It’s black and white, Collingwood’s on top of the free kick ladder
THE #freekickhawthorn hashtag once ruled, but not anymore. SAM EDMUND looks at which clubs are getting the rub of the green — and the stars who are earning more than their share of free kicks.
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IT doesn’t have a hashtag, but it’s real.
Two years after #freekickhawthorn exploded into the AFL vernacular, Collingwood is quietly getting the rub of the green with the umpires.
A State of the Nation assessment of who the whistles after favouring 14 rounds into the season has put the Magpies on top of the free kick tree.
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Collingwood has been awarded 306 free kicks so far this season and 244 against, giving it a league-high free kick differential of +62.
Red-hot ruckman Brodie Grundy leads the way with 31 frees.
The Pies get more frees than any other side in the defensive 50 and also through the midfield where Grundy has been a towering force. In a season where most things are finally going right for Nathan Buckley and co. they have been the umpires’ pet.
West Coast is second at +57, while North Melbourne’s Cinderella season has it third at +48.
But no club has profited more favourably from direct umpiring decisions than Melbourne.
The Demons have kicked an AFL-high 29 goals from free kicks.
There’s not many gifts on offer at Essendon, who have only kicked an AFL-low 11 majors as a result of umpire intervention.
On the flip side, umpiring decisions have cost Carlton more than any other club, with the Blues conceding 32 goals directly from free kicks — two more than the next-worst, Gold Coast.
Curiously, premier and ladder-leader Richmond, have had the worst run with officials this year.
The Tigers have a free kick differential of -70 — a whopping 22 more than their closest rival Greater Western Sydney (-48). One theory is that Richmond’s frenzied pressure game, while regularly overwhelming its opposition each week, also causes some collateral damage via the whistleblowers.
When it comes to which forward gets the most favourable run with the officials inside 50m, Ben Brown is the man. North Melbourne’s lead-up big man just keeps presenting and just keeps drawing frees.
Collingwood may sit atop the free kick ladder, but defender Lynden Dunn would have a different take. No player has given away more free kicks in the defensive 50 than the Pies’ veteran stopper.
Sydney’s Dane Rampe (11) and Carlton’s Cameron O’Shea (10) are also guilty of copping the wrong end of the whistle.
In the midfield, Carlton wrecking ball Patrick Cripps’ relentless pursuit of the hard ball has seen him rewarded more than any other player.
Most frees inside 50m
Ben Brown North Melbourne 14
Eric Hipwood Brisbane Lions 12
Josh Kennedy West Coast 10
Jeremy Cameron GWS 10
Charlie Dixon Port Adelaide 9
Most free against defensive 50m
Lynden Dunn Collingwood 12
Dane Rampe Sydney 11
Cameron O’Shea Carlton 10
Alex Rance Richmond 9
Darcy Gardiner Brisbane Lions 8
Most frees in midfield
Patrick Cripps Carlton 35
Stefan Martin Brisbane Lions 34
Joel Selwood Geelong 30
Patrick Dangerfield Geelong 26
Brodie Grundy Collingwood 25
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