Carlton’s Patrick Cripps earned more frees than anyone as we look at the unusual stats of 2018
THEY’RE the stats only the most researched footy fans may know. From the ‘Reverse Coleman’ to the clanger kings, we’ve found the 2018 leaders in some lesser-known stat categories.
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THEY’RE the stats you don’t hear much about.
And only the most astute and researched footy fans would be aware of many of them.
From kick-in kings to umpire pets (and villains), we’ve called on our friends at Champion Data to reveal some of the leaders in some more unusual areas.
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So what are some of the takeaway from the unheard stats of 2018?
Patrick Cripps was under the umpires’ eyes a lot on 2018 (Brownlow anyone?), no wonder the Eagles love the ball in Shannon Hurn’s hands and Demon Oscar McDonald must be getting tired. Very tired.
Check out some the unusual stats leaders from the 2018 home and away season.
REVERSE COLEMAN: Alex Pearce (Frem) — 45
This is the stat for most goals kicked on them by their direct opponent, so not the one any defender wants to win. Playing deep in the Freo defence was not an easy task in 2018 as Ross Lyon’s team struggled to compete with the AFL’s big boys. Unfortunately for Pearce, his man often seemed to be on the end of opposition forward flurries.
MOST RUNNING BOUNCES: Adam Saad (Ess) — 95
Enough said. The Essendon recruit was a spark for his new club in 2018, providing enormous drive alongside Irishman Conor McKenna. Interestingly, Saad’s 95 running bounces was more than twice as many as the next-best in the AFL, with teammate McKenna alsoamong the League’s top three.
MOST CONTESTED MARKS: Jeremy McGovern (WC) — 59
No wonder every AFL club asked about the recently-re-signed free agent. McGovern patrols the Eagles’ back half with authority to intercept, and has the ability to go forward and win games — as he did against Port Adelaide.
MOST UNCONTESTED MARKS: Shannon Hurn (WC) — 158
If a West Coast player sees Shannon Hurn in space, they give it to him. Why? Keep reading.
MOST KICKS BACKWARDS: Brad Sheppard (WC) — 36
Another Eagle who likes to kick the ball, and often goes for the safer option or switch kick. Has been a key to Adam Simpson’s back half, with some believing the small defender was stiff not to be short-listed for All-Australian selection.
INSIDE 50 KING: Dustin Martin (Rich) — 127
Dusty might not have reached the heights of his amazing 2017 season but he still did plenty of damage. On top of booting 30 goals, he drove the ball inside the forward 50m arc a staggering 127 times. And when you use the ball like he does, that usually results in good things for the Tigers.
BEST KICKING EFFICIENCY: Shannon Hurn (WC) — 86%
Taken from a minimum 200 kicks, Hurn’s remarkable efficiency by foot has been a catalyst in the Eagles’ rise this season. The Eagles like the ball in his hands and, as you’ll read below, so too does the man himself.
MOST KICK CLANGERS: Dylan Shiel (GWS) /Heath Shaw (GWS) — 47
Hmmm, not one Giants fans would want to read. Having one player on this list is bad enough, but two sharing the prize? Shaw obviously won’t feature again this year, but suitors of Shiel — he has been linked to a move back to Victoria — should beware of this stat.
MOST BLOOD RULES: Ben McEvoy (Haw) — 5
Is Big Boy more susceptible to a cut or does he keep putting himself where he shouldn’t? Whatever the reason, he’s had more than his share of ‘blood rules’ in 2018. Fingers crossed he can stay on the park without any unscheduled interruptions during September.
MOST TIMES ON + OFF THE GROUND: Ben Cunnington (NM) — 163
A midfielder was always going to take this one out. Cunnington was off and on 163 times during his 22-match season — an average of 7.4 times a game. He plays a brutal, contested game and isn’t as athletically gifted as many, perhaps explaining his more frequent rests.
MOST PLAYING MINUTES: Oscar McDonald (Melb) — 2,610 minutes
McDonald played all 22 matches and has been a key component of Simon Goodwin’s back half, his importance going through the roof once Jake Lever went down. Accordingly, he’s rarely received a chop out in matches, playing on average more than 118 minutes a match. Just typing that makes us tired.
MOST SPOILS: Dougal Howard (PA) — 216
The ‘golden fist’ winner isn’t a big name. After finding his way for the previous two seasons, Howard became a dependable defender for Ken Hinkley. He played 20 games and got his fist to the ball to spoil an opponent more than 10 times a game.
MOST KICK-INS: Jake Lloyd (Syd) — 151
Lloyd (or ‘Lllllooooyyyd’ as one commentator likes to call him) was a breakout SuperCoach star in 2018, finding plenty of the footy and using it well. No wonder he’s the Swans’ first pick to take the footy from an opposition minor score.
MOST KICKS-IT-TO-HIMSELF FROM KICK-INS: Shannon Hurn — 53
This is probably tied into his incredible efficiency but hey, when you kick the ball as well as the Eagles’ captain, why not make sure you can get as much distance and accuracy as possible? All opposition teams would know Hurn does this, but it’s pretty hard to stop.
MOST FREE KICKS FOR: Patrick Cripps (Carlton) — 68
Played every game and surged into Brownlow Medal contention despite the Blues winning just two matches. A consistent ballwinner, especially in a contested situation, it’s no wonder the opposition often infringed the midfield bull. Cripps gave away 45 free kicks.
And for those wondering, Cat Joel Selwood received 53 free kicks in 2018.
MOST FREE KICKS AGAINST: Toby Nankervis (Richmond) — 56
The Tigers, and their fans, have raised their free kick differential in 2018. ‘Nank the Tank’ can be the face of the unsociable Tigers, the aggressive big man being penalised by the umpires 56 times this year. If he wins another flag, we don’t think he’ll care too much.
Originally published as Carlton’s Patrick Cripps earned more frees than anyone as we look at the unusual stats of 2018