The amount of emerging football talent oozing out of Princess Park is enough to have any Shepparton Swans fan brimming with excitement.
And if there is one man that typifies the growth of this young Swans unit in 2022, it is unassuming midfielder Zac Banch.
Coming across from Yarrawonga prior to season 2022, the young gun has been a consistent performer in the engine room all year long, averaging an ultra impressive 26.4 disposals from his 13 games.
Key stats
Zac Banch season averages
Disposals: 26.4
Marks: 5.3
Handball receives: 9.8
Clearances: 6.0
Tackles: 4.5
Inside 50s: 5.1
Goals: 1.3
But it is in the past three weeks where the hard-nosed onballer has elevated his game to new heights, with GVL Data showing a rapid rise into one of the competition’s best midfielders.
Coming up against three of the league’s best teams in Echuca, Seymour and Euroa, Banch eclipsed the 30-disposal barrier on each occasion — registering returns of 31, 33 and most recently 39 in what was a day out at Memorial Oval.
Key stats
Model of consistency
Round 12 v Echuca: 31 disposals
Round 13 v Seymour: 33 disposals
Round 14 v Euroa: 39 disposals
Going head-to-head with the likes of seasoned stars Jack Hellier, Ben Giobbi and JD Hayes, Banch was a shining light for his team, working hard to claim 19 handball receives, nine ground-ball gets, seven marks, seven tackles and five clearances to go with his bout of leather poisoning.
At a glance
Zac Banch v Euroa, round 14
Disposals: 39
Marks: 7
Handball receives: 19
Ground-ball gets: 9
Clearances: 5
Tackles: 7
Inside 50s: 4
Goals: 1
Data points: 147
He also showed how damaging he can be with ball in hand, sending the Swans inside 50 on four occasions and kicking a major to cap off a dominant afternoon.
For all you fantasy football heads, Banch’s game yielded a whopping 147 data points.
Averaging 34.3 disposals a game across this three-game stretch, his numbers stack up against the premier ball winners in the competition, as he continues to develop a deadly one-two punch with skipper BJ Squire.
So as the Swans look to finish their campaign on a strong note, expect Banch to continue his sparkling form and become a household name in the GVL for years to come.