possession count in eight visits to Geelong – Nathan Bock (27) in 2011, Gary Ablett (34) in 2013, Dion Prestia (29) in 2015, Aaron Hall (28) in 2016, Michael Barlow (35) in 2018 and David Swallow (22) in 2020 before two visits in 2021 saw Touk Miller have twin 30-possession games to match Brayden Fiorini’s 30 against Essendon.

The SUNS goalkicking record at the ground is three shared by four players – Cambell Brown, Tom Lynch, Jack Martin and Ben King (twice).

Only two SUNS players have polled in the Brownlow at Geelong – Gary Ablett earned two votes for his 34 touches in in 2013, and Hugh Greenwood picked up two votes for 21 possessions and 10 tackles in 2020.

And no less than a third of the SUNS are in contention for their first time at the long and narrow Geelong home ground on Saturday.