In AFL Fantasy, Centre Bounce Attendances (CBAs) are one of the most valuable indicators of a player’s role and scoring potential. Each week, changes in CBAs can signal role shifts, coaching adjustments, or evolving team strategies—all of which are crucial for fantasy coaches looking to stay ahead of the game. Each week, I’ll be selecting five key players whose midfield involvement is worth highlighting. For a more detailed breakdown of all the biggest movers, members can access our CBA analysis data tools here.
Josh Ward
Josh Ward had the biggest CBA increase of the round, jumping up by 40%. This spike came largely due to Cam Mackenzie’s absence, and Ward took full advantage, putting up a strong fantasy score. Whether that continues will depend on Mackenzie’s selection. If Ward maintains this midfield role, his scoring should remain strong, but it’s a situation to monitor for now.
Nick Martin
Nick Martin has been thrown around a lot this season—starting forward, spending time in defence, and now rotating through the midfield. On the weekend, he attended 68% of Essendon’s centre bounces and spent 90% time on ground. Despite the role changes, he continues to score well regardless of position. While the CBA numbers are interesting, they might not be a major factor in his scoring potential.
Zach Merrett
Zach Merrett attended just four centre bounces against Brisbane. After spending time forward in previous weeks, we saw a new twist—Merrett across halfback, even taking some kick-ins. It looked like he swapped roles with Martin, and it may have been a tactical move to help break the tag while keeping his influence. While this role might lower his ceiling compared to his midfield best, it’s better than being stuck forward. If he warms into this new role, there’s still potential for good scoring.
Angus Sheldrick
Angus Sheldrick had another solid performance, scoring 88 points and increasing his CBA presence by 23%. He’s building a case as a viable fantasy option – If he can hold his spot. The challenge? Callum Mills returns this week from suspension, and as his fitness builds, he’s likely to reclaim midfield time. That could push Sheldrick out of the rotation, so keep a close eye on team selection and Mills’ role in the coming weeks.
For a full breakdown of the biggest CBA movers this week, be sure to check out the CBA analysis tools available to members.
Preview of Advanced CBA Stats:
Advanced CBA Stats
| Player | Club | Pos | LG% | LG%vsPG% | Avg% | L3Avg% | LG%vsAvg% | L3G%vsAvg% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Horne-Francis | PA | C,F | 21 | +12 | 52.8 | 13 | -31.8 | +39.8 |
| Bailey J. Williams | WC | R | 22 | -1 | 49.1 | 21 | -27.1 | +28.1 |
| Sam Durham | ES | C | 40 | +29 | 56.2 | 29 | -16.2 | +27.2 |
| Josh Kelly | GWS | C | 0 | 0 | 34 | 7 | -34 | +27 |
| Ned Reeves | HW | R | 89 | +59 | 89 | 63 | 0 | +26 |
| Jack Hutchinson | WC | F,C | 0 | 0 | 25.1 | 0 | -25.1 | +25.1 |
| Tim Kelly | WC | C | 26 | +15 | 42.7 | 18 | -16.7 | +24.7 |
| Jordon Sweet | PA | R | 16 | -41 | 73.7 | 50 | -57.7 | +23.7 |
| Tom Gross | WC | C,F | 0 | 0 | 24.7 | 1 | -24.7 | +23.7 |
| Tom Liberatore | WB | C | 44 | -6 | 69.7 | 47 | -25.7 | +22.7 |
Key:
LG% – Percentage of CBAs last game
LG%vsPG% – Percentage of CBAs last game versus percentage of CBAs previous game
Avg% – Average of CBA percentage in games played
L3Avg% – Average of CBA percentage over the past three games
LG%vsAvg% – Last game CBA percentage vs average CBA percentage
L3G%vsAvg% – Last three games CBA percentage vs average CBA percentage
Last Round vs Previous Game
| Player | Club | Pos | AF | TOG% | LR | LR% | PGCBA | PGCBA% | CBA Diff. | CBA% Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Rozee | PA | B,C | 79 | 90 | 17 | 89 | 5 | 22 | +12 | +67 |
| Hunter Clark | SK | C | 64 | 66 | 20 | 65 | 2 | 6 | +18 | +59 |
| James Jordon | SY | C,F | 58 | 89 | 11 | 58 | 0 | 0 | +11 | +58 |
| Corey Wagner | FR | B,C | 62 | 72 | 16 | 55 | 1 | 4 | +15 | +51 |
| Dante Visentini | PA | R | 38 | 84 | 16 | 84 | 10 | 43 | +6 | +41 |
| Luke Jackson | FR | R,F | 144 | 81 | 26 | 90 | 13 | 57 | +13 | +33 |
| Josh Dunkley | BL | C | 124 | 84 | 21 | 88 | 19 | 59 | +2 | +28 |
| Jacob Hopper | RI | C | 78 | 83 | 29 | 91 | 12 | 63 | +17 | +28 |
| Jack Ross | RI | C,F | 83 | 79 | 9 | 28 | 0 | 0 | +9 | +28 |
| Adam Cerra | CA | C | 109 | 84 | 23 | 88 | 14 | 61 | +9 | +27 |
Key:
AF – AFL Fantasy points scored last round
TOG% – Percentage of Time On Ground last round
LR – Last Round Centre Bounce Attendances
LR% – Last Round Centre Bounce Attendance Percentage
PGCBA – Previous Game Centre Bounce Attendances
PGCBA% – Previous Game Centre Bounce Attendance Percentage
CBADif – CBA Differential of Last Round vs Previous Round
CBA%Dif – CBA% Differential of Last Round vs Previous Round
CBA% By Round
| Player | Club | Pos | Avg. | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ned Reeves | HW | R | 89 | 89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reilly O'Brien | AD | R | 88 | 91 | 84 | 94 | 80 | 81 | 93 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 92 | 80 | 83 | 91 | 100 | |||||||||||
| Noah Anderson | GC | C | 87 | 74 | 83 | 90 | 81 | 96 | 88 | 95 | 78 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 94 | 88 | ||||||||||||
| Vigo Visentini | ES | R | 86 | 86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lloyd Meek | HW | R | 86 | 86 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 94 | 89 | 82 | 72 | 79 | 81 | 79 | 83 | 100 | ||||||||||||
| Harry Boyd | SK | R | 86 | 86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tristan Xerri | NM | R | 86 | 88 | 84 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 87 | 90 | 91 | 96 | 96 | 78 | 84 | 91 | 88 | |||||||||||
| Jarrod Witts | GC | R | 85 | 84 | 79 | 87 | 75 | 87 | 84 | 95 | 84 | 80 | 92 | 83 | 89 | 91 | ||||||||||||
| Max Gawn | ME | R | 85 | 92 | 87 | 76 | 86 | 85 | 88 | 75 | 94 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 87 | 92 | 83 | |||||||||||
| Todd Goldstein | ES | R | 84 | 90 | 95 | 83 | 81 | 82 | 86 | 76 | 83 |
View more CBA Analysis numbers here.
