ANY CHAD is a good Chad, but a signed Chad is better.

As debate, headlines and uncertainty raged around the future of Sydney superstar Chad Warner through the season’s first six weeks, the gun midfielder’s form took a rather surprising hit.

However, since both Warner and the Swans killed the noise by agreeing on a two-year contract extension back on April 24, Sydney has reaped the benefits of a player who is totally committed and back to his devastating best.

Warner’s numbers fell dramatically from a career-best 2024 campaign, where he was named All-Australian for the first time and racked up top 10 finishes in both the Brownlow Medal and the AFLCA Player of the Year award.

His drop-off was best summed up in Champion Data’s new 100x rating system, which measures AFL Player Ratings points compared to the expectation of the player’s position per 100 minutes of game time to deliver the best and most balanced ranking of a footballer’s value to their side.

Up until round six, Warner fell to being the 110th best player in the competition according to Champion Data’s 100x rating system. On pure AFL Player Ratings points, he dipped to being the 51st ranked player in the League.

However, in the four matches since Warner re-signed and the Sydney superstar put the oft-referenced ‘outside noise’ of contract talks to bed, he has clearly settled and returned to being the dominant force of yesteryear.

RETURN OF THE CHAD

In that month-long period, Warner is the No.2 ranked player in the competition – behind only North Melbourne ruck Tristan Xerri – based on pure AFL Player Ratings points. Champion Data also notes that he has surged back inside the League’s top 10 players according to its 100x rating system.

Across the board, Warner’s numbers have improved. The Swans have reaped the most significant benefits forward of centre, where both his score assists and score involvement metrics have increased dramatically.

In last Friday night’s win over Carlton, he chipped in with two goals to complement his 30-disposal effort. That followed a similar pattern after the week he signed a new contract, where he had 24 touches and two goals against Gold Coast.

Warner works up home crowd with typical flair

Chad Warner gets the Swans pumped up after his terrific snap somehow avoids a Blue in front of goal

However, that’s being driven from his inside work. His contested numbers, his groundball numbers, his clearance numbers, his pressure numbers and his tackling numbers have all significantly risen and now form the basis of his game once again.

His recent performances, which both reflect and rival those he produced while helping Sydney to another Grand Final berth last season, have inspired wins over Greater Western Sydney and Carlton in recent weeks.

They also show the dual value of locking away your best talent as quickly as possible.