The Sydney Swans are the undisputed kings of contested footy so far in season 2016, a major reason behind their second placing on the ladder with an 8-2 record.
The Swans lead the AFL in contested possessions, averaging 163.6 per game and have 100 more than the next best, the Western Bulldogs.
Josh Kennedy (16.6 contested possessions per game, 3rd in the AFL), Dan Hannebery (15.2 per game, 5th in the AFL) and Luke Parker (14.3 per game, 8th in the AFL) are contested beasts that thrive on winning the hard ball.
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“Sydney are very good. That’s why they are close to the top of the ladder at the moment, they are playing some really good footy,” coach Rodney Eade told United Coaches Chat on Thursday.
“They’ve got a really strong midfield so players like Kennedy and Parker and Hannebery are going to be well suited by the wet weather.”
The SUNS have been competitive in the contested area of the game over recent weeks, but sit 17th overall in the league with only skipper Gary Ablett ranked in the top 25 with 11.9 contested possessions per game.
Despite a heavy loss to the Eagles in round 10, Gold Coast only lost the contested ball by 15, a week after winning the important KPI against Adelaide.
With some handy inclusions this week and wet weather on the cards, Eade is confident his midfield can compete with John Longmire’s men on Saturday night.
“The players cracked in last week,” he said.
“Our tackling was really good, hard ball gets and our ground balls were fantastic. So if we can keep that, we’ve got a bit more experience in, a bit more talent in as well, also that adds another layer of our expectation.”
