There is a new undisputed No.1 player in the AFL and his name is Nat Fyfe.
That is the verdict delivered by the Official AFL Player Ratings after the Fremantle star edged ahead of Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury following the 21.5 points he notched in Saturday's game against Richmond.
Fyfe (657.9 points) has overtaken Pendlebury (652.4) for the Player Ratings title, with Adelaide's Patrick Dangerfield (607.6), Joel Selwood (589) and Rory Sloane (571.6) rounding out the top five.
Fyfe out for Giants clash
Fyfe has a lead of 5.4 points over his nearest rival and under the complexities of the system – which involves players 'defending' points accrued in past matches – Pendlebury would need to outscore him by 8.9 points to regain the advantage.
Fyfe is the top-scoring player in the AFL in 2015, racking up a total of 316.8 points.
The next best points scorer is Eagle Nic Natanui with 273.3 points, followed by Adelaide's Patrick Dangerfield (271.4) and Pendlebury (268.1).
Fyfe's hold on the top position has been made more secure by the fact Gary Ablett has been ruled out for the season with a medial ligament tear in his left knee.
Ablett has dropped to ninth overall after playing just six games since dislocating his shoulder against Collingwood in round 16 last season.
However, the Suns captain was the second-highest scoring player in round 16 and the fifth-highest scoring player in round 15 and looked in ominous form before the knee injury.
Meanwhile, emerging Western Bulldogs midfielder Marcus Bontempelli has broken into the top 100 of the competition for the first time in his career.
Bontempelli (No.91 overall) is the youngest player, at 19 years and seven months, to reach the top 100.
Only Gold Coast's Harley Bennell, at 19 years and nine months, has achieved that feat as teenager.
Fyfe searching for date
But Bontempelli has his work cut out for him to match Fyfe, who was ranked at No.50 when he was aged 20 years and five months.
Richmond's Dustin Martin came in in 30th position at 20 years and eight months, while the Lions' Daniel Rich came in at No.22 at the age of 21 years and eight months.
The Official AFL Player Ratings were launched in May 2013.
