Lies, Damn lies, and Statistics: Part 2845

[Austinnn]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-06-14/the-kicking-kings

According to this data, St Kilda are the most efficient kicking team in the AFL, yet I get the impression from what others have said that the Saints' foot skills are generally appalling. Can both be right?

Yet we have lost 9 games out of 11. Are we just not getting the ball enough?

Anyone got answers?

(I haven't seen much footy this year, so I don't really know anything about it, just going on what I've read mostly)

[BackFromUSA]

Inflated by cross goal kicking to loose players in the back line

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Inflated by cross goal kicking to loose players in the back line

As when Zac Dawson and Jason Blake were statistically the most accurate kicks in the league.

[Saintersss]

Inflated by cross goal kicking to loose players in the back line

If you actually read the article, they actually account for all types of kicks (length, backwards/forwards/sideways, how much pressure the kicker is under etc.) and rank the kick accordingly.


However, yes it does seem pretty odd St Kilda are the best kicking team in the comp. The ladder they show is fairly similar the actual ladder this season, apart from a few anomalies in St Kilda, Essendon, Gold Coast.


Looking at another analysis/article this 'Inquirer' has used, http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-06-06/b ... r-corridor it shows we use the boundary line to move the ball much more than any other team and use the corridor the least. I think this could be potentially why stats show we are good kicking team, however a poor team in general. You can hit targets all you like along the boundary, but it makes it much tougher to score than if you go through the corridor.

[Cairnsman]

I've actually thought at time this season that our skills by foot have been pretty sharp especially from the new and young guys introduced which probably is accidental considering who our head recruiter is and I think our coach values it very highly from what I can glean in the media he does.

[dragit]

The stats say that Clint Jones is a better user of the footy than Ablett & Mitchell...

Makes sense.






Some stats mean little without context.

[spert]

Maybe we use the ball ok, but we just don't get our hands on it enough

[Spinner]

Inflated by cross goal kicking to loose players in the back line

As when Zac Dawson and Jason Blake were statistically the most accurate kicks in the league.

Zac was a decent kick.

[gringo]

I think we watch our team in isolation and have a skewed perception. I watch other teams with mates who follow them and they are the same. Hawks fans do it too and the perception is the are all immaculate ball users.

Unfortunately it's not kick to kick -modern footy is about pressuring the ball user anmd forcing mistakes. Anyone that thinks they are less skillful should watch old games- they played loose under little pressure and so their disposal looked better than it was.

[mr six o'clock]

The only kicking stat that matters is how many times you put it between the big sticks !


thats why we're down the bottom !

[gringo]

The only kicking stat that matters is how many times you put it between the big sticks !


thats why we're down the bottom !

The other irony is that we seem to not get it in the forward 50 much but are converting well. Rooey is better than ever this year IMO. That is not backed by stats just my perception.

[WinnersOnly]

No risk No reward is the type of dumb possession footy we are playing. We tend to roll the ball back across half back & then kick to poor old Roo battling 3 defenders.