While the round 13 match against Adelaide was disappointing, the result could have been far worse had it not been for the Crows’ inaccurate kicking. In Round 12 the Magpies also failed to convert, though this time it was largely due to constant pressure from the Demon defence. Now is a good time to take a look at some scoring figures.
Scoring conversion has become a hot topic in recent times, with football fans and media commentators bemoaning the fact that goalkicking is only one of a handful of aspects in our game that hasn’t improved over the years. The players are now faster, stronger and more highly skilled than those before them, yet kicking for goal remains a constant issue.
It comes as no surprise that the Crows (16th) and the Magpies (14th) are among the worst performed teams for scoring conversion. Adelaide have converted only 44.48% of their scoring chances, while the Magpies fare only marginally better with a 45.95% success rate. The Demons (50.87%) currently sit third behind Geelong (51.36%) and Carlton (51.25%), a positive sign for the group.
An important thing to remember is that those percentages take into account Missed Shots. You can’t have a true scoring conversion statistic without counting the times a player takes a shot at goal and fails to score. Whether it’s a set shot or in general play, a Missed Shot will be logged any time a player has an obvious shot on goal, regardless of the angle, distance or the pressure he may be under.
Adelaide kicked only one goal in the third quarter last Sunday as the Demons fought back with five of their own. But the Crows had their chances, with nine behinds and two missed shots at goal. While Melbourne had trouble getting the ball Inside 50, at least their conversion was as good as it has been for most of the season.
The Round 12 match against the Magpies threw up an even more extreme result. Collingwood’s conversion rate (28.13%) wasn’t helped by 5 missed shots at goal, and the pressure from all the Melbourne players made it even more difficult for them to convert. Even though the Demons had only a 50% conversion rate, it went a long way in helping to split the points with the Pies.
Let’s look at the players leading the league for missed shots this season. Stephen Milne heads the list with 16 failed attempts at goal, followed by Brendan Fevola with 14. Not far behind are small forwards Dale Thomas and Steve Johnson with 10 each. So what can we read into those figures? Not much really, although what it probably highlights is the tough life of an opportunistic forward.
Milne and Johnson are basically willing to try anything to get a score - often their missed shots are from incredibly difficult angles and distances, but are missed shots nonetheless. Thomas is a little unlucky, as most of his misses have come from desperate attempts to squirt the ball out of a tight space in front of goal.
Fevola is well known for backing his ability to score from outside the 50m arc, with some of those shots heading out of bounds into the crowd and others falling short. Fevola has kicked 2.6 from outside 50 this season - five others have missed completely.
Spare a thought for Sydney’s Lewis Jetta, who has kicked 15 straight behinds in his first season of AFL football, and to sink the boots in even more, has had three shots that have missed altogether.
So which Demons players have converted well this year? Brad Miller (71%), Ricky Petterd (67%) and Matthew Bate (59%) have been good in front of goal thus far, while Brad Green has had 52 shots at goal for a return of 29.20 and a 56% scoring conversion.
Converting from set shots still remains the most important part of scoring, but clubs find it difficult to strike the balance during the week between physical conditioning, specific football training such as goalkicking, and giving the players time to rest between sessions. Do they get enough time to practice the art of kicking for goal? Is it more a mental battle than a physical one?
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of scoring conversion - and one that is yet to be truly measured statistically - is the effect that poor kicking for goal can have on momentum and morale. We have seen a number of examples this season of teams having the flow of play without being able to hit the scoreboard. More often than not the momentum shifts the other way and a string of goals will result.
Collectively, teams playing Melbourne have the worst accuracy figures in the competition, so if the Demons can find ways to capitalise the momentum may shift back our way.
Statistics courtesy of Prowess Sports.
Scoring conversion has become a hot topic in recent times, with football fans and media commentators bemoaning the fact that goalkicking is only one of a handful of aspects in our game that hasn’t improved over the years. The players are now faster, stronger and more highly skilled than those before them, yet kicking for goal remains a constant issue.
It comes as no surprise that the Crows (16th) and the Magpies (14th) are among the worst performed teams for scoring conversion. Adelaide have converted only 44.48% of their scoring chances, while the Magpies fare only marginally better with a 45.95% success rate. The Demons (50.87%) currently sit third behind Geelong (51.36%) and Carlton (51.25%), a positive sign for the group.
An important thing to remember is that those percentages take into account Missed Shots. You can’t have a true scoring conversion statistic without counting the times a player takes a shot at goal and fails to score. Whether it’s a set shot or in general play, a Missed Shot will be logged any time a player has an obvious shot on goal, regardless of the angle, distance or the pressure he may be under.
Adelaide kicked only one goal in the third quarter last Sunday as the Demons fought back with five of their own. But the Crows had their chances, with nine behinds and two missed shots at goal. While Melbourne had trouble getting the ball Inside 50, at least their conversion was as good as it has been for most of the season.
The Round 12 match against the Magpies threw up an even more extreme result. Collingwood’s conversion rate (28.13%) wasn’t helped by 5 missed shots at goal, and the pressure from all the Melbourne players made it even more difficult for them to convert. Even though the Demons had only a 50% conversion rate, it went a long way in helping to split the points with the Pies.
Let’s look at the players leading the league for missed shots this season. Stephen Milne heads the list with 16 failed attempts at goal, followed by Brendan Fevola with 14. Not far behind are small forwards Dale Thomas and Steve Johnson with 10 each. So what can we read into those figures? Not much really, although what it probably highlights is the tough life of an opportunistic forward.
Milne and Johnson are basically willing to try anything to get a score - often their missed shots are from incredibly difficult angles and distances, but are missed shots nonetheless. Thomas is a little unlucky, as most of his misses have come from desperate attempts to squirt the ball out of a tight space in front of goal.
Fevola is well known for backing his ability to score from outside the 50m arc, with some of those shots heading out of bounds into the crowd and others falling short. Fevola has kicked 2.6 from outside 50 this season - five others have missed completely.
Spare a thought for Sydney’s Lewis Jetta, who has kicked 15 straight behinds in his first season of AFL football, and to sink the boots in even more, has had three shots that have missed altogether.
So which Demons players have converted well this year? Brad Miller (71%), Ricky Petterd (67%) and Matthew Bate (59%) have been good in front of goal thus far, while Brad Green has had 52 shots at goal for a return of 29.20 and a 56% scoring conversion.
Converting from set shots still remains the most important part of scoring, but clubs find it difficult to strike the balance during the week between physical conditioning, specific football training such as goalkicking, and giving the players time to rest between sessions. Do they get enough time to practice the art of kicking for goal? Is it more a mental battle than a physical one?
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of scoring conversion - and one that is yet to be truly measured statistically - is the effect that poor kicking for goal can have on momentum and morale. We have seen a number of examples this season of teams having the flow of play without being able to hit the scoreboard. More often than not the momentum shifts the other way and a string of goals will result.
Collectively, teams playing Melbourne have the worst accuracy figures in the competition, so if the Demons can find ways to capitalise the momentum may shift back our way.
Statistics courtesy of Prowess Sports.
