GFL stats breakdown: How each side wins in round 3
The Anzac Day weekend is set to be filled with massive GFL clashes, with finals hopefuls playing each other and close games expected across three days of football.
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The Anzac Day weekend is set to be filled with massive GFL clashes, with finals hopefuls playing each other and close games expected across three days of football.
After two rounds of football, trends are starting to be set in each team and game styles are becoming obvious after months of pre-season training.
Find out how each team can win its match, as well as who is leading the competition in the major statistical categories here.
Geelong West v Newtown & Chilwell
The Giants’ tackling pressure has been immense in the opening two rounds, leading the league with 146 effective tackles (73 per game average).
Newtown & Chilwell is not far behind, averaging 70 effective tackles a game in the opening two rounds.
With both sides involved in tight clashes with Leopold, as well as beating top-five contenders in Grovedale and Bell Park, round 3 serves as a litmus test between two sides vying for finals in 2022.
Giants midfielder David Handley laid 14 tackles in round 1 and missed round two, while Eagle Mitch Diamond has laid 18 across his opening two games.
Bell Park v Colac
Colac is coming off a big loss against premiership favourites St Mary’s, while Bell Park won its first game of the season against St Albans in round 2.
The Tigers struggled in the clinches against the Saints, losing the clearance count 36-19, while Bell Park did not dominate in that area despite a 101-point win, beating the Supersaints 28-22.
Dragons forward Jackson Bright excels when given a clean run on the lead and showed it against St Albans with 16 marks and seven goals, so Bell Park midfielders will hope to extract the ball quickly and give him a good chance against Colac’s back six.
Colac co-coach Darcy Lang had seven clearances to go with 34 disposals in the first game of the season against St Joseph’s, but only recorded three clearances from 19 touches in the St Mary’s clash.
Leopold v St Albans
St Albans has struggled to contain its opposition forwards from kicking big bags of goals in 2022.
Bell Park forward Jackson Bright slotted 7.4 from 16 marks and 26 disposals in round 2, while St Mary’s star Pat Dowling kicked eight goals in round 1.
With Leopold on the horizon, the attention is on forward Mitch Patten to see if he can replicate the efforts in round 3.
Patten has already kicked 5.7 from 20 disposals in the opening weekend of football, and will be the focal point of Leopold’s forward 50 again.
He only managed two goals against Newtown & Chilwell, but both Patten and key forward Billy Clark have a chance to get a major haul.
St Mary’s v North Shore
North Shore has been the major improvers in 2022.
A big win against Lara, followed by an admirable loss to St Joseph’s, will not be as big a test as St Mary’s in round 3.
The Saints recorded 31 scoring shots from 58 inside 50s, which is a conversion rate of 53 per cent.
North Shore’s back six was under pressure against St Joseph’s, conceding 26 scoring shots from 39 inside 50s at a 67 per cent conversion rate.
Even against Lara, during a 131-point win, the Seagulls conceded a scoring shot on 40 per cent of the Cats’ inside 50s.
In order to remain competitive against St Mary’s, the Seagulls will need to efficiently repel the ball from their defensive half without conceding as often.
Lara v Grovedale
Sunday’s clash between Lara and Grovedale is shaping to be an important one as both sides enter the contest without a win.
While the Tigers have played two finals contenders in South Barwon and Geelong West, they would have expected to be entering the Cats game with one win on the board.
But Grovedale has struggled to convert its dominance retaining the ball, with the Tigers taking 164 marks in the opening two weeks of football.
The ability to retain possession has converted into greater possession counts in both matches but the Tigers have only scored on 38 per cent of their forward-50 entries.
If Grovedale can begin to convert its conversion woes against Lara, it could begin to turn its season around.
St Joseph’s v South Barwon
Both sides will enter this Anzac Day contest with plenty of confidence after their Easter breaks.
South Barwon is still undefeated, while St Joseph’s challenged Colac for the majority of round 1 and won convincingly in round 2.
The Swans have a dangerous forward line operating smoothly so far, with Jackson Carmody and Andrew Boseley each having a big bag of goals to their name.
Carmody kicked six goals against Grovedale in the opening match of the season, while Boseley followed him with eight majors against Lara in round 2.
Throw in Oliver Lee, who has kicked two goals in each of the matches so far, and the Swans are proving to be difficult to contain.
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Originally published as GFL stats breakdown: How each side wins in round 3
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