It's interesting or curious to read the RIley Beveridge report on what has gone wrong based on recent stats, or reading stats analysis in most of the media for that matter, because they tend to report the stats like they are the cause rather than the effect. As if the coach just has to go out there and demand fix this stat, we want bigger or better, and all will be good.
But the reality is the stats are an effect not a cause, they are an effect of internal tactics, skills and methods, and they are an effect of opposition tactics, skills and methods, people can become obsessed with the stats and miss the root problem altogether.
From what I can tell early in the season, we did the fundamentals well, better than we have done them for decades, some sacrifice, looking after those around you, putting the team first, and enjoying the footy. As the season has progressed much of this seems to have dropped away.
Stats are not a cure all, they often just report the deviation about the mean, a bit like the commentators banging on about BigH or Charlie kicking around the body rather than drop punts. Early in the season they were unconventional superstars, now the pendulum has swung the other way ever so slightly and the commentators peg the same two acts as costly errors, simply for "bizarrely not kicking drop punts".
Oddly the media quote stats in boosting their argument, but if I recall it was stats that determined the technique BigH and Charlie use, the media pick and choose the stats they like to report when in reality you have to look at them all because where one stat falls another will rise.
The media do not get it at all, yet most of the same media types probably go out and try to practise the draw or fade before they play a round of golf. Fans would do well to listen to them a little less, and support their players a little more!
Voss has to stick fat with his players on stuff like that, exerting a bit of pressure as a result of something so trivial as a short term swing in the stats could be the thread that unravels the team, Charlie and BigH need to ignore the short term and trust the long term stats.
But the reality is the stats are an effect not a cause, they are an effect of internal tactics, skills and methods, and they are an effect of opposition tactics, skills and methods, people can become obsessed with the stats and miss the root problem altogether.
From what I can tell early in the season, we did the fundamentals well, better than we have done them for decades, some sacrifice, looking after those around you, putting the team first, and enjoying the footy. As the season has progressed much of this seems to have dropped away.
Stats are not a cure all, they often just report the deviation about the mean, a bit like the commentators banging on about BigH or Charlie kicking around the body rather than drop punts. Early in the season they were unconventional superstars, now the pendulum has swung the other way ever so slightly and the commentators peg the same two acts as costly errors, simply for "bizarrely not kicking drop punts".
Oddly the media quote stats in boosting their argument, but if I recall it was stats that determined the technique BigH and Charlie use, the media pick and choose the stats they like to report when in reality you have to look at them all because where one stat falls another will rise.
The media do not get it at all, yet most of the same media types probably go out and try to practise the draw or fade before they play a round of golf. Fans would do well to listen to them a little less, and support their players a little more!
Voss has to stick fat with his players on stuff like that, exerting a bit of pressure as a result of something so trivial as a short term swing in the stats could be the thread that unravels the team, Charlie and BigH need to ignore the short term and trust the long term stats.
"Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck ....... Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck"