Brisbane is the worst defensive team in the league, Champion Data stats reveal
ESSENDON may be last on the ladder, but Brisbane is the league’s worst defensive team and a loss in Sunday’s spoon showdown want come as a shock. SEE CHAMPION DATA’S STATS
Lions
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lions. Followed categories will be added to My News.
BRISBANE can’t defend. Its players either don’t want to or aren’t being instructed how to.
Whatever the reason, the Lions are the worst defensive team in the competition by a long margin and their deficiencies have been laid bare ahead of this Sunday’s wooden spoon showdown with Essendon.
Champion Data’s statistics reveal their defensive system is so poor that a Brisbane loss against an Essendon team without 12 suspended players really shouldn’t be a shock at all.
The Lions are conceding a whopping 127.9 points, the most of any side and three goals more than the Bombers.
Only twice this season have they restricted the opposition to less than 100 points, and rivals have helped themselves to scores of 120-plus on 10 occasions.
No team gets scored against as easily as Brisbane, which has also surrendered 72 goals from inside 15m — 19 more than the next worst team, Melbourne.
But it gets worse.
Brisbane’s defensive work at the stoppages has let it down, turnovers are being punished on the scoreboard, and the lack of forward half pressure allows opposition teams to transition from defence with ease.
And the numbers are damning — Brisbane is ranked 18th when it comes to conceding points from turnovers, stoppages and chains starting from half back.
Brisbane also ranks 18th in opposition marks inside 50 and opposition score per inside 50, 17th for opposition inside 50s and 15th for points scored from chains starting from defensive 50.
Against the Giants last Sunday at the Gabba, Brisbane kicked the opening two goals but their competitiveness was temporary as GWS piled on 10 goals in the second quarter before blowing the Lions away by 79 points.
It was a similar story against Richmond in Round 14, the Lions kicked the first two goals before losing by 42 points.
In Round 13 against West Coast they trailed by one point at quarter-time but went down by 49, and the week before away to Fremantle scores were level at the first break but a nine-goal to one second term condemned Brisbane to an 83-point defeat.
Lions coach Justin Leppitsch said after last weekend’s loss to GWS his team goes into every game to win.
But unless there’s some damage control on the field it’s hard to see Brisbane beating the Bombers, let alone win another game this season.
BRISBANE’S DEFENCE v ESSENDON’S DEFENCE
GOALS CONCEDED FROM 0-15m
Brisbane Lions 72
Melbourne 51
Essendon 50
Gold Coast 49
Collingwood 49
Port Adelaide 45
Richmond 43
Adelaide Crows 42
Hawthorn 41
St Kilda 40
West Coast 34
Carlton 34
Fremantle 33
North Melbourne 31
Western Bulldogs 26
Geelong 23
GWS Giants 21
Sydney Swans 17
Source: Champion Data
Originally published as Brisbane is the worst defensive team in the league, Champion Data stats reveal
Midfielder leaving Lions’ den
Desperate for more games in the AFL, a fringe midfielder has left the Brisbane Lions to join the Melbourne Demons.
Harry who Dees need: Who is the kid central to Lions’ trade plans?
Two fringe Lions loom as the key to Brisbane pulling off a bumper trade and draft combination. CALLUM DICK looks at why Harry Sharp’s request to join Melbourne will benefit the premiers.