📊 Statistically Speaking: Round 17

In our weekly column, Statistically Speaking, we scoured the Champion Data stats to review Round 17 by the numbers.

STAR PERFORMER

When Sydney University needed a match-winner, young gun Josh Stern stood up to help guide the Students to an upset win over Aspley. The Rising Star nominee booted six goals from eight scoring shots to go with his 17 disposals, four marks, eight inside 50s, four tackles and 12 score involvements to be the star performer of the round.

RANKINGS RULER

NT Thunder co-captain Abraham Ankers has lit up the charts, again. But this time the 24-year-old midfield star took it a step further with a season-high Champion Data ranking points total, with a whopping 218 in Thunder’s seven-point win over Redland. Ankers was simply outstanding on his home turf in Alice Springs, finishing with a stats sheet which read 43 disposals, 23 contested possessions, four clearances, six inside 50s, four rebound 50s, three goals – which included the sealer in the last quarter – and a round-high 16 score involvements. A game to remember!

ROOKIE WATCH

Hewago “Ace” Oea had a great day out against the GIANTS as Gold Coast ran away with a big victory at Metricon Stadium. A Rising Star nominee this season, Oea was back in the side this week and was damaging with 24 disposals, 10 marks, five inside 50s, two goals and three score assists for a total of 130 Champion Data ranking points. The livewire is having a great season at NEAFL level.

SYDNEY UNI OUTMUSCLED, BUT NOT OUTPLAYED

Aspley was clear winners in the crucial statistic of contested possessions on Saturday, but lost their match to the Students by seven points. The Hornets won the contested possession count by +33 (their team total of 180 was the highest by any side this round) with seven players earning 10 or more contested possessions compared to just three from Sydney Uni. Aspley also won the hit-outs 69-32, clearances 48-41 and inside 50s 58-54, but the Students were more efficient going forward, scoring 50% of the time they went inside 50 (second highest conversion of the round) compared to 43% by Aspley (second lowest of the round).

HISTORY BECKONS FOR BRISBANE

Brisbane is on the cusp of re-writing this history books after notching up its 14th win in a row on Sunday. The Lions have equalled Sydney’s record of 14 consecutive wins, which they did from Round 2, 2017 – Round 17, 2017. A victory against defending premier Southport this week will see Brisbane overtake the Swans’ record.

BALL MAGNET

Canberra midfielder Alex Smout moved to the top of the disposals leaderboard this week with 39 against Southport. Amazingly, Smout has only dropped below 30 disposals in a match twice this year. In his past four matches since having his colours lowered against Aspley in Round 13, Smout hasn’t had less than 35 disposals in any game.

EASIEST WAY HOME

Redland and NT Thunder’s contest in Alice Springs was just flat out attack as the centre corridor got a workout. A total of 32 goals were kicked at Traeger Park with 30 of those being scored from the corridor. Neither side could top the round, however, with that nod going to Southport. The Sharks kicked all 17 of their goals from the corridor against Canberra.

GOLDEN FIST

He’s one of the best defenders in NEAFL history, and Aspley’s Gavin Grose is still as formidable as ever. Grose recorded a whopping 16 spoils against Sydney University, but he was three spoils shy of the all-time NEAFL record, set by the man himself. Grose had 19 spoils in the famous 2014 NEAFL Grand Final victory over Sydney, where the Hornets kicked a goal on the siren for an epic two-point victory.

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