Analysis Pressure Acts Spreadsheet

[HTT]

Excellent work you deserve a Commonwealth Gold Medal for your brilliant effort.
Townsend has struggled recently so Moore is waiting in the background.

Isn’t that the same thing as a participation award?

 

[Gosha]

Like what other posters has said. Would be interesting to have a list of what a pressure act actually constitutes.
Thanks NimFromSudan

A pressure act by definition is something that affect’s your opponent’s decision making (physical or implied). A pressure act can include tackling, laying a hand on an opponent while he has the ball, corralling/chasing, making an opponent hurry their kick, standing on the mark, etc.

It’s a junk and misunderstood stat. Too many grey areas and players are often awarded for pressure acts when they shouldn’t be and not awarded for pressure acts when they should be. The recording of pressure acts is also inconsistent and inaccurate.

Standing next to an opponent at a stoppage while he receives the ball and disposes it is technically a pressure act. That’s why taggers often have pressure numbers through the roof. Basically a physical presence at a stoppage is also a pressure act, especially if your opponent hurries the ball onto their boot.

In my opinion it’s a nonsense buzz stat and coaches should be advised against using it. The only way to determine how much pressure a player applies is to make observations yourself.

 

[joelsyt]

A pressure act by definition is something that affect’s your opponent’s decision making (physical or implied). A pressure act can include tackling, laying a hand on an opponent while he has the ball, corralling/chasing, making an opponent hurry their kick, standing on the mark, etc.

It’s a junk and misunderstood stat. Too many grey areas and players are often awarded for pressure acts when they shouldn’t be and not awarded for pressure acts when they should be. The recording of pressure acts is also inconsistent and inaccurate.

Standing next to an opponent at a stoppage while he receives the ball and disposes it is technically a pressure act. That’s why taggers often have pressure numbers through the roof. Basically a physical presence at a stoppage is also a pressure act, especially if your opponent hurries the ball onto their boot.

In my opinion it’s a nonsense buzz stat and coaches should be advised against using it. The only way to determine how much pressure a player applies is to make observations yourself.

Any stat not used correctly is a nonsense stat...eg number of possessions/disposals.

 

[Gosha]

Any stat not used correctly is a nonsense stat...eg number of possessions/disposals.

Never said they weren’t, but at least traditional statistics are more clear-cut and are accurately and consistently recorded. A “pressure act” can literally be your physical presence on the field causing perceived pressure on your direct opponent. And with a stat like kicks, you can break it down (effectiveness, contested/uncontested, distance gained, r50, i50, etc.) and it’s a lot easier to analyse and form an idea based solely on the numbers. “Pressure acts” need to be seen to be interpreted properly IMO.

 

[TheTick]

Any stat not used correctly is a nonsense stat...eg number of possessions/disposals.

Are you saying Mitchell ISN'T the greatest of all time?
Because you sound like a salty Richmond supporter if you are!

 

[joelsyt]

Are you saying Mitchell ISN'T the greatest of all time?
Because you sound like a salty Richmond supporter if you are!

Damn my secret is no longer a secret!

 

[TheTick]

Damn my secret is no longer a secret!

All of your truths will be laid bare on the internet.
Your want a real stat to stand by?
In 2017, Richmond won the Grand Final. BAM!
+ =

 

[joelsyt]

All of your truths will be laid bare on the internet.
Your want a real stat to stand by?
In 2017, Richmond won the Grand Final. BAM!
+ =

The only stat that matters!

 

[NimFromSudan]

Looks like this is pretty well recieved. Ill see what I can do about tracking this back through last season so we have something to compare to. Might find some other useful stats we don’t normally see on the scoresheet too. Bear with me though, could take a couple of days before I have time to expand it meaningfully

 

[PHX]

Pressure acts are fairly simple - anything you do to apply pressure on a player is 1 pressure act, although I don't know where you draw the line. Yelling at someone while they're taking a set shot applies pressure but I'm not sure they count that.

Exactly. Anyone can see what they think is pressure but the actual classification within that seems pretty arbitrary.

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Well it take's a keen eye and a shrewd mind to work out which pressure acts count in tipping a game of footy your way...
What looks mumbo jumbo to others is gold to some...
Not prepared to write it off yet...

 

[cairo tiger]

Pressure acts are a pretty important stat to the way Richmond play but the only place I can find them is deep in the AFL app. I've built this spreadsheet so that we can compare players and track them across the season.



Here's a screen-cap of this weeks leader-board.

Cotch and Graham are standouts while Caddy, Butler and Lambert chase behind. You can see players that make their way forward have the best numbers, as do the inside mids. Martin is the exception as this looks like a weak area for him.

Interesting for me was to see Townsend's numbers so low. Makes me think he has less leeway than we all assume when he's not kicking goals

Please define a pressure act

 

[endakis]

Interesting vid about Champion Data behind the scenes:

 

[Dr Tigris]

Interesting vid about Champion Data behind the scenes:

Nice video. But awful game to pick to show.

 

[Del65166]

Pressure acts are fairly simple - anything you do to apply pressure on a player is 1 pressure act, although I don't know where you draw the line. Yelling at someone while they're taking a set shot applies pressure but I'm not sure they count that.

So us viewers can pick up a few stats when we yell at the footy on TV?

 

[Del65166]

I'm old enough to remember when the only stats were goals and behinds. Nowadays it looks like someone is having a shocker, say Bolts, Graham Lloyd or Lambert but to those in the know, these players are making a big contribution in some way that not always visible to the TV viewer (in particular.) I guess if the players know that their position in the team depends on pressure then Higgins should stay in the team over Lloyd.
I like Lloyd but Higgins 2 goals has him ahead in my book.((The 1978 Footy Record)

 

[RunningBounce]

Just a suggestion, NimFromSudan. Take it or leave it.

I reckon these pressure points, ill-defined as they are, might be most useful for comparing how a given player is tracking from game to game, rather than comparing players.

I'll give you an example. I don't believe for a minute that Rance creates less pressure than 24 other players. I might believe that Rance created more pressure against Adelaide (when he had plenty to do) than he did against The Cheats in Round 1, when they struggled to get the ball past halfway. The comparison to other players just doesn't stand up, IMO, while the comparison across games might make some sense.

So, if you are planning to put in time and effort to collect these stats for the Board (which is pretty bloody generous, I have to say), I reckon you can save yourself a little time on the team rankings.

 

[NimFromSudan]

Just a suggestion, NimFromSudan. Take it or leave it.

I reckon these pressure points, ill-defined as they are, might be most useful for comparing how a given player is tracking from game to game, rather than comparing players.

I'll give you an example. I don't believe for a minute that Rance creates less pressure than 24 other players. I might believe that Rance created more pressure against Adelaide (when he had plenty to do) than he did against The Cheats in Round 1, when they struggled to get the ball past halfway. The comparison to other players just doesn't stand up, IMO, while the comparison across games might make some sense.

So, if you are planning to put in time and effort to collect these stats for the Board (which is pretty bloody generous, I have to say), I reckon you can save yourself a little time on the team rankings.

While I'll agree there's little value comparing across lines (ie key defenders to inside mids), within lines there's plenty to gain out of this.

In any case I've already started on 2017's sheet and hopefully I'll have enough game data then to start showing how players' individual games stack up against their averages and against their best/worst stretches.

As for key defenders like Rance's low numbers, that's because the stat measures pressure on opponants while they have the ball. Defenders though are most often competing with other players in the air and once their forward-line opponent has the ball, there's little they can do. It's the same reason defenders get significantly less tackles than forwards.

 

[RunningBounce]

As for key defenders like Rance's low numbers, that's because the stat measures pressure on opponants while they have the ball. Defenders though are most often competing with other players in the air and once their forward-line opponent has the ball, there's little they can do. It's the same reason defenders get significantly less tackles than forwards.

Yeah, that's one of the many reasons I don't entirely buy pressure points as meaningful. When the ball carrier looks up and sees Rance on his own, coiled like a spring, the pressure would be immense. It doesn't matter that his 60 metres away.

Definitely more pressure than having, say, all 25 kilos of Daisy Thomas shaping for a massive head-on tackle - but who gets the pressure points?

Anyway, pressure points are what they are and I appreciate you taking the time to compile them. It is bloody generous. I hope you're getting something out of it.

 

[NimFromSudan]

Yeah, that's one of the many reasons I don't entirely buy pressure points as meaningful. When the ball carrier looks up and sees Rance on his own, coiled like a spring, the pressure would be immense. It doesn't matter that his 60 metres away.

Yeh, it's certainly fair to say this is not a complete stat, but at the same time I don't think many stats are.

Anyway, pressure points are what they are and I appreciate you taking the time to compile them. It is bloody generous. I hope you're getting something out of it.

I'm having a blast doing it tbh. It's interesting getting a better insight into the game/team and that's enough for me

 

[NimFromSudan]

Here's a comparison of pressure acts between last year's final series and the first three rounds of 2018.

You can see Grigg, Houli and Townsend are all massively below their best, with a few others not performing particularly well either.

The team's total number is up, though I suspect this has less to do with good performance and more to do with opponents having a higher possession rate. After all, you can't chase and apply pressure when you have the ball like we so often did in the finals.

 

[NimFromSudan]

This is the pressure points for round 4

and the average pressure points per game for the season

Graham kept his form up, even with a move to the wing. Conca saw his numbers lift as he went from part-time to full time midfielder this week. Towner equals his season best defensively as he gets back onto the scorers sheet too.

Grigg still not making much impact defensively. He's still nearly 50% down on his output from last years finals series.

 

[TigerImposter]

Lambert still outperforming Reece and even after Reece had his breakout game into his 8th season. Don’t we love stats and I wish I could make a crypto currency based on them. Thanks NFS as these stats actually have some meaningfulness and purpose.

 

[TigerImposter]

The meatball already into his work jogging at half pace.

 

[GeorgieBoy]

It's difficult to accurately rank a players form and compare him week to week with other players based on individual pressure acts when you don't have access to the individuals pressure factor breakdown.