Lachie Neale racking up disposals, Allen Christensen most high frees as stats reveal league leaders
LACHIE Neale is out of contract at the end of the season but his stock continues to rise. STAT LEAGUE LEADERS MIDWAY THROUGH SEASON
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THE stock of Fremantle midfield gun Lachie Neale continues to rise.
Out of contract at the end of the season, the star Docker is putting together his best season despite his side continuing to struggle.
Neale, 24, is averaging 34.2 disposals per game, placing him at number one for total disposals of all players in the competition.
His total of 376 disposals is 28 ahead of his nearest rival, Western Bulldogs young gun Lachie Hunter.
Neale’s place at number one won’t come as a surprise to most football fans who could have also predicted Heath Shaw is leading the league in kicks, Nick Riewoldt in marks and Joel Selwood in free kicks for.
But being at the top of Champion Data’s stats isn’t always going to earn praise from the coach.
The tightly policed and often contentious deliberate out of bounds rule has caught out Bernie Vince, Kyle Hartigan and Jarrod Harbrow a combined nine times, while tough Port Adelaide midfielder Ollie Wines has more clangers to his name than anyone else with 56.
Tom Lynch, Jordan Lewis, Kieren Jack, Toby Greene, Max Gawn and Jeff Garlett have felt the wrath of the coach having all conceded three 50 metre penalties.
Taylor Walker has had an up and down start to the season, with the Adelaide skipper sitting seventh in the Coleman Medal race with 27 goals.
However, the key forward can count himself a little unlucky not to have more goals after hitting the post six times.
It has been well documented, particularly after the furore over high tackles last week, Brisbane’s Allen Christensen has received the most high tackles of any player this year.
Christensen has earned 21 free kicks for being taken high.
STAT LEAGUE LEADERS
DISPOSALS
Lachie Neale 376
KICKS
Heath Shaw 253
MARKS
Nick Riewoldt 114
HANDBALLS
Lachie Neale 226
GOALS
Lance Franklin 41
BEHINDS
Lance Franklin 26
HITOUTS
Max Gawn 457
TACKLES
Andrew Swallow 98
CLANGERS
Ollie Wines 56
FREES FOR
Joel Selwood 38
FREES AGAINST
Shane Mumford 28
CONTESTED MARKS
Rory Lobb, Tom Lynch 22
OUT ON THE FULL KICKS
Michael Walters 12
50m PENALTIES AGAINST
Tom Lynch, Jordan Lewis, Kieren Jack, Toby Greene, Max Gawn, Jeff Garlett 3
HITTING THE POST
Taylor Walker 6
TOO-HIGH FREES FOR
Allen Christensen 21
HITOUTS TO ADVANTAGE
Max Gawn 166 (av 15.1)
SPOILS
Jack Hombsch 103
KNOCK ONS
Daniel Wells 12
DROPPED MARKS
Jack Watts, James Sicily, Matthew Boyd, Jarrad Waite 5
SMOTHERS
David Zaharakis, Stephen Hill, Ed Curnow 13
RUNNING BOUNCES
Adam Saad 44
KICK INS
Shannon Hurn 88
MINUTES PLAYED
Eric MacKenzie 1329min
MINUTES SPENT ON THE BENCH
George Hewett 446min
KICKS OFF THE GROUND
Liam Shiels 20
THIRD-MAN UP HITOUTS
Mark Blicavs 63
DELIBERATE OUT OF BOUNDS FREES AGAINST
Bernie Vince, Kyle Hartigan, Jarrod Harbrow 3
Originally published as Lachie Neale racking up disposals, Allen Christensen most high frees as stats reveal league leaders
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