Player Rater

1st October 2011 Category: Analysis

Images: Slattery Media Group

If we didn’t know before Brownlow night, we know now… Collingwood are reliant on their two marquee midfielders. But if you can only tag one of them, who should it be?

Most teams won’t commit to playing more than one negating midfielder, and assuming that the Cats are no different, Chris Scott has to decide which one of the two he targets. 

2011 stats comparison:

Geelong's best stopper is Cameron Ling. Pendlebury's the better match up for Ling. They're both about the same size and Pendlebury's unlikely to break Ling with pace. Ling: 189cm & 92kg - Pendlebury: 190cm & 88kg - Swan: 185cm & 85kg.

Pendlebury plays more as a traditional ruck rover, positioning himself next to the ruckman at stoppages. Swan often starts off the pack at stoppages so he can hit the contest on the move. Ling is better suited to a standing physical contest at the stoppages, where he can use his weight and strength.

The perception is that Pendlebury's the more damaging player of the two, but the numbers show Swan impacts the scoreboard more than Pendlebury. Swan contributes more goals, more inside 50's and more score assists. In terms of influence on the outcome, Swan might be slightly more important to Collingwood, but both he and Pendlebury play critical roles. Geelong and Ling have a greater chance of negating Pendlebury, therefore he's the one they should target.