GVL Data

Bombers leading the ‘clanger count’

By Rohan Aldous

Jul 11, 2022

Leading the way: Kaine Herbert is the only Kyabram player in the top 20 Goulburn Valley league disposal winners, the GVL Data statistic showing the reason why the Bombers are the third-bottom team in regard to total disposals per game.

Kyabram has registered the least clangers in Goulburn Valley football this season, the GVL Data statistic heavily influenced by the fact the fifth-ranked Bombers handle the ball less than nine other teams in the competition.

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The Bombers are going at 62 per cent efficiency by foot, from an average 176 kicks a game, but are ranked 10th when it comes to total disposals.

Echuca kicks the ball the most, with an average of 222 a game, Seymour and Euroa the only other plus-200 kick teams in the competition.

The unbeaten — aside from the four points taken from it in round one — Murray Bombers average almost 360 disposals a game. That is 70 more than Kyabram.

Only Shepparton and Tatura possess the ball less than Kyabram.

The Bombers averaged only 18 clangers, two less than the second best team in the category — Euroa. A clanger, in AFL terms, is an error made by a player resulting in a negative result for their side.

Kyabram is number one in contested marks (15 a game) and has the top intercept mark count (18 a game).

Its highly publicised free kick differential hasn’t gotten any better, in fact, the average of 30 free kicks against the Bombers every game is on an upward trend.

Even when winning by 124 points the count was one-sided in favour of the opposition (Tatura 33 and Kyabram 16). Kyabram has a 12-round differential of 96 between free kicks for and against.

And again on Saturday, in a 55-point win, the Bombers received five less free kicks than Mooroopna.

The next worst — season long — is Shepparton, which has had 57 more free kicks paid against it then in its favour. Seven GVL club have more free kicks for than against.

The others in the red are Mooroopna (-13), Echuca (-51) and Tatura (-18)

Zach Keogh has twice registered 33 possessions, the highest of any Bomber this season. He did that in back-to-back wins against Shepparton Swans and Seymour.

He collected 30 possessions against Shepparton in round nine, but Kaine Herbert is the only other member of the 30-plus club.

In spite of Lachie Smith’s aerial domination of his opposition the Bombers, on average, have taken more marks than only one other team — Shepparton.

The weekly tackle count of 49 is the 10th best in the competition. Josh Dillon’s 10 tackles is the best individual effort this season.