- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The presentation of Aussie rules players stats has come a long way since the days when they simply tallied up kicks, marks and handballs.
From this rudimentary approach, it has evolved to a level of sophistication – one which it is fair to say is nothing short of a science.
Possessions are now differentiated for their effectiveness, their penetration and their merit. Players are now scrutinised for their decisiveness, their teamwork and their accountability.
Indeed, it seems that every conceivable facet of the game is now under the microscope. So much so, that one is tempted to think that this analysis has been taken to its zenith. But is this the case?
A few seasons ago I was watching Footscray play, when Barry Hall – in all his awe-inspiring brutishness – split a pack consisting of a good half a dozen players. Though Hall didn’t go on to take possession of the ball, his actions proved just as valuable, seeing that the pack was left shell-shocked, and the ball spilled to a teammate.
Anyhow, a mate of mine was watching all this as keenly as I, and the moment it happened, we turned to each other knowingly. Now, while we’re not exactly pundits, my mate and I like to consider ourselves learned men of all things football, and like true connoisseurs, we went on to savour the sight of Hall’s split pack the way cultured Parisians do good wine.
It was then that my mate made a comment which caught my ear, ‘Hey,’ he said, as though he were about to address a glaring oversight, ‘where’s the stat for that?’ In a heartbeat, I suitably concurred, ‘Yes, indeed, where is the stat for that?’ My mate replied, ‘Well there ought to be one’.
Again I couldn’t have agreed more. Just as lamely, we then went on to explore whether there were any other overlooked stats, but as we did Footscray, as is their habit, conceded the next 10 goals, and in deference to our horror, my mate and I duly left it there.
However in the weeks that followed, my mate’s observation resonated, and over this time, we kept an eye out with our other mates for other overlooked stats. By season’s end we had assembled a compelling number of them, all quintessentially Aussie Rules and all deserving of statistical recognition.
Here’s what we came up with: two columns, one titled ‘Heroics’ and the other ‘Conduct which dishonoured club’.
Column One – Heroics
1. Split packs – Herculean brutishness in packs of no less than 6.
2. Big grabs – marks involving altitude or acrobatics.
3. Tide-turning goals – goals against the run of play.
4. Dashes evoking Ray Gabalich – inspiring runs which draw a roar from the crowd.
5. Taking one for the team – not shirking from avoidable collisions.
Column Two – Conduct which dishonoured club (CWDC)
1. Not taking one for the team – shirking from avoidable collisions.
2. Hissy fits – tantrums where arms flew akimbo (i.e. doing a Richo).
3. Having a pansy blonde rinse – use of peroxide to attract Brownlow votes.
4. Hearing footsteps – shrinking when back-peddling blind into contests.
5. Fleeing during rotations – running personal best to flee from ground in a rotation.
There were arguments put forward to differentiate inside 50s, but this was thought to make matters too complex. Also, there was conjecture about how to rate each action – a faction feeling that there wasn’t always parity – but we eventually settled on a single digit for each instance.
Anyway, there it is. Two new columns which would sit comfortably alongside kicks, marks and handballs… oh, and all the other stats they have these days.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.