Our Ranking is Rank!

[BenDoolan]

We are ranked 15th in tackles per game, and ranked 16th in hit outs per game. And people were wondering why Laycock has been dropped....

In just 7 rounds we are minus 74 hit outs - that's 10 taps per game the opposition have to put the ball in their midfielders laps.

Our ranking of 15th in tackles per game is startling. Guaranteed if Davey wasn't in the team, we'd be ranked cold motherless last as well.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-essendon-bombers

Time for a big effort in these areas, starting from tomorrow! LIFT!!!!

[jimmyc1985]

Hear, hear.

It was an ominous harbinger for our ruck division when when we got taken apart by Cloke and Ackland in the pre-season. Since then we haven't improved.

As for our tackling, you'd think we'd be good at tackling as we don't have the ball as much as the opposition. But as others have mentioned, it mainly comes down to attitude - we've got about three guys who can actually be f***** laying a tackle on a consistent basis.

[robrulz5]

There is alot to work on until we can be a good team again. I just want the players to have some hunger and the tackling problem will fall away.

[gringo]

That's disguting. Very poor indeed. Still, when we've got one of the quickest blokes in the league running around for us in Lovett, and he can't lay a tackle, it sets a shocking exaple for the rest of the team. Alwyn Davey is turning out to be a very bright light in a season full of darkness.

[Rossoneri]

All is well guys, Campo is playing. He is teh tackling king

[swoodley]

Good post Ben....these are stats that actually have some meaning rather than the usual crap about kicks, handballs and marks.

Get the tackle count up and it means we are back to putting pressure on the opposition.

And hit outs...maybe it should be "hit outs to advantage" as some of the shit the call a hit out is merely someone getting their fingernail onto the ball.

If the hit out doesn't advantage your team then it's not worth counting.

[BenDoolan]

And hit outs...maybe it should be "hit outs to advantage" as some of the shit the call a hit out is merely someone getting their fingernail onto the ball.

If the hit out doesn't advantage your team then it's not worth counting.

Yeah, that's a good point!

[hop]

Our tackling for the last couple of years has consisted of reaching your opponent and throwing your arms out to connect somewhere near the gut.
In the mean-time we stumble, they steady, straighten and hit a target.

There are obvious exceptions in the team - however it is the consistancy across the mid-dfield in particular, and the team in general, that is costing us.

That just describes the application - at the end of the day tackling is all about attitude. When was the last time we saw EFC throw everything at 'em?

[bowzer]

weren't we ranked like number 1 in tackling after round 3?

funny how things change....when your WINNING!?

[BenDoolan]

How are we winning games?

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-essendon-bombers

Very little has changed in the tackling and hit out departments, yet we have won 4 in a row and discarded two premiership teams in two weeks. Whatever our formula has been in the past month.....it doesn't show in the stats!

[F111]

That just describes the application - at the end of the day tackling is all about attitude. When was the last time we saw EFC throw everything at 'em?

I know this statement was a while back.........but ...
It stepped up in the previous two games, and was exceptional in the Q4 v the Eagles. If that intensity is maintained, we'll either hurt the opposition, or get hurt in the process. It was exhilarating to watch. I hope they can maintain it.

[juff]

We are ranked 15th in tackles per game, and ranked 16th in hit outs per game.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-essendon-bombers

Methinks a case of "lies, damned lies, and statistics". The same site which ranks us as 14th in the league for tackles also says that we are on average ahead of our opposing team for tackles: Essendon 49.2, opponent 43.3, i.e. on average we are tackling around six times more than our opponent.

So what does this mean? Maybe we are playing a style of game that makes it harder for both teams to lay tackles, i.e. quicker or more elusive. The fact that our stats are out of whack from other teams might also mean that we are controlling the style of play in our games, i.e. our opponents tackle a lot less when they play us than they normally do.

You may also notice that the team heading the tackling count is Melbourne (57.7), who are not exactly doing brilliantly.

To me, the only stat that really matters is games won, and I'm happy with our current stat for that!

[citizenerased]

cant really tackle them if we have the ball

I think a major contributor to the tackling stat is a change in gameplan. rather than bal chasing and bombing haphazardly to the forward line we have been using a hb-rebounding/pseudo-flood tactic coupled with better ball delivery to the forward line.

oh, and only one stat matters. 0, 2 or 4 points.

[BenDoolan]

We are ranked 15th in tackles per game, and ranked 16th in hit outs per game.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-essendon-bombers

Methinks a case of "lies, damned lies, and statistics". The same site which ranks us as 14th in the league for tackles also says that we are on average ahead of our opposing team for tackles: Essendon 49.2, opponent 43.3, i.e. on average we are tackling around six times more than our opponent.

So what does this mean? Maybe we are playing a style of game that makes it harder for both teams to lay tackles, i.e. quicker or more elusive. The fact that our stats are out of whack from other teams might also mean that we are controlling the style of play in our games, i.e. our opponents tackle a lot less when they play us than they normally do.

You may also notice that the team heading the tackling count is Melbourne (57.7), who are not exactly doing brilliantly.

To me, the only stat that really matters is games won, and I'm happy with our current stat for that!

Agree with your synopsis on the tackle factor.

The one that does hurt us is the hit outs IMO. Hille has been very good since he's been back - he's been very competative in the ruck and very good around the ground, but we're allowing the other team many more clearance opportunities when we can't get a tap.

[Gossy7]

We're not getting hold of them that often, but when we do we are making it count, therefore much different to when this post was posted.

[tom9779]

We are ranked 15th in tackles per game, and ranked 16th in hit outs per game. And people were wondering why Laycock has been dropped....

In just 7 rounds we are minus 74 hit outs - that's 10 taps per game the opposition have to put the ball in their midfielders laps.

Our ranking of 15th in tackles per game is startling. Guaranteed if Davey wasn't in the team, we'd be ranked cold motherless last as well.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-essendon-bombers

Time for a big effort in these areas, starting from tomorrow! LIFT!!!!

tackling ranking is not always that important... we might have the ball more often.

[dom_105]

People can come up with statistics to prove anything, Forty percent of people know that.