Round 18 Swans v Dogs Match Thread

[Thunder Shaker]

A read of their bigfooty meltdown thread well worth it for a laugh.

Another 99 years of getting screwed over by umpires still required before they can legitimately whine about the umpiring.

Can confirm.

Free Kicks - 1965-2023 (afltables.com)

* Of current teams, the Bulldogs lead the free kick tables with a percentage of 106.72%, then West Coast, then daylight. Only Fitzroy is ranked higher. The bottom two are GWS Giants (93.59%) and Hawthorn (92.25%).
* Free kicks favour the home side significantly. Hawthorn are the only team that has conceded more free kicks than they have received in home games. Western Bulldogs are ranked second on home game free kicks, with a percentage of 112.37%. West Coast is ranked first.
* The Bulldogs are the only current team that has a positive free kick differential in away games with a percentage of 101.23%. Only Fitzroy is ranked higher.
* The Bulldogs have "lost" the free kick count 484 times (before last night's game) since 1965. This is remarkably low for teams that have played every season since 1965, and is the only tally for the 11 remaining pre-expansion sides that is less than 500. The second-lowest tally belongs to Collingwood, with 586 (102 higher). Sydney is ranked 9th out of 11 on this count.

By contrast, Sydney is ranked near the middle overall, 7th out of 18, with 100.48% overall (less than 200 free kicks since 1965), 10th for home free kicks (105.27%) and fourth of current teams in away games (96.58%).

So yes, the Western Bulldogs have historically received favourable treatment from the umpires, and have nothing to complain about. See 2016 Grand Final.

[Foreign Legion]

Thanks for that info Thunder Shaker.

Agree with all that have previously commented on Phil Davis - very considered and knowledgable commentator - actually brings something to watching the game.

I thought we were gone last night but the lads showed the best fightback qualities so far this year I think. Hopefully it continues.

[Kafka's Ghost]

Can confirm.

Free Kicks - 1965-2023 (afltables.com)

* Of current teams, the Bulldogs lead the free kick tables with a percentage of 106.72%, then West Coast, then daylight. Only Fitzroy is ranked higher. The bottom two are GWS Giants (93.59%) and Hawthorn (92.25%).
* Free kicks favour the home side significantly. Hawthorn are the only team that has conceded more free kicks than they have received in home games. Western Bulldogs are ranked second on home game free kicks, with a percentage of 112.37%. West Coast is ranked first.
* The Bulldogs are the only current team that has a positive free kick differential in away games with a percentage of 101.23%. Only Fitzroy is ranked higher.
* The Bulldogs have "lost" the free kick count 484 times (before last night's game) since 1965. This is remarkably low for teams that have played every season since 1965, and is the only tally for the 11 remaining pre-expansion sides that is less than 500. The second-lowest tally belongs to Collingwood, with 586 (102 higher). Sydney is ranked 9th out of 11 on this count.

By contrast, Sydney is ranked near the middle overall, 7th out of 18, with 100.48% overall (less than 200 free kicks since 1965), 10th for home free kicks (105.27%) and fourth of current teams in away games (96.58%).

So yes, the Western Bulldogs have historically received favourable treatment from the umpires, and have nothing to complain about. See 2016 Grand Final.

Thanks for this TS. Given how much the Dogs throw and hold the ball, it’s a fascinating collection of statistics.


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[liz]

I just watched the package of Gulden kicks on the Swans' site. He and Amartey have quite the partnership going on - and that's not just based on this match. There must be something about how Amartey leads to the ball and Gulden's ability to put the kick precisely into the space in front of him, rather than on top of his head.

That package demonstrates how much control and nuance there is to Gulden's kicks. Not only can he superbly judge the depth of his kicks, he can vary the trajectory and speed through the air at will. Compare the last of the long kicks to Amartey - a bullet - to the slower loft of the one that Wicks marked.

[KTigers]

Yes, Errol goes to Amartey a bit, and a number of times last night. You'd think they have been working on this at training.
It's interesting that the two best kicks in the team (Gulden & Campbell) are both local kids who came thru the Academy.
I don't really follow the Academy stuff much but hopefully there are more elite kicks coming through the pipeline.
Kicking at that level is game and momentum changing because so few players can do it.

[liz]

Yes, Errol goes to Amartey a bit, and a number of times last night. You'd think they have been working on this at training.
It's interesting that the two best kicks in the team (Gulden & Campbell) are both local kids who came thru the Academy.
I don't really follow the Academy stuff much but hopefully there are more elite kicks coming through the pipeline.
Kicking at that level is game and momentum changing because so few players can do it.

i think if you look at all the evidence, including watching our academy u18 sides over the past decade or so, there isn't compelling evidence that the academy is achieving higher than average kicking skills. Indeed, we have generally produced U18 sides that work hard, apply lots of pressure, tackle hard but are less skilled, on average, than those playing in the NAB Cup Victorian sides.

I do wonder, though, if pairs of players who come through together can drive each other in a particular facet of the game. Heeney and Mills came through the system together (despite being a year apart in draft year) and both are skilled overhead relative to their height. Gulden and Campbell came through together and both are lovely kickers. In both cases, I imagine the pair stood out at a fairly early age as being the ones most likely to graduate to the highest level, and you can see the two pairs competing in aspects that they were already good at to get even better.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I just watched the package of Gulden kicks on the Swans' site. He and Amartey have quite the partnership going on - and that's not just based on this match. There must be something about how Amartey leads to the ball and Gulden's ability to put the kick precisely into the space in front of him, rather than on top of his head.

That package demonstrates how much control and nuance there is to Gulden's kicks. Not only can he superbly judge the depth of his kicks, he can vary the trajectory and speed through the air at will. Compare the last of the long kicks to Amartey - a bullet - to the slower loft of the one that Wicks marked.

It really is footy porn.

One element of Errol's kicking is that he seems to have the rare ability (Nick Daicos has this too) to adjust his kick almost at the point of ball drop as he sees an option open up. He either is deliberatly angling one way to throw off the defenders down field as to his intended target, which opens up space and keeps the pack away, or his vision is so good he sees and executes his decisions at the last fraction of a second. The kick to Amartey off the back of Logan's mark in the second quarter was a great example of it.

[Doctor]

After being gifted a premiership in 2016, they have no right to complain about any umpiring in any game, anywhere, any time.

My point exactly

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[Blood Fever]

Very encouraging game from McInerney. Has noticeably increased his contested work - 6 tackles (career high), 7 contested possessions (equal season high).

He was great late when the game was up for grabs. Also, Buddy and Heeney came up big as well.

[RogueSwan]

I don't if it has mentioned yet but Florent's game was really good. He plays in a relatively understated style, if that makes sense. There is a sense that he has more time than the most when he has ball in hand, a bit like McVeigh when was moved back, and can take the right option with his kicks. Also kicked 2 straight

[Industrial Fan]

Agree Rogue, he always looks really composed with the footy.

I thought Rampe wound back the clock yesterday too. Had turns on Weightman and Naughton and more than held his own and also imposed himself on a few separate plays in the closing stages to grind out the win when we seemed determined not to kick a winning goal.

[KTigers]

I really liked how we ground out the last few minutes mostly in their half holding a tiny lead. After the one and two losses to GWS
and Port, and the dismal draw against Geelong I guess they'd decided they weren't going to let another game slip.

[waswan]

I really liked how we ground out the last few minutes mostly in their half holding a tiny lead. After the one and two losses to GWS
and Port, and the dismal draw against Geelong I guess they'd decided they weren't going to let another game slip.

Huge to hold on and get the win
Would have been a big relief for the players

[troyjones2525]

In my view it was the right call by the umpire. Gulden again lowered his shoulder to force the arm high. It is the one blemish in Gulden’s game..

Agree Meg. He does it all the time and gets the odd free kick for it but the last thing he needs is the media to start focusing on it and him get nothing like that Collingwood blow hard!

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[stevoswan]

Haha so I'm not the only one that wants to punch him. That face is very punchable ????.

It's soooo punchable! We've had a few opposition players who have gone by the nickname 'punchable face'. Once it was Toby Green.....then it was Jack Ginnivan.....now it's definitely Cody Weightman.

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In my view it was the right call by the umpire. Gulden again lowered his shoulder to force the arm high. It is the one blemish in Gulden’s game..

You're right but it's a pity Selwood got away with it for his whole career.