Nice stat, but somewhat tempered by the fact that old mates Matt Dea, Adam Saad, Ben McNiece and Mitch Brown are in the top 30.
81.21% in 2019 (46th in the league)
81.63% in 2020 (45th in the league)
83.82% in 2021 (40th in the league)
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83.82 in 2021 (40th)
Numbers will be lower as the Crows imploded because the work rate and skill up the ground fell away badly.
Hardly looks like we will have to saw his leg off so he doesnât kick the ball.
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Iâve never paid much attention to him, but I always thought he was shorter, kind of a poor manâs Jake Lever.
He can certainly intercept mark. If he can lockdown on smalls, then all the better.
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Crows board talking about Kelly having strong leadership skills at the club etc.
Like the team weâre building.
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Jay Clark
Essendon has netted one of the best lockdown defenders in the league snaring Adelaide Crowsâ backman Jake Kelly.
The Bombers on Friday beat two other clubs for Kellyâs services and are set to secure his signature on the opening day of the free agency period next month.
Kelly, who is the son of former Magpie and management kingpin Craig Kelly, is set to play a key shut down role on some dangerous small forwards which have troubled the Bombersâ defence at times.
According to Champion Data, Kelly is the second-best player in the competition for defending one-on-one contests over the past four years.
The 26-year-old has lost only 35 (18 per cent) of his 193 one-one contests since the start of 2018.
The Bombers beat Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne to Kelly in a further sign Tullamarine has become an appealing trade destination.
Snaring the no-frills stopper was another shrewd move from the Bombers as Kelly is a flexible team-first defender who can handle talls and smalls in the back line.
The Bombers also donât have to give up anything for him in a trade as Kelly is an unrestricted free agent.
The reliable Crow finished seventh in the clubâs best and fairest this year and expressed a desire to head home to Victoria to continue his AFL career.
Crowsâ football manager Adam Kelly said the club understood the backmanâs wish to return home.
âJake has made a great contribution to our Club over the past eight seasons,â Adam Kelly said.
âHe has consistently set high standards on and off the field with his training and preparation.
âWe thank him for his service and wish him all the best as he embarks on the next stage of his career.â
Kelly was initially overlooked by Collingwood as a father-son prospect and headed to Adelaide as a rookie pick where the hard-working backman quickly earned his teammatesâ respect, playing 10 games in 2015.
He has become a regular cog in the defence ever since and attracted interest from the Bulldogs and the Kangaroos throughout the 2021 season.
Kellyâs arrival was a targeted move from the Bombers who want to improve their defensive work for 2022 and beyond.
He will also give Essendon the flexibility to release Jordan Ridley and Dyson Heppell into more attacking roles if required next year.
Essendon had an enormously successful trade period last year when list manager Adrian Dodoro picked up former Gold Coast forward Peter Wright and ex-Saintsâ speedster Nick Hind cheaply.
Wright had a strong year including a seven-goal haul in the late-season win over Western Bulldogs while Hind was in All-Australian contention for his drive off half back.
Kelly could be the Bombersâ only significant move in this yearâs exchange period with the club determined to keep its top pick (No. 11) in this yearâs draft.
It is expected to make a big move to land Gold Coast spearhead Ben King next year.
Essendon was thrilled with its returns in last yearâs draft nabbing Archie Perkins, Nick Cox and Zach Reid as the club started a new chapter and made finals in Ben Ruttenâs first year in charge.
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WelcomeJake to BomberlandâŚ
This is out of blueâŚno rumour nothingâŚsuddenly he nominates us⌠something is brewing at Bomberland
That also puts Matt Dea as the best ball user at Essendon, which would be a difficult case to make.
Slides beautifully into Truckâs Blue collar
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J.Kelly ranked 323 for Clangers this year.
I donât recall Dea being that bad with his ball use but it was a while ago.
Itâs amusing how one typo can completely unravel the point youâre trying to make. 
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Do not Bet on thisâŚ
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Very driven to find solid hard working type who fill a role, not the flashy types.
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Did he ever line up on Charlie Cameron ?
He wasnât bad, I donât think he was 330 places clear of Merrett and Langford though.
You mean like when Collingwood signed Mayne thinking they got Mundy
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Looks the goods
Heâs got a decent build. Good mark overhead and lays a strong tackle.
Look forward to seeing how he slots in.
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Kelly going to be handy on the likes of Weightman who destroyed us in the final
Happy with this
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