We have crunched the numbers to identify the Hyundai A-League’s Ronald Koeman, Dani Alves, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Juan Roman Riquelme.
While Australia’s best might not rival some of the best ever passers of a football to lace up their boots on the pitch, there are still some truly phenomenal distributors plying their trade in the competition.
From defenders building from deep, to fullbacks making crucial passes from out wide, to central midfield metronomes bossing the middle third, to the league’s best creative geniuses – the Hyundai A-League is stocked with great passers.
But who stands out the most? Let’s take a look at some of the best in the competition.
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Building from the back
They might not play the decisive, defence splitting ball as often as their teammates but central defenders play a crucial role in establishing and building possession from the back.
The best in the business in Melbourne City’s formidable Dutchman Bart Schenkeveld – not only an intimidating figure in defence, but an integral part of City’s approach with the ball.
The former Feyernoord youth boasts the most passes of any defender this season and completes an average of 54.5 successful passes per 90 minutes, maintaining a superb accuracy of 92%.
Schenkeveld has also tallied the highest number of passes in a single game for a defender this season – 108 in a 3-0 loss to Sydney FC in November.
Honourable mentions: Thomas Deng (Melbourne Victory), Michael Jakobsen Adelaide United), Leigh Broxham (Melbourne Victory)
Danger from wide
Gone are the days of the fullback being football’s odd man out, and some of the Hyundai A-League’s best users of the ball happen to be those tasked with shielding the defence and contributing in attack.
That is a role that Central Coast Mariners man Matthew Millar has excelled in this season. The ex-South Melbourne product creates 1.1 key passes (the final pass leading to the recipient of the ball having an attempt on goal without scoring) per 90 minutes, but has produced eight assists in his maiden Hyundai A-League campaign.
Only James Troisi, Melbourne Victory’s mercurial midfielder, can rival that tally. The former NPL Victoria star is simply capable of producing magic out of nothing, evidenced by his ability to execute a killer pass from anywhere on the field.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6014657534001
Perth Glory’s Jason Davidson is another fullback who has consistently distributed crucial passes to his teammates.
The 2015 AFC Asian Cup-winning Caltex Socceroo boasts the second most touches of any defender in the competition, and with four assists and 1.18 key chances created per 90 minutes, Davidson is an integral part of Tony Popovic’s efficient machine.
And don’t forget about Newcastle Jets’ Daniel Georgievski.
If it wasn’t for the wayward finishing of his Jets teammates, chances are Georgievski’s total assist tally would rank up there with the competition’s best.
The Macedonian makes 1.8 key passes per 90 minutes and has created over four chances in a single match on three occasions this season for the Jets, but incredibly has registered just a single assist this campaign.
Honourable mentions: Ryan Strain (Adelaide United), Michael Zullo (Sydney FC), Corey Brown (Melbourne Victory)
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5977266390001
Setting the tempo
Neil Kilkenny has conducted Perth Glory’s Premiership assault with a catalogue of canny distribution.
Excellent at circulating possession, splitting the lines with a driven pass or finding the run of a striker darting in behind the opposition defence, the veteran midfielder has been in a class of his own this season.
Fullback Davidson is the only Glory man who receives more touches of the ball than Kilkenny, who passes at an accuracy of 84.7%.
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https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5987471397001
The former Arsenal youth has set the midfield standard this season, but Sydney FC duo Josh Brillante and Brandon O’Neill still continue to show why they’re recognised as the competition’s best midfield partnership.
Passing at 86.5% and 83.3% respectively, the duo recycle possession efficiently and are both accurate deliverers from dead-ball scenarios.
No player in the competition has touched the ball more than the industrious O’Neill, while Brillante’s 156 passes against 10-man Western Sydney Wanderers in December’s 3-1 win is the most highest tally this season.
Honourable mentions: Isaias (Adelaide United), Luke Brattan (Melbourne City), Keisuke Honda (Melbourne Victory)
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5979886084001
Pulling the strings
Dimitri Petratos knows how to split a Hyundai A-League defence open.
The Newcastle Jets star has created a huge 72 chances this season (next best is Adelaide United talisman Craig Goodwin with 62).
But the profligacy of Ernie Merrick’s side this season has restricted Petratos’ end product to just three assists, despite the maestro creating 3.3 key passes per 90 minutes.
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Another who has kept defenders on their heels is Wellington Phoenix’s Sarpreet Singh, who has mustered 1.6 key passes per game and created six assists overall in Phoenix’s charge to the top four.
Melbourne Victory’s James Troisi has also enjoyed an excellent season, creating 1.3 key passes per 90 minutes and accounting for an equal league-high eight assists.
Honourable mentions: Alexander Baumjohann (Western Sydney Wanderers), Diego Castro (Perth Glory)
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5979495505001
