Analysis Factors influencing home ground advantage

[wafti123]

Our dismal record in Tasmania got me thinking about what actually makes playing at home so advantageous (in general). This link (http://afltables.com/afl/teams/allteams/overall_wl.html) shows that each team has a markedly better record at home vs away. What do you see to be the main factors involved?

• Ground/Environment familiarity: if this is a factor, then how important is it to train on the actual ground where you play your home games?
• Opposition travel fatigue: it makes sense that extended air travel would take the edge off a travelling party, but how does this explain home ground advantage prior to the national AFL when travel involved short trips usually within the metro area.
• Crowd influence: a psychological boost/barrier.
• Sleep quality: do you sleep better at home vs a hotel bed?

Interesting discussion welcome.

 

[mad4freo]

All of those factors combined I reckon.

 

[Redgum]

I think it's more a mental thing ,subconscious ,you built up the wins at ''you home ground'' and want to protect the record so you get yourself up to find that bit extra for those games. It's a motivation in itself, you don't want to let your supporters down. The supporters become part of the support act ,feeding of each other and the players which forms a huge advantage and any opposition feel intimidated by those forces even though on the odd occasion ,if they silence those forces ,get some lucky breaks they beat the odds. Teams that have that home advantage then look forward to those games as a kind of injection that know that they're going to win most times.

 

[Righteo]

All I know is that home town umpiring is definitely not a factor. Basically the size and shape of the ground and not much else.

 

[Banker]

The home ground advantage is well docomented in other sports. One of the statistics bookies use to set odds as well.

What I do recall the advantage is marginal but certainly exists. I am sure you can find research on this on the internet.

 

[_007_]

I heard from an unnamed algorithm it's worth about 2 goals.

 

[calaisking]

Bunch of factors come into play but mentally I'd say the players would feel more relaxed being able to drive in to Subiaco, stroll into the rooms as they please and go out and play compared to flying over east, catching a coach into the stadium etc.

 

[Randomizor]

Depending on the hotel, I sleep much better in a hotel bed!

 

[wafti123]

Here is the home vs away win percentage differential sorted by team:

Club Differential
Fremantle 27.53
Brisbane Bears 25.69
Adelaide 25.62
West Coast 25.48
Geelong 22.72
Port Adelaide 21.71
Brisbane Lions 20.49
Gold Coast 19.6
St Kilda 18.78
Greater Western Sydney 17.5
Western Bulldogs 17.49
Sydney 16.45
Fitzroy 15.51
Collingwood 14.95
Carlton 14.06
Essendon 13.25
Richmond 12.89
Hawthorn 12.55
Melbourne 12.1
North Melbourne 11.5
University 4.76

It seems that home ground advantage is especially important for non Victorian teams (as we travel more).

 

[salim malik]

A big problem is the bus to the airport then the flight home which delays recovery and the six day break compounds that problem.Freo and WC basically have travel issues the whole season either traveling to one week and then playing the following week recovering from return travel .Its the reason why Malthouse stated that WA sides needed to be 15% better than the East coast sides to succeed.

 

[Kram]

All I know is that home town umpiring is definitely not a factor. Basically the size and shape of the ground and not much else.

Well, unless your team wears blue and yellow

I disagree, I think the umps do lean towards the home team just nowhere near as much as most people think.

 

[Grape Bear]

Well, unless your team wears blue and yellow

I disagree, I think the umps do lean towards the home team just nowhere near as much as most people think.

I think that the crowd tends to keep the umps more honest to a certain extent, when making or not making calls that favor the home team. Umps in theory shouldn't be so easily swayed, but the big loud wave of disapproval that goes up when they're making a bad call means that the decision is scrutinized more closely, and so they're more likely not to want to get a decision wrong.

That is, unless you're Razor Ray and you consider the big, loud wave of disapproval a sign that everyone is focusing on your umpiring instead of the game.

 

[ydraw]

Here is the home vs away win percentage differential sorted by team:

Club Differential
Fremantle 27.53
Brisbane Bears 25.69
Adelaide 25.62
West Coast 25.48
Geelong 22.72
Port Adelaide 21.71
Brisbane Lions 20.49
Gold Coast 19.6
St Kilda 18.78
Greater Western Sydney 17.5
Western Bulldogs 17.49
Sydney 16.45
Fitzroy 15.51
Collingwood 14.95
Carlton 14.06
Essendon 13.25
Richmond 12.89
Hawthorn 12.55
Melbourne 12.1
North Melbourne 11.5
University 4.76

It seems that home ground advantage is especially important for non Victorian teams (as we travel more).

I think our differential is more due to the fact that we couldn't win away from home at all for about 10 years.

 

[wafti123]

I think our differential is more due to the fact that we couldn't win away from home at all for about 10 years.

Yes ydraw, it's still interesting to consider the causes of this inability to win away.

 

[Righteo]

Yes ydraw, it's still interesting to consider the causes of this inability to win away.

It's very simple. Freo under CC and again under Harvey were the most mentally fragile team in the league. I also believe many of our players at the time considered travelling interstate as some sort of junket rather than a job.

 

[Scatter]

Depending on the hotel, I sleep much better in a hotel bed!

You need a new bed!
I always sleep terribly the first night in a hotel, after that i'm better. Reckon the sleeping in a different bed would be a small factor.

 

[Belnakor]

A big problem is the bus to the airport then the flight home which delays recovery and the six day break compounds that problem.Freo and WC basically have travel issues the whole season either traveling to one week and then playing the following week recovering from return travel .Its the reason why Malthouse stated that WA sides needed to be 15% better than the East coast sides to succeed.

i still reckon we should have a recovery center in Melbourne.

Straight after the game we go there, the boys do their recovery, sleep the night, recovery again in the morning and then plane ride back.

 

[Allikat]

Here is the home vs away win percentage differential sorted by team:

Club Differential
Fremantle 27.53
Brisbane Bears 25.69
Adelaide 25.62
West Coast 25.48
Geelong 22.72
Port Adelaide 21.71
Brisbane Lions 20.49
Gold Coast 19.6
St Kilda 18.78
Greater Western Sydney 17.5
Western Bulldogs 17.49
Sydney 16.45
Fitzroy 15.51
Collingwood 14.95
Carlton 14.06
Essendon 13.25
Richmond 12.89
Hawthorn 12.55
Melbourne 12.1
North Melbourne 11.5
University 4.76

It seems that home ground advantage is especially important for non Victorian teams (as we travel more).

Does that take into account the Melbourne teams playing away at their home grounds? Or not really travelling e.g. MCG home team playing at Etihad?

 

[wafti123]

Does that take into account the Melbourne teams playing away at their home grounds? Or not really travelling e.g. MCG home team playing at Etihad?

Allikat, it includes all Melbourne teams playing each other since early VFL times. Blunt analysis I know but it's a start. It would be interesting to compare the differential for Melbourne teams playing each other against playing interstate.

 

[Reginald Perrin]

Tasmania should be considered in isolation (pun intended). The players clearly write it off as a lost cause before they even get off the plane.