GFL stats that mattered in round one
It could not have been a closer result in round one, with a kick to win it sailing right. Read the full stats breakdown of the weekend here.
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The result could not have been closer, and at the end of the match it was an errant kick that decided Leopold as winners.
Geelong West’s debutant Noah Gribble had a shot with minutes remaining to put his new side over the line, but the shot sailed to the right and left the Lions one point ahead when the siren sounded.
Leopold assistant coach Sam Hughes said he was happy his side was able to pull through in a close match.
“Geelong West showed everyone last year how good of a side they are, they’re young and they played really well,” he said.
“I thought Noah had that kick in the bag, he’s a great player and had a great game, but luckily for us it sailed right and the siren went not long after.”
Leopold forward Mitch Patten led the Lions upfront, kicking 5.7 in ultimately an inaccurate but matchwinning performance.
Hughes said it was not just his goal kicking that helped secure the win.
“Mitch is really a barometer for us each week,” he said.
“He’s clearly really dangerous in front of goal, but also it’s what he does when he doesn’t have the ball.
“His pressure was great, his tackling kept the ball forward and he made his teammates more dangerous with his movements.”
Leopold, which only won three games in 2021, has started 1-0 for the first time since 2018, when the Lions went 17-1 but ultimately lost in a one-point preliminary final to the eventual premiers in St Joseph’s.
Hughes said the side came out of the match unscathed and the players were eager for a big year.
“It’s been a long pre-season,” he said.
“Considering it was a really intense round one, we’ve pulled up really well.
“I’m sure there will be a few sore boys at training but we’ll deal with that and I’m sure we’ll have a few boys coming back into the side as well.”
Coaching performance, ball hogs: GFL stats that mattered
Footy is back.
The Geelong Football League returned after more than 250 days on the sidelines, with teams raring to go after an extended off-season.
Round one was filled with upsets, heavy wins, nail-biters, and dominant performances by both team and player.
These are the stats that mattered in round one.
Possession is king
Newtown & Chilwell was not expected to start the season with a win, but the side secured a 20-point victory against Bell Park.
The Eagles had plenty of contributors across the field, with no one player completely dominating the match.
Five of the side’s players registered 20 or more touches, with Blake Sutterby leading the way with 28 disposals, while the Dragons only had two.
The Eagles smashed the Dragons in the disposal count, winning 333-265, with 19 of Newtown & Chilwell’s players recording at least 10 disposals.
The Dragons had nine players fail to crack double-digit disposals.
Handball happy brings win
South Barwon left Grovedale with a confident win on Saturday.
The Swans were able to overcome a poor kicking display (61 per cent kicking efficiency) to secure a 32-point victory.
The side was able to move the ball well by hand, with just seven of the team’s 114 handballs ineffective.
Only five of South Barwon’s players did not record perfect handballing efficiency at the end of the match.
Clinical in front of goal
North Shore Seagulls said the side would be efficient in the forward line, and they showed it on Saturday.
The Seagulls dismantled Lara to win by 131 points, dominating in every major statistical category.
They won the disposal count (357-222), disposal efficiency (75 per cent-64 per cent) and clearances (47-34).
North Shore was clinical when entering the forward 50, with 37 scoring shots from 57 entries (65 per cent).
Lara struggled to convert from its 40 entries, with just five goals from 16 scoring shots (40 per cent).
Co-coach’s on-field performance
Darcy Lang has started his 2022 campaign like a bull at the gate, dragging Colac back into a game the side was almost a certainty to win at the start.
When the Tigers found themselves 20-points down at quarter time, the co-coach was a major reason why Colac was able to turn the game around.
Lang had 34 disposals at 79 per cent efficiency, as well as getting seven clearances, seven inside-50s, four free kicks for, three marks and two goals.
His efforts meant Colac could secure a 28-point win in a 48-point turnaround after quarter time.
Statistical dominance
St Mary’s is the reigning premier for a reason, and on Saturday the side flexed its muscles against wooden spooners St Albans.
It was a dominant performance from the Saints, with the top side never taking the foot off the gas to run out 158-point winners.
The Saints held possession extremely well, winning the disposal count (440-216) by more than double St Albans’ count.
They also took more than double the number of marks St Albans took (101-45), and still won the tackle count, 34-26.
Inaccuracy costs Giants
Sometimes it just takes a little luck.
Leopold lost almost every major statistical category against Geelong West, going down in disposal count (289-339), efficiency (58 per cent to 64 per cent), marks (48-58) and tackles (82-74).
But they did not lose on the scoreboard, holding on by one point.
Geelong West was accurate all game long, kicking 10.6 to Leopold’s 9.13, but a late miss to Noah Gribble meant Leopold was able to hold on.
Bond’s bag gets Newtown & Chilwell going
Lachlan Bond’s five-goal haul steered Newtown & Chiwell to a 20-point round one win over Bell Park in tough, windy conditions.
It was an impressive performance by a young, rising player, Newtown & Chilwell coach Damien McMahon said.
“He’s a second-year player for us, he’s only 20, to see him stand up and kick a bag of five is good going,” he said.
With a heavy breeze towards the Dragons’ social rooms, Bell Park’s midfielders got to work early and helped hand their side a 22-8 lead late in the first term.
A Bond goal from outside 50 against the breeze on the quarter-time siren brought the Eagles back within eight points at the first break and the momentum shifted.
“That one late hurt us a bit,” Bell Park coach Shane Jack said.
Kicking with the breeze in the second term, the Eagles managed to jump ahead to a slight lead, but the game remained an arm wrestle, the Eagles ahead by just 16 points at the main break.
With the breeze falling away as the second-half got underway, Newtown & Chilwell took full advantage, kicking a goal in the first minute of the third term to put it up by 22 points and make life even harder for Bell Park.
The Dragons never went away though, answering Jack’s three-quarter time call for faster ball movement.
Despite a flurry of forward-50 entries in the final 15 minutes, they failed to convert.
“Our last quick going in the forward-50 just wasn’t good enough,” Jack said.
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