Player Rater

18th August 2011 Category: Statistical Analysis

Image: Slattery Media Group

Watching Melbourne on the weekend, it seemed like every time they went inside 50 it was Nathan Jones or Clint Bartram taking them there. 

Melbourne finished the game with a total of 44 inside 50’s. Jones and Bartram were collectively responsible for 11 of those entries. The problem for Melbourne was that Jones and Bartram, on the day, operated at a combined disposal efficiency of 54.5%.

When it comes to inside 50’s, it’s not a matter of how many, but rather who takes you there.

The table below looks at the top 5 ranked players for total inside 50’s at each club this season. The idea is to find out who each club is using to kick them inside 50. The table doesn’t include forwards like Travis Cloke, Mark LeCras and Adam Goodes. The table is ranked by the disposal efficiency of each clubs top 5 inside 50 players. 

Notes:

• As with most performance indicators this season, Collingwood and Geelong lead the way.
• Disposal efficiency can be misleading, this is why the table includes kicks to advantage. Hawthorn for example rank toward the bottom in disposal efficiency (%DE), but are fourth in kicks to advantage (KTAdv).
• The column showing percentage of total inside 50’s provides an indication of a teams reliance on stars. For example, Carlton generate over 40% of their total inside 50’s from Simpson, Judd, Murphy, Scotland and Robinson. The only team that is more reliant than Carlton on their top 5 is Gold Coast.
• Sydney are the lowest ranked team by disposal efficiency. They compensate for their poor entry, by retaining the ball once it's kicked inside 50. Sydney are the league leaders for tackles inside 50.
• Some teams are conscious of putting the ball in the hands of their best users. Goddard for St Kilda, Deledio for Richmond , Scotland for Carlton, Duffield for Fremantle and Robert Murphy for the Bulldogs are probably the best examples.