AFL Rd 13 2024 Post Game Celebrations - Carlton vs Essendon

[Lods]

You could probably say the same about most footy stats viewed in isolation.

Absolutely.
It's not so much the use of stats that's the problem in many cases
It's the selective use of individual stats, and the ignoring of others, that contribute to the overall picture and don't necessarily support an argument or a point being made

A lot was made of the number of inside 50s that Essendon had compared to ours.

To get a proper picture and determine the effectiveness of that statistic we need to also consider other factors-

The shallowness of the inside 50s
The rebound factor
The accuracy (disposal efficiency) inside 50s
The position where the inside 50 ended (on an angle, directly in front, deep into a pocket)
Goalkicking accuracy-goals, points, out of bounds
Structure- players loose, kicks to contests etc etc.

If they're to be used in meaningful way all contributing stats need to be included.