Unable to build on his three 2018 appearances last year, Ainsworth took an encouraging step forward this season. The diligent onballer broke into the side in round six against Adelaide just as the Eagles were starting to gain some momentum towards the end of their first hub stint, finding a niche for himself as a defensively-minded onballer who could also go with the opposition’s most dangerous prime mover while regular tagger Mark Hutchings was on the sidelines battling injuries. While not a big possession-winner, Ainsworth played a valuable role for the side, especially in the final rounds of the season as the Eagles dealt with a crippling injury toll to many midfield guns, and added nine games to his career tally – including his first finals appearance.

Standout performance:

The stats column for Ainsworth after the round 17 clash with St Kilda hardly jumps off the page: six disposals, three tackles, one mark and one clearance. However, the 21-year-old’s impact on that critical contest was far more profound than those numbers illustrate. Tasked with tagging Zak Jones, the young Eagle put the clamps on the aggressive Saints midfielder, limiting him to 15 touches after a red-hot month when he averaged nearly 23 disposals. Given the outs from West Coast’s onball brigade, the Eagles had to restrict St Kilda’s engine room and Ainsworth carried out his role brilliantly in the stirring come-from-behind victory.

Season averages:

Disposals – 8.6

Marks – 2.9

Ground Ball Gets – 2.1

Score Involvements – 1.9

Tackles – 1.3