Best defensive team in the AFL

[goswannie14]

According to the ladder we have the best defensive record of any team in the League this year. Our opponents scored a total of 1630 points for the year, next best was Adelaide with 1650.

According to the 9 commentary today, 8 out of the last 12 premierships have been won by the team with the best defensive record at the end of the home and away season.

Let's hope that average continues to improve this year.

[573v30]

Good to hear. Hopefully that best defence easily takes care of an ordinary forward line on Saturday night. Another interesting fact is that our biggest loss is the lowest out of any club.

Sydney - 39 point loss
West Coast - 57
Melbourne - 58
Collingwood - 59
St. Kilda - 63
Fremantle - 68
Western Bulldogs - 77
Kangaroos - 77
Port Adelaide - 79
Adelaide - 82
Brisbane - 82
Carlton - 92
Hawthorn - 96
Geelong - 102
Richmond - 118
Essendon - 138

[tawfiq]

good to see that 2 teams have their worst losses to us, not that it matters, but it shows that not only do we not get smashed, but we smash other times ourselves. something to look forward to, btw have they updated the odds for next weeks game?

[GoSouth33]

Originally posted by 573v30
Another interesting fact is that our biggest loss is the lowest out of any club.

Sydney - 39 point loss
West Coast - 57
Melbourne - 58
Collingwood - 59
St. Kilda - 63
Fremantle - 68
Western Bulldogs - 77
Kangaroos - 77
Port Adelaide - 79
Adelaide - 82
Brisbane - 82
Carlton - 92
Hawthorn - 96
Geelong - 102
Richmond - 118
Essendon - 138

That is an interesting stat but I wonder if you can take much from it. I reckon we would have had worse last year and we still got the flag.

[573v30]

Originally posted by GoSouth33
That is an interesting stat but I wonder if you can take much from it. I reckon we would have had worse last year and we still got the flag.

Yes, we lost to Eagles by 45 in Round 6, Saints by 43 in Round 10 and Crows by 41 in Round 4. However we lost one less game and finished 3rd...

[katie-scarlett]

Gotta give Bombers cred though.
Dead last in defence, but first (out of the top 8) in attack.

[tawfiq]

maybe they are just high scoring games, where they kick 100 but there opposition kicks like 160 or something

[liz]

Originally posted by 573v30
However we lost one less game and finished 3rd...

Not much difference between 3rd and 4th so the one extra loss hasn't cost that much. We will only know in hindsight whether it would be better to play the Wiggles or Cows next weekend.

As for general form, last year we won a couple of tight ones (even before the finals), whereas this year we've lost three by less than a goal. Plus we've scored a little more freely than last year (particularly during the purple patch just before the mid-season break) and our defence has been just as stingy.

Over the course of the H&A season I don't think there's really been much in it. The biggest difference is that we were in consistently good form at the back end of last season while this year it is not as clear where our form is. The Geelong performance was very ordinary, while it is impossible to know what to read from the Carlton and Brisbane wins except that in both cases the opposition was dreadful.

Also, we had a couple of really "good" wins last year - the home Eagles game when they were flying; the Geelong game for example. This year we've not really pulled off such a victory, with pretty much every win being "expected".

[Zlatorog]

Agree. We still need to beat a good side in the top 8. From those in the 8 we beat only Dees (second game), Freo and WB. That is 3 out of 8. We'll know next Saturday where we stand.

[NMWBloods]

I think the only really "good" win we've had this year is over the 'Dogs. I'm hoping for just four "good" wins for the year - that's all I'm after!