Who is the AFLâ€™s Neo?

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IN the 1999 film The Matrix Keanu Reeves' character, Neo, has the ability to consciously slow down space and time in order to dodge a barrage of bullets during a rooftop duel.

In the filmmaking game, this effect is called bullet time.

In the AFL game, bullet time is the ability to move through congestion and exit into space or release the ball to a teammate, with minimum fuss.

As the game has becomes faster and congestion increases, a footballers ability to slow down space and time among the chaos of multiple bodies is crucial.

Bullet time is yet to reach AFL vernacular, this concept is more commonly represented by the phrase, "he's good in traffic".

The List: Who is the best player in traffic?

Being a smooth mover is often a subjective assessment and not something stats can accurately measure.

Contested possessions might tell some of the story - if a player wins the ball in traffic then a contested possession will result.

But, bullet time it's not just about possessing the ball in traffic, it's about having the comosure to effectively dispose of it.

Scott Pendlebury generally leads this discussion, his ability to find space with a silky side step or come to a halt as other crash around him, is unparalleled.

Sam Mitchell might not stop time like Pendlebury does, but Champion Data says that since Round 1 2013 Mitchell has hit the target with 75 per cent of possessions gathered from a ground ball situation, compared to Pendlebury's 62.3 per cent.

It's Pendlebury's incredible spatial awareness that gives this bullet time ability, however Mitchell demonstrates that just like there was the red pill and the blue pill in The Matrix, there is more than one way out of sticky situation in the AFL.

Speed, power, size, ambidexterity and vision are all bullet time qualities that serve to buy players time and the ability to execute under the pressure of multiple bodies.

Who is the AFL's Neo? Who is The One?

Scott Pendlebury negates his way through traffic. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Corp Australia

SCOTT PENDLEBURY

Strong spatial awareness is defined by a heightened ability to process surrounds and judge depth of other players in an area, in relation to oneself. This allows Pendlebury to find space where others don't, or evade a tackle by as little as a fingernail and release the ball to a teammate. This quality is often attributed to his background as a basketballer where working in tight confines and cutting angles is essential.

2014 contested possession rank:

Trademark: The stop, prop then accelerate.

2013-2014 contested possession efficiency: 63.3 per cent

Gary Ablett releases a teammate with a handball. Source: News Limited

GARY ABLETT

Ablett's bullet time skill is his incredible strength and agility. He can weave through a stoppage with power, pick the right exit point and then execute skills at extreme speed. Ablett also has the ability to take multiple tackles and either burst through congestion or feed the ball out to a teammate.

Trademark: Dodge, shrug, explode.

2013-2014 contested possession efficiency: 55.2 per cent

Patrick Dangerfield brusts away from Collingwood's Ben Sinclair. Source: News Limited

PATRICK DANGERFIELD

While other players in this debate have the ability to win the ball on the inside before feeding it out, Dangerfield prefers to win the ball in congestion and simply burst his way through into space. He is the consummate power athlete, possessing a rare combination of strength and speed.

Trademark: Gather, bullock, fend, accelerate toward goal.

2013-2014 contested possession efficiency: 57.5 per cent

Sam Mitchell gets a handball away despite a Nathan Fyfe tackle. Picture: Carrafa Tim Source: News Limited

SAM MITCHELL

Mitchell is one of the best clearance players of his generation. He might not be blessed with extreme leg speed, but he is quick with hand and mind. His ability to release the ball from a stoppage under tackle pressure is elite. In 2013, Mitchell was selected as an All-Australian half back and his ability to kick without preference on his left and right feet bought him the time to set the Hawks up from the defence.

Trademark: Hands up to release handball, baulk with left or right kick.

2013-2014 contested possession efficiency: 75 per cent

Josh Kennedy lifts his hands to fire away a handball. Source: News Limited

JOSH KENNEDY

Kennedy's bullet time attribute is his size. Standing at 188cm and 96kg, he's got the body of a key position player and this gives him an advantage over most at the stoppages. Due to his height, he can access the ball from the ruck tap before others, it is almost impossible to restrict his ability to release the ball when he gets his hands in the air and he can see options beyond the inner ring of a contested situation.