Leaking Leo the sieve

[Legs Akimbo]

Statistics never lie, do they?

Leo Leaking

[Pommie Swannie]

Leo's form defensively has been concerning me this season. So far it hasn't cost us overly, and I'm hoping he will get better toward the end of the season and in to the finals (hopefully ..!).

Naturally, I still have a mild panic when he starts running around in circles with the ball in his defensive 50 ...

[adnar]

The Reverse Coleman

How the regular Full Backs Have Fared.

Leo Barry (Syd) Games:11 Goals Against:31

Matthew Bishop (Port) Games:11 Goals Against:31

Brian Harris (Dogs) Games:11 Goals Against:29

Zac Dawson (Haw) Games:8 Goals Against:28

Mal Michael (Lions) Games:11 Goals Against:28

Joel Bowden (Rich) Games:11 Goals Against:24

Darren Glass (Eagles) Games:11 Goals Against:21

Jonathon Hay (Roos) Games:8 Goals Against:20

Bret Thornton (Blues) Games:11 Goals Against:20

S. Prestigiacomo (Pies) Games:9 Goals Against:20

Antoni Grover (Freo) Games:10 Goals Against:19

Dustin Fletcher (Ess) Games:10 Goals Against:17

Nathan Carroll (Melb) Games:11 Goals Against:15

Max Hudghton (Saints) Games:10 Goals Against:14

Ben Rutten (Crows) Games:11 Goals Against:12

Matthew Scarlett (Geel) Games:9 Goals Against:12

[Gary]

Better be careful...according to some of those who contribute to this site...your comments are enough to justify excommunication...but the article does confirm my sense of the year for Leo.

[floppinab]

I'm willing to bet that a fair few of those extra goals are coming from frees paid for stuff that he could get away with last year but the umps are clamping down a hell of a lot more this year, PLUS, he has been a bit more ill disciplined this year and has been giving a lot more genuine frees away.

[SimonH]

Five points:
1. You don't need to look at stats to know that Leo, while he's not playing nearly as badly as many claim, isn't playing to AA standard so far in 2006.
2. Apart from the first quarter of the Essendon game (which was freakish by any measure), he's on 25 in 10-and-three-quarters games, which is within normal levels.
3. A whopping 70% of his frees have been in the back. Take them away, and he gives up a statistically insignificant half-a-free a game. So much for those who say that his downfall is excessive jumper-grabbing. His true 'downfall' is that he runs too close to his opponent when chasing them on the lead, so they only need to prop for a cheap free kick. But how do you correct that? Tell him 'give 'em a 5 metre head-start?'
4. Dustin Fletcher giving up 17 from 10 games in the rabble that Essendon has become? Forget Scarlett and Rutten: that's an AA performance.
5. In truth, it's only a partly useful statistic of performance. Even leaving aside rebounding ability, the true measure of a defender is how many goals he stops the whole opposition team scoring-- not just his immediate opponent. Obviously this stat skews towards the defender who sticks with his own man at all costs, but doesn't help out his teammates.

[liz]

Originally posted by SimonH

4. Dustin Fletcher giving up 17 from 10 games in the rabble that Essendon has become? Forget Scarlett and Rutten: that's an AA performance.

It has to be taken into account, though, that Fletcher rarely plays on the best opposition forward nowadays. He's been pitted against some newbies and secondary or minor targets, or even plays "spare" at times.

I don't think he really has a claim, therefore, to be the best key defender going around.

Leo's been getting a mixed bag of opponents this year, with LRT occasionally getting the number one forward if he happens to be more of a CHF than a FF (ie Brown, Richardson).

[swantastic]

Originally posted by liz
It has to be taken into account, though, that Fletcher rarely plays on the best opposition forward nowadays. He's been pitted against some newbies and secondary or minor targets, or even plays "spare" at times.

I don't think he really has a claim, therefore, to be the best key defender going around.

Leo's been getting a mixed bag of opponents this year, with LRT occasionally getting the number one forward if he happens to be more of a CHF than a FF (ie Brown, Richardson).

This says it all LEO,LEO BARRY YOU STAR.

[swantastic]

Originally posted by Pommie Swannie
Leo's form defensively has been concerning me this season. So far it hasn't cost us overly, and I'm hoping he will get better toward the end of the season and in to the finals (hopefully ..!).

Naturally, I still have a mild panic when he starts running around in circles with the ball in his defensive 50 ...

He is like a teenager at a rave party on e,s

[Go Swannies]

Forgive me from quoting one of the few direct statements tha Paul Roos has made(after the Roos debacle at Manuka last year I think) but when the ball is coming directly into the defensive 50 too directly and easily, it's impossible for the backs to stop goals being kicked.

The new rules seem specifically designed to impede Leo - and he hasn't done well with them. But it's interesting that Mal Michael, who counts as a gorilla on gorillas, isn't far behind him. Our midfield have to do better to deny supply that it has so far. If not, the good teams like the Pies, Crows and Eagles will carve us up. It has been exciting seeing us play attacking footy this year but it may be time for some more of those boring games the Melbourne media so love.

[motorace_182]

Originally posted by swantastic
This says it all LEO,LEO BARRY YOU STAR.

Gotta love such quality input...

Leo has been in some shocking form this year. Nothing seems to be going his way, and whne you're down on confidence that is generally how things will flow. I would love to see him given a lesser like when possible that he doesnt have to be 100% accountable to like he is with a Lloyd or Gherig, and just let him bounce off the half back line. Ever since we lost Scahuabs as a regular we have missed the penetrating drive that set up so much play in 2003.

[RogueSwan]

Originally posted by motorace_182
Gotta love such quality input...

Leo has been in some shocking form this year. Nothing seems to be going his way, and whne you're down on confidence that is generally how things will flow. I would love to see him given a lesser like when possible that he doesnt have to be 100% accountable to like he is with a Lloyd or Gherig, and just let him bounce off the half back line. Ever since we lost Scahuabs as a regular we have missed the penetrating drive that set up so much play in 2003.

Wait for it ....
I can hear someone typing 'it didn't seem to matter last year'.

[liz]

Originally posted by motorace_182


Leo has been in some shocking form this year. Nothing seems to be going his way, and whne you're down on confidence that is generally how things will flow. I would love to see him given a lesser like when possible that he doesnt have to be 100% accountable to like he is with a Lloyd or Gherig, and just let him bounce off the half back line. Ever since we lost Scahuabs as a regular we have missed the penetrating drive that set up so much play in 2003.

The surprising fact is not that Leo is now struggling just a tad against some of the key forwards, but more that he did so well on them for so long. The guy is 184cm and has done mightily well against some of the real "gorillas" of the game.

Over the last few years, rule interpretations have been gradually changed to make life generally harder for defenders to defend. These were always going to be harder for a guy fighting out of his weight division and who therefore relies on guile and "stretching" the rules (re contact) to counter his physical disadvantages.

His personal stats have also been affected by the ongoing evolution of the Swans playing style. Roos and his players may claim that their game plan has essentially stayed the same but those of us who watch them can't be entirely fooled. The fundamentals may be the same but the team has certainly not been bottling up games in the midfield to anything like the same degree it was in 2004 (especially) and 2005. The team is kicking more goals but also leaving its defensive 50 more open than it used to be.

I would love to see Barry return to more of a HBF role where his run and bounce used to be so effective. The problem is, there doesn't appear to be anyone else in the squad even close to taking on the likes of Gehrig, Neitz and Lloyd.

[adnar]

Originally posted by liz
I would love to see Barry return to more of a HBF role where his run and bounce used to be so effective. The problem is, there doesn't appear to be anyone else in the squad even close to taking on the likes of Gehrig, Neitz and Lloyd.

It seems to me they are trying to groom Richards or LRT for this role. I by no means think Leo is past it, just might need a reinvention. Across the wing or half or even half forward may be an option to re-energise him.

[liz]

Originally posted by adnar
It seems to me they are trying to groom Richards or LRT for this role. I by no means think Leo is past it, just might need a reinvention. Across the wing or half or even half forward may be an option to re-energise him.

Leo doesn't need to be reinvented as a half forward. Since moving to the back half of the field he has become a very very effective defender. I see no reason to change that.

It's just a case of whether he can continue to cope physically with the very largest key forwards in a climate where it is becoming harder and harder for defenders to spoil, grapple, use body contact to put forwards off balance etc

Richards may be being groomed to play this role, though I don't think he's a long term answer. LRT is being groomed to play further up the ground on the more mobile CHFs, rather than as the last line of defence.