The stats don't lie: How has footy changed in 2021?Nathan Schmook
afl.com.au
11 June 2021AFL executive general manager of football Steve Hocking said there had been fluctuations in the data, but rule adjustments in 2021 had provided a better balance between attack and defence overall.
"As a whole, all indicators are trending well, but we know the game will continue to adjust across the course of the season," Hocking told AFL.com.au.
"Some teams will make adjustments across the bye weeks and potential impacts will be on show across the following rounds.
"The diversity in game styles across the competition is good for the game and hopefully something supporters are enjoying this season."
Scoring Rate:
2021 – 82.7
2020* – 75.7
2019 – 80.9
The spike in uninterrupted ball movement from defensive 50 to attacking 50 has been one of the most significant changes in 2021, with the League's data showing the D50 to I50 transition rate has increased by 3.8 per cent this season.
This change was most pronounced early in the season, when the rate was 26.8 per cent from rounds one to three, but it has held relatively firm to be 24.1 per cent across the 12 completed rounds.
The kick-in to inside 50 rate of 23.4 per cent is an increase on both 2019 (18.8 per cent) and the adjusted 2020 rate of 19.1 per cent.
Corridor use, meanwhile, has remained relatively unchanged compared to the past two seasons at 27.8 per cent, an increase of 0.3 per cent compared to 2019.
There were two matches in round 12 – the Dreamtime clash and Collingwood's win over Adelaide – with corridor use of more than 33 per cent.
Stoppages remain down, with 7.2 fewer a game compared to adjusted 2020 figures, while the rate of secondary stoppages (13.9 per cent) has also fallen slightly compared to 2020 (15.4 per cent) and 2019 (14.3 per cent).
https://www.afl.com.au/news/629310/the-stats-don-t-lie-how-has-footy-changed-in-2021-
