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AFL’s quirky stat leaders revealed mid-way through 2019 season
Most of us know who gets a lot of disposals per game and who kicks the goals but do you know who has spent the most time on the ground this season? What about running bounces? See the AFL’s quirky stats leaders for 2019.
Dan Batten, Herald Sun
June 5, 2019 10:15am
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There are a number of statistics taken in footy, with disposals, marks, kicks and goals the major ones we rate a player’s performance on.
But there are a number of statistics that aren’t available to us at the click of a button — some of them are quirky, but also quite fascinating.
Check out the unknown stats leaders below.

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KICK-INS
— Most kick-ins taken: Shannon Hurn (86)
— Most play on from kick-ins: Jake Lloyd (67)

When the AFL announced the new kick-in rules — allowing players to waltz out of the square without kicking to themselves — the eyes of SuperCoach players lit up. While it hasn’t made a significant impact to defenders across the board, two defenders in particular have reaped the rewards of the freedom.
West Coast skipper Shannon Hurn is the man guilty of sprinting to the goalsquare the most after a behind is scored, taking 86 kick-ins across the season.
However, Swans rebounder Jake Lloyd has played on from the most kick-ins this season, doing so 67 times — more than six times per match.

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Shannon Hurn has taken the most kick-ins of any player this season. Picture: Michael KleinRUNNING BOUNCES
Connor McKenna and Seb Ross (23)
While one name under this category comes as no surprise, many footy fans would be shocked to see Seb Ross here.
We don’t often associate long, raking runs down the wing with contested beast Ross, but the Saints midfielder is leading this category with running defender Connor McKenna.
METRES GAINED
James Sicily (560 per game)
The Hawthorn defender ranks first in the league, averaging 560 metres per game.
He leads this stat due to his tendency to kick rather than handball, recording a 3.35:1 kick to handball ratio.
Sicily also ranks in the top five in the competition for rebound 50s (1st), turnovers (3rd), intercepts (3rd) and marks (4th).
James Sicily in action for the Hawks. Picture: Michael KleinCENTRE BOUNCE ATTENDANCES
Patrick Cripps (253)
He was kept to just 11 disposals by tagger Dylan Clarke on the weekend, but Patrick Cripps has been stationed in the centre square more than any player this season.
The contested animal has attended 253 centre bounces across the season, an average of 23 per game.
The amount of goals conceded by the Blues may have helped boost his numbers in this statistic.
MOST/LEAST TIME ON GROUND
— Most time on ground: Ben Brown (97%) — most have played all matches
— Least time on ground: Luke Davies-Uniake (67%) — minimum eight games

The players who spend the most and least time on the ground both come from the same club.
North Melbourne spearhead Ben Brown has spent a whopping 97 per cent of game time on the ground — an illustration of his phenomenal aerobic capacity.
Putting this into perspective, in a 120-minute game, the Roos goalkicker spends an average of three minutes and twenty four seconds on the bench.
On the flip side, young midfielder Luke Davies Uniacke has spent just 67 per cent of time on ground, the lowest of any player to have played eight matches.
Ben Brown celebrates a goal. Picture: Michael KleinHIGHEST/LOWEST DISPOSAL EFFICIENCY
— Highest: Shannon Hurn (88%) — minimum 20 disposals
— Lowest: Brayden Fiorini (59%) — minimum 20 disposals

Kick-in king Shannon Hurn leads the way in this department, while an emerging Suns midfielder has recorded the worst disposal efficiency of any player this season.
Hurn tends to kick the ball long to a contest — with kicks 40m or longer to a contest classed as effective by Champion Data — especially from kick-ins.
The distributor is averaging 22.8 effective disposals per game — hitting the target 88 per cent of the time.
His retention is even more remarkable considering his kick to handball ratio is just under 4:1 — averaging 20.7 kicks and 5.3 handballs this season
In stark contrast, Brayden Fiorini has hit the target with just 59 per cent of his disposals in 2019.
The Suns midfielder has been registering some good numbers, averaging 28.1 disposals per game (including 18.3 kicks), but hits the target with just 16.5 disposals a match.
HIGHEST/LOWEST HIT-OUTS TO ADVANTAGE
— Highest: Max Gawn (14.7 per game)
— Lowest: Callum Sinclair (5.5 per game)

Max Gawn has been a dominant force in the ruck this season, averaging 42.3 hit-outs per game, and his hit-out to advantage numbers are seeing his teammates get first use out of the middle.
The bearded giant is averaging 14.7 hit-outs to advantage per game, putting the ball in his teammates’ bread basket with 34.8 per cent of his hit-outs.
On the flip side, Swans ruckman Callum Sinclair averages just 5.5 effective hit-outs, despite tallying 27.2 hit-outs per game.
This sees his hit-out rate at a low 20.2 per cent.
Max Gawn has been a dominant force in the ruck this season. Picture: Phil HillyardSCORE ASSISTS
Tom Hawkins (26)
He’s sitting in second spot in the Coleman Medal race, trailing Jeremy Cameron by eight goals, but Tom Hawkins does lead the way in another forward 50 stat.
The unselfish Cat has assisted 26 scores in 2019, averaging 2.4 score assists per game.
Hawkins is in some ominous form this season, tallying 13.9 disposals and booting 31 goals.
INTERCEPTS AND INTERCEPT MARKS
Intercepts — Luke Ryan (103)
Intercept marks — Jeremy McGovern (39)

Luke Ryan has gone to another level this season, recording the most intercept possessions in the competition, averaging 9.4 intercepts per game.
The No.1 man for intercept marks will surprise no one, with Jeremy McGovern clunking 3.5 intercept marks a match — providing a fantastic springboard for the Eagles’ side.
Tom Hawkins leaders two categories — score assists and one-on-one contest wins. Picture: GettyHIGHEST/LOWEST ONE-ON-ONE CONTEST WINS
Highest: Tom Hawkins (50%) — minimum 20 contests
Lowest: Mitch Brown (10%) — minimum 20 contests

This statistic displays the sheer power of Hawkins in one-on-one contests.
The in-form forward wins 50 per cent of one-on-one marking contests — outstanding numbers for a player who is kicked to so often.
It also says a bit about the quality of ball coming his way, with the likes of Gary Ablett, Mitch Duncan and Tim Kelly kicking it long to his advantage.
Bombers forward Mitch Brown comes in at the other side of the spectrum, winning just 10 per cent of one-on-one marking contests in his five games this year.
FREE KICKS FOR AND AGAINST
Free for — Max Gawn (29)
Free against — Shane Mumford (30)

Two of the competition’s leading ruckmen hold the title of most frees for and against.
Demon Max Gawn has been given the most frees of any player in the league, with opposition rucks often giving away free kicks to him in ruck contests due to his height and strength.
The returning Shane Mumford has given away a whopping 30 free kicks despite playing just eight games for the season.
The big man is averaging 3.8 frees against a game, helped by a mammoth nine frees against in Round 7 against young ruckman Rowan Marshall.
 
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Some good stats on Gawn. Makes me a little more comfy giving him the C this week against Grundy.
 
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Some good stats on Gawn. Makes me a little more comfy giving him the C this week against Grundy.
Actually, neither gives me any comfort :)

When their teams clash, Gawn only averages 87.4 ppg against the Pies, while Grundy manages 91.3 against the Dees. Perhaps the two superstars negate each other’s best?
 
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Actually, neither gives me any comfort :)

When their teams clash, Gawn only averages 87.4 ppg against the Pies, while Grundy manages 91.3 against the Dees. Perhaps the two superstars negate each other’s best?
Oh, I never said I would be putting the C on Gawn this week ;)
 
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I didn't know where to put this article?

AFL 2019: All-Australian contenders for every club at half-way point of season
AFL



  • June 5, 2019 2:19pm
  • by Ben Waterworth and Max Laughton
  • Source: FOX SPORTS
The early All-Australian contenders: Zach Merrett, Andrew Gaff, Ricky Henderson and Matt de Boer.Source: FOX SPORTS

Hawthorn and Fremantle’s bargain pick-ups could soon turn to All-Australian selections.
Plus a third-year Lion and a genuine tagger are right in the mix as well.
With the help of Champion Data, foxfooty.com.au profiles the All-Australian contenders at every club at the halfway mark of the AFL season.

ADELAIDE
After an injury-riddled 2018 campaign, Rory Sloane is back to his menacing best — and in career-best form. Sloane is in the top 10 for average tackles (6.8) and contested possessions (13.8), while he’s also racking up a career-high 13.8 contested possessions per outing. Key defender Alex Keath was certainly in the team after Round 8, but has dropped a little significantly in the past three weeks. Still, he’s ranked second in the league for average intercept possessions and undoubtedly in the mix. Forward Tom Lynch is also back to his outstanding 2017-like form, booting 12 goals and ranking eighth for score involvements per game. And Crows fans would be delighted with 2014 All-Australian Brodie Smith’s output, averaging a career-high 23.3 disposals and 556.2m gained (ranked third in the AFL).
Hugh McCluggage has had a breakout season for the Lions.Source: Getty Images

BRISBANE
If you were picking the side now, Lachie Neale would be one of the first players selected. The star recruit has been a revelation for the Lions, ranking first in the league for average disposals (32.8), third for clearances (7.9) and fourth for contested possessions (16.4). Harris Andrews has also genuinely emerged as one of the best and most well-rounded key defenders in the game, ranking first in the league for average spoils (10.2) and fifth for intercept marks (3.0). The big surprise though has been third-year young gun Hugh McCluggage, who’s been a picture of consistency for the Lions this year. Not only has he been racking up 22.9 disposals, he’s also kicking at least one goal per game on average. Dayne Zorko would be an outside chance.

CARLTON
There’s only one — unsurprising — option here: Patrick Cripps. While the numbers paint a picture of his incredible season — so far he’s averaged more clearances than any other player (8.2) to go with 27.2 disposals — he’s led an under-fire team superbly both on and off. To date, Cripps has won 62.9 per cent of his possessions contested — the best for a midfielder in the competition. The watch, however, is he has been tagged out of two of his past three games.

COLLINGWOOD
A few contenders here, with ruckman Brodie Grundy a strong chance to go back-to-back. Not only is he No. 1 for ranking points, he’s in the top 10 for average contested possessions. Collingwood’s Mr Consistent Scott Pendlebury, who’s driven the ball forward superbly to date, would be right in line for a sixth All-Australian jumper, while Adam Treloar has been as influential as ever averaging a whopping 32.5 touches per outing. Jordan De Goey, who sits eighth on the Coleman medal table with 22 goals, could earn a second All-Australian jumper. The one gathering momentum is the well-rounded Jack Crisp. Not only is he averaging a career-high 25.6 touches, he’s also in the league’s top 10 for defensive-half pressure acts, loses just 12.5 per cent of his contested defensive contests and averages seven intercepts per outing.

ESSENDON
Vice-captain Zach Merrett is putting together another impressive campaign, accumulating 28.9 disposals per outing. He’s currently the 18th-best player in the league, according to the Official AFL Player Ratings. And despite ample feedback about his kicking efficiency, Dylan Shiel is having an excellent season. Shiel is averaging career-high disposals (27.9), contested possessions (12.2), inside 50s (5.5) and metres gained (480.4). A sneaky one to watch, as well, is Cale Hooker.
Luke Ryan of the Dockers has been a revelation.Source: Getty Images

FREMANTLE
Some standout Dockers will be right in the mix. Nat Fyfe, the game’s best contested ball player to date this year, seems poised to make it three All-Australian jumpers, while 33-year-old David Mundy’s Benjamin Button-like form has him in line for a second gong. But it’s the emergence of Michael Walters, Bradley Hill and Luke Ryan that would interest All-Australian selectors just as much. Walters is now one of the game-best clutch performers, not just for his post-siren heroics but for his goalkicking ability and clean ball use skills in pressure situations. He’s kicked 19 goals and averaged 21.1 disposals from 11 games. Hill has had some monster performances this season, especially in the Dockers’ most recent wins over Brisbane (31 disposals) and Collingwood (29). And Ryan, who slipped to Pick 66 in the 2016 draft, has been outstanding down back with multiple 30-plus disposal games. Just as importantly, he’s kicking the ball at 85.2 per cent efficiency and is the league’s No. 1 intercept player.

GEELONG
Regular All-Australian picks Gary Ablett, Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Hawkins are deservedly in contention again, with all three consistently impacting the scoreboard either directly or indirectly this season. But midfielders Tim Kelly and Mitch Duncan are just as worthy of contention. Kelly — a top-10 clearance player — arguably would have more Brownlow votes than any other Cat to date, while Duncan — ranked second for marks per game — would be a huge contender as a genuine wingman that’s averaged one goal per game. Defenders Mark Blicavs and Tom Stewart would also be in the selection panel’s minds.

GOLD COAST SUNS
The only genuine contender would be Alex Sexton, who sits eighth on the Coleman medal race with 22 goals thanks to a blistering start to the season. Others like David Swallow and Jarrod Witts are having career-best seasons, but sit behind a few in the respective midfield and ruck pecking orders.
Jeremy Cameron of the Giants leads the Coleman medal table.Source: Getty Images

GWS GIANTS
Where do you start? Coleman medal leader Jeremy Cameron is the first player picked, while goalkicking-midfielder Stephen Coniglio and utility Lachie Whitfield aren’t far behind after stunning starts to their 2019 campaigns. Despite missing three games, Josh Kelly is close to the best player in the competition at the moment, averaging career-high disposals and ranking first in the league for score involvements per game. Co-captain Phil Davis has never been an All-Australian — but maybe this could be the year. Davis has averaged the most intercept marks in the competition (3.6) and launched 2.4 scores per outing — ranked No. 1 of all key defenders. Then there are the two surprises: born-again forward Jeremy Finlayson and tagger Matt de Boer. Since moving into the attacking 50 in Round 3, Finlayson has kicked 24.11 from nine game, including five hauls of three-plus goals. And you can’t ignore de Boer’s scalps — Dustin Martin, Tim Kelly, Jaeger O’Meara, Patrick Cripps, Clayton Oliver and David Swallow — as a run-with player this season. Could he be squeezed out?
 
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HAWTHORN
If it wasn’t for injury and almost two months on the sidelines, James Sicliy probably would’ve been in last year’s All-Australian side. But he’s every chance to be in the mix this season as he develops into one of the game’s best attacking defenders. Sicily is ranked first in the league for both metres gained and rebound 50s, as well as four for intercept possessions. Luke Breust is a strong contender to get a third All-Australian jumper, with 20 goals to his name to date. He’s also one of the best forward pressure players, ranking fourth for average attacking 50 tackles. But the big shock this season is Ricky Henderson, whose 10th AFL season is turning out to be the stuff of dreams. Delisted by Adelaide, Henderson was given a lifeline by Hawthorn after 2016. In year No. 3 at the Hawks, the lifeline is paying off for both parties. Henderson has averaged a whopping 26.9 disposals and rated ‘elite’ for kicking efficiency (72.6%), uncontested possessions (19.3), marks (7.9) and metres gained (464.3), putting him in line for a spot on the wing.


MELBOURNE
Just the one genuine contender for Melbourne amid a terribly disappointing campaign. But Max Gawn deserves all the praise he can get. The Dees ruckman, who made the All-Australian sides in 2016 and 2018, is ranked second for ranking points, while he’s also averaged career-high disposals (17.4), contested possessions (10.4) and clearances (5.2). Above all, Gawn has the best hit-out to advantage rate of any ruck to play at least four games this season.

NORTH MELBOURNE
Despite a somewhat turbulent season for the team to date, the Kangaroos have a few early All-Australian contenders. Shaun Higgins is averaging a whopping 31.2 touches after stepping up his outside workrate, while Ben Cunnington is the second-best contested ball and clearance player in the competition. Ben Brown hasn’t been arguably as consistent as his 2018 campaign to date, but he’s still managed 30 goals from 11 games, including four hauls of four-plus goals. Perhaps the one that’s gone under the radar is Todd Goldstein, who’s showing glimpses of his dominant 2015 form that saw him earn All-Australian contention. The issue is he’s got two guys called Grundy and Gawn that have been just as impressive.

PORT ADELAIDE
Despite the Power’s general surge in output, not too many players seem to be in All-Australian contention — except Travis Boak. After three slightly down years, Boak has resurrected his career and thrived without the captaincy, averaging a career-high 31.9 disposals — ranked fourth in the league. He’s also in the AFL’s top 10 players for inside 50s, contested possessions and clearances. Boak would be close to a lock at the moment. Elsewhere for Port, Tom Rockliff would be in the conversation and maybe ever-improving duo Dougal Howard and Dan Houston.
Travis Boak of the Power is in stunning form.Source: Getty Images

RICHMOND
Shane Edwards was
one of the feel-good stories of the 2018 side — and he could make it back-to-back nominations. Spending more time in the midfield has paid dividends for Edwards, who’s averaging career-high disposals (21.7). In the absence of Alex Rance, the Tigers have been well served by Nick Vlastuin and Dylan Grimes down back. Vlastuin has had some enormous performances — most notably against Melbourne on Anzac Eve — while Grimes has won widespread praise for his balance between intercepting and locking down on an opponent. Kane Lambert would also be in the conversation, as should Dustin Martin — despite performing below his high standards to date in 2019.

ST KILDA
In a reflection of their overall form this season, it’s tough to find an All-Australian contender at the Saints. Even at 4-1, this team was being driven by pressure and winning scrappy contests; not exactly a combination that has players putting their hands up for All-Australian selection. The top candidate would be Jade Gresham, who at 21 years old is probably the best player at the club. As a midfielder he rates above average for disposals (22 a week) and goals (0.9), while leading St Kilda in clearances (4.9). During the Saints’ 4-1 start to the season, Jack Billings was emerging as a potential breakout star. But after averaging 30 disposals during the first five rounds, he has averaged just 21.7 since.

SYDNEY
Don’t let his post-climbing antics distract you; Dane Rampe is one of the game’s better defenders, and must be considered for the All-Australian side. He ranks in the top ten per cent of his position for both disposals (18.5 per week) and tackles (3.2); the former his best since 2015, the latter his career-high. He is also elite for pressure acts and metres gained. Rampe has been a major reason why the Swans’ defence has sparked their recent improvement; Jake Lloyd is another. His combination of a ridiculous 31.2 disposals per game, an elite rating for marks (7.1) and excellent disposal efficiency (84.3) is one of the league’s best.

WEST COAST EAGLES
For another season, Jeremy McGovern is arguably the best key defender in the game. He’s lost just 10.3 per cent of his defensive contests this season — putting him in the top handful in the competition — while he’s also second for average intercept marks (3.5). His skipper Shannon Hurn arguably should have been the All-Australian captain last year — an honour that instead went to Lance Franklin — but the defender could earn that title in 2019 instead. He is kicking at a remarkable 86.8 per cent efficiency this season, although a hamstring strain will see him miss this week with the aim of getting him back after the bye. If he misses more time, that would make it tougher to make the team. Andrew Gaff may hold his spot from 2018 if the selectors are swayed by his disposal tallies; he is averaging almost 33 a week. But he hasn’t been as damaging with those disposals, and other wing options like Hugh McCluggage and Ricky Henderson should usurp him according to the Official AFL Player Ratings. Jamie Cripps is a very under-the-radar option as a forward, having kicked multiple goals in five matches.
Shannon Hurn and Jeremy McGovern of the Eagles have starred.Source: AAP

WESTERN BULLDOGS
He’s not just one of the best ‘young’ midfielders any more — we can take the young tag off that description of Marcus Bontempelli. After not even making the squad of 40 last year, the 23-year-old must be in heavy consideration for the 2019 team of 22. He is reaching career highs in disposals (26.9 a week), marks (4.9) and clearances (5.8), while he remains an elite goalkicker for a midfielder (0.9). His midfield partner in crime, Jack Macrae, made the squad last season but has dropped from averages of 32.8 disposals and 6.2 clearances to 29.8 and 4.1 respectively — still excellent, but it’s hard to jump into the 22 when you’ve had a slight decline year-on-year. In defence, Caleb Daniel is a strong contender. His move from half-forward to half-back was promising last year, and now it’s a clear success. He rates elite for disposals (27.2 a week) and is one of the best in the competition for pressure acts (13.8), while he is improving his efficiency each week, sitting at 80.5 per cent by foot right now.
 
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Injury ladder: Who's hit hardest? Who's defying the odds?

Travis King

Jun 6, 2019 6:50AM

Where does your club rank on Champion Data's injury ladder?

Related

EVERY club cops injuries.

Strong teams absorb the pain, while the weak feel the hurt factor.

Greater Western Sydney and Richmond have been cruelled after losing stars, yet remain genuine flag contenders.

Carlton, on the other hand, has spiralled to a 1-10 start and former coach Brendon Bolton paid the heaviest of professional prices.

NEXT IN LINE Who's in the running to replace Bolton?

Meanwhile, feelgood story Brisbane has ridden a charmed run on the medical front to be pushing the top four.

Melbourne's alibi as the most injury-hit side – compounding an off-season of surgeries – comes with a rider, and the Bulldogs' season of mediocrity can't be blamed on losing key players.

That's all according to the mid-season injury ladder that comes with a twist.

FULL INJURY LIST Who's ruled out and who's a test?

Instead of simply ordering clubs on the amount of games lost to player unavailability, each team has also been ranked in terms of the quality of names stuck on the sidelines.

Applying a formula, the AFL's official statisticians Champion Data have estimated a scoreboard impact to every team's injury list – and the Giants have the unwanted pole position.

Leon Cameron's men only rank 13th for total games lost, but their injury cost is No.1, equating to four goals per match (267 points in 11 rounds).

In another nightmare run on the injury front, A-graders Toby Greene (calf), Josh Kelly (hip), Callan Ward (knee), Phil Davis (ankle), Lachie Whitfield (thigh) and Stephen Coniglio (finger) have all battled ailments.

Ward won't return this year after rupturing his ACL in round three, and Whitfield is now gone for at least a month with a broken collarbone.

Lachie Whitfield's absence is likely to be painful for the Giants. Picture: AFL Photos


The hits keep coming but, in an ominous sign for the competition, the Giants have powered their way to second spot on the ladder.

Before a shock loss to North Melbourne last Friday night, the Tigers had won six of seven and sat in fourth spot.

That's despite leaders Trent Cotchin (hamstring), Alex Rance (ACL) and Jack Riewoldt (knee/wrist) being counted among the casualty ward.

Richmond has been three goals a game worse off (197 points this season) due to injuries, according to Champion Data, the same as Carlton.

Jack Riewoldt has suffered an injury-interrupted season. Picture: AFL Photos


The battling Blues just haven't had the depth to cover the likes of co-captain Sam Docherty (ACL in pre-season), Matthew Kreuzer (knee), Kade Simpson (hamstring) and Liam Jones (concussion).

Carlton and Brisbane's rebuilds have been poles apart, and right now Chris Fagan's exciting Lions are also reaping the benefits of a healthy list.

They have lost just 44 games to injury – easily the fewest in the AFL – and their scoreboard cost is just 34 points in total, a whopping 233 points fewer than GWS.

The Lions are perfectly positioned to break their 10-year finals drought, with just four players currently sidelined.

Only Adelaide, which could be picking from a full squad except Tom Doedee (ACL) this weekend, is currently faring better.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Demons have been hammered by the League's worst injury list.

However, it has only cost them roughly eight points per match (92 in 11 games) during a season from hell for Simon Goodwin's men.

Find Trends on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

The AFL injury ladder after round 11



All Injuries (games lost)

Injury Cost (scoreboard points)

Club

Total

Rank

Total

Rank

GWS Giants

73

13

267

1

Carlton

85

8

197

2

Richmond

79

11

197

2

Hawthorn

76

12

185

4

Port Adelaide

80

9

176

5

West Coast

68

16

176

5

Sydney

88

7

154

7

Geelong

71

15

142

8

North Melbourne

109

3

137

9

Collingwood

94

5

136

10

Fremantle

90

6

133

11

Adelaide

58

17

123

12

St Kilda

117

2

123

12

Essendon

80

9

116

14

Melbourne

120

1

92

15

Western Bulldogs

72

14

77

16

Gold Coast

106

4

75

17

Brisbane

44

18

34

18











AFL Average

83.9



141.1



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AFL’s quirky stat leaders revealed mid-way through 2019 season
Most of us know who gets a lot of disposals per game and who kicks the goals but do you know who has spent the most time on the ground this season? What about running bounces? See the AFL’s quirky stats leaders for 2019.

Dan Batten, Herald Sun
June 5, 2019 10:15am


There are a number of statistics taken in footy, with disposals, marks, kicks and goals the major ones we rate a player’s performance on.
But there are a number of statistics that aren’t available to us at the click of a button — some of them are quirky, but also quite fascinating.
Check out the unknown stats leaders below.

KICK-INS
— Most kick-ins taken: Shannon Hurn (86)
— Most play on from kick-ins: Jake Lloyd (67)

When the AFL announced the new kick-in rules — allowing players to waltz out of the square without kicking to themselves — the eyes of SuperCoach players lit up. While it hasn’t made a significant impact to defenders across the board, two defenders in particular have reaped the rewards of the freedom.
West Coast skipper Shannon Hurn is the man guilty of sprinting to the goalsquare the most after a behind is scored, taking 86 kick-ins across the season.
However, Swans rebounder Jake Lloyd has played on from the most kick-ins this season, doing so 67 times — more than six times per match.

RUNNING BOUNCES
Connor McKenna and Seb Ross (23)
While one name under this category comes as no surprise, many footy fans would be shocked to see Seb Ross here.
We don’t often associate long, raking runs down the wing with contested beast Ross, but the Saints midfielder is leading this category with running defender Connor McKenna.

METRES GAINED
James Sicily (560 per game)
The Hawthorn defender ranks first in the league, averaging 560 metres per game.
He leads this stat due to his tendency to kick rather than handball, recording a 3.35:1 kick to handball ratio.
Sicily also ranks in the top five in the competition for rebound 50s (1st), turnovers (3rd), intercepts (3rd) and marks (4th).
James Sicily in action for the Hawks. Picture: Michael KleinCENTRE BOUNCE ATTENDANCES
Patrick Cripps (253)
He was kept to just 11 disposals by tagger Dylan Clarke on the weekend, but Patrick Cripps has been stationed in the centre square more than any player this season.
The contested animal has attended 253 centre bounces across the season, an average of 23 per game.
The amount of goals conceded by the Blues may have helped boost his numbers in this statistic.

MOST/LEAST TIME ON GROUND
— Most time on ground: Ben Brown (97%) — most have played all matches
— Least time on ground: Luke Davies-Uniake (67%) — minimum eight games

The players who spend the most and least time on the ground both come from the same club.
North Melbourne spearhead Ben Brown has spent a whopping 97 per cent of game time on the ground — an illustration of his phenomenal aerobic capacity.
Putting this into perspective, in a 120-minute game, the Roos goalkicker spends an average of three minutes and twenty four seconds on the bench.
On the flip side, young midfielder Luke Davies Uniacke has spent just 67 per cent of time on ground, the lowest of any player to have played eight matches.

HIGHEST/LOWEST DISPOSAL EFFICIENCY
— Highest: Shannon Hurn (88%) — minimum 20 disposals
— Lowest: Brayden Fiorini (59%) — minimum 20 disposals

Kick-in king Shannon Hurn leads the way in this department, while an emerging Suns midfielder has recorded the worst disposal efficiency of any player this season.
Hurn tends to kick the ball long to a contest — with kicks 40m or longer to a contest classed as effective by Champion Data — especially from kick-ins.
The distributor is averaging 22.8 effective disposals per game — hitting the target 88 per cent of the time.
His retention is even more remarkable considering his kick to handball ratio is just under 4:1 — averaging 20.7 kicks and 5.3 handballs this season
In stark contrast, Brayden Fiorini has hit the target with just 59 per cent of his disposals in 2019.
The Suns midfielder has been registering some good numbers, averaging 28.1 disposals per game (including 18.3 kicks), but hits the target with just 16.5 disposals a match.

HIGHEST/LOWEST HIT-OUTS TO ADVANTAGE
— Highest: Max Gawn (14.7 per game)
— Lowest: Callum Sinclair (5.5 per game)

Max Gawn has been a dominant force in the ruck this season, averaging 42.3 hit-outs per game, and his hit-out to advantage numbers are seeing his teammates get first use out of the middle.
The bearded giant is averaging 14.7 hit-outs to advantage per game, putting the ball in his teammates’ bread basket with 34.8 per cent of his hit-outs.
On the flip side, Swans ruckman Callum Sinclair averages just 5.5 effective hit-outs, despite tallying 27.2 hit-outs per game.
This sees his hit-out rate at a low 20.2 per cent.
Max Gawn has been a dominant force in the ruck this season. Picture: Phil HillyardSCORE ASSISTS
Tom Hawkins (26)
He’s sitting in second spot in the Coleman Medal race, trailing Jeremy Cameron by eight goals, but Tom Hawkins does lead the way in another forward 50 stat.
The unselfish Cat has assisted 26 scores in 2019, averaging 2.4 score assists per game.
Hawkins is in some ominous form this season, tallying 13.9 disposals and booting 31 goals.

INTERCEPTS AND INTERCEPT MARKS
Intercepts — Luke Ryan (103)
Intercept marks — Jeremy McGovern (39)

Luke Ryan has gone to another level this season, recording the most intercept possessions in the competition, averaging 9.4 intercepts per game.
The No.1 man for intercept marks will surprise no one, with Jeremy McGovern clunking 3.5 intercept marks a match — providing a fantastic springboard for the Eagles’ side.
Tom Hawkins leaders two categories — score assists and one-on-one contest wins. Picture: GettyHIGHEST/LOWEST ONE-ON-ONE CONTEST WINS
Highest: Tom Hawkins (50%) — minimum 20 contests
Lowest: Mitch Brown (10%) — minimum 20 contests

This statistic displays the sheer power of Hawkins in one-on-one contests.
The in-form forward wins 50 per cent of one-on-one marking contests — outstanding numbers for a player who is kicked to so often.
It also says a bit about the quality of ball coming his way, with the likes of Gary Ablett, Mitch Duncan and Tim Kelly kicking it long to his advantage.
Bombers forward Mitch Brown comes in at the other side of the spectrum, winning just 10 per cent of one-on-one marking contests in his five games this year.

FREE KICKS FOR AND AGAINST
Free for — Max Gawn (29)
Free against — Shane Mumford (30)

Two of the competition’s leading ruckmen hold the title of most frees for and against.
Demon Max Gawn has been given the most frees of any player in the league, with opposition rucks often giving away free kicks to him in ruck contests due to his height and strength.
The returning Shane Mumford has given away a whopping 30 free kicks despite playing just eight games for the season.
The big man is averaging 3.8 frees against a game, helped by a mammoth nine frees against in Round 7 against young ruckman Rowan Marshall.
Interesting about Shannon Hurn...

"Hurn tends to kick the ball long to a contest — with kicks 40m or longer to a contest classed as effective by Champion Data — especially from kick-ins. The distributor is averaging 22.8 effective disposals per game — hitting the target 88 per cent of the time."

Saw quite a bit of bashing of Hurn over the last few weeks here from people saying he doesn't deserve his scores... If you are hitting targets at 88 per cent efficiency and having nearly 23 of those effective disposals per game, and you also have the 5th most intercept possessions in the league... You are going to be scoring really well.

Think he fly's a bit under the radar as to how good a player he actually is and what he actually does for our team. He doesn't just sit back playing kick to kick in the backline unopposed as some here seem to think.
 
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Interesting about Shannon Hurn...

"Hurn tends to kick the ball long to a contest — with kicks 40m or longer to a contest classed as effective by Champion Data — especially from kick-ins. The distributor is averaging 22.8 effective disposals per game — hitting the target 88 per cent of the time."

Saw quite a bit of bashing of Hurn over the last few weeks here from people saying he doesn't deserve his scores... If you are hitting targets at 88 per cent efficiency and having nearly 23 of those effective disposals per game, and you also have the 5th most intercept possessions in the league... You are going to be scoring really well.

Think he fly's a bit under the radar as to how good a player he actually is and what he actually does for our team. He doesn't just sit back playing kick to kick in the backline unopposed as some here seem to think.
Thanks :) Consolidated his position on my buy list...as soon as he's back :)
 
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And now for Carlton's sales pitch: Who wants to join the Navy Blues?

Mitch Cleary

Jun 7, 2019 7:25AM

Carlton recruits (L-R) Ben Silvagni, Hugh Goddard, Liam Stocker, Sam Walsh, Finbar O'Dwyer and Tomas Bugg in November, 2018

CARETAKER coach David Teague is on as much of a job pitch over the next 11 weeks as Carlton is to the AFL players thinking about a new home in 2020.

With aspirations to become a senior coach, Teague's task to reinstate morale back at Ikon Park comes with one clear directive.

A second half of the season that resembles anything like the Blues' 1-11 start will simply turn future trade targets away.

Watching from the back of the room as Brendon Bolton's contract was terminated on Monday, Teague was left under no illusions by chief executive Cain Liddle's message.

Brendon Bolton tears up as president Mark LoGiudice watches on. Picture: Getty Images


Liddle laid bare the challenge facing the Blues in retaining top-end talent and enticing star power.

"I'd love to say no (impact), but if you were to go through another year like last year (two wins), that would be tough," Liddle said.

"A lot of our young talent that we've brought in that we've identified is locked away long-term which is a credit to them they've been able to commit to the club in difficult circumstances.

"I'm also a realist that players play footy, they want to win premierships. We need to put this club in a position that can do that."

Patrick Cripps leads the team off the field after another loss. Picture: AFL Photos


Players pondering moves are constantly assessing opposition club lists.

Former Gold Coast co-captain Tom Lynch watched on as Richmond won a flag in 2017, going a long way to crystalising a decision he would make to become a Tiger 12 months later.

Dion Prestia identified Richmond's room for growth in 2016, Jaeger O'Meara liked what he saw at Hawthorn, while Dylan Shiel pored over Essendon's potential before signing at Tullamarine and snubbing the Blues, among others.

It came as a harsh reality to Liddle that wins matter, something that is yet to be addressed this year.

Stephen Coniglio remains on the market, however, he looks more likely to stay at Greater Western Sydney and knock back offers from all over the country.

Gun midfielder Stephen Coniglio is on several clubs' radar. Picture: AFL Photos


Others out of contract that would appeal to the Blues include Fremantle's Ed Langdon, Adelaide's Hugh Greenwood and Sun Jack Martin.

Next year Giants Lachie Whitfield and Jeremy Cameron and Crow Brad Crouch are destined to become free agents.

However, nothing they've seen on-field so far in 2019 would be enough to entice a Carlton move based on performance.

Outside of Dale Thomas and Jarrod Pickett, who remain in battles to earn new contracts, the other 11 Carlton's current top-10 picks will be at the new coach's disposal next season.

It's a list that has underachieved and one the Blues clearly expected more from, as proven with the decision to swap future first-round picks with Adelaide to land Liam Stocker at pick 19.

WHO'S WINNING? Blues v Crows, Stocker v the No.1 pick

It was a ploy that sold instant hope to a hungry fan-base. Liddle has proudly spruiked the ability to land a record number of members before a ball was bounced this year.

With seven of the remaining 11 top-10 picks 22 or younger, all is not lost.

Like Prestia and O'Meara discovered with Richmond and Hawthorn lists in recent seasons, the Carlton potential is there to see.

But much like the fans, it's time for Teague and the rest of the current group to buy-in and prove there's more to this club than just impressive names on a team sheet.

How many top-10 picks does your club have on its list*

Adelaide - 3

Brisbane - 4

Carlton - 13

Collingwood - 9

Essendon - 8

Fremantle - 7

Geelong - 5

Gold Coast - 11

GWS Giants – 11

Hawthorn - 6

Melbourne - 8

North Melbourne - 8

Port Adelaide - 8

Richmond - 5

St Kilda - 8

Sydney - 4

West Coast Eagles - 5

Western Bulldogs – 6

*Figures include GWS mini-draft players (Brad Crouch, Jack Martin) but not Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney pre-draft concession players selected in 2010-2011.
 
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Interesting read re new coaches strategy

Carlton caretaker coach David Teague recalled Dale Thomas after giving every player a ‘clean slate’

Dale Thomas playing for the Northern Blues at Windy Hill last weekend.

Carlton caretaker coach David Teague says he would have felt like a hypocrite if he didn’t recall Dale Thomas this weekend, after wiping the slate clean at Princes Park following Brendon Bolton’s departure.

Thomas was sent back to the VFL last week after it emerged the veteran consumed alcohol at a function two days ahead of the Blues encounter with St Kilda in Round 10.

But after collecting 32 disposals, nine marks and five tackles in a clear best on ground performance against Essendon’s VFL team, Thomas was recalled for Teague’s first game in charge against Brisbane on Saturday, along with Kade Simpson, Mitch McGovern and Lochie O’Brien.

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Teague told the playing group he was giving them a fresh start under his watch after taking over the reins from Bolton on Monday, following a 1-10 start to the season.

“I walked in there and I said to the players it’s a clean slate. I felt if I didn’t play him I would have felt like a hypocrite in saying it’s a clean slate,” Teague told SEN on Friday morning
“He got a week from the leadership group and that was dealt with last week. He served that and went back and played outstanding, more so than his form his leadership back there was outstanding. From all the players they all said he was outstanding.

“Dale has handled himself really well. The way he trained yesterday was outstanding and like I said to all the players he was probably the luckiest one in that sense that I did offer everyone a clean slate.

“He gets that chance this week and I look forward to him performing and getting his job done.”

Teague said he will tinker with Carlton’s forward line to get the best of tall trio Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay and off-season acquisition Mitch McGovern, and hopes to unearth a small forward in the second half of the season.

Curnow has only kicked eight goals from eight games this year, while McKay has booted the most at Ikon Park with 18.16, four more than McGovern.

“We are going to change up things a little bit. We want to keep our tall forwards closer to goal. It is a challenge,” he said.

“Mitch has probably been so team orientated taking himself out of the game at times to give us a better system ahead of the ball, which hasn’t helped his own personal performance, but that’s the sort of player he is; I love coaching him; he always puts the team first. We need those guys to share the workload evenly together.

“We’re dying for a small forward, but maybe we’ve got one there, we just haven’t given them enough opportunity. I think we can score a lot more if we can get it in there a lot quicker.”
 
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SuperCoach experts Tim Michell and Kate Salemme rate the most popular trades ahead of Round 12

The first week of the byes can bring on desperate SuperCoach moves, but giving a popular West Coast forward the boot is not the way to get ahead. Experts rate this week’s top trades.

Tim Michell and Kate Salemme, Herald Sun

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Update on Whitfield surgery

AFL: GWS Giants coach Leon Cameron has the update on Lachie Whitfield who left surgery on Monda...

Nearly 90,000 SuperCoaches need to make a big decision this week — who to trade in for the injured Lachie Whitfield.

With the GWS star set to miss 4-6 weeks with a broken collarbone, we’ve got no choice but to trade him. The big question is, who should be our No.1 target?

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If you’ve already got top defensive scorers Jake Lloyd and Shannon Hurn in your team, then the decision is a little tougher despite being flush with cash.

Then there’s the dilemma of cashing in rookies so we can spend up big on premiums.

The only problem is, there’s little on the ‘bubble boys’ front this week given it's the first of the three bye rounds.

Experts Tim Michell and Kate Salemme rate the most popular trades ahead of Round 12:

Lachie Whitfield to Bachar Houli (2743 trades)

Tim: The normal advice is not to sideways trade, but when a player is going to miss at least four weeks through the byes, you don’t have much choice. Houli has the best three-round average of any defender (127.7) and doesn’t have a bye until Round 14. This should be the No.1 trade move of Round 12 and it will make you a $23,000 profit.

Kate: Whitfield could miss up to six weeks, so that means he’s a must-trade and Houli is a great option if you already have the likes of Jake Lloyd and Hurn (despite his minor hamstring injury). The Tiger has been on fire, scoring 139 and 142 points in his last two games for a three-round average of 127.7 and five-game average of 112. If you’re going to get Houli, this is the week to do it given his break even is just 42.

SUPERCOACH INVESTOR: BEST BYE STRATEGY

SUPERCOACH: DEFENCE IN DISARRAY

TRADE GUIDE: WHO CAN SHAPE BYE ROUNDS

Lachie Whitfield needs to be traded out in SuperCoach. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

Lachie Whitfield to Jake Lloyd (1883)

Tim: You need Jake Lloyd in your team at some point and this is an easy way to get the No.1 SuperCoach defender. It’s a pain that he misses in Round 13 with so many other premiums, but enjoy his score next week and in the last bye round. You can always use your three trades next week to compensate for his absence.

Kate: If you haven’t got Lloyd then he should be your No.1 target to replace Whitfield. He’s the top defender in SuperCoach this year, having score 100 points or more in all but one of his 11 games so far this season. He’s scored 110 or more in seven of those games.

Matthew Parker to Ryan Gardner (902)

Tim: Both these players have Round 12 byes, but if the downgrade nets you a premium player in another trade, do it. Gardner won’t be a huge scorer, but coach Luke Beveridge was pleased with his efforts on debut against West Coast. Parker has well and truly maxed out his price and his scores fluctuate too much to hold him any longer.

Kate: There’s not much available on the cash cow front, which is why SuperCoaches seem to be going a week early on Gardner despite both he and Parker having the bye in Round 12. Parker has a break even of just 23 but how much more money is he going to make? If downgrading to Gardner is going to help net you a premium, do it.

SUPERCOACH X: WIN $1000 IN ONE-WEEK RAID

TOP TIPS: YOUR SUPERCOACH BYE ROUNDS BIBLE

Rory Laird is a consistent SuperCoach performer. Picture: Sarah Reed

Lachie Whitfield to Rory Laird (797)

Tim: I’m all for trading Whitfield this week. GWS is known for being cautious with its players when returning from injury and the Giants expect Whitfield will miss at least four weeks after surgery on his collarbone. Laird is the eighth-ranked defender by average, but he doesn’t have a bye until Round 14. Meanwhile, players such as Luke Ryan and James Sicily have this week off.

Kate: You can’t go wrong by picking Laird, given how consistent and durable he’s been over a number of years now. He’s averaging 99 points this season — ranked eighth among defenders — with 84 his lowest score. Doesn’t have the bye until Round 14. Tick.

Lachie Whitfield to Ben Cunnington (601)

Tim: Coaches have finally worked out who Ben Cunnington is! The Kangaroo is the fifth-ranked midfielder of the year with an average of 113.3 and hasn’t dropped below 91. He also has a Round 14 bye, so if you can use Whitfield to get Cunnington via a DPP swing with Noah Answerth or Xavier Duursma, don’t hesitate.

Kate: POD alert! Cunnington is in just 3 per cent of teams (under 6,000 in total) despite having scored the third-most points of any midfielder this season. Given he’s just $565,000, that’s a bargain for a guy averaging 113.3 points per game. Buy, buy, buy.

Ben Cunnington is a great pick as a point of difference in your midfield. Picture: Getty

Lachie Whitfield to Stephen Coniglio (583)

Tim: I’m always wary of jumping on players who have just scored big as there’s potential for a flop the next round. But at $510,100, Coniglio is underpriced. He’s a player with a huge ceiling, as we saw against Gold Coast, and has an average of 106.4 despite an injury-riddled first half of 2019. This trade could really pay dividends.

Kate: Are SuperCoaches committing the cardinal sin by chasing last week’s points? Coniglio scored 207 against the Suns but scored just 76 and 75 in his previous two outings. I’d be wary given his more consistent history is just getting to triple figures, with four scores between 102-104 this year.

Jack Petruccelle to Ryan Gardner (545)

Tim: Why wouldn’t you wait a week? Petruccelle might not be in your best 18 scorers in Round 12, but you’d feel foolish if you traded him and he torched Sydney on Sunday. Gardner has a bye this week, so hold off until Round 13 and swap Petruccelle when West Coast has its rest.

Kate: Huh? Wait a week on this one. Petruccelle is playing the Swans, while Gardner has the bye, so bringing him in this week won’t help you. Petruccelle’s break even is 70, so even if he only scores around his 54 season average, he won’t drop much in price. Is it really worth taking the risk in case Gardner isn’t picked next week?

Bulldogs rookie Ryan Gardner is a popular downgrade option. Picture: Getty

Willem Drew to Ryan Gardner (543)

Tim: This makes sense. Drew was still on the outer last week despite Tom Rockliff and Ollie Wines being injured, suggesting he’s a fair way down the pecking order. This won’t affect your bye structure as both players miss this week and you’ll bank about $220,000.

Kate: Drew is on the outs now at the Power, so despite being one of the great cash cows of 2019 it’s time to trade him. Bringing in Gardner for him this week won’t hurt much, given both players have the bye but you could wait a week to pull the trigger though, and bring in a premium who had the bye this week ahead of Round 13. This trade will net you just under $220,000. Not bad.

Sam Walsh to Stephen Coniglio (539)

Tim: I’m a big advocate for holding Sam Walsh until his Round 14 bye. He’s still doing enough to be a top 18 scorer in the next two weeks, when you can turn him into Lachie Neale coming off a Round 13 bye at what is likely to be his lowest price for the second half of the season.

Kate: I’m not rushing to trade Walsh given he’s still bringing in some decent scores (93 in Round 10 and 80 in Round 9). I’d hold him until at least his bye in Round 14 and as I said above, I’m not sold on Coniglio. Use Walsh to get a super premium like Lachie Neale, Josh Kelly, Nat Fyfe, Patrick Cripps or Jack Macrae if you don’t have them already.

Noah Balta to Ryan Gardner (502)

Tim: Unless you’re flush with forward options, I’d hold Balta for at least one more week. He might have only scored 47 on the weekend but his three-round average of 77 would be very handy during the bye rounds. He doesn’t have a week off until Round 14 either.

Kate: Hold Balta until at least his bye in Round 14 given the lack of forward rookie options as bringing in Gardner won’t help you this week. Balta is capable of a big score and he seems entrenched in Richmond’s best 22.
 
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Mick McGuane: Why Geelong’s biggest threat to premiership tilt could be complacency

Geelong is two games clear on top of the ladder, but there have been signs over the past month the Cats might be falling into a common trap. Do they deserve to be flag favourites?

MICK McGUANE, Herald Sun

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Cats swipe Swans

AFL: Geelong has just held on against a fast-finishing but inaccurate Sydney, with a Patrick Da...

Are the Cats as good as we think they are?

Given Geelong sits two games clear on top of the ladder after 11 rounds, it is logical that people are suggesting Chris Scott’s men are heading towards a 2019 premiership.

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You can see why. They are currently the No.1 attacking team in the AFL as well as being ranked the No.1 defence, which equates to the best percentage (144.9) in the competition.

They seem perfectly balanced, with their players prepared to work hard both sides of the ball.

The biggest challenge for Geelong is to not become complacent. Or, to a degree, has it already set in.

They had a hard draw in the early stages of 2019, but the trap for good teams is believing that talent alone will get the job done.

In the past month the Cats have either relied on incredible accuracy or a ‘hard enough for long enough’ mentality to get themselves over the line.

First-year Cat Tom Atkins has injected a toughness into ladder leader Geelong’s midfield. Picture: Jono Searle/AFL Photos/Getty Images.

They kicked 16.8 to 11.14 against North Melbourne in Round 8. Then it was 21.7 to the Bulldogs’ 13.11 a week later.

Only a terrific last quarter against Gold Coast got them over the line after clinging to a one-point lead at the last change. Against Sydney last week, they kicked 13.7 to 8.15.

The Cats have looked tested at times against teams sitting 13th, 14th, 15th and 17th on the ladder.

Is this reflection of the evenness of the comp, or is it complacency creeping in?

Is it a case of ‘we’ve got a switch and we know when to flick it’? That’s dangerous if that mentality enters the subconscious.

GOAL CONVERSION

The Cats are prepared to put significant time into their goalkicking routines. It is an undervalued component of the game and it staggers me other teams don’t seem to put the same focus into it.

Geelong has kicked 163.110 this season, almost 60 per cent accuracy return based on scoring shots.

Full credit to their program and to their players for finishing off the team’s from further afield. They have kicked behinds more than goals on only two occasions in 2019.

Key forward Tom Hawkins has been integral to Geelong’s barnstorming run. Picture: Michael Klein.

LOCK TOMAHAWK IN

Tom Hawkins is on track for a second All-Australian guernsey, and the first in seven years.

He is a serious presence. His positioning with his forward teammates is selfless as he has the foresight to manufacture space for himself and others so they create 1v1 opportunities for teammates up the ground.

As a key forward, he is averaging three inside 50 marks per game, 2nd in the competition.

If he doesn’t mark the footy, he is not lost to the game either.

Why? He hunts and wins the ground ball inside 50m better than any other key forward in the comp, averaging 2.4 per game. That’s extraordinary for a man of his size.

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SUPERCOACH: OUR EXPERTS RATE YOUR ROUND 12 TRADES

GAME STYLE

Here’s what I wrote about the Cats leading into Round 1 — “I’d love to see their signature brand be ‘controlled ball movement’.

Clearly, that’s been their 2019 mode.

The coach has great admiration for Richmond — and rightly so.

He will have drummed into his players to expect the best from the Tigers tomorrow.

Damien Hardwick will preach two words — “contest” and “pressure”. On both fronts, against the best teams, pressure MUST be high and winning the contest MUST be the key.

That’s why controlling the ball is critical against Richmond.

I’m tipping a hyped-up, rebounding Tiger outfit at the MCG after such a poor showing against North last week.

Richmond will want a chaos game; Geelong will revert to controlled ball movement.

Tim Kelly’s rise has given Geelong a formidable midfield mix. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith.

POSSESSION FOOTY

Geelong will have gone to school on Richmond’s losses this year.

The Tigers’ time in possession differential is compelling, with losses coming against Collingwood (-12.49), GWS (-7.19), Western Bulldogs (-13.46) and North Melbourne (-6.44).

On only two occasions — Port Adelaide (-7.11) and Sydney (-0.45) — have the Tigers lost the time in disposal differential and won the game.

In Round 2, the Magpies had 467 possessions (291 kicks) to the Tigers’ 302. In that game Collingwood took an astonishing 174 marks (159 uncontested).

It was a similar story in the Bulldogs’ win in Round 7 when they took 134 marks (115 uncontested).

This method takes the Tigers’ pressure game away from them.

So ball control MUST be a part of Geelong’s DNA tomorrow. The Cats have the lowest play-on percentage in the comp which is a far cry from the Mark Thompson days.

They like to be sure about what’s next, rather than playing with that reckless abandon that invites mistakes.

WATCH: NEALE DANIHER’S INSPIRING ADDRESS TO DEMONS

DAVID KING: THE NO.1 CONTENDERS FOR BLUES, ROOS JOBS

Joel Selwood and Mitch Duncan celebrate a Geelong victory. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images.

DIFFERENT ROUTE

What I didn’t predict in the pre-season was Geelong’s preference for boundary line ball movement from defensive 50.

The Cats have the AFL’s highest boundary line percentage from D50m — 62.7 per cent — and the least corridor percentage from D50 at 9.8 per cent.

They play safe and take fewer risks exiting from defensive 50m.

This method protects them on turnover, giving their defenders a chance to set up behind the ball.

If the ball does go over the boundary, it gives the team a chance to reset and allows their strength — “midfield dominance” — to get to work.

Tim Kelly, Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Mitch Duncan, Brandon Parfitt and Cam Guthrie add to their contest game.

Their ability to hunt the ground ball is strong and they have great nous to swoop on the loose footy.

So are the Cats complacent? Or are they legitimate premiership contenders?

Friday night, at the MCG, we just might get a better indication.
 
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It’s quality over quantity for Josh Kelly and co as the Giants midfield leads its scoring charge
With the Crouch brothers leading the way, Adelaide wins its fair share of football in the midfield. But there’s another key statistic which sets the Giants’ Josh Kelly-led engine room apart.
The Phantom, The Advertiser
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Gibbs dropped for third time
AFL: Adelaide Crows midfielder Bryce Gibbs has copped the drop for the third time this season, ...


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Led by the Crouch brothers Matt (31.1 per game) and Brad (30.9) and Rory Sloane (25.1), Adelaide’s midfield — when fit — has no trouble winning the ball, with the club recording the third-most disposals of any team in the competition.
As the fourth-ranked side, Greater Western Sydney isn’t far behind with Josh Kelly (30.3), Lachie Whitfield (28.3), Stephen Coniglio (27.8) and Tim Taranto (27.7) leading the way.
But it’s in another key statistic which sets the GWS engine room apart.
Rory Sloane celebrates a goal against the Eagles with midfield sidekick Brad Crouch. Picture SARAH REED
Of the top 15 players in the competition for score involvements this season, five are Giants — three from the very-potent midfield group.
On average, Kelly is involved in 9.1 of GWS scoring chains — ranked No. 1 in the game.
Coniglio, whose 207 Champion Data ranking points against the Suns last week is the highest tally of the year, averages 7.3 score involvements per game to sit at No. 11 of all players to play more than two games.
And Taranto, enjoying a breakout season in his third year in the competition, is the 14th-ranked player for score involvements with an average of 7.1.
While forward Tom Lynch (7.9) ranks inside the top 10, there’s no Adelaide midfielder in sight.
SCORE INVOLVEMENTS
Min 3 games

PLAYER SCORE INVOLVEMENTS PER GAME Josh Kelly (GWS)9.1Jeremy Cameron (GWS)8.8Tom Hawkins (Geel)8.3Gary Ablett (Geel)8.3Jordan De Goey (Coll)8.1Patrick Dangerfield (Geel)8Marcus Bontempelli (WB)7.9Tom Lynch (Adel)7.9Scott Pendlebury (Coll)7.5Shaun Higgins (WB)7.4Brett Deledio (GWS)7.4Stephen Coniglio (GWS)7.3Jack Gunston (Haw)7.2Tim Taranto (GWS)7.1Kane Lambert (Rich)7
At No. 59, Matt Crouch is involved in 5.9 of Crows scoring chains.
Before we get to another Crow, fourth-year Giant Jacob Hopper, who is averaging a career-best 25.5 disposals per game, comes in at No. 73 for score involvements.
Brad Crouch’s average of 5.7 ranks him 76th in the AFL, while Sloane, who, on average, is only involved in five of Adelaide’s scoring chains per game, falls outside of the top 150.
Fellow midfielders Cam Ellis-Yolmen (5.4) and Rory Atkins (5.5) are involved in more.
GWS is +9.2 in scores from stoppages this season, ranked third in the AFL, again highlighting how important its midfield is to its second-ranked offence.
The Crows rank eighth in this area with a differential of +3.9.
Giants Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio hunt the ball against the Suns in Round 11
And the Giants are having more direct impact on the scoreboard, too.
In a combined 30 games this season, Sloane and the Crouch brothers have tallied 16 goals and nine goal assists between them.
In one less match, Kelly, Coniglio and Taranto have recorded 24 goals and 21 goal assists.
This difference can be attributed to Coniglio who has booted 13 goals in 2019 and played a direct hand in seven others.
The 25-year-old is the only midfielder to rate elite for goals, score assists and score involvements in the competition.
Midfield by the numbers: Adelaide v GWS
If given the space, the Giants trio will take the game away from Adelaide very quickly on Saturday night.
But the Crows are the second-best tackling side in the competition and have recorded 139 more contested possessions than GWS this season.
And it’s in these two areas where Adelaide must get on top — given there’s no obvious tagger with Bryce Gibbs’ omission — to keep the rampaging Giants in-check.
Originally published as Why Adelaide must stop Kelly and co’s off-the-chain scoring
 
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See all the late team news and every SuperCoach score from Round 12 of the AFL season

Melbourne says star midfielder Clayton Oliver will play Collingwood on Monday. But doubts linger after the Demon left training early. SEE EVERY SUPERCOACH SCORE

Jon Ralph, Herald Sun

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June 9, 2019 10:01pm

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AFL: Carlton captain Patrick Cripps controlled the mid-field and attacked the forward 50 all da...

Clayton Oliver and the Demons are adamant he will be fit to take on Collingwood on Monday despite leaving training early with a tight back on Sunday.

The Demons midfielder was in withering form against Adelaide last week but left training early with a tight lower back.

The Demons told the Herald Sun he would play despite the minor issue, with Oliver also adamant he was fit to play.

Melbourne has held over two emergencies in Billy Stretch and Josh Wagner, while Collingwood held over only Ben Crocker.

CHECK HERE FOR LATEST TEAM NEWS ACROSS THE WEEKEND

Ben Reid kicked two goals in the Collingwood VFL loss to Casey, after being overlooked for Mason Cox, playing his first game at any level in 45 days since an Anzac Day ankle injury.

The Demons were well served by Jordan Lewis (30 possessions) and Kade Kolodjashnij (28 touches), while mid-season draftee Josh Dunkley kicked three goals.

Toby Greene was a late out for GWS, but coaches didn’t get the Jackson Hately news they were hoping for.

EAGLES STAR PULLS OUT

West Coast has delivered a blow to the almost 8000 SuperCoach players who have been enjoying Elliot Yeo’s high-level point of difference scores.

Yeo has pulled out of the Eagles’ clash against Sydney with a calf injury.

He has been replaced by former Magpie Josh Smith, while Matthew Allen was added to the emergencies.

PIES, DEES TRIM SQUADS

Collingwood and Melbourne have named their final 22-man squads for their Queen’s Birthday blockbuster.

The Magpies have made two changes to the team that lost to Fremantle, losing Dayne Beams to injury and dropping Ben Reid. Mason Cox and Brayden Sier come into the team.

The Demons have made four changes, with Steven May, Jake Lever, Christian Salem and Marty Hore replacing Josh Wagner, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Oscar McDonald and Billy Stretch.

RICHMOND V GEELONG

LATE CHANGES: No late changes.

Heroes: The big guns shone for the Cats, none more so than Patrick Dangerfield. His 149 SuperCoach points was the best on the night, his score coming on the back of 38 disposals, including 17 contested, plus nine tackles and a goal. Gary Ablett (130) was typically clean with two goals, as was Tim Kelly (121). Tiger Dion Prestia was his side’s best, while Dustin Martin started brightly before a corked thigh lessened his impact.

Villains: Tiger Tom Lynch (34) could have had a big night if not for some wayward kicking in front of goal. Shane Edwards (64) wasn’t his usual influential self, while for the Cats Jordan Clark’s 24 wasn’t ideal if you are relying on him during the byes.

TIGERS

Dion Prestia 106

Dustin Martin 97

Bachar Houli 93

Trent Cotchin 92

Kamdyn McIntosh 88

Ivan Soldo 86

Josh Caddy 78

Patrick Naish 78

Sydney Stack 70

Dan Butler 69

Nick Vlastuin 68

Shane Edwards 64

Jack Graham 63

Dylan Grimes 62

Jack Higgins 54

Ryan Garthwaite 53

Liam Baker 50

Daniel Rioli 43

Jason Castagna 37

Tom J. Lynch 34

Noah Balta 29

Jacob Townsend 29

Patrick Dangerfield delivered for those with the VC on him for Friday’s clash with Richmond. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith.

CATS

Patrick Dangerfield 149

Gary Ablett 130

Tim Kelly 121

Luke Dahlhaus 109

Joel Selwood 103

Rhys Stanley 102

Cameron Guthrie 102

Tom Hawkins 98

Tom Stewart 95

Mitch Duncan 94

Esava Ratugolea 87

Gryan Miers 85

Brandan Parfitt 83

Mark O’Connor 82

Tom Atkins 70

Zach Tuohy 65

Gary Rohan 65

Jake Kolodjashnij 57

Mark Blicavs 53

Harry Taylor 46

Jack Henry 37

Jordan Clark 24
 
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CARLTON V BRISBANE LIONS

Late changes: No late changes.

Heroes: Patrick Cripps responded to three down weeks with a monster game, completely dominating the second half on the way to a huge score. Sam Walsh had 32 disposals and a career-high 141 points while Michael Gibbons scored the second SuperCoach ton of his career. Even Will Setterfield returned a decent score for those fielding him during the byes.

Villains: Harsh on Lachie Neale but when he surged past 100 points with the first play of the second half a gigantic score was on offer. Sadly for Neale owners — but very welcome for those hoping to trade him in after the Lions’ bye at a discounted price — Ed Curnow made sure he had little influence after that. Noah Answerth was on zero points at quarter-time and only improved marginally from there.

BLUES

Patrick Cripps 194

Sam Walsh 141

Ed Curnow 128

Jacob Weitering 111

Michael Gibbons 109

Charlie Curnow 102

Levi Casboult 94

Sam Petrevski-Seton 92

Nic Newman 87

Zac Fisher 80

Matthew Kreuzer 76

Mitch McGovern 70

Will Setterfield 67

Dale Thomas 66

David Cuningham 63

Caleb Marchbank 62

Paddy Dow 60

Lochie O’Brien 57

Jack Silvagni 49

Kade Simpson 49

Harry McKay 48

Lachie Plowman 38

LIONS

Lachie Neale 106

Daniel Rich 98

Dayne Zorko 88

Stefan Martin 84

Harris Andrews 82

Hugh McCluggage 79

Nick Robertson 75

Jacob Allison 75

Jarryd Lyons 74

Daniel McStay 73

Darcy Gardiner 69

Mitch Robinson 67

Charles Cameron 62

Lewis Taylor 58

Luke Hodge 57

Lincoln McCarthy 57

Alex Witherden 56

Rhys Mathieson 55

Archie Smith 44

Eric Hipwood 43

Noah Answerth 33

Jack Ziebell was outstanding in North Melbourne’s victory over Gold Coast. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.GOLD COAST V NORTH MELBOURNE

Late changes: No late changes.

Heroes: Looking for a unique — and affordable — player to finish your forward line? Jack Ziebell can be picked as a forward in SuperCoach but he’s playing as Rhyce Shaw’s No. 1 midfielder, scoring 133 in his 200th game. Ben Cunnington is also making a case for the point of difference of the season, scoring another 132 at Metricon Stadium. They were two of seven Roos in triple figures while Jarrod Harbrow led all-comers with 142. Chris Burgess (72) came good at the right time.

Villains: If you’re counting Josh Corbett as one of your 18 scoring players this week, we have some bad news. He scored just 10 points, even less than Shaun Higgins who was injured in the opening minutes. Nick Larkey (54) will be on field for a few this week.

SUNS

Jarrod Harbrow 142

Will Brodie 120

David Swallow 106

Lachie Weller 103

Brayden Fiorini 90

Darcy MacPherson 86

Jack Martin 82

Jarrod Witts 81

Anthony Miles 73

Chris Burgess 72

Wil Powell 67

Jack Hombsch 65

Charlie Ballard 63

Nick Holman 62

Jesse Joyce 61

Jack Lukosius 59

Peter Wright 49

Ben King 43

Jordan Murdoch 40

Alex Sexton 35

Touk Miller 32

Josh Corbett 10

ROOS

Jack Ziebell 133

Ben Cunnington 132

Kayne Turner 115

Mason Wood 111

Tarryn Thomas 109

Jared Polec 107

Robbie Tarrant 102

Jed Anderson 92

Todd Goldstein 91

Jy Simpkin 90

Cameron Zurhaar 81

Trent Dumont 77

Jasper Pittard 77

Luke McDonald 72

Ben Brown 60

Shaun Atley 55

Marley Williams 55

Nick Larkey 54

Luke Davies-Uniacke 54

Scott Thompson 45

Sam Durdin 38

Shaun Higgins 11

Matt Crouch returned to Adelaide’s side with a team-high SuperCoach score of 123. Picture: AAP Image/Kelly Barnes.ADELAIDE V GWS GIANTS

Late changes: Toby Greene replaced by Daniel Lloyd, Tom Lynch replaced by Hugh Greenwood.

Heroes: Those who resisted the temptation to trade Zac Williams, and to a lesser extent Matt Crouch, were rewarded. Williams posted his third ton in five games, while Crouch recorded his best score since Round 1. Tim Taranto rebounded from a quiet game last week and Rory Sloane had a big last quarter to break into triple figures.

Villains: You’d take ton every weekend but Josh Kelly added just six points in the last quarter (most of them after scaling) when another big score went begging. In fact, Kelly was tracking in the negative for most of the final term. Giants ruckman Shane Mumford looks in need of a break after against battling to a sub-par total.

CROWS

Matt Crouch 123

Reilly O’Brien 104

Rory Sloane 103

Brad Crouch 97

Luke Brown 87

Daniel Talia 86

Cameron Ellis-Yolmen 84

Josh Jenkins 84

Taylor Walker 84

Rory Laird 81

Alex Keath 77

Kyle Hartigan 72

Jordan Gallucci 71

Hugh Greenwood 70

Jake Kelly 68

Wayne Milera 66

Rory Atkins 57

Paul Seedsman 56

Lachlan Murphy 55

Eddie Betts 50

Brodie Smith 48

Richard Douglas 40

GIANTS

Tim Taranto 131

Josh Kelly 107

Zac Williams 106

Nick Haynes 106

Heath Shaw 99

Phil Davis 98

Harry Perryman 86

Daniel Lloyd 79

Jacob Hopper 75

Brett Deledio 74

Sam J. Reid 71

Jeremy Cameron 70

Matt de Boer 65

Adam Tomlinson 64

Stephen Coniglio 64

Harry Himmelberg 61

Shane Mumford 56

Adam Kennedy 55

Sam Taylor 47

Brent Daniels 46

Jeremy Finlayson 44

Isaac Cumming 36

Lance Franklin was back to his best against West Coast. Picture. Phil Hillyard

SYDNEY v WEST COAST

Heroes: The big guns all did their bit for the Swans. Jake Lloyd racked up the footy on his way to yet another triple-figure score, while point-of-difference Luke Parker (120) had one of his best games for 2019. Buddy Franklin got back to the levels we know from him, but Andrew Gaff and Jack Redden were the only Eagles to notch triple figures.

Villains: Luke Shuey (83) has been in super form but he was nullified by the Swans. Jack Darling’s up-and-down run continued while popular rookies Jack Petruccelle (36) and Nick Blakey (40) didn’t do much (not that we expect tons!).

SWANS

Dane Rampe 148

Jake Lloyd 136

Tom Papley 136

Lance Franklin 127

Luke Parker 120

Aliir Aliir 117

George Hewett 110

Isaac Heeney 102

Ryan Clarke 97

Callum Mills 94

Sam Reid 93

Oliver Florent 92

Lewis Melican 73

Callum Sinclair 69

Jarrad McVeigh 68

Jordan Dawson 64

Jackson Thurlow 48

James Rose 47

Daniel Menzel 42

Nick Blakey 40

Tom McCartin 40

Colin O’Riordan 30

EAGLES

Andrew Gaff 107

Jack Redden 103

Lewis Jetta 86

Liam Ryan 86

Josh J. Kennedy 84

Luke Shuey 83

Jeremy McGovern 82

Dom Sheed 80

Brad Sheppard 79

Jack Darling 61

Jamie Cripps 60

Liam Duggan 55

Mark Hutchings 49

Josh Smith 49

Will Schofield 48

Tom Cole 48

Tom Hickey 46

Willie Rioli 43

Jake Waterman 41

Josh Rotham 40

Nathan Vardy 39

Jack Petruccelle 36
 
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Melbourne needs to improve its ball use or find more class to take the next step, writes Jay Clark

Where Geelong and West Coast have thrived, the Demons have struggled. And Collingwood’s defenders will be waiting to capitalise on any wayward delivery in the Queen’s Birthday clash.

Jay Clark, Herald Sun

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Buddy bags his fifth on the siren

AFL: Sydney superstar Lance Franklin has delivered the perfect finale to a dominant Swans victo...

It is the coat of polish Melbourne has lacked all season.

As much as we have lauded the hardness and talent in the Demons’ onball brigade, the midfield-forward connection has been a flat-out failure.

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What good is winning the contested ball if you give it away to the opposition rebounding out of half back, anyway?

The Demons have tweaked things in the wake of their poor start to the season, and retaining the ball inside the front half is one of their highest priorities in the back-half of the season.

Teams have enjoyed huge success scoring on the counter-attack against Melbourne this year, and Collingwood’s Jeremy Howe and Darcy Moore will attempt to pick off any misdirected delivery in the Queen’s Birthday blockbuster today at the MCG.

Melbourne captain Jack Viney’s retention rate going inside 50 is only 24 per cent this year. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

Whereas Geelong has jumped the competition with their lethal forward craft, the Demons are ranked third-last for retaining possession from a kick inside 50m at 41 per cent, well down on the AFL average (46 per cent).

It’s arguably a by-product of the way the Demons have wanted to play under Simon Goodwin, and that tough, fearless, first-in brand of footy.

They only lost the contested ball count in two games last season.

THE TACKLE: WILL WE SEE A BETTER GAME THAN CRIPPS MASTERCLASS?

SUPER LADDER: CAN TIGERS AVOID A LOST ERA?

VFL: HARD-LUCK SWAN RETURNS FROM SIXTH KNEE RECONSTRUCTION

But some finesse has been lost as they sit 3-8 midway through a season which, initially, promised so much.

And while James Harmes (59 per cent retention), Tom McDonald (57), and Christian Petracca (48) have been sharper than most kicking the ball to forward targets, it’s been more problematic when hard nuts Angus Brayshaw (33) Clayton Oliver (30) and Viney (24) have been in possession.

Whether the Demons can improve this delivery inside 50m, and effectively find that coat of polish which Geelong and West Coast have in their kit bags, could determine whether the club can break the longest-premiership drought in the game.

Darcy Moore will relish Melbourne’s forward 50 entries unless it changes tact on Queen’s Birthday. Picture: Michael Klein.

Clearly, the Demons have room in their salary cap to go looking for some more midfield class in the trade period after making some ruthless calls on Jesse Hogan and Jack Watts over the past two seasons.

They brought in Kade Kolodjashnij last year, but his concussion and soft-tissue issues have cost him another decent chunk of the season.

The defence will come under the microscope as Steven May (groin) and Jake Lever (knee) return from long injury lay-o*** against the Magpies.

Goodwin said the team has improved over the past month, despite the frustration of watching the Demons blast 1.8 in the last term in the nail biting loss to Adelaide last weekend.

Goodwin said despite the spluttering start to the year, there was still plenty to play for.

“When you are in the position we are in, you are looking to build cohesion,” Goodwin said.

“And we stare starting to see that with the forward half, now we get Jake (lever) back, Steven (May) back, we get Christian Salem back, Marty Hore back.

“People say you are in a tough position, yeah we are.

“But we are looking to improve, and getting these guys back gives us that opportunity.”
 
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Gee Bailey Scott gets a mention, 17 touches 1 goal. Can he replace Higgins?

Around the state leagues: Who's starring for your club?

Sarah Black, Luke Michael and Jonathan Healy

Jun 8, 2019 9:25PM

Charlie Dixon starred with five goals in his first game since breaking his leg last year

State league affiliate: Adelaide (SANFL)
This weekend: West Adelaide v Adelaide - Saturday, June 8, 3.10pm, City Mazda Stadium

Midfielder Bryce Gibbs responded to his latest omission with 29 touches, a goal and seven clearances in Adelaide's six-point win in the SANFL on Saturday.

The only Adelaide player with more of the ball was rookie Patrick Wilson, who had 38 disposals and eight clearances.

Midfielder Myles Poholke kicked 1.1 from 22 touches, while small forward Tyson Stengle finished with 2.1.

Ruckman Sam Jacobs won 30 hitouts, kicked a goal and had 15 touches as he continues his comeback from a serious knee injury.

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Adelaide Crows

✔@Adelaide_FC

What a nail biter! We just get over the line, kicking five goals in the last term. Final score was 10.12 (72) to 10.6 (66). Stengle finished with two goals #SANFL #weflyasone

66

5:42 PM - Jun 8, 2019

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State league affiliate: Brisbane (NEAFL)
This weekend: Gold Coast v Brisbane - Saturday, June 8, 11.55am, Metricon Stadium

Midfielder Ryan Bastinac had a day out against Gold Coast in the NEAFL on Saturday, with the rookie racking up 35 touches, 13 marks and a goal in Brisbane's 30-point victory.

Allen Christensen (31 disposals) and Ryan Lester (30 disposals) also found plenty of the ball, while key forward Toby Wooller impressed with two goals.

Draftee Connor McFadyen was dangerous inside 50 with three goals, 15 disposals and eight marks.

Rookie ruckman Oscar McInerney had 33 hitouts, 19 disposals and laid six tackles.

Lions NEAFL@LionsNEAFL

· Jun 8, 2019

Replying to @LionsNEAFL

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The streak continues after a 30 point win at Metricon making it 9 on the trot.

Bastinac one of the Lions’ best with 35 disposals and a goal.

Lions 10.9 (69) - SUNS: 5.9 (39)#NEAFLSunsLions

Lions NEAFL@LionsNEAFL

Great win down at Metricon! pic.twitter.com/IaoMAzx7ty

25

3:08 PM - Jun 8, 2019

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State league affiliate: Northern Blues (VFL)
This weekend: Northern Blues v Coburg - Sunday, June 9, 1pm, Preston City Oval

State league affiliate: Collingwood (VFL)
This weekend: Casey Demons v Collingwood - Sunday, June 9, 2.10pm, Casey Fields

State league affiliate: Essendon (VFL)
This weekend: Bye

State league affiliate: Peel Thunder (WAFL)
This weekend: Bye

State league affiliate: Geelong (VFL)
This weekend: Richmond v Geelong - Saturday, June 8, 11am, Swinburne Centre

Young midfielder Charlie Constable led the way for the Cats with 26 disposals and five tackles in a 23-point loss to Richmond.

Constable has played seven games since making his AFL debut in round one, but has been out of the senior side for the past three weeks.

Lachie Fogarty, who has steadily been building match fitness after a hip injury held him out of action till mid-May, was also busy with 21 and six tackles, while rookie Sam Simpson finished with 20.

James Parsons responded to his omission with 18 touches and two goals, while Scott Selwood was tough around the contest with 17 and 10 tackles.

Big man Nathan Kreuger kicked three goals, while Zac Smith finished with 30 hitouts.

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Geelong VFL@GeelongVFL

FORT! Huge goal from a huge man.

Look how happy he is!

GEE 38
RICH 43#VFL

12

12:52 PM - Jun 8, 2019

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State league affiliate: Gold Coast (NEAFL)
This weekend: Gold Coast v Brisbane - Saturday, June 8, 11.55am, Metricon Stadium

The versatile Callum Ah Chee was one of Gold Coast's best in its 30-point loss to Brisbane, recording 23 disposals (including 19 kicks), six marks and two goals.

Ah Chee hasn't played a senior game this year, having spent some time on the sidelines with a quad injury.

Draftee Jez McLennan ran hard to finish with 19 disposals and eight marks while recruit Corey Ellis, who is yet to play a senior game for the Suns, had 17 disposals and five marks.

Experienced rookie Michael Rischitelli was busy with 22, six marks and five tackles.

George Horlin-Smith was an emergency for the AFL game and didn't play.

NEAFL

✔@neaflofficial

Ah Chee gives @GoldCoastSUNS some spark down forward

Watch live on #NEAFL TV
| #NEAFLSUNSLions

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State league affiliate: GWS Giants (NEAFL)
This weekend: Sydney v GWS Giants - Sunday, June 9, 10.30am, Blacktown International Sportspark

State league affiliate: Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
This weekend: Bye

State league affiliate: Casey Demons (VFL)
This weekend: Casey Demons v Collingwood - Sunday, June 9, 2.10pm, Casey Fields

State league affiliate: North Melbourne (VFL)
This weekend: Williamstown v North Melbourne - Saturday, June 8, 2pm, Downer Oval

Ruckman Tom Campbell put in another strong VFL performance with 33 hitouts, 21 disposals and eight tackles, as North Melbourne fell to Williamstown by 53 points on Saturday.

Midfielder Paul Ahern and utility Joel Crocker both collected 21 touches, while father-son recruit Bailey Scott had 17 touches and kicked a goal.

Mid-season rookie draftee Lachie Hosie followed his three goals last week with 2.2 and five marks.

Forward Taylor Garner kicked 2.1 from 12 disposals.

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North Melbourne VFL

✔@NorthVFL

Not our day against the Seagulls. We’ll regroup and bounce back against Frankston next Sunday.

FT: WILLIAMSTOWN 123 - 70 NORTH#BeAShinboner

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4:51 PM - Jun 8, 2019

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State league affiliate: Port Adelaide (SANFL)
This weekend: Port Adelaide v Sturt - Saturday, June 8, 2.40pm, Alberton Oval

Port Adelaide will be buoyed by the performances of Charlie Dixon and Ollie Wines on Saturday, with the star duo dominant in their return from injury in the SANFL.

Dixon kicked 5.2 and took six marks, in his first game since breaking his right leg and dislocating his ankle 10 months ago.

In his first game in six weeks, Wines was Port's leading ball-winner with 32 disposals, 10 tackles and six clearances.

Youngster Willem Drew also impressed with two goals, 29 touches and eight tackles.

Rookie Cam Hewett collected 24 disposals, while forward Todd Marshall kicked 1.1 from 13 touches.

Port Adelaide FC

✔@PAFC

FT| Great win to the boys today, 20 point winners

Goals: Dixon 5, Cox 2, Drew 2, Marshall, Mead, Woodcock 1.

Disposals: Wines 32, Drew 29, Hewett 24.

80

5:10 PM - Jun 8, 2019
 
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Red-hot Geelong forward Tom Hawkins eyeing extension to current contact which ends in 2020

Tom Hawkins has declared his desire to play on beyond the end of his current deal next season as he looks to fire Geelong to another premiership before the end of his career.

JON RALPH, Herald Sun

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Cats roll through Tigers

AFL: Geelong have won their seven straight game with a massive victory over Richmond.

All Australian contender Tom Hawkins is determined to play well into his 30s as he urged booing fans to rejoice in Gary Ablett’s champion status.

The Geelong spearhead is in scintillating form at the halfway mark of the season with five consecutive bags of four goals and 15.1 from his last 16 set shots.

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At one stage Hawkins’ career seemed certain to be cut short because of a debilitating back injury that hampered him badly through the 2013 season.

But Hawkins told the Herald Sunyesterday he believed he could play on past his current five-year contract which expires at the end of 2020.

Turning 31 in July, he said an intensive program retraining muscles in his back after years of misuse had allowed him to play at his best.

Tom Hawkins has been in red-hot form for Geelong in the past month. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

“I started doing it in the middle of my off-season and it didn’t pay off until a few weeks before the start of the season but once your body feels confident your mind does as well.

“I feel really confident in what I am doing, I do a lot of work on my body and you get to 30 and need to spend more time working at it. I feel physically really good, mentally really good.

“I have no reason in my mind why I can’t play for another two or three years. I know when you get to 30 it gets harder.”

THE TACKLE: WILL WE SEE A BETTER GAME THAN CRIPPS MASTERCLASS?

SUPER LADDER: CAN TIGERS AVOID A LOST ERA?

VFL: HARD-LUCK SWAN RETURNS FROM SIXTH KNEE RECONSTRUCTION

Much has been made of Geelong’s exceptional accuracy — Hawkins has kicked 22.4 since Round 7 — but he revealed he takes few set shots at goal during the week.

“I actually approached Gary Rohan at training on the track and picked his brain on what he does so well with his kicking routine. He has some simple cues he has helped me adopt and I feel like it’s working and my confidence has grown. I reckon I would have 30 or 40 shots but they are quality.”

Tom Hawkins flies above Shane Edwards to mark during Geelong’s win over Richmond. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith.

Hawkins is bewildered by the booing of Cats champion Ablett and urged fans to enjoy his greatness rather than take the gloss of his performances.

“I heard it out there and thought it had been put on the back burner. It is disappointing but I don’t know the answer,” he said.

“I keep coming back to the fact that he’s a champion player and in our game we love champions of the game. I just think it’s unfair but hopefully we can put an end to it.”
 
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