Defensive half turnovers are killing Collingwood, Richmond and FremantleJAY CLARK
Herald Sun
April 13, 2016 ROSS Lyon threw his pen in disgust and Nathan Buckley thumped the desk.
Damien Hardwick ran his hands through his hair.
The frustration for all three was immense and the problem was the same.
Defensive half turnovers or ‘giveaways’, as Hardwick described it on Sunday, is what threatens to destroy their finals hopes.
We know power forwards are seen as the kings in the AFL, but if there is a type of player that is rising with a bullet in club land, it’s the pinpoint kicking half back.
It’s why Alastair Clarkson has sent onballer Sam Mitchell into defence for years and why Buckley is doing the same, despite plenty of external objection, with inspirational skipper Scott Pendlebury.
Quietly, Melbourne coach Paul Roos has also moved one of his best ball-winners, Berne Vince, into the same half-back role.
The Pies need Pendlebury’s class, desperately, to cut through the searing forward half pressure that has risen sharply again this year.
According to Champion Data, the number of forward half turnovers created per game has jumped from an average 20.8 last year to 23.5 this season.
Scores from those turnovers has also leapt from 26.6 to 31.1 per game.
Navigating that forward line inferno safely has become arguably the most important, and perhaps challenging, part of the game, hence the Pendelbury move.
The Hawks have been masters at this for years and it’s one of the key drivers behind the Western Bulldogs’ transformation under Clarkson protégé Luke Beveridge.
The Dogs have conceded the least number of back-half turnovers in the AFL this year, validating the perception they have some of the most lethal back line ball-users.
Think Matthew Suckling, Lachie Hunter, Jason Johannisen and Rob Murphy, bless him.
Grant Birchall, Josh Gibson and Luke Hodge are the rudders at the Hawks. They are all beautiful ball-users and young speedster Brad Hill has flourished in the Hawthorn kicking program, with the tutelage of biomechanist David Rath.
Even Carlton, under another Clarkson product Brendon Bolton, has improved here this year.
In contrast, Collingwood, Richmond and Fremantle have all butchered the ball at times out of defence early this season and the numbers are undeniably bad.
Fremantle has coughed up the most defensive half turnovers in the first three games.
Lyon said on Saturday night it was as bad as he has ever seen it in the west.
Collingwood has made the second most errors, here. Gun defender Matthew Scharenberg was recruited specifically with all of this in mind but two devastating knee reconstructions has seriously dented Collingwood’s planning. He was meant to be the go-to man back there.
Clinton Young, another half back — wing, came and went from the Hawks.
No.7 draft pick James Aish was considered a damaging ball-carrier in his junior days and first year at Brisbane but his average kick rating in defence is the worst in the AFL.
Teammate Levi Greenwood, another Collingwood recruit, is third-worst in the AFL.
Cellar dwellers Essendon and Brisbane are next before Richmond, although there is some upside at Punt Rd.
Ex-Blue Chris Yarran, who was rated the 10th best kick in the back half in the competition since the start of last year, was brought in specifically to help polish the Tigers’ ball movement.
But has been sidelined with a calf injury and more recently, foot surgery.
Superstar Brett Deledio is still struggling to shrug a quad problem and is weeks away, while Reece Conca has gone down with another hamstring setback.
Together, they will make a big difference for Hardwick upon their return.
The coach acknowledged the problem on Sunday, although 11 of the giveaways against Adelaide, were by hand, he said.
“When we do maintain the ball we are OK, but every now and then we have a couple of crucial turnovers, which really hurt us,” Hardwick said.
BEST WORSTAdelaide Rory Atkins +13.2% Taylor Walker -9.4%
Brisbane Daniel Rich +2.6% Stefan Martin -9.0%
Carlton Kade Simpson +4.0% Bryce Gibbs -10.3%
Collingwood Ben Reid +10.4% James Aish -13.6%
Essendon David Zaharakis +5.7% Adam Cooney -4.6%
Fremantle Cameron Sutcliffe +7.7% Nat Fyfe -5.3%
Geelong Mitch Duncan +12.6% Joel Selwood -8.2%
Gold Coast Gary Ablett +13.3% Touk Miller -12.1%
GWS Giants Matt Buntine +7.6% Toby Greene -5.1%
Hawthorn Bradley Hill +13.4% Will Langford -6.9%
Melbourne Neville Jetta +6.9% Dom Tyson -11.0%
North Melb. Brent Harvey +7.3% Ben Brown -10.9%
Port Adelaide Jarman Impey +6.6% Ollie Wines -8.9%
Richmond Kane Lambert +11.5% Shaun Grigg -7.2%St Kilda Dylan Roberton +5.2% Maverick Weller -6.9%
Sydney Jarrad McVeigh +9.6% Josh Kennedy -4.5%
West Coast Sam Butler +5.6% Matt Priddis -7.7%
W.Bulldogs Lachie Hunter +9.5% Jake Stringer -10.1%
Average defensive half turnovers Average points conceded1. W.Bulldogs 18 13
2. Geelong 19.7 19.3
3. North Melb. 20.7 32.7
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14. Richmond 26.7 4615. Brisbane 28 48.7
16. Essendon 28.3 41
17. Collingwood 29.3 38.3
18. Fremantle 31.3 44.3
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/defensive-half-turnovers-are-killing-collingwood-richmond-and-fremantle/news-story/de8861ba39daf332b0dcc7ce5be416f2
