Damien Hardwick launched a powerful All-Australian push for SUNS ruckman Jarrod Witts this week, challenging the football media to “have a deeper look” in the hope that they would “see what he’s become.
Hardwick, indirectly addressing the ‘out of sight – out of mind’ challenges that often confront players in the northern markets, declared insistently there was no ruckman he’d pick over Witts in the All Australian side this year.
It was a move that prompted some spirited discussion among the southern media, and varying levels of support, but did Hardwick get a full statistical summary of the role Witts has played in the SUNS’ climb up the ladder? No!
So, if only to demonstrate why the 209cm 32-year-old should at least be in the conversation for All-Australian selection with the likes of Melbourne’s Max Gawn, North’s Tristan Xerri, Sydney’s Brodie Grundy and Collingwood’s Darcy Cameron, consider the following.
In the 17 games in which Witts has played the SUNS have won the clearances 14 times and split them once, and have ‘won’ inside 50s 12 times and split them once. They are +88 in aggregate clearances, and +141 for inside 50s.
In the last five games Witts has ranked #1 in the league for hits and hit-outs to advantage, and fifth for clearances, while the pairing of Witts and Noah Anderson has ranked #1 in the league at centre bounces, combining for 14 centre clearances. The Witts / Matt Rowell pairing has ranked equal #2 with Gawn and Kysaiah Pickett, each with 12.
Individually head-to-head against the opposition’s #1 ruckman, Witts is +38.5 for possessions, +216 for hit-outs, +30 for clearances, and +43 for contested possessions.
The most simple statistic of player ratings are just as compelling.
In his 17 games this year Witts has an aggregate player rating of 231.1 (average 13.58) compared to his opponents’ 164.6 (average (9.69), and a head-to-head ‘win’ record of 11-6.
The average rating differential in his six ‘losses’ has been -1.17, while the average differential in his 11 wins has been 5.41.
In the 11 games Witts has out-pointed his opponent in playing ratings the SUNS have enjoyed a 9-2 record, losing only to Geelong in Geelong and GWS in Western Sydney. And in the six games in which he’s been narrowly out-pointed in the player ratings they’ve gone 2-4 – which includes a win over ladder leaders Collingwood.
Individually, Watts has beaten Gawn twice in player ratings - 12.9 to 6.7 at the MCG in Round 3 and 10.2 to 9.5 at People First Stadium in Round 16, and beat Grundy 17.8 to 7.1 at PFS in Round 7.
He’s split his two games against Adelaide’s Reilly O’Brien, ‘winning’ 10.5 to 7.4 at PFS in Round 4 before an 11.2 to 12.8 ‘loss’ at Adelaide Oval in Round 19 that was better than the overall team performance in what Hardwick described as “the kick in the nuts” game.
He’s split two meetings with Brisbane’s Oscar McInerney, losing narrowly at the Gabba 6.8 to 7.9 at the Gabba in 8 before taking the points 15.2 to 4.3 at PFS last Saturday, beat the Western Bulldogs’ 2023 All-Australian Tim English in Round 9 in Darwin, where the following week he hammered Hawthorn’s Ned Reeves 16.7 to 8.6 so badly Reeves has not played at AFL level since.
In his only meeting with Xerri in the Barossa in Round 5 it was 10.0 to 11.7 to the now suspended Kangaroo, and in the SUNS’ outstanding win over Collingwood at PFS in Round 18 the player ratings say it was a narrow Cameron ‘win’ 8.8 to 8.4 despite many suggesting otherwise.
In Round 1 Witts took the honours 17.8 to 11.6 over West Coast’s Matt Flynn in Perth, and against St.Kilda’s Rowan Marshall at Marvel Stadium, it was Witts 18.7 to 12.5. He narrowly out-pointed Geelong’s Rhys Stanley 9.8 to 9.0 in a big SUNS loss at Geelong in Round 13, trounced GWS second-stringer Nick Madden 25.8 to 8.7 in Sydney in Round 15, and was shaded 13.2 to 13.7 by Richmond’s Toby Nankervis at Marvel in Round 6.
And against Fremantle at PFS in Round 12, when the Dockers’ tag-teamed Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson against the ex-SUNS skipper, the numbers favoured the visitors 13.7 to 15.4 on a combined basis, allowing for the fact that at times Fremantle played both big men on the ball.
In the coaches votes for the AFLCA Player of the Year award, Witts has polled seven times for 32 votes, while the only time an opposition ruckman has polled against the SUNS was Jackson in Round 12, when he played more time as a ruck-rover.
Overall, Grundy (68) leads the ruck vote in the AFLCA award from Gawn (64), Xerri (58), Jackson (38) and Witts and Cameron (32).
Set to play a pivotal role in the SUNS’ push for a debut finals berth in the next five weeks and already contracted for next year, Witts had 68 hit-outs against West Coast in Round 1, falling just short of the club record 69 he posted against GWS in 2019.
He also had 64 hit-outs in a losing side against Geelong in Round 13, and now has the top 20 listings for single game ruck hit-outs in club history – and the only 20 beyond 50.
Overall, the Sydney-born ex-Collingwood big man, who will play his 199th career game against Richmond at PFS on Saturday, has had 6097 hit-outs in his #28 red and yellow jumper – more than four times the total of the club’s inaugural tap ruckman Zac Smith (1489), and six times that of third-ranked Tom Nicholls (997).
In average hit-outs across the competition this year, Witts (43.1) heads O’Brien (39.2), Hawthorn’s Lloyd Meek (38.3), Grundy (36.7) and Gawn (36.6). He’s also averaged 12.8 possessions and 4.6 clearances, and ranks 4th for one-percenters at the club with 71 behind only Mac Andrew (142), Sam Collins (99) and Bodhi Uwland (82).
And there’s one statistic for which Witts has seven-time All-Australian Gawn well and truly covered – he’s had two running bounces in 158 games for the SUNS – both in the same game against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in 2019. Gawn has not had even one bounce in 243 games.
SUNS midfield coach Shaun Grigg, who joined the club with Hardwick ahead of the 2024 season, could hardly be more effusive in his praise of Witts on and off the field.
“He’s been a real warrior …. very good against all the so-called top ruckmen, nullifying them in the ruck and around the ground while providing a lot of opportunity for us, and has built an excellent partnership with our midfielders in (Noah) Anderson, (Matt) Rowell and (Touk) Miller.
“He’s been very supportive of our young leaders, and although he doesn’t say a lot when he speaks they listen … and he doesn’t sugar-coat things.”
Grigg said Witts was also proving an outstanding mentor for young SUNS ruckman Ned Moyle.
“Both are incredibly competitive and both prepare very well, so for them to be able to work with and against each other every week has been invaluable.
“Ned has already shown he’s a capable AFL ruckman but he’s still learning. What has really impressed me is how willing he (Moyle) has been to learn first-hand from such a seasoned campaigner to improve his craft. It’s been invaluable.”
