Ben Cunnington continued his superb start to the season on Friday night, collecting another 35 disposals against the Power, with 21 of them contested.

Cunnington is no stranger to the contest, and since the statistic was first recorded in 1999, no player has dominated the contested ball more for North Melbourne. 

Remarkably, Friday night was Cunnington’s 16th game in which he’s had 20 or more contested possessions, 14 more than the Roos’ next best (Jack Ziebell and Andrew Swallow). 

Cunnington’s efforts place him in esteemed company in this category, trailing only Josh Kennedy, Patrick Dangerfield, Nat Fyfe, Gary Ablett Jr, Patrick Cripps and Matthew Priddis since 1999.

And in 2019, Cunnington seems to have once again taken his game to another level.

The North number 10 trails only Brownlow Medal favourite Patrick Cripps for contested possessions and clearances, highlighting his importance to the Roos midfield. 

The 27-year-old also leads the competition for handballs, an area in which he is among the games finest.

Cunnington has become arguably the Roos most important player in 2019, and he will no doubt be integral for the remainder of the season as North look to get back on track after a slow start.