Knicked this link off a thread started on Demonology by "Raymonds". It shows 2008 in stats, and there are a few surprises there. And yes I know stats aren't everything but it's still interesting to me nonetheless. Forgive me if this thread seems pointless or boring, but I thought it might generate some discussion about different parts of the season/our game in this tedious offseason.

http://www.pro-stats.com.au/psw/web/team_r...ts=TA&sr=21

First of all Richmond ranked second! I know they had started to come good, but looking at those stats really shows how far they came along. Expecting a big year from them next year. Now onto us.

The three things that stick out most for me. We were ranked last in 1st possessions, last in clearances, and 2nd last in contested possessions (by .1 over saints so we may as well have been last). This just proves how much we miss Brock out there. He is our best ball winner, and without him Jones couldn't carry the load by himself. With Moloney also out, Bruce and Mcdonald playing all over the ground, we just didn't have the personnel to get our hands on the ball. Hopefully with a return to fitness for Brock and Moloney, added with Sylvia possibly moving into midfield, we may rectify this problem soonish.

We need to get harder, which I think will come as all these kids gain experience and put on size.

We were ranked last for kicking long, but a fair chunk, which further shows the gameplan Biscuit Bails is trying to implent. It also shows we were gettting stuck for options with no leading targets, and indecision and forced turnovers were occurring. We were ranked 4th for marks, mainly because we kicked it around uncontested in the back 50 not knowing what to do. Only Carlton had less contested marks than us, and barely at that. All this proves is we had no targets to kick to, which is why we recruited Watts, and hopefully will continue to draft more tall forwards next seasons end. We finished last for goals scored obviously and by a long way.

Unfortunately there is no hit outs to advantage column, but we were middle of the table for hit outs (7th), so our ruckmen were doing their job it seems. Despite uproar about our rucks, I think Jamar is actually a very good ruckman, he just doesn't provide much around the ground. Hopefully the Spence comes on, as PJ is more of a utility IMO.

Not surprisingly we topped the error list. A blind monkey could have seen our disposal and decision making was not up to AFL standard last year. What surprised me is Geelong were 2nd highest. Is that simply because they have so much more of the ball than everyone else? Or did their skills slip from 2007. With their game based on maintaining possession and lots of sharing, with high error levels you can see why the Hawks managed to roll them on the most important day of the year.

So hey, at least we won something last year. The most errors and rebound 50s!

very very interesting

i think that second in contested marks says something too

1 %'ers stat is pleasing.

Intersting link. On a related note, I have dug up a post of mine from about round 21 or so comparing aome of our younger players with Ablett Jnr.'s early years. The post itself was part of an argument with another poster about whether any of our players had star potential. It's an encouragiing if somewhat unscientific/wishful read:

Anyway, your "better than medicore" talk prompted me to do some research and I've come up with some stats from rleague comparing Ablett's first three seasons with those of some of our young players. Obviously, there are all sorts of reasons why the stats aren't going to be completely compelling, different teams, positions, playing styles etc., but it might be worth a look anyway it is actually a pretty encouraging read for those who live in hope. In any case, I'm not trying to prove that any of our players will definitely go on to be stars, merely that you are overly pessimistic in your assertion that Morton is the only one with the potential to do so.

Games and percentages are aggregates, thus, the "three seasons" row includes stats for the previous two seasons in its calculations. With the exception of Ablett and Morton, players are in no particular order. Most of the players who are under 22 and have played 3 seasons or less so far are included, but not all. No-one was left off intentionally, I just couldn't be bothered anymore.

Garry Ablett jnr.’s first season (2002) aged 18 (DOB: 14-05-1984):

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

12 ------------ 8.33 --------------- 0.83 --------------- 3.33 ------------- 1.08 ----------- 2.08

Two seasons:

34 ------------ 12.56 ------------ 1.06 --------------- 1.57 ------------- 2.18 ----------- 3.00

Three seasons:

55 ------------ 13.24 ------------ 1.29 --------------- 1.48 ------------- 2.18 ----------- 3.55

Cale Morton’s first season (2008) aged 18 (DOB: 18-01-1990):

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

17 ------------ 18.06 ------------ 0.71 --------------- 1.71 ------------- 5.88 ----------- 1.12

Simon Buckley’s first season (2007) aged 20 (DOB: 18-04-1987):

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

6 ------------ 10.33 ------------ 0.17 ----------------- * ----------------- 2.17 ----------- 1.33

Two seasons:

18 ------------ 17.11 ------------ 0.17 --------------- 1.00 -------------- 4.89 ----------- 1.28

Colin Garland’s first season (2007) aged 19 (DOB: 28-04-1988):

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

2 ------------ 4.5 ----------------- * ------------------ * ----------------- 0.50 ------------ 1.50

Two seasons:

17 ------------ 10.88 ------------ 0.12 ---------------- 1.00 ------------- 3.88 ----------- 1.29

Nathan Jones’ first season (2006) aged 18 (DOB: 20-01-1988):

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

8 ------------ 13.88 -------------- 0.25 --------------- * ----------------- 2.50 ----------- 3.13

Two seasons:

29 ------------ 16.41 -------------- 0.41 --------------- 2.00 ------------- 2.79 ----------- 3.83

Three seasons:

48 ------------ 18.06 -------------- 0.44 --------------- 1.75 ------------- 2.92 ----------- 3.42

Austin Wonaeamirri’s first season (2008) aged 19 (DOB: 02-10-1988):

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

17 ------------ 11.24 -------------- 1.35 --------------- 7.67 ------------- 4.18 ----------- 3.53

Ricky Petterd’s first season (2007) aged 19 (DOB: 24-07-1988):

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

9 ------------ 13.78 -------------- 0.67 --------------- 3.00 ------------- 5.67 ----------- 2.00

Two seasons:

10 ------------ 13.5 -------------- 0.60 --------------- 3.00 ------------- 5.40 ----------- 2.00

Shane Valenti’s first season (2008) aged 21 (DOB: 29-01-1987):

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

9 ------------ 17.11 -------------- 0.33 ---------------- 1.00 ------------- 4.56 ----------- 3.34

Addam Maric’s first season (2008) aged 18 (DOB: 18-04-1990):

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

4 ------------ 14.75 -------------- 0.5 ---------------- 2.00 ------------- 5.00 ----------- 0.75

Matthew Bate’s first season (2006) aged 19 (DOB: 24-05-1987):

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

14 ------------ 15.79 -------------- 0.57 --------------- 1.60 ------------- 5.50 ----------- 2.71

Two seasons:

33 ------------ 15.61 -------------- 0.82 --------------- 2.08 ------------- 5.18 ----------- 2.94

Three seasons:

47 ------------ 16.26 -------------- 0.83 --------------- 1.63 ------------- 5.49 ----------- 2.96

Lynden Dunn’s first season (2006) aged 19 (DOB: 14-05-1987)

Games---Disposals/game---Goals/game---Goals/Behinds--- Marks/game---Tackles/game

11 ------------ 9.36 -------------- 1.18 --------------- 1.30 ------------- 3.82 ----------- 1.18

Two seasons:

23 ------------ 11.22 -------------- 0.96 --------------- 1.29 ------------- 3.61 ----------- 2.22

Three seasons:

38 ------------ 11.50 -------------- 0.74 --------------- 1.22 ------------- 3.63 ----------- 2.68

Even though I'll be the first to admit that many of these comparisons aren't exaclty fair, I have taken the liberty of highlighting the stats of Melbourne players when they are better than Ablett Jnr's stats of the equivalent season (i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd). It's not exactly scientific but Ablett seems to be consistently out-performed for marks and disposals by our boys (probably due, at least in part, to different playing styles i.e. over-use of the ball at Melbourne) but, as one would expect from a forward, does better in the goal department. Ablett's tackling is probably his most impressive stat for these seasons. It would be interesting to hear who people would have hypothetically traded for a 1st, 2nd or 3rd season Ablett jnr. if both players had the same debut year. Hopefully this will also make encouraging reading for any young Melbourne players who might stray onto the forum.

Cheers

Interesting read Hazy

Our guys seem to have done well in 1st season