History would suggest that the 2013 Brisbane Lions Club Champion award is an eight-horse race between Jed Adcock, Pearce Hanley, Matthew Leuenberger, Ash McGrath, Joel Patfull, Jack Redden, Tom Rockliff and Dayne Zorko.

This is largely due to the fact that since the existing Club best and fairest voting system was introduced in 1999, no player has claimed the Merrett-Murray Medal after missing more than two matches in a season.

In fact, five of the past seven recipients of the Club’s highest individual honour have played in EVERY senior game.

Simon Black came the closest to bucking this trend when he finished Runner-Up in 2010 – just three votes shy of eventual winner Michael Rischitelli – despite missing four matches through injury.

Black’s effort was also one of just three instances over the past 15 years when a player had missed four or more matches and still finished inside the top five.

For that reason, it seems logical that one of the eight players mentioned in the opening paragraph will be crowned 2013 Club Champion this Friday night – given all have featured in at least 20 of the Lions’ 22 senior matches this season.

But as the Lions proved back in Round 13 against Geelong at the Gabba, history has a habit of being re-written…

For the purpose of this exercise, lions.com.au focuses on the form guides of those players who fit the historical criteria for the Merrett-Murray Medal.


JED ADCOCK

Stats Wrap
Led the Lions in rebounds from 50m this season with 107 – 44 more than his next best teammate – and finished top five in total disposals (3rd with 443), marks (5th with 93), tackles (4th with 92), inside 50s (3rd with 75), goal assists (=3rd with 13), and intercept possessions (2nd with 108). He also finished with the third best disposal efficiency at the Club (81.5%).

Standout Performance
Adcock was one of the team’s best against the Western Bulldogs in Round 22 at the Gabba, and stood particularly tall in the second half when the Lions looked to be on the ropes. He had 24 disposals, eight rebounds and a season-high six one per-centers in a true Captain’s performance. 

Club Champion History
Adcock has twice enjoyed podium finishes on Club Champion night, after finishing Runner-Up in 2007 and securing third place in 2005. He finished equal 4th in 2011, and has a further two top 10 finishes to his name (in 2008 and 2012). 

Achilles Heel
While Adcock has provided plenty of drive from the backline, he boasts the lowest percentage of effective spoils among his fellow Lions defenders. Also, two of his biggest statistical outputs came in heavy losses to North Melbourne (Round 4) and Collingwood (Round 10) – and few votes are expected to be awarded in those particular matches.


PEARCE HANLEY

Stats Wrap
Averaged a career-best 21.5 disposals in 2013 – the fourth most at the Club. He led the Club in running bounces (140) and inside 50s (96), and finished in the top five in loose ball gets (4th with 55), marks (2nd with 98), rebound 50s (5th with 49), goal assists (=3rd with 13).

Standout Performance
Hanley collected 31 disposals, 11 marks and eight inside 50s – all season-highs – against West Coast in Round 7. But his most memorable performance was arguably against North Melbourne in Round 16, when he set the Gabba alight with three second-half goals to help inspire the Lions to another stunning comeback.

Club Champion History
Hanley has gradually moved up the Club Champion leaderboard since 2010 after failing to poll a vote in each of his first two seasons. He finished 25th in 2010, equal 4th in 2011, and 3rd last year. A top two spot is the next logical step for the Irishman.

Achilles Heel
Hanley not only missed two matches this season (through injury and suspension), but he is also unlikely to poll votes in Round 10 (when he was held to a season-low 10 possessions against Collingwood) and Round 21 (when he was substituted after half time with hip soreness). 


MATTHEW LEUENBERGER

Stats Wrap
Leuenberger had a career-high 608 hitouts in 2013, which ranked him fourth overall in the AFL competition. He also finished =4th at the Club in clearances (62) and 4th in spoils (68). The big ruckman also booted a career-best nine goals, which was almost twice as many as he had kicked in his previous six seasons combined.

Standout Performance
Leuenberger’s Round 15 performance against Gold Coast in QClash 6 earned him the Marcus Ashcroft Medal for best afield. And it’s little wonder, considering he had 20 disposals, seven tackles, seven inside 50s and seven clearances in an all-round game.

Club Champion History
Injury has cruelled Leuenberger’s chances on Club Champion night in the past, but that hasn’t stopped him from having two top 10 finishes on his playing resume. His best effort to date was a 6th placing in 2010. Most would predict he is a real chance for a career-best finish in 2013.

Achilles Heel
Leuenberger’s Achilles heel is, well, his Achilles heel. The big ruckman had a limited pre-season preparation as he recovered from a persistent Achilles injury, and didn’t make his first senior appearance until Round 2. He also missed Round 10 with a broken thumb.


ASH McGRATH

Stats Wrap
McGrath’s six-goal haul in Round 23 gave him 19 for the season – the fifth most at the Lions. He also took the fourth most marks on a lead (13).

Standout Performance
It’s hard to split his two matches against Geelong – in Rounds 13 and 23. His six-goal against the Cats in the final round was arguably his best of the season; however his match-winning 200th milestone match was easily the most memorable. In fact, nine of McGrath’s 19 goals in 2013 were kicked against Geelong.   

Club Champion History
McGrath might be considered an outsider for the Merrett-Murray Medal, however a fourth top 10 finish isn’t beyond him. His previous best finish was 6th place in 2010, while he has also finished seventh twice – in 2009 and 2011.

Achilles Heel
While McGrath had some standout matches in 2013, he also had some quiet ones with single-figure disposals in 12 of his 20 senior matches. He also kicked his 19 goals from just seven matches – meaning that he was held kept goalless in the other 13.


JOEL PATFULL

Stats Wrap
Patfull was once again the team’s best defender in 2013, leading the Club in total marks (114), spoils (140), and intercept possessions (135). He collected 50 more possessions, took 26 more marks, had 11 more rebounds, had 23 less clangers, and took eight more contested marks than his Merrett-Murray Medal winning 2012 season. Patfull has also spent more time on the ground than any other Lions player this season, and rarely comes off for a breather. 

Standout Performance
Such is Patfull’s consistency, it’s hard to find just one standout game – however, his performance against his old club Port Adelaide in Round 18 is certain to reap the defender some votes. He grabbed an equal season-high nine marks – six of which came from opposition kicks – and played a key role in keeping the Power to just nine goals.    

Club Champion History
Remarkably, Patfull has finished no lower than 11th in the Merrett-Murray Medal since 2007. Before his breakthrough Medal win in 2012, his best finish had been 7th in 2008. Patfull is expected to at least finish inside the top 10 for the sixth time in seven seasons on Friday night. 

Achilles Heel
The Lions conceded three scores of 115 points or more in the first six rounds, which might not reflect well on the team’s defence in terms of votes. Patfull was also the ‘last defender standing’ in Round 9 against Carlton, with the Blues taking full advantage with 33 scoring shots for the match.


JACK REDDEN

Stats Wrap
Redden once again was among the Club’s leading stats winners in 2013, with his 147 tackles the most at the Lions, and second most in the AFL. He also finished second in disposals (481), second in contested possessions (211), second in hard ball gets (64), second in clearances (89), and equal fifth in goal assists (12). Interestingly, the midfielder also finished fourth at the Lions in hitouts with 25 – four more than occasional stand-in ruckman Jordan Lisle.

Standout Performance
Redden helped set the tone for a high-pressure encounter with Essendon in Round 8 with a season-high 12 tackles, to go along with 22 disposals (14 of which were contested). His numbers might have paled in comparison to his 32 touches against St Kilda in Round 19, but the value of his performance was critical in the Lions securing a major upset at Etihad Stadium. 

Club Champion History
Redden has been a regular challenger on Club Champion night, but is yet to claim the main prize despite finishing in the top five for three consecutive seasons. His best finish was third in 2011, while he finished equal fourth last year after going in as one of the warm favourites. 

Achilles Heel
Redden only failed to reach 20 disposals twice in 2012, whereas he fell below the mark six times this season. But while his possessions were down, his tackles and one per-centers were up. 


TOM ROCKLIFF

Stats Wrap
Rockliff was by far and away the Lions’ statistical standout in 2013, leading the Club in disposals (575), handball receives (86), contested possessions (233), hard ball gets (233), clearances (97), and score assists (23). He also finished third in marks (95), third in tackles (108), and fifth in inside 50s (66).

Standout Performance
You could almost take you pick of any of his final eight games, over which he averaged a whopping 32.2 disposals per game. But arguably his best game was against North Melbourne in Round 16 when, in the absence of midfield pair Simon Black and Brent Moloney, Rockliff stood tall with 28 disposals, 11 tackles and eight clearances. He should also see votes with prolific games against St Kilda (season-high 39 disposals) and Geelong in Round 23 (37 disposals).

Club Champion History
Rockliff claimed his first Merrett-Murray Medal in 2011, and backed it up with a 6th placing last year.

Achilles Heel
Rockliff was quiet by his own lofty standards from Round 8 to Round 15 when he was moved forward while nursing a quad injury. During this period, he averaged just a touch over 19 disposals. He also didn’t impact the scoreboard as much as he has in previous seasons. In fact, Rockliff’s return of seven goals was his lowest since 2010.


DAYNE ZORKO

Stats Wrap
Zorko ranked fourth at the Club in contested possessions (155), equal third in hard ball gets (56), second in tackles (117), fourth in inside 50m (70) and second in goals (26). In fact, his contribution to the scoreboard was far greater than his debut season, with an average of 2.4 scoring shots per game.

Standout Performance
‘The Magician’ was at his best in Round 5 against Melbourne at the Gabba, with 29 disposals, six tackles, and three goals four. Zorko could have easily had a career-best bag of five or six had he kicked straight.

Club Champion History
Zorko’s amazing debut season saw him finish equal 7th in last year’s Club Champion award, after playing just 16 matches. Many believed that he would have been a serious contender for the Medal had he played the entire season. 

Achilles Heel
In his debut season, Zorko finished with less than 14 disposals just once – and that was in his first ever AFL match when he started as the substitute. In 2013, he failed to reach 14 disposals on 11 occasions, which is probably indicative of more time being spent in the forward line.