Stats show Collingwood has massive free kick advantage over Richmond in 2018Jon Ralph,
Herald Sun
19 Sep 2018RICHMOND will take the worst free kick imbalance in 20 seasons into Friday’s preliminary final courtesy of its midfield game plan and aggressive marking tactics.
The Tigers have won 119 fewer free kicks than their opponents this year -— ranked 18th in the competition, the biggest imbalance of any team since 1999.
By contrast they take on Nathan Buckley’s disciplined Pies, a team that is ranked No.1 for free kicks after winning 104 more frees than it has conceded.
Yet it is apparent Richmond’s lack of free kicks is less about the rub of the green than a particular style that has won the Tigers 19 games so far this season.
Richmond is also ranked No.18 in clearances despite its brilliant performances, playing a midfield style that often sees them losing the clearance but then aggressively tackling the ball carrier to ensure the ball isn’t released into space.
They have given away 58 free kicks for a high tackle when attempting a tackle — the most of any team.
The conceding of free kicks is a necessary evil for Richmond’s players — when a team puts frenetic pressure on the ball-carrier it is bound to at times cross the line.
Richmond has given away 95 more free kicks in the midfield zone than it has conceded (No.18 in the AFL), while the Pies are plus 61 (No.1 in the AFL) in that area of the ground.
Tigers defenders have a licence to fly for marks but also concede huge free kick numbers as they try to win the ball back from the opposition.
They have given away 160 free kicks in marking contests — 10 more than any other side.
The Tigers have given away 21 more free kicks than any other side for a push in the back in a marking contest and the second-most free kicks for holding the man in a marking contest.
2018 FREE KICK LADDERClub Frees for Frees against DifferentialCollingwood 502 403 +99
West Coast 501 416 +85
North Melbourne 491 406 +85
Western Bulldogs 473 425 +48
Adelaide 425 378 +47
Brisbane Lions 484 457 +27
Carlton 481 474 +7
Geelong 473 466 +7
Hawthorn 459 457 +2
Melbourne 447 455 -8
Sydney 454 477 -23
Essendon 422 448 -26
Port Adelaide 443 470 -27
Fremantle 432 474 -42
Gold Coast 455 500 -45
St Kilda 410 464 -54
GWS Giants 415 477 -62
Richmond 386 506 -120
Rivals have noticed the Tigers defenders often attempt to turn their opponent in a marking contest, often with subtle use of the hands to move them away from the drop zone or take away their balance.
But they also fly for the ball when they have the chance — Alex Rance has given away 31 free kicks for the year (the third-most for Richmond) but has also won a team-high 39 free kicks for the year.
In recent weeks the Tigers have won against Geelong despite a 15-23 free kick imbalance, beaten Essendon despite a 15-27 free kick count and just survived against the Dogs despite losing the count 10-20.
FREE KICKS BY ZONEZone Collingwood RichmondDefensive 50 +17 (5th) -71 (18th)
Midfield +61 (1st) -95 (18th)
Forward 50 +26 (1st) -9 (14th)
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick conceded before the qualifying final win over Hawthorn the Tigers didn’t always get the balance right around the stoppages.
“Ideally we’d love to win the ball at stoppages, we’re (ranked last) but we’re also (ranked last) for free kicks,” Hardwick said.
“We’re giving away a lot of free kicks at stoppages and that’s the reason we’re losing stoppages.
“We’ve just got to be a little bit more careful with our aggression around the ball.”
Dustin Martin has broken 42 tackles this year with his famous “don’t argue” — well down on the 83 he managed last year, and has been caught holding the ball 12 times (down from 20 in 2017).
UMPIRES' PETSCollingwood frees for Richmond frees forBrodie Grundy 53 Alex Rance 39
Taylor Adams 33 Toby Nankervis 31
Mason Cox 33 Dustin Martin 28
Tom Langdon 27 Jack Riewoldt 27
Scott Pendlebury 27 Dylan Grimes 23
REPEAT OFFENDERSCollingwood frees against Richmond frees against
Brodie Grundy 36 Toby Nankervis 57
Taylor Adams 36 Dustin Martin 35
Steele Sidebottom 26 Alex Rance 31
Tom Langdon 25 Nick Vlastuin 30
Jack Crisp 22 Jack Riewoldt 27
Source: Champion Data. Numbers for home-and-away season.https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/stats-show-collingwood-has-massive-free-kick-advantage-over-richmond-in-2018/news-story/557c54c4489884e7a5228efbb8efba97