An average 40 possession game?

[GVGjr]

Is there such a thing as an average 40 possession game in the AFL?

I have just had a closer look at yesterdays game and that really is my assessment of Brian Lake's stat laden almost loose man in defense performance. To me it was just an average game although his kicking accuracy was impressive.

In the first quarter he had 12 possessions. 8 of them when there was no one around him (at least 10mtr away) 1 of them was under minimal pressure and 3 were pressured possessions.

The 2nd quarter was very similar stat and pressure wise with 12 possessions.
The 3rd was a very a quiet one with just 3 possessions.

The 4th quarter was a classic case of the defenders waxing the ball and whilst Lake enjoyed getting a lot of it he really did fail to advance the ball directly up the ground. If we count the amount of times he either kicked backwards or across the ground I doubt his 14 possessions advanced the ball more than 10mtrs each for the team. For every 40mtr kick up the ground there was a 20mtr kick backwards. Most kicks did not advance the ball up the ground.

If you look at the stats of the game, Lakes performance was the equal to Cooney's however, in my assessment Cooney starred and Lake was just a bit better than average.

Thoughts?

[Jasper]

Two words summarise what you are trying to say ie high stats doesn't necessarily correlate to high performance...

JOEL BOWDEN:D

[Throughandthrough]

Two more words. Super Coach.

[Go_Dogs]

If you look at the stats of the game, Lakes performance was the equal to Cooney's however, in my assessment Cooney starred and Lake was just a bit better than average.

Thoughts?

That was pretty much my summation too. Cooney was clearly BOG, and whilst Lake played a solid game, he wasn't outstanding, and certainly wasn't anywhere near as damaging with his possessions as Cooney was.

I don't think it's the type of game Lake will be afforded against most opponents. Today North had a couple of kids up forwards, and Lake was able to play that role.

[SonofScray]

I think your last point is very fair. Lake was superb with his skills by foot and again in the air so he deserves the pat on the back in that respect but the stats mean little. Much in the same way Ablett can have huge stats but in my eyes still not performed like that champion he said to be.

That being said, it was North's ineptitude that allowed Lake to play so loose and rack up possessions at will and that will not always be the case. I think he is aware of that, in the post game interview he mentioned that his contested ball was down a bit and that Rocket probably wouldn't give him too much praise.

They were impressive stats on paper though, enough to have been a match winner. In what sense could have Lake with those numbers had an impact on the game that puts him in the Cooney, best afield bracket?

[GVGjr]

That being said, it was North's ineptitude that allowed Lake to play so loose and rack up possessions at will and that will not always be the case. I think he is aware of that, in the post game interview he mentioned that his contested ball was down a bit and that Rocket probably wouldn't give him too much praise.



Fully agree that North's tactics was the main contributor to the way Lake played but what I'm challenging is that did Lake deserve to be given the sort of accolades that had him as the best or 2nd best player for day?
His kicking accuracy was sensational but I think there was a lot of players I would have had ahead of him on the day.
Upon the review this morning I seriously underrated Harbrow's performance but I do think I got it right with Lake.

[GVGjr]

Two words summarise what you are trying to say ie high stats doesn't necessarily correlate to high performance...

JOEL BOWDEN:D

The irony is that most opposition supporters never appreciated Bowdens performance on some of those high stat games and with good reason.

[titskennedy]

Dogs showed great maturity yesterday with Norths tactics. We held on to the ball did not rush it into the forward fifty and the efficiency inside fifty was great. Lake benefited from this although the great thing was his decision making. Lake is a great versatile player who indeed could become a forward if needed.

[bornadog]

So what if Lake had 40 possessions and all because he was a loose man in defence. The point is he still played well, he still created, took marks and got the ball moving as well as he could under the tactics employed by Nth.

The one disappointment for me was some of Cooney's disposal into the forward 50, some kicks were way off target, and he really he could have done better with those.

[anfo27]

Agree that Lake's game wasn't a great one. There was a stat on the 3AW that pretty much summed up Lakes performance. Of the 41 possesions that Lake accumalated not one possesion was invovled in a scoring passage of play.

[AndrewP6]

The one disappointment for me was some of Cooney's disposal into the forward 50, some kicks were way off target, and he really he could have done better with those.

Agreed, some of his runs were great, but let down with the kick at the end of it.

[LostDoggy]

Yes Brians stats were inflated but as per usual he won nearly every contest he participated in, he also ran and made space for a portion of his cheap disposals. Clearly in the top three on the ground in my eyes. Sorry GVG but in my opinion your being a bit harsh on nee Harris and its not often I disagree with your posts.

Brian is generally, week in and week out a cornerstone of our team.

[Scorlibo]

I think he did everything he could, and had 11 rebound fifties so it's not like he was forever chipping around. In the last half his stats got especially inflated, but early on he made some very good long kicks from deep in defense. I don't think he really had the opportunity to pick off opposition attacks like he usually does, and I have a feeling that North intended to nullify his influence in the air by going in with more precision or employing Pagan's Paddock.

I feel his game is being scrutinised poorly in the same way Joel Bowden's games were, in that people forget all the good things he did because they remember all of his nothing disposals first. I have always rated Joel Bowden very, very highly for his versatility, precision kicking and decision making. Yet his reputation was tarnished by the few cheap kicks he had in the backline each game. Even if half of Lake's disposals meant nothing, the other 20 or so did.

[mighty_west]

Can a player have an average 40 plus posession game? Matt Priddis had 44 of them one game, was pretty average.

I don't think Lakes game can be described as average though, whay was it, 22 marks as well?

The way Lake played on the weekend is the way we want Lake to play every week, to zone off his direct opponent, to run the ball out of the backline, which he did against North, it's not going to happen every week, especialy against the better sides, but if we can dominate an area on the ground, this being Norths forward line, then it's really a no brainer to try & do that, especially having a few of their big forwards on the sidelines, it worked in Lakes favour, and he made it look easy.

Lake dominated their forwardline, so therefor he had a very good game.

[LostDoggy]

As Lake said himself, lots of cheapies

[LostDoggy]

As Lake said himself, lots of cheapies

And he made the most of those 'cheapies'
So imo, 41 possies is not average, it was a great display from a Full Back who took advantage of his defender being in a sweeping zone.

[Dogz-21]

It was a good game from Hall, probably slightly more influence to the game against Hawthorn (although he was playing on Buddy) and slightly less then the game against the swans

[ledge]

As Lake said himself, lots of cheapies

Cheapies because his opponent didnt pick him up? whos faults that?

[GVGjr]

As Lake said himself, lots of cheapies

In summary, 80% of his marks and kicks were uncontested.
A high portion of his kicks were lateral switches not moving the ball significantly forward.
His use of the ball in terms of kicking accuracy was excellent though.
For a 42 possession game I doubt there was more than a handful of genuine hard ball gets.

[Sedat]

Lake got some cheapies but he was also outstanding in the aerial battles in North's forward 50 when it was required.

I once saw Matt Priddis get 15 kick and 30 handballs in a routine flogging at the hands of Hawthorn a couple of eyars ago. I can't remember a less influential 45 possession game in my time watching football.

[Scorlibo]

In summary, 80% of his marks and kicks were uncontested.
A high portion of his kicks were lateral switches not moving the ball significantly forward.
His use of the ball in terms of kicking accuracy was excellent though.
For a 42 possession game I doubt there was more than a handful of genuine hard ball gets.

He wouldn't be credited with many of these in any game.

If a player has 20 damaging disposals, and then has 20 nothing disposals, those nothing disposals don't detract from the 20 damaging disposals. Plus it's debatable whether he really had that many disposals which meant 'nothing', I would prefer him to chip it around when there's nothing on offer than to blaze away.

[Desipura]

When he got his 41st possesiion it was right near I was sitting, he had a smile on his face knowing full well how many possessions he had until then. Saw him look up at the scoreboard when the stats went up, gee it was funny!