Crows and Power are shooting themselves in the foot
THE Crows and Power should be kicking themselves for their horrendous disposal efficiency - which is among the AFL’s worst and is costing them games, says Andrew Capel.
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THE Crows and Power are shooting themselves in the foot. The statistics are damning.
SA’s two AFL clubs are among the competition cellar dwellers when it comes to kicking and disposal efficiency - key indicators in determining success or failure.
While Adelaide has enjoyed a solid 6-5 season which has it sitting seventh at the midway point of the year and on track for its first finals campaign since 2012, coach Phil Walsh can only dream about where better kicking could have left it placed on the ladder.
For all of the Crows’ good work under first-year coach Walsh, their kicking and disposal efficiency have been horrendous.
Adelaide ranks second bottom in disposal efficiency - ahead of only 2015 basket case Gold Coast.
And it sits third bottom in kicking efficiency.
The Crows are tracking at a woeful 62.8 per cent by foot while their disposal efficiency is 69.6 per cent.
Compare this to top-of-the-table Fremantle, whose efficiency rates are at a league-best 70.5 and 75.8 per cent respectively.
Port Adelaide isn’t faring much better.
There are many reasons for the team’s disastrous crash from third last year to 12th after round 12 with a 5-7 record.
But the Power’s inability to hit targets has been a key indicator in its fall from grace.
Port ranks fifth-last in kicking and disposal efficiency at 64 and 71.6 per cent respectively.
That’s simply not good enough for a team which entered the season with premiership aspirations.
This year’s top two sides, WA outfits Fremantle and West Coast, rank first and second in disposal efficiency.
Premier Hawthorn - long renowned as a brilliant kicking team - sits third in disposal efficiency.
Highlighting the Crows (22.5) and Power (21.8) plight is that they average the second and third-most clanger kicks in the competition and rank 16th and 17th in unforced turnovers at more than 14 a game.
Of the top 10 ballwinners at Adelaide, six rank below average in kicking efficiency - Rory Sloane (53.8 per cent), Richard Douglas (54.9), Patrick Dangerfield (57.1), Tom Lynch (58.6), Brodie Smith (59.1) and Scott Thompson (59.3).
All-Australian Smith - generally regarded as a super boot - kicked at 74 per cent in the opening two rounds but since being concussed against Collingwood in round two he has shot at just 53 per cent efficiency.
The Crows only have one player officially ranked in the elite category by Champion Data, defender Matthew Jaensch (80.9) who will miss the rest of the season following a knee reconstruction.
Fellow defenders Rory Laird (75.2) and Ricky Henderson (69.6) rank in the above average category.
Among its top 10 ballwinners Port has only one player, running half-back Jasper Pittard, rated as above average and six as below average or poor.
Midfield hardbut Ollie Wines falls into the poor category with a kicking efficiency of 50.5 per cent.
He is a victim of winning so much contested possession and then frantically trying to get the ball to boot.
But the numbers don’t lie and he would want to hit more targets, along with Kane Mitchell (54.8 per cent), Chad Wingard (55.3), Robbie Gray (56.5), Hamish Hartlett (59.7) and captain Travis Boak (60.6) who are all ranked as below average for kicking efficiency.
In contrast, the high-flying Dockers, who boast a 10-1 record, have six of their top-10 ballwinners ranked as being elite or above average.
“We have a lot of work to do with our skills,’’ Walsh conceded, knowing they could mean the difference between playing in September or taking an early holiday.
‘I like to kick the ball but it is no good if you kick it back to the opposition because you just get burnt on the counter attack.’’
andrew.capel@news.com.au
Disposal Efficiency
Kicking Efficiency
Unforced turnovers
Clanger kicks
Top 10 Disposal Winners - Crows
(Minimum five games)
Top 10 Disposal Winners - Port
(Minimum five games)
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