What is KICK Rating?
One number, 0–100, for every AFL player in every game since 1897. Transparent formula, public-stats data, reproducible by anyone with 50 lines of Python. The signature metric of The Kicker — argue with it, don't trust it blindly.
KICK Rating is a single per-game score derived from the box stats of an individual player's match. The headline figure on every player profile is their rolling 40-game KICK — their average across the last 40 games where they played 50%+ of the match. Long enough that hot runs don't evaporate in the off-season; short enough that ancient form doesn't carry forever.
The current formula is v1.1 (clangers scaled by clanger-rate; time-on-ground multiplier). Four follow-up attempts (v1.2 weights, v1.3 mechanisms, v1.4 advanced data, v1.7 game-level WOWY) all held — the first three against the same six binding criteria, the fourth against face-validity. The fixes that shipped: Positional KICK (parallel rating calibrated within position), Peak 40 (best 40-game stretch all-time), and the Career-best games block on every player profile.
Read further
Per-stat weights, normaliser, eligibility filter, time-on-ground bands, full v1.0 → v1.7 version history. Reproducible from public stats.
Brownlow alignment 4.36/10. AA squad overlap 42.7%. AFLCA winner hit-rate 82.6%. v1.2/v1.3/v1.4/v1.7 sweeps — four holds, two structural ceilings (single-number formula + game-level WOWY).
Per-position calibrated variants. Defenders get a fair read against defenders, forwards against forwards. Lockett top-5 all-time on KICK-F instead of #12 overall.
AFL Tables (1897+), AFL.com.au match centre (2012+ advanced fields), AFLCA coach votes (2003+ for validation). What's in, what's out, what's gated.
See it in action
Top 10 active mids, defs, fwds, ruckmen side-by-side. Position-fair KICK-P.
Top 100 active by overall rolling-40 KICK. Mid-biased by design.
Best 40-game stretch every player ever put together. Ablett Jr #1 (2011–13).
AFLCA Champion-Player votes per game, scaled within position. The lens where coaches and KICK disagree most (key defenders).
Got an issue with the formula, found a stat we're double-counting, or want to propose a v2 weighting? Get in touch.