Phar Ace
Brownlow Medallist
Richmond Match Statistics V Western Bulldogs (Sorted by Disposals) | Coach: Damien Hardwick |
Player | CP | UP | ED | DE% | CM | GA | MI5 | 1% | BO | CCL | SCL | SI | MG | TO | ITC | T5 | TOG% |
D Martin | 12 | 16 | 19 | 76 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 444 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 73 |
K Lambert | 8 | 15 | 12 | 52.2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 362 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 87 |
D Prestia | 8 | 15 | 18 | 81.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 241 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 84 |
N Vlastuin | 7 | 12 | 17 | 81 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 243 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 80 |
S Stack | 7 | 12 | 17 | 89.5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 278 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 80 |
B Houli | 4 | 12 | 16 | 88.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 399 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 87 |
L Baker | 4 | 15 | 12 | 66.7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 284 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 79 |
S Bolton | 5 | 11 | 14 | 82.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 372 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 81 |
T Nankervis | 7 | 9 | 7 | 46.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 196 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 68 |
C Menadue | 4 | 10 | 15 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 237 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 80 |
J Higgins | 10 | 5 | 10 | 66.7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 74 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 74 |
J Ross | 5 | 11 | 12 | 80 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 205 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 83 |
B Ellis | 4 | 10 | 14 | 100 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 91 |
S Edwards | 6 | 7 | 7 | 58.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 279 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 78 |
K Mcintosh | 6 | 7 | 8 | 66.7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 326 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 82 |
J Caddy | 3 | 8 | 7 | 63.6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 187 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 90 |
J Castagna | 8 | 3 | 5 | 45.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 115 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 87 |
N Broad | 3 | 8 | 4 | 36.4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 82 |
N Balta | 5 | 6 | 8 | 72.7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 297 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 82 |
D Grimes | 3 | 5 | 7 | 70 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 93 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 94 |
D Rioli | 3 | 6 | 6 | 75 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 170 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 66 |
T Lynch | 4 | 3 | 3 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 86 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 92 |
Being a bit of a fan of Brandon (but also a realist) I was interested to see what he contributed to the team on the shocking showing against the Bulldogs. I was intrigued by the fact he achieved a negative metres gained and asked on here if anyone knew how it was determined. Silence at first, then a couple comments about it being all bullshit etc (all really helpful stuff from sunflowers and so-called haters) At least TI delivered up an article on it.
Now I'll be honest, the content of the various explanations varied a bit. I have repeatedly said a single statistic can be meaningless without looking further. You use the statistic as a clue to a fuller picture, not treat it as a full picture in itself. So rather than just say "minus 24m, how bad is that", I'll try and look further.
He had a big night with 91% game time. NO TACKLES, but also No Turnovers. Created nothing new and lost nothing we had - neutral result. But made 3 intercepts. The whole team's turnovers were pretty ordinary, a certain reigning Brownlow Medalist had the most. The teams inside 50 tackles were low.
No point comparing Brandon to say Nankervis - completely different roles so I looked a for a group of like-role players and settled on Macca, Menadue, Stack, Higgins, Edwards, Bolton. The rest are more pure mids, fwds or backs. These are the guys you'd want to call his cohort, at least I think so. People might want to add one or two, lose one or two maybe, you can look at the table above if you really want to, but it's my random call. Only Higgo and Macca registered tackles in 50! All the other five could not lay a glove inside 50. The ball probably came back too quick, but they were ineffective near the arc. Intercepts were the lowest for Bolton and Edwards, with Ellis on 3 with Higgo. Menadue had 6! Turnovers for this cohort, Ellis led the pack with 0. Worst was just 4. Outside the cohort Dusty had 7. How did he escape criticism?
Score Involvements involves a work rate, and all of Ellis, Mena, Macca, Sheds and Higgo had just 2. This was low end of team stuff. Newbies Stack and Bolton had 4ea. This season Ellis has gone 4,3,5,4,6,2,8. I've left Clearances alone, these boys are outsiders. You'd like then to get the odd one - but nup, though Shed had 2. Goal Assists were thin on the ground for the team becuase so were goals, and Marks in 50 were too, though this cohorts goal - the odd one or two would be handy as they push forward.
Metres Gained using kicks & handballs
Ellis 4 & 10 K & HB 14 Effective -24m Gained
Mena 4 & 10 K & HB 14 Effective 237m Gained
Stack 7 & 12 K & HB 17 Effective 278m Gained
Bolton 5 & 11 K & HB 14 Effective 372m Gained
Higgo 10 & 5 K & HB 10 Effective 74m Gained
Shed 6 & 7 K & HB 7 Effective 279m Gained
Macca 6 & 7 K & HB 8 Effective 328m Gained
My goal was to put that unusual metres gained figure in perspective and not just focus on it alone. This season, up to that game in Round 7, there had been a possible 2772 player games (22 players x 18 teams x 7 Rounds). Only Ellis and Ben Long had recorded a minus 24/25. There was a handful of -2 and -3's in total, usually injury related. Less than 10% record an under 100m gained. Most are somewhere in the 100 to 300 range. You could call that the high and low of average. 10-20% (at a guess) are in the 300-600 range, often good to outstanding rated games.
Ellis was no Robinson Crusoe in this game in overall stats. However he alone was not the reason for the loss. He had mates and that's plain to tell.
It's one game. A stinker. I asked about the metres gains because frankly a minus 24m stood out like a sore thumb! A red flag if you will. Statistically significant! He had some mates, but he was right down there, WAY DOWN THERE in uncharted territory this year. He's had two really good ones too. Right up there, and often at the top end of average.
For me, it seems to be when the game is on the line a bit. I think the symptom could be he goes safe, goes into his shell. You can directly compare his game to Menadue that night against the Bulldogs. I think that's fair. Menadue still made average metres. All of his cohort did (except Higgo, who seems in a bit of decline patch maybe).
I know one thing from this -24 doesn't help win. The haters can hate, and the sunflowers can bloom in the rarefied air of their own glass house - I don't care. (Frankly I think the terms used are stupid). We all support one way or another. But Ellis was not good for winning against the Bulldogs, Higgo and Shed were as bad in his cohort. Menadue was serviceable, Stack, Bolton and Macca still took the game on and were much better.
Ellis's games so far on metres gained are:
Coll - 285m
GWS - 299m
Port- 433m
Syd - 383m
Melb - 266m
WB - (24m)
Freo - 236m
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