Goal Assists

[Rocco Jones]

Our players are absolutely dominating the goal assists leaderbord. At the moment we have:

1st: Giansiracusa 17 goal assists
=2nd: Johnson
=2nd: Higgins 16 GA
=4th: Akermanis 15 GA
=6th: Hill 14 GA

Having 5 players in the top 6 is amazing. How much does this stat tell us about how we are going? It obviously shows that our forward is very unselfish and we have multiple sources to goal, which is especially vital for a side without a KP forward.

It's an amazing stat especially for Johnno. I for am have had issues with his selfishness at times. I think he suffered from the "gun in a poor side syndrome" where it's so easy to think being selfish is actually doing the best thing for your side. The rest of the side saw Johnno as the only avenue to goal for a long time, so it's hard to blame him for occasionally thinking the same. I think Johnno has really evolved as a player this year, he really helps out his fellow forwards.

We have a bunch of forwards who are happy to sacrifice their own game when match ups suit and it is really helping us isolate weaker opposition players.

[GVGjr]

I've really noticed Hill this season.

[The Coon Dog]

I've really noticed this season just how many times Gia has hit a forward within the 50 with a pin point precision pass.

What is defined as an assist?

I'm betting somethings like smothers & shepherds don't count.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I reckon it's symptomatic of Eade's philosophy of being a team player. Thank you eadie babie for instilling in the players the team game.

[ledge]

Isnt every goal assisted by someone? i mean its got to come from someone else to get there anyway.

[Rocco Jones]

Isnt every goal assisted by someone? i mean its got to come from someone else to get there anyway.

I am not exactly sure of what a goal assist is defined as but I definitely know that not every goal has a goal assist. A clear example is a ruckman grabbing it from a bounce and kicking a goal or an error from the opposition gifting a goal. I think that an ineffective kick that eventually leads to a goal due to the goal scorer winning a contest doesn't get counted as a goal assist.

[Happy Days]

Isnt every goal assisted by someone? i mean its got to come from someone else to get there anyway.

I don't think it can be a goal assist if it hits the ground (i.e: kick to a leading player or handball over the top). Not 100% on that though.

[craigsahibee]

Isnt every goal assisted by someone? i mean its got to come from someone else to get there anyway.

Did Brogan get credited with an assist for his tap to Rodan last weekend?

[Mantis]

I've really noticed this season just how many times Gia has hit a forward within the 50 with a pin point precision pass.



He has been very good spotting up a free or leading player with a 15 to 25m kick. He keeps the ball low and makes it very hard for the opposing player to spoil.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

You'd think a long bomb into the forward line wouldn't rate an assist but obviously a deliberate pass would. Obviously any deliberate action within 50m when a player could attempt a score but passes would be seen an assist. Maybe deliberation is a criterion, with that action then leading directly to the goal.

[ledge]

Would be interesting to know what the qualifications are.
Would have to ask whoever does the stats.

[Cyberdoggie]

Isnt every goal assisted by someone? i mean its got to come from someone else to get there anyway.

Technically yes but i think the official counting method is for instance if you directly contributed to the goal being scored. ie you passed the ball to the forward who marked and goaled. I'm not so sure they count run on plays, example being a handball chain to a forward who kicks.

So i would assume it would have to be KICK, MARK, GOAL.
Otherwise you would have an assist for everything or perhaps the criteria would be too difficult to differentiate.

MJP should know for sure

[immortalmike]

Great stat to have so many leaders in. Interestingly Johnno was ranked 13th (2nd highest ranked Bulldog after Murphy) in goal assists last year. Not sure why people think he is selfish to be honest. I think he just doesn't see a better option sometimes.

[Raw Toast]

Our players are absolutely dominating the goal assists leaderbord. At the moment we have:

1st: Giansiracusa 17 goal assists
=2nd: Johnson
=2nd: Higgins 16 GA
=4th: Akermanis 15 GA
=6th: Hill 14 GA

These are great stats Rocco - from memory Gia has always been pretty high up, it's been a largely unrecognised part of Aker's game, but I think Johnno and Higgins have made a really conscious effort which is pleasing, and like GVGjr I've been really impressed with Hill's ability to create goals for others.

That said, I reckon it's really important for players not to try and create assists for assists sake. Geelong paid a huge price for getting a bit too cute towards the end of last year (with rumours of a competition to see who could get more goal assists), and at times this year year I reckon we've got cute towards the end of matches as well - I even had a bit of a concern about this with some passages of play in Darwin.

It's pretty important to have players who will go for goal if they have a decent opportunity, and while someone like Higgins can still be a bit too hungry at times, I don't want him to dish it off unless it's clearly a better option.

[Mantis]

That said, I reckon it's really important for players not to try and create assists for assists sake. Geelong paid a huge price for getting a bit too cute towards the end of last year (with rumours of a competition to see who could get more goal assists), and at times this year I reckon we've got cute towards the end of matches as well - I even had a bit of a concern about this with some passages of play in Darwin.

It's pretty important to have players who will go for goal if they have a decent opportunity, and while someone like Higgins can still be a bit too hungry at times, I don't want him to dish it off unless it's clearly a better option.

There was a piece of play in the last qtr where Higgins handed off in Hill's general direction where he probably should have taken a shot on goal. Higgins ended up kicking the goal anyway, but it looked untidy and we were lucky that a goal resulted.

In saying this it's a bit hard too know how fatigued the players were at that stage of the game, perhaps this is the reason that some of our play looked 'cute'.

[Topdog]

There was a piece of play in the last qtr where Higgins handed off in Hill's general direction where he probably should have taken a shot on goal. Higgins ended up kicking the goal anyway, but it looked untidy and we were lucky that a goal resulted.

In saying this it's a bit hard too know how fatigued the players were at that stage of the game, perhaps this is the reason that some of our play looked 'cute'.

Yeah that looked poor but it was the handball to Higgins that caused the problems. If it went straight to him he would have had the easiest of finishes.

[Raw Toast]

Yeah that looked poor but it was the handball to Higgins that caused the problems. If it went straight to him he would have had the easiest of finishes.

I actually think it was Higgins' handball to Hill that was untidy and then Hill gave it back to Higgins who kicked the goal.

I'm going on first impressions, but I'm not sure the initial handball was necessary.

[LostDoggy]

I personally think instead of counting 'Goal Assists" it should be counted as 'Score Assists"

It's not the player who assisted fault if the player misses the goal or not!

Does this stat exist?

[Scorlibo]

I actually think it was Higgins' handball to Hill that was untidy and then Hill gave it back to Higgins who kicked the goal.

I'm going on first impressions, but I'm not sure the initial handball was necessary.

I think Topdog is referring to Welsh's handball to Higgins, which was off target.


I personally think instead of counting 'Goal Assists" it should be counted as 'Score Assists"

It's not the player who assisted fault if the player misses the goal or not!

Does this stat exist?

I agree, although it's also the position of the assist, if a player continues to kick to wide leads then the lead-er won't be kicking as many goals as when a player is good enough to find another player in front of goals, as Higgins tends to do very well.

[jazzadogs]

I think Topdog is referring to Welsh's handball to Higgins, which was off target.



I agree, although it's also the position of the assist, if a player continues to kick to wide leads then the lead-er won't be kicking as many goals as when a player is good enough to find another player in front of goals, as Higgins tends to do very well.
I'm fairly sure that a score assist is assigned to a player when they provide another player with an uncontested shot at goal. So if Gia handballed it to someone who then evaded a tackle/was under pressure whilst kicking a goal/point, it doesn't count. If he kicks it to someone who marks uncontested and scores, then it counts.

There is definitely a stat for score assists, which I think is generally scrutinised more heavily than goal assists.

[Scorlibo]

I'm fairly sure that a score assist is assigned to a player when they provide another player with an uncontested shot at goal. So if Gia handballed it to someone who then evaded a tackle/was under pressure whilst kicking a goal/point, it doesn't count. If he kicks it to someone who marks uncontested and scores, then it counts.

There is definitely a stat for score assists, which I think is generally scrutinised more heavily than goal assists.

It doesn't have to be an uncontested mark, it can be a hospital handpass so long as the player who kicks the goal doesn't lose possession and then gain it again before kicking it.

This is demonstrated by our round one win over Freo, we kicked 25 goals and are credited for 21 goal assists, with the 4 other goals undoubtedly being individual efforts such as (for example) Griffen's pack snap against Port.

Yes there is of course a stat for score assists, what I'm saying is that a goal assist more often than not is of greater deserved accolade than a behind assist because it's not just about the kicking accuracy of the goal/behind kicker, but their position also, which is often determined by the assisting player.

[Go_Dogs]

Score assists do exist, you'll find them in the Champion Data stats.


Gia is the master of the sneaky ball into the leading player. Either foot, hits the right spot every time.

[bornadog]

Score assists do exist, you'll find them in the Champion Data stats.


Gia is the master of the sneaky ball into the leading player. Either foot, hits the right spot every time.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/goalassists.jpg

[Mofra]

Gia is the master of the sneaky ball into the leading player. Either foot, hits the right spot every time.
Gia's disposal under pressure is elite. I'm not surprised he is close to leading the stats - he has lead the club more than once for season assists hasn't he?

[Topdog]

I think Topdog is referring to Welsh's handball to Higgins, which was off target.

Correct. I couldn't remember who did the handball so left it very difficult to understand my meaning.

I'm not sure if Gia has lead them before, its not a stat that I even knew existed until this year.

[hujsh]

Correct. I couldn't remember who did the handball so left it very difficult to understand my meaning.

I'm not sure if Gia has lead them before, its not a stat that I even knew existed until this year.

Each year it is guaranteed Gia will win them or come second if he plays

(for the club BTW)

[Scorlibo]

Each year it is guaranteed Gia will win them or come second if he plays

Yep, having bought the last 3 AFL Prospectus' I know that they always mention his often league leading assists tally.

[angelopetraglia]

Brad Johnson is now way in front in this stat with 26 for the season so far and 5 clear from the next group of four players on 21 (Betts, Swan, Gray and Varcoe). It was only a couple of years ago when everyone was getting stuck into Jonson for being too greedy.

AKer and Higgins also still high on the list with 19 and 18.

Gia is on 17 from only 13 games.

We are definitely sharing the ball around a lot more this year when compared to previous years. Sometimes too much, however we do have the best goal kicking accuracy from 30m-50m in the league that could stem from always looking to give it off to someone in a better position.

[boydogs]

we do have the best goal kicking accuracy from 30m-50m in the league

That is a very good sign come finals time where time and space deep forward are non-existent

[bornadog]

Brad Johnson is now way in front in this stat with 26 for the season so far and 5 clear from the next group of four players on 21 (Betts, Swan, Gray and Varcoe). It was only a couple of years ago when everyone was getting stuck into Jonson for being too greedy.

AKer and Higgins also still high on the list with 19 and 18.

Gia is on 17 from only 13 games.

We are definitely sharing the ball around a lot more this year when compared to previous years. Sometimes too much, however we do have the best goal kicking accuracy from 30m-50m in the league that could stem from always looking to give it off to someone in a better position.

I believe Paul Williams has made the difference down at the kennel.