Middle men: Your team's centre-square starsJennifer Phelan
afl.com.au
15 Aug 2018WHO GETS it done in the guts at your club? Who spends the most time in the centre square, and who delivers (or doesn't) when they're in the middle? Our staff writers run the rule over all 18 clubs.
RICHMONDPlayers used 21 Tigers have attended a centre bounce in 2018.
Ruckmen2018 ruck attendances (top two): Toby Nankervis (459), Shaun Grigg (120)
Centre square hit-outs per game (minimum five games): Toby Nankervis (10.
Centre square hit-outs to advantage differential (team): -1.6 (17th)
OnballersMost common ruck-rover combination: Toby Nankervis-Dustin Martin (33)
Most used midfielder (midfielder who attends most centre bounces): Dustin Martin (400)
Centre clearances won (team differential): -0.4 (11th)
Centre clearance king (minimum five games): Dustin Martin (3.4)
ANALYSIS: For a team so dominant, it's surprising that the Tigers are only ranked mid-table for centre clearances. They're 11th in the competition for centre clearances won and are 17th in centre square hit-outs to advantage. Playing one ruckman – and an undersized one at that – contributes to those numbers, but the Tigers base their game around their repel off half-back and pressure once the ball is in play so don't really care too much about winning the ball at the bounce or ball up. Unsurprisingly, lone ruckman Toby Nankervis and midfield bull Dustin Martin are the most common ruck-rover combination and are the only two Tigers to be involved in more than 400 centre bounces, although they've had 21 players in total attend one.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-08-15/your-teams-centre-square-stars