Jump to content

More stats

btdemon
btdemon
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

Posted

I was watching Geelong v Hawthorn on Sunday and thinking about how physically strong Geelong have been over the last three years. How they have been able to brush other teams aside with their strength. This was also true of Brisbane in their hayday and the Weagles. I averaged Geelong's heights and weights from Sunday's game.

Average height - 188.5 cm

Average weight - 87.3 kg

Average age - 26.2 yrs

Average games - 124

Melbourne on Saturday, by contrast had the following stats:

Average height - 186 cm

Average weight - 84 kg

Average age - 23.5 yrs

Average games - 62

Stats and averages can be very misleading, and we've heard all of these before but it is interesting to note that we look smaller because we are. Not rocket surgery I know, but we are a full inch shorter in the old money, and 3.3 kg lighter. If you take young Stephen Motlopp, who played very little part in what was his first game, out of Geelong's averages, then their weight goes up to 88.2 kg! By the same token, if you take JMac out of the Dees figures then our average games goes down to 53.

It all points to the fact that we probably can't really be a genuine contender for two years.

Oh....and before anybody says it, my name is not Captain Obvious.

  • Quote
    •  

    One thing that those stats don't take into account is the extra endurance and speed that being lighter can give you. We saw what Essendon were able to do against Geelong with a fast, running game-plan, so I think that there is room for smaller, lighter players in the AFL just as long as they are used correctly, and their strengths enhanced rather than exposed.

  • Quote

    With respect to height - we swapped Bartram in for Spencer at the last minute, Bail came in for Rivers and we had 1 KPF (Newton) in the team (eg. swap Newton (1 KPF) for Jurrah and Watts (2KPFs)). Then consider the extra weight these taller players would carry. We're not actually that much lighter or shorter than Geelong with our preferred team on the park... But weight doesn't equate necessarily to physical strength/power and presence/intimidation out on the field.

    But regardless, I see your point.

  • Quote
    •  

    There may be another stat that has more bearing on our performance in the short term.

    Against Hawthorn we had 87 interchanges, the lowest in round one according to Gary Lyon on Footy Clasifieds.

    Come round 2 we lead the league with 138 interchanges. I'm not sure why the number of interchanges increased or whether it's a significant reason for the improvement, but the club seemed to make a special effort to work the bench.

    It's a funny stat. At some point clubs must reach a limit unless they get clever and increase the number of interchange players. We could end up like Gridiron with a Defensive team, an offensive team, and a safety team. No thanks!

    I have heard that it improves the players recovery time - they get a better rest on the bounday than in the forward pocket. Any other reasons?

  • Quote

    There may be another stat that has more bearing on our performance in the short term.

    Against Hawthorn we had 87 interchanges, the lowest in round one according to Gary Lyon on Footy Clasifieds.

    Come round 2 we lead the league with 138 interchanges. I'm not sure why the number of interchanges increased or whether it's a significant reason for the improvement, but the club seemed to make a special effort to work the bench.

    It's a funny stat. At some point clubs must reach a limit unless they get clever and increase the number of interchange players. We could end up like Gridiron with a Defensive team, an offensive team, and a safety team. No thanks!

    I have heard that it improves the players recovery time - they get a better rest on the bounday than in the forward pocket. Any other reasons?

    I think what contributed but not the cause was when Bate went off (when Miller collided with him) & when Green left the field. That would have slowed the interchange numbers. Just a theory, none the less, looks like close to 50 interchanges helped against the pies.

  • Quote

    Any other reasons?

    The reasons I can see are messing up other teams' match-ups, reducing injuries, using different players' strengths at different times, and so on. Another thing they mentioned on one of those footy programs on Monday night was the fact that often the head coach doesn't micro-manage the bench to that extent. Sometimes it is the doctors or the other guys on the boundary. Sometimes - rare as it is - a player even wants to come off the ground, for whatever reason.

  • Quote

    While on the bench they get to have a leg rub, a power drink, a chat to a specialist coach, a zone-out and a parade in front of adoring fans... beats going to a forward pocket and having to take a speccie or kick a banana!

  • Quote

    The reasons I can see are messing up other teams' match-ups, reducing injuries, using different players' strengths at different times, and so on. Another thing they mentioned on one of those footy programs on Monday night was the fact that often the head coach doesn't micro-manage the bench to that extent. Sometimes it is the doctors or the other guys on the boundary. Sometimes - rare as it is - a player even wants to come off the ground, for whatever reason.

    So when does this get organised? Is there an interchange roster drawn up before the game commences or do the players respond to commands from the runner?

    I had the feeling that players left the ground at certain stages of the game, such as after a goal is scored or if the ball crosses the boundary line near the interchange bench. It also seems to be used to free up a player and create a target on the wing.

  • Quote
    •  

    So when does this get organised? Is there an interchange roster drawn up before the game commences or do the players respond to commands from the runner?

    I had the feeling that players left the ground at certain stages of the game, such as after a goal is scored or if the ball crosses the boundary line near the interchange bench. It also seems to be used to free up a player and create a target on the wing.

    I reckon all of these things happen. There's certainly some sort of coach-directed schedule that's written up before the game, but it would be used more as general guideline than actual rule. All of the above circumstances would probably mess this roster up if there is one, though, as I would think they take precedence over anything drawn-up pre-game.

  • Quote

    Sometimes - rare as it is - a player even wants to come off the ground, for whatever reason.

    Nathan Thompson playing for Kangaroos vs Melbourne a few years ago a perfect case in point. The game was there to be won, he'd been

    killing us earlier in the game, and he put his hand up saying he wanted to go off in the heat of battle. Copped a rightful caning for

    his decision too.

  • Quote

    Nathan Thompson playing for Kangaroos vs Melbourne a few years ago a perfect case in point. The game was there to be won, he'd been

    killing us earlier in the game, and he put his hand up saying he wanted to go off in the heat of battle. Copped a rightful caning for

    his decision too.

    That's actually the example I was thinking of when I wrote that. We won by three points after a poor start to the year, and you can pretty much guarantee we would have lost if he had've stayed on.

  • Quote

    • Archived

    This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • PREVIEW: Essendon

      As the focus of the AFL moves exclusively to South Australia for Gather Round, the question is raised as to what are we going to get from the  Melbourne Football Club this weekend? Will it be a repeat of the slop fest of the last three weeks that have seen the team score a measly 174 points and concede 310 or will a return to the City of Churches and the scene where they performed at their best in 2024 act as a wakeup call and bring them out of their early season reverie?  Or will the sleepy Dees treat their fans to a reenactment of their lazy effort from the first Gather Round of two years ago when they allowed the Bombers to trample all over them on a soggy and wet Adelaide Oval? The two examples from above tell us how fickle form can be in football. Last year, a committed group of players turned up in Adelaide with a businesslike mindset. They had a plan, went in confidently and hard for the football and kicked winning scores against both home teams in a difficult environment for visitors. And they repeated that sort of effort later in the season when they played Essendon at the MCG.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Essendon

      Facing the very real and daunting prospect of starting the season with five straight losses, the Demons head to South Australia for the annual Gather Round, where they’ll take on the Bombers in search of their first win of the year. Who comes in, and who comes out?

        • Thumb Down
        • Haha
      • 301 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 05

      Gather Round is here, kicking off with a Thursday night blockbuster as Adelaide faces Geelong. The Crows will be out for redemption after a controversial loss last week. Saturday starts with the Magpies taking on the Swans. Collingwood will be eager to cement their spot in the top eight, while Sydney is hot on their heels. In the Barossa Valley, two rising sides go head-to-head in a fascinating battle to prove they're the real deal. Later, Carlton and West Coast face off at Adelaide Oval, both desperate to notch their first win of the season. The action then shifts to Norwood, where the undefeated Lions will aim to keep their streak alive against the Bulldogs. Sunday’s games begin in the Barossa with Richmond up against Fremantle. In Norwood, the Saints will be looking to take a scalp when they come up against the Giants. The round concludes with a fiery rematch of last year's semi-final, as the Hawks seek revenge for their narrow loss to Port Adelaide. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

        • Haha
      • 24 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Geelong

      There was a time in the second quarter of the game at the Cattery on Friday afternoon when the Casey Demons threatened to take the game apart against the Cats. The Demons had been well on top early but were struggling to convert their ascendancy over the ground until Tom Fullarton’s burst of three goals in the space of eight minutes on the way to a five goal haul and his best game for the club since arriving from Brisbane at the end of 2023. He was leading, marking and otherwise giving his opponents a merry dance as Casey grabbed a three goal lead in the blink of an eye. Fullarton has now kicked ten goals in Casey’s three matches and, with Melbourne’s forward conversion woes, he is definitely in with a chance to get his first game with the club in next week’s Gather Round in Adelaide. Despite the tall forward’s efforts - he finished with 19 disposals and eight marks and had four hit outs as back up to Will Verrall in the second half - it wasn’t enough as Geelong reigned in the lead through persistent attacks and eventually clawed their way to the lead early in the last and held it till they achieved the end aim of victory.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Geelong

      I was disappointed to hear Goody say at his post match presser after the team’s 39 point defeat against Geelong that "we're getting high quality entry, just poor execution" because Melbourne’s problems extend far beyond that after its 0 - 4 start to the 2025 football season. There are clearly problems with poor execution, some of which were evident well before the current season and were in play when the Demons met the Cats in early May last year and beat them in a near top-of-the-table clash that saw both sides sitting comfortably in the top four after round eight. Since that game, the Demons’ performances have been positively Third World with only five wins in 19 games with a no longer majestic midfield and a dysfunctional forward line that has become too easy for opposing coaches to counter. This is an area of their game that is currently being played out as if they were all completely panic-stricken.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 04

      Round 4 kicks off with a blockbuster on Thursday night as traditional rivals Collingwood and Carlton clash at the MCG, with the Magpies looking to assert themselves as early-season contenders and the Blues seeking their first win of the season. Saturday opens with Gold Coast hosting Adelaide, a key test for the Suns as they aim to back up their big win last week, while the Crows will be looking to keep their perfect record intact. Reigning wooden spooners Richmond have the daunting task of facing reigning premiers Brisbane at the ‘G and the Lions will be eager to reaffirm their premiership credentials after a patchy start. Saturday night sees North Melbourne take on Sydney at Marvel Stadium, with the Swans looking to build on their first win of the season last week against a rebuilding Roos outfit. Sunday’s action begins with GWS hosting West Coast at ENGIE Stadium, a game that could get ugly very early for the visitors. Port Adelaide vs St Kilda at Adelaide Oval looms as a interesting clash, with both clubs form being very hard to read. The round wraps up with Fremantle taking on the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium in what could be a fierce contest between two sides with top-eight ambitions. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

      • 273 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland
    View All