When Sydney signed Lance Franklin, the big question was which players would be moved on to make room on the salary cap.
One of the players was Shane Mumford. The premiership player fell victim and was quickly snapped up by cross town rivals Greater Western Sydney.
At the time it was seen as a very good signing, for it gave them a physical presence and a mature body. After 14 rounds, it has been the best signing of the season.
Mumford has not only been the standout ruckman this season, but deserves more recognition than what he will get come season’s end.
There is no question that Gary Ablett Jnr is the best player in the competition. However the Leigh Matthews trophy is awarded to the most valuable player. This is the player that influences games more than any other, and the outcome of the game is determined by that individual’s performance.
It is for that reason alone that Shane Mumford should be voted the Leigh Matthews trophy winner.
Ruckmen have been somewhat dismissed this season. Ironically, Leigh Matthews himself said that ruckmen are overrated and their hit-outs mean nothing.
Yet Mumford is the king of the big men and his influence on games has been greater than any other player.
Statistically, among ruckmen, he is averaging the most hit outs (43), tackles (6.5) and one percenters (4), while he is also averaging 2.6 clearances (seventh), 13.1 disposals (fourth) and 124.5 champion data points.
However stats are only one part. The fact is that when Mumford plays, GWS are not only a better team, but they win games.
In the seven games he has played at full fitness, GWS have won four and lost three by an average of 10 points. In the five games he missed through injury, and the game against Richmond where he was underdone and rushed back, they have lost by an average of 65 points.
It also shows in his own champion data points, where he has scored more than 110 every game, except for that Richmond game where he scored 40.
Clearances have been a major factor in GWS’s wins this season. With Mumford, they average 47 clearances compared to 36 when he doesn’t play. In their four wins this season, they have averaged 53.
The young midfield of Adam Treloar, Lachie Whitfield, Dylan Shiels and the experience of Callan Ward have fed off Mumford’s ability to win the hit out.
Treloar in particular has been a benefactor, averaging 120 champion data points when Mumford plays compared to 97.
The physicality that Mumford has provided GWS has been infectious. His 6.5 tackles are those of a midfielder and has him ranked eighth in the competition.
As a team they have averaged 73 tackles, which ranks them fourth in the competition. The ability to create stoppages has allowed Mumford to dominate games, especially in the wet conditions early in the season.
Ruckmen take time to mature and Mumford is a classic case. He struggled for consistency in his time at Geelong, yet flourished when he moved to Sydney. In that time, he was regarded as one of the best all-round ruckmen.
However, he was forced to share the duties with Mike Pyke last year and injuries affected his output.
The decision to recruit Mumford has been a masterstroke for GWS. After missing out on Franklin, they needed a boom recruit that would help them win games and Mumford has certainly done that.
The Leigh Matthews trophy is one of the few peer-voted awards in the AFL. The Brownlow has long been regarded as the pinnacle of individual medals, but players hold the MVP award just as close, if not closer, as it is judged by their peers.
With Gary Ablett having another season of excellence, it is very easy to simply pen the award to him now.
However Mumford has taken this team of kids on his own back and turned them into a competitive side. In the first two seasons they won total of four games, feat they have already equalled this year.
With another few years of maturing bound to happen, Mumford will hopefully get another crack at adding a second premiership medal to his cabinet.
For this season, however, Mumford deserves individual honours. The honour of winning the Leigh Matthews MVP may not sit comfortably with him or others that believe Ablett deserves it, yet when you look at the award in its simplest format, Mumford is a clear winner.
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