SuperCoach AFL 2024: Full centre bounce numbers, key stats insights from round 6

See every centre bounce attendee for round 6 and the big movers and sliders, including a surprise Bulldog magnet and how Carlton is using Sam Walsh.

With Tom Liberatore unavailable, Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge had several options to fill his midfield void.

Three-time All-Australian ball magnet Jack Macrae? Pick 6 in last year’s draft Ryley Sanders? Possibly another promising youngster Harvey Gallagher, or even Cody Weightman, who had been trialled in the midfield over pre-season.

But Beveridge is nothing if not original.

He turned to half-back Ed Richards, who was at 22 centre bounces against St Kilda on Thursday night after not attending a single CBA in the first five rounds.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE FULL CBA NUMBERS FOR EVERY CLUB

Richards didn’t exactly dominate, finishing with 18 disposals and two centre clearances, but given the result who are we to question the premiership coach?

Other notable CBA moves this week included:

SAM Walsh played on a wing for periods of last year, recording a CBA percentage for the season of 55 per cent. In his two games back this year he has hit 70 per cent and then 83 per cent against GWS, attending one more centre bounce than skipper Patrick Cripps.

JORDAN Dawson was the main man in the Crows midfield, attending 80 per cent of CBAs against Essendon, up from 48 per cent the week before. He responded with a season-high SuperCoach score of 168.

LUKE Jackson’s CBAs took a predictable hit, down 44 per cent with Sean Darcy returning to the Dockers line-up.

JY SIMPKIN has been pushed out of the centre square at North Melbourne this year, but he was back in the guts against the Hawks, attending a season-high 18 CBAs. Will Phillips attended 17 while George Wardlaw was rested.

Ed Richards made a surprise midfield cameo for the Bulldogs. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Magnet moves within games also caught out SuperCoaches last weekend. After having 100 per cent game time as a centre bounce midfielder in the first half against Adelaide, Zach Merrett spent 51 per cent of game time in attack in the second half. Then on Sunday, Charlie Comben spent 100 per cent of game time in defence in the first half, then 12 per cent in the ruck and 88 per cent forward after halftime. He had just one disposal in the second half.

See every CBA from round 6 here plus this week’s big movers and sliders for CBAs and kick-ins – and keep scrolling for more SuperCoach intel.

NOTE: Movers and sliders table is based of player’s most recent performance. Minimum two games in 2024 to qualify, but the two games can be weeks apart.

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 6.

Good kicking is good SuperCoach

Bailey Dale was given far too much space by the Saints last Thursday night, and he cut them to shreds. He had 29 kicks for the match, of which only two were ineffective. He had 12 long kicks, 12 short kicks, and two backward kicks for a kicking efficiency of 93.1 per cent.

In contrast, only six of Marcus Bontempelli’s 12 kicks were effective. Thankfully, none was a direct turnover.

Harley explodes

It was a faultless opening term for Harley Reid against the Dockers. He had four disposals (all effective), four contested possessions, one score assist and two goals that were worth 21 of his 71 points for the quarter.

He scored 33 and 39 points in the next two quarters, before ending the match with just four in the final term.

Harley Reid has had a big two weeks. Picture: West Coast FC

Bombers hero

Nic Martin boosted his score by 14.6 points in the final term against the Crows with one play made up of a handball-receive, effective long kick and goal.

Green has the blues

For the fourth time this season Tom Green posted a kicking efficiency under 60 per cent. One of those was against the Blues, and alarmingly it was his most outside game of the year (32 per cent contested possession rate).

He had four ineffective kicks and three direct turnovers by foot.

After starting the season with three scores over 130, Green has an average of 87.7 from his past three – and faces Brisbane this round, historically his worst opponent to score against.

More than one way to skin a SuperCoach score

We saw contrasting game styles from Carlton teammates Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh on the weekend, with Cripps winning 24 contested possessions compared to Walsh’s 11.

Walsh was damaging on the outside with 24 uncontested possessions, of which 22 were handball-receives (worth 24.7 points). He also scored 31.2 points for his contested work.

Cripps, on the other hand, scored 61.9 points from contested possessions, with another 19.2 coming from tackles.

Stat of the Week – Disposals vs Possessions

We often get the question why disposals and possessions don’t add up all the time. Quite simply, they are two different stats.

A disposal is legally getting rid of the ball via a kick or a handball, while a possession is when a player grabs the ball with a reasonable amount of time to dispose of it. This includes groundball-gets, marks, handball receives, effective contested knock-ons and frees for.

For a disposal to be awarded there must be clear intent. If we use ground kicks as an example, if the contact by foot is incidental then a ground kick won’t be paid. The ball must also travel a certain distance for a ground kick to be credited. The only exception to this rule is if a goal is awarded to the player who makes contact with the ball, in this case, a ground kick will be paid.

Handballs can also be grey. There are times when it seems as though the player gets a handball away, but a contested knock-on is awarded instead as the act didn’t meet the handball criteria. This falls under the contested possession umbrella.

For a contested knock-on to be credited, the ball must be directed to the intended target. The receiving player will then be credited with a gather, which is an uncontested possession.

If a kick is immediately smothered it doesn’t register as a disposal. Picture: Sarah Reed

Then we have smothered disposals. If the ball is immediately smothered by the defending player, then no disposal is awarded. If the attacking player was able to get a disposal away from their body before the defending player smothered the ball, then a disposal shall be awarded.

Some examples of disposals and possessions not adding up are when a player takes an uncontested mark and then the siren sounds. Unless the player is within realistic kicking distance and they have a shot at goal, the quarter will end, and no disposal will take place.

Similarly, if the player earns a free kick right before the siren sounds, then they are credited with a contested possession for the free for but no disposal as the quarter has ended.

Knowing the difference between a disposal and possession can improve your SuperCoach viewing experience.

Originally published as SuperCoach AFL 2024: Full centre bounce numbers, key stats insights from round 6