GFL stats breakdown: How each team wins in round 5
From in the ruck contests to down on the ground, find out how each team can win its game in round 5.
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The ladder is starting to solidify as teams begin to show their true form in 2022.
Two teams remain undefeated, with St Mary’s set to face Grovedale and Newtown & Chilwell battling with Colac.
Find out how each team wins in round 5.
Bell Park v South Barwon
It will be a battle in the air, with two of the competition’s premier rucks going at it in round 5.
Bell Park’s Luke Goetz recorded 28 hit outs to advantage in round 4, with 56 total hit outs leading the competition for the round, while South Barwon’s Luke Davis had 14 advantageous taps.
Dragons midfielder Lachie Patten was the main beneficiary of the aerial dominance, recording a season-high 43 disposals in the one-point loss.
Despite the dominance in the air, and the massive hit outs to advantage numbers, Bell Park lost the clearance count (27-32) against North Shore, and will need to correct that against the Swans.
Leopold v North Shore
Four of the competition’s best ball-winners will be on the same ground this weekend when Leopold host North Shore.
Seagulls co-coach Nick Dixon is leading the competition with 34 disposals a game after a monster 41-touch haul against Bell Park, while teammate Brad Gerrard is fresh off 38 disposals in round 4 and is averaging almost 28 per game.
On the other side of the ledger is Leopold’s dynamic duo Marcus Thompson and Brock Williamson, who are averaging 27 and 24.75 touches respectively.
Leopold coach Garry Hocking recently said the pair needed to find more of the football, following a disappointing 52-point loss to Colac.
The battle in the middle of the ground will have a massive influence in this game, with both sides 2-2 and within reach of an early top-five spot.
Newtown & Chilwell v Colac
Despite being 3-1 and sitting third on the ladder, Colac has been slow out of the 2022 gates.
St Joseph’s pushed the Tigers in round 1, St Mary’s ran out nine-goal winners in round 2, and both Bell Park and Leopold were in their respective contests until the third quarter.
But the past two weeks have indicated the Colac engine is back and firing, with 123 uncontested marks against Leopold and 104 against Bell Park.
The average of 113.5 is at the opposite end of the spectrum in comparison to the opening two rounds, where the Tigers averaged 71 uncontested marks (65 against St Joseph’s and 77 against St Mary’s).
But Newtown & Chilwell has suppressed its opposition’s attempts to retain possession easily, just conceding 59.5 uncontested marks a game through the opening four rounds.
If Colac play its retention style of football for extended periods of time, it will be in with a great shot of ending the Eagles’ undefeated start to the season.
St Albans v Geelong West
The Giants only managed a 13-point win against Lara in round 4, so St Albans, which is coming off a 67-point loss to Newtown & Chilwell, may fancy its chances in a down period for Geelong West.
Geelong West lost the contested possession 95-119 against Lara, and St Albans also had 21-less contested possessions against the Eagles (100-121), the Supersaints will take confidence in competing hard around the stoppages.
St Albans’ Jacob Russell and Sam Donegan had 10 and 12 contested possessions respectively, and will be required to carry the brunt of the inside work against Giants midfielder Baxter Mensch, who has recorded 37 and 38 disposals in the past three weeks.
St Joseph’s v Lara
Lara’s defenders will have their hands full against St Joseph’s, who kicked 16 goals against Grovedale in round 4.
What was most impressive for Joeys was the fact only one player kicked more than two goals (Oscar Morrison kicked three), and the side had 12 individual goal scorers in the game.
Joeys’ ability to share the football up forward makes their mix in attack extremely dangerous, which they showed against South Barwon with eight individual goal scorers for their 12 goals.
St Mary’s v Grovedale
Grovedale lost to St Joseph’s in round 4 despite dominating the inside 50 count for the game.
The Tigers had 59 entries but kicked 12.10 (82), which is just a 20.3 per cent goal conversion.
Despite St Mary’s only kicking six goals from 39 inside 50s in a blustery game against South Barwon, the Saints have been one of the best teams in converting their entries in 2022.
Forward Pat Dowling has been a key cog in the structure inside the Saints’ attacking half, and will provide Grovedale plenty of headaches in round 5.
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Originally published as GFL stats breakdown: How each team wins in round 5
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