Pre-Game Pressure: AFL 2019 Rd 11: Carlton vs the Drug Cheats

[spf]

This from FootyWire:
https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_t...team2_id=4

Not much between the teams to be honest:
[table]
      [tr]
              [td]Essendon Bombers[/td]
              [td]Average Per Game[/td]
              [td]Carlton Blues[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]215.7[/td]
              [td]Kicks[/td]
              [td]216.4[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]156.4[/td]
              [td]Handballs[/td]
              [td]137[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]372.1[/td]
              [td]Disposals[/td]
              [td]353.4[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]88.7[/td]
              [td]Marks[/td]
              [td]91.3[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]10.9[/td]
              [td]Goals[/td]
              [td]10.2[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]11.4[/td]
              [td]Behinds[/td]
              [td]9.3[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]22.3[/td]
              [td]Scoring Shots[/td]
              [td]19.5[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]64.7[/td]
              [td]Tackles[/td]
              [td]59.2[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]35[/td]
              [td]Hitouts[/td]
              [td]35[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]18.8[/td]
              [td]Frees For[/td]
              [td]17.1[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]20.2[/td]
              [td]Frees Against[/td]
              [td]20.9[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]8.2[/td]
              [td]Goal Assists[/td]
              [td]7[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]52.2[/td]
              [td]Inside 50s[/td]
              [td]45.4[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]152.2[/td]
              [td]Contested Possessions[/td]
              [td]140.3[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]217.2[/td]
              [td]Uncontested Possessions[/td]
              [td]202.6[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]264.9[/td]
              [td]Effective Disposals[/td]
              [td]249.5[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]71.20%[/td]
              [td]Disposal Efficiency %[/td]
              [td]70.60%[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]60.2[/td]
              [td]Clangers[/td]
              [td]58.8[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]12.5[/td]
              [td]Contested Marks[/td]
              [td]12.8[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]9.6[/td]
              [td]Marks Inside 50[/td]
              [td]8.6[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]39.2[/td]
              [td]Clearances[/td]
              [td]38.9[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]12[/td]
              [td]Centre Clearances[/td]
              [td]12.3[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]27.2[/td]
              [td]Stoppage Clearances[/td]
              [td]26.6[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]41.6[/td]
              [td]Rebound 50s[/td]
              [td]43.9[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]53[/td]
              [td]One Percenters[/td]
              [td]48.4[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]9[/td]
              [td]Bounces[/td]
              [td]4[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]1.38[/td]
              [td]Kick to Handball Ratio[/td]
              [td]1.58[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]48.90%[/td]
              [td]Conversion[/td]
              [td]52.30%[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]34.14[/td]
              [td]Disposals Per Goal[/td]
              [td]34.65[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]16.69[/td]
              [td]Disposals Per Scoring Shot[/td]
              [td]18.12[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]5787[/td]
              [td]Metres Gained[/td]
              [td]5507.2[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]76.3[/td]
              [td]Turnovers[/td]
              [td]71.4[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]73.9[/td]
              [td]Intercepts[/td]
              [td]67.9[/td]
          [/tr]
      [tr]
              [td]9.4[/td]
              [td]Tackles Inside 50[/td]
              [td]8.8[/td]
          [/tr]
  [/table]

[PaulP]

Based on those stats you'd expect a Bombers victory.

[Lods]

Has anyone else noticed that we seem to have been cut up a bit by handball in some of our games.
It was really noticeable in our big losses, but was a factor again last week.
We don't seem to use it a lot or nearly as competently as our opponents.

Bizarrely the only team that handballs less than us this season are the premiers so it's probably more about the quality of that skill rather than the quantity.

[spf]

Sorry for the messing about, but the tables would not play nice and I tried to fix them.

With Sheil out (or even if he plays), I think we tag their best mid, tackle hard and run the ball. If we do that we probably win.

[spf]

Has anyone else noticed that we seem to have been cut up a bit by handball in some of our games.
It was really noticeable in our big losses, but was a factor again last week.
We don't seem to use it a lot or nearly as competently as our opponents.

Bizarrely the only team that handballs less than us this season are the premiers so it's probably more about the quality of that skill rather than the quantity.

Essendon turns it over a lot more, on Sunday in the wet that will be problematic. I think we concentrate on running in waves and make sure the hand passes stick. I would use Charlie or Kerr as link players.

[Thryleon]

We aren't good enough to cover the number of senior players we have out.


Daisy, Simpson and Murphy are all key players for us that we simply can't afford to have missing together. We are covering them better than we used to though.

I'm expecting a loss.  Weight of competitive players being the issue. 

[LP]

I'm expecting a loss.  Weight of competitive players being the issue.

Yes, I tend to agree.

We have too few experienced players, just one or two being out makes a huge difference to us, and this week it's worse!

[WASurfer]

Jones out has been a big loss too and probably a bit underestimated.

[PaulP]

Jones out has been a big loss too and probably a bit underestimated.

Yep - widely discussed as being in AA form before the hit.

[Thryleon]

We need petty much everything to go perfectly for our fortunes to be adversely affected.