What Have We Learnt From AFL This Week?
June 9th 2008 08:12
Lesson: Rucking is not as important as it is made out to be
Teachers: Port Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Western Bulldogs, Aaron Sandilands
I'm not expecting anyone to agree with me here, as least initially, but the stats don't lie. Consider the following:
- Port had 65 hitouts! 65 to Carlton's 21. They lost.
- Sydney had all of 11% of its total hitouts to their advantage (three for the entire match). They won.
- Brisbane had just 14 hitouts all game. And only 14% were to their advantage. They won.
- The Bulldogs won just 17% of their hitouts to their advantage. They won.
- Adelaide had just eight hitouts to advantage all game. They won, convincingly.
Ruckmen are useful when they have skills (see Dean Cox), can take contested marks (see Robert Campbell), can lay mean tackles (see Brendan Lade) or can kick a goal or two (see Brad Ottens). Or better still, are athletic, talented footballers who just happen to be tall enough to stand ruck sometimes, like Adam Goodes. But simply being tall and fit is no longer enough.
And if ruckmen are so influential, why hasn't Freo (and the monstrously tall Sandilands) won more than once this entire year?
Lesson: A football game consists of four quarters
Teachers: Port Adelaide, Fremantle
It must take a certain level of skill to win three quarters within a match, yet come up without any points. Both the Dockers and the Power managed this undesirable feat over the course of Round 11, winning six of a possible eight quarters between them but neither registering a win. Freo lost the second quarter by 30 points. The Power lost the last by 42. I'd be interested to know how many times that has happened before.
Lesson: Umpires really do have no clue
Teacher: One of umpires McBurney, Avon and Mollison
Twice in Essendon's Saturday night game against Hawthorn did they have shots after the siren. On both occasions, the ball was assisted over the line for a behind. On the first, a point was registered. On the second, the umpire told the goal umpire that a point could not be registered because the ball had been assisted through. Go figure.
Lesson: Tipping winners is easy!
Teacher: Logic
With the exception of Carlton getting up over the Power (which was not all that astounding apart from the 3/4 time score), all favourites saluted this long weekend. However, kudos to the ones who manage eight next week - Essendon v West Coast, Western Bulldogs v Brisbane, Adelaide v Hawthorn (at AAMI), Richmond v Melbourne... any of them could fall within a kick. Good luck!
Teachers: Port Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Western Bulldogs, Aaron Sandilands
I'm not expecting anyone to agree with me here, as least initially, but the stats don't lie. Consider the following:
- Port had 65 hitouts! 65 to Carlton's 21. They lost.
- Sydney had all of 11% of its total hitouts to their advantage (three for the entire match). They won.
- Brisbane had just 14 hitouts all game. And only 14% were to their advantage. They won.
- The Bulldogs won just 17% of their hitouts to their advantage. They won.
Ruckmen are useful when they have skills (see Dean Cox), can take contested marks (see Robert Campbell), can lay mean tackles (see Brendan Lade) or can kick a goal or two (see Brad Ottens). Or better still, are athletic, talented footballers who just happen to be tall enough to stand ruck sometimes, like Adam Goodes. But simply being tall and fit is no longer enough.
And if ruckmen are so influential, why hasn't Freo (and the monstrously tall Sandilands) won more than once this entire year?
Lesson: A football game consists of four quarters
Teachers: Port Adelaide, Fremantle
It must take a certain level of skill to win three quarters within a match, yet come up without any points. Both the Dockers and the Power managed this undesirable feat over the course of Round 11, winning six of a possible eight quarters between them but neither registering a win. Freo lost the second quarter by 30 points. The Power lost the last by 42. I'd be interested to know how many times that has happened before.
Lesson: Umpires really do have no clue
Twice in Essendon's Saturday night game against Hawthorn did they have shots after the siren. On both occasions, the ball was assisted over the line for a behind. On the first, a point was registered. On the second, the umpire told the goal umpire that a point could not be registered because the ball had been assisted through. Go figure.
Lesson: Tipping winners is easy!
Teacher: Logic
With the exception of Carlton getting up over the Power (which was not all that astounding apart from the 3/4 time score), all favourites saluted this long weekend. However, kudos to the ones who manage eight next week - Essendon v West Coast, Western Bulldogs v Brisbane, Adelaide v Hawthorn (at AAMI), Richmond v Melbourne... any of them could fall within a kick. Good luck!
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