Stats insider: Full round 20 centre bounce numbers, key SuperCoach intel

Isaac Heeney’s phenomenal SuperCoach scores have dried up. See the stats behind the scores plus full CBA numbers and all the stats you need to know.

GEELONG tried out a new centre bounce combination on the weekend, but it didn’t prevent another huge score from the opposing ruckman.

After trialling key defender Sam De Koning in the ruck for the past five rounds, Chris Scott handed the job to Mark Blicavs and 14-gamer Shannon Neale in round 20.

Blicavs attended 70 ruck contests against North Melbourne and Neale 30, winning eight and one hitout to advantage respectively – and scoring 75 and 54 SuperCoach points.

They were opposed to Tristan Xerri, who was at 89 ruck contests, won 15 hitouts to advantage (equal most for the round with Reilly O’Brien) and scored 151 SuperCoach points.

Scroll down for full round 20 CBAs plus more exclusive SuperCoach intel

O’Brien faces the Cats this weekend, and could post another huge SuperCoach score. Geelong’s remaining ruck match-ups are against Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson (round 22), Rowan Marshall (round 23) and Matt Flynn in the final home-and-away round.

Zak Butters had his lowest CBA rate of the season against Carlton. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Jaidyn Stephenson took over kick-in duties at the Kangaroos. Picture: Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Other key role changes on the weekend included:

JAKE Soligo’s CBAs doubled and he scored 120 SuperCoach points, his best return since round 8.

ZAK Butters attended only six centre bounces against Carlton, his lowest figure for the season, as he tried to shake off a tag from Alex Cincotta.

CALLUM Mills was eased back into Sydney’s centre square set up, attending eight centre bounces – his first of 2024.

TOM Powell was thrown around yet again by Alastair Clarkson, with his CBAs dropping from 15 to zero in a week. He still managed 34 disposals and 101 SuperCoach points.

JAMES Peatling has attended 67 per cent and 69 per cent of CBAs for GWS the past two weeks, gathered a combined 46 disposals and scored 93 and 133 SuperCoach points.

WITH no Zac Fisher or Colby McKercher, Jaidyn Stephenson stepped up as North Melbourne’s main kick-in taker. He had six, and played on from all of them, while Powell took three.

MATT Roberts has taken 11 kick-ins for Sydney over the past three rounds, including five against the Bulldogs on Sunday. He has a 100 per cent play-on record for the season, including his 26 kick-ins over the first 13 rounds.

Secret SuperCoach stats

Each week Champion Data guru Fantasy Freako lifts the lid on the SuperCoach scoring system by analysing key moments from the weekend games.

Here are the numbers you need to know from round 20.

HEENEY ON THE SLIDE?

Isaac Heeney’s numbers at the beginning of the season weren’t sustainable – averaging 129 points in his first 10 games, compared to 103 in his last eight games.

Like the Swans, we have seen a gradual decline in output from Heeney while his role has remained the same. Since round 11, he has dropped below 100 points in half of his games and his kicking has plummeted – recording a kicking efficiency of 49.5 per cent, which included having an efficiency of just 13 per cent last round – his worst since 2018.

The goals have also dried up and he is averaging less than one goal a game over these rounds.

Compare that to his first 10 games, where he hit the target by foot 67.1 per cent of the time and averaged 1.6 goals.

Isaac Heeney couldn’t maintain his incredible early-season form. Picture: Phil Hillyard

BOMBERS HIT TURBULENCE
When Essendon wins, Zach Merrett often comes away with an excellent score – posting 135 and 145 in his past two wins compared to averaging just 94 in the Bombers’ past four losses. Opposition sides have also targeted him, and he has been tagged in six of his past seven games. Historically, he has struggled with close attention, and his numbers reflect this.

Teammate Nic Martin’s role has fluctuated – playing across half-back, the wing and half-forward since returning from the bye. His best score since round 15 was 142 against Melbourne, but he needed four goals to get to that tally. The volume isn’t the same for Martin, either – averaging 23.7 disposals, down from 29.8 in his first 13 games.

DAICOS’S HOT START

Nick Daicos became the third player ever to have 18 disposals and 10 contested possessions in a quarter when he tore Richmond to shreds on Sunday.

He had five clearances, two score assists and 91 points in the first term.

Seth Campbell was sent to him thereafter and conceded 13 disposals in the 39 minutes they were matched up.

Nick Daicos finished with 147 points against Richmond. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

LACHIE NEALE’S SCORE EXPLAINED

Lachie Neale was one of Brisbane’s best against Gold Coast, scoring 117 points from 35 disposals and a goal – well under his SuperCoach returns in recent outings including 143 points from 34 touches in round 18 and 179 points from 36 disposals in round 17.

This is another example of how the SuperCoach scoring system works within games – and why you shouldn’t compare scores in different matches.

Every player’s score is relative to what others do in the same game, and on Saturday there were several other players that dominated in Dayne Zorko, Josh Dunkley and Sam Flanders.

Neale was also slow to get going – he was the 18th ranked player on the ground at quarter-time. He also lost 14.4 points from negative acts across the game.

GIANT BLOOPER

Giant Harvey Thomas made the round 20 highlights for all the wrong reasons when his running shot from inside 10m cannoned into teammate Jesse Hogan on Saturday night.

Because his intention was to score a goal the kick was classed as ineffective and worth zero SuperCoach points. Even though the ball hit Hogan below the knee he wasn’t credited with a kick as his intention wasn’t to kick the ball.

"And they've somehow butchered it!"

Harvey Thomas and Jesse Hogan couldn't do this again if they tried 😂#AFLDeesGiantspic.twitter.com/iQP9c1x7JM

— 7AFL (@7AFL) July 27, 2024

STAT OF THE WEEK: SPOILS

Spoils are another one-percenter stat that keeps the SuperCoach scores ticking over.

Defenders dominate this stat, but points can be accrued irrespective of position.

A spoil can be defined as knocking the ball away from a marking contest preventing an opponent from taking a mark. All spoils are worth two points as a raw figure, while a spoil gaining possession – that is, a spoil that ends up in a teammates’ possession or a stoppage – is worth two extra points.

Spoil Efficiency is the percentage of spoils that end up in a teammates’ possession or a stoppage, effectively killing the play.

If we look at the leading players for spoils it’s key defenders that dominate – led by Darcy Moore and Harris Andrews. Neither player is SuperCoach relevant, but it does show that this position type dominates this stat.

In terms of efficiency, Bodhi Uwland is the most effective with a spoil efficiency of 76.6 per cent, followed by Josh Battle on 76 per cent.

Charlie Ballard has the lowest spoil efficiency of the top-30 spoiling defenders at 58.5 per cent.

If we look at the leading midfielders for spoils, Josh Dunkley has had the most of any player followed by Reuben Ginbey and Marcus Bontempelli – another one-percenter stat from Bontempelli that often goes unnoticed.

Ruckmen are also handy in this area with Reilly O’Brien leading the way, followed by Tristan Xerri and Oscar McInerney.

Originally published as Stats insider: Full round 20 centre bounce numbers, key SuperCoach intel