Every year, Keeper reveals an additional group of new position allocations for players, which extends the changes handed down by champion data. Let’s examine the twelve additional players and their relevance to your Keeper Drafts.
Embed from Getty ImagesReuben Ginbey | ADD DEFENDER – NOW DEF/MID
It’s not been a great week in the media for Reuben Ginbey, so here’s hoping the addition of defensive status can help the Keeper community flush away the negativity.
During his first 2/3 of the season, it was clear that West Coast had a tight centre-bounce midfield rotation. He was the fourth option. However, in the final eight weeks, the data showed that he was phased out of that space, including six of the final eight games with no centre bounce presence. Where did he play? Halfback. Those few months were enough time for Keeper to award defensive status. It also makes him someone who becomes relevant.
Liam Duggan | ADD MIDFIELD – NOW DEF/MID
Over the last few seasons, Liam Duggan has been used as the Eagles ‘fixer. As a result, he’s seen himself moved to play in several positions, from a playmaker across half-back to someone used as a centre-bounce midfielder and a wingman.
While only attending 21% of centre bounces over the season, in the final eight games of the year, that increased to 34.88%. In addition, the Eagles allowed him to spend time as a wingman as they continued in the experiment of who/how they play in 2025.
Like all players with ‘ADD MID’ status, it doesn’t increase their relevance or draft ranking; rather, it just allows owners to have some further squad flexibility.
Harry Sheezel | ADD MIDFIELD – NOW DEF/MID
One of the big surprises I had when the champion data positions dropped was that Harry Sheezel was without midfield status. From round seven onwards, Harry attended 194 centre bounces, with an average range per game between 14% and 88%.
This addition doesn’t rule out the chance of him gaining forward status. It’s one of the great unique customisations available. Check out this video episode that talks through some of the groundbreaking new features (including TPP) that Keeper has.
Alex Cincotta | ADD MIDFIELD – NOW DEF/MID
Alex Cincotta became Carlton’s tagger during the season, While not evident in centre bounce data, he often pushed from halfback and played a lockdown role. He slowed the likes of Touk Miller, Zak Butters, and Zach Merrett well below seasonal averages.
With only four scores above fifty, this isn’t a player you want on your side, regardless of the positional allocation available or the valid justification for gaining one. Pass!
Jackson Macrae | ADD MIDFIELD – NOW MID/FWD
The 2024 season was the lowest ‘midfield’ centre bounce presence for Jack Macrae since we started tracking centre bounce data in 2020 as a community. Last season’s 15% is a long way back from the 74% of 2020. It has no impact on his draft relevance, but it probably more accurately reflects how he played in 2024. Let’s be honest: If Keeper didn’t give it to him now, we’d get it at the end of round three.
That being said, Jack didn’t play exclusive forward. He often pushed up from the flanks (when he wasn’t vested) and became an extra midfielder/wingman.
Embed from Getty ImagesLiam Henry | ADD MIDFIELD – NOW MID/FWD
As a forward, you probably weren’t considering drafting Liam Henry due to an average of 57.3. And if you were, it would be in the later rounds at best. However, like Sheezel listed above, I felt that this was a name that ‘slipped through the cracks’ from Champion Data. Henry spent more than a fair share of time across the Saints wings and is a worthy allocation. Relevant to the draft? Maybe not, but it is a worthwhile positional gain.
Izak Rankine | ADD MIDFIELD – NOW MID/FWD
There wasn’t a game in 2024 that Izak Rankine played where he didn’t attend a centre bounce. In a third of his games, he attended 43% or higher and showed a strong ability to win the centre clearance and stoppages around the ball.
Some might suggest that Keeper’s addition is proactive, and while that’s not an unfair statement, I think it’s clear that the MID/FWD positional allocation is warranted for both him and the Crows.
Mark Blicavs | ADD RUCK – NOW MID/RUC
Last year, Mark Blicavs attended 37% of centre bounces. In addition, he had eight games where he won 10 hitouts or more. Over the season, he attended 25% of the Cats ruck contests. To me, this addition just adds a Geelong ruck we can trust to play every week and is the one you can handcuff with whichever of Toby Conway or Rhys Stanley isn’t injured or out of favor for that week.
Embed from Getty ImagesOliver Dempsey | ADD FORWARD – NOW MID/FWD
It is one of the more significant gains handed down by the boffins at Keeper. Oliver Dempsey spent plenty of time last year across the flanks for the Cats. Still, often, it came from a starting base across the forward lines and then pushing high up the ground.
Based on his 2024 average of 72.8, he now roars into the top 30 forwards and becomes highly relevant to single-season drafters, not just those in keeper or dynasty leagues.
Archie Perkins | ADD FORWARD – NOW MID/FWD
Much like Oliver above him, the awarding of forward status to Archie Perkins moves him from being destined for the player pool to becoming someone we look at on our draft day. While last year Archie had a prime midfield role, as the season went on, it became clear that he (and Sam Durham) fell out of the primary midfield rotations in favour of the likes of Dylan Shiel and Darcy Parish, so much so that in the final three games he failed to attend a centre bounce.
His arrival in the forward line and upside potential of averaging north of 70 makes him relevant to consider in the later rounds of your draft. Depending on the number of players you need to retain, he may even become viable to hold in your keeper side.
Esava Ratugolea | ADD FORWARD – NOW DEF/FWD
Another example shows that Keeper will accurately reflect changes from the AFL game during the season and not just ‘cherry-pick’ potential draft-relevant moves. If the player has a position change that meets the threshold, they’ll add it.
Esava’s career at Port Adelaide started in defence but ended as a key position forward due to multiple injuries of first-choice options. He didn’t score well in either field position and shouldn’t be someone you consider.
Mac Andrew | ADD FORWARD – NOW DEF/FWD
Don’t sleep on this allocation. At first glance, Mac Andrew’s average in the 60s looks poor and not worth considering. The coaching staff experimented with the side’s makeup once the Suns season was cooked for making finals. Here, we saw Mac start to spend game time inside forward 50.
While he’s more likely to return to an intercepting role down back (where he has scored his best), in the four games Mac played forward last year, he still had three scores above 50, including an 81.
As a late-round selection, there could be enough value as a bench option, let alone the DPP, to aid your squad flexibility, depending on the size of squads and leagues.
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