Free kicks

[Thunder Shaker]

SEN has posted the free kick tallies for 2023 here: The 2023 Free Kick Ladder - Home and Away season
We're ranked equal 4th for most frees for, and third for most free kicks against. Our differential over the year is -7, ranking ninth.

AFL Tables has free kick tallies here: Free Kicks 2023 with "wins", "draws" and "losses". It's possible to use the AFL Tables list to create a ladder.

Free Kick Ladder for 2023:

                 W   D   L  Perc   Pts
St Kilda         17  0   6  121.51  68
Brisbane Lions   15  0   8  116.04  60
Melbourne        14  2   7  112.27  60
Collingwood      15  0   8  111.11  60
Fremantle        14  1   8  119.73  58
Carlton          13  2   8  110.17  56
Western Bulldogs 13  0  10   99.21  52
Hawthorn         11  1  11   95.24  46
Essendon         10  2  11  106.50  44
West Coast       11  0  12   94.05  44
Gold Coast       10  2  11   87.73  44
GWS Giants       10  1  12   95.69  42
Adelaide         10  1  12   92.78  42
Sydney Swans     10  0  13   98.42  40
Geelong           9  0  14   97.50  36
Port Adelaide     7  0  16   85.95  28
North Melbourne   5  2  16   87.84  24
Richmond          6  0  17   85.82  24

It is interesting how this ladder somewhat resembles the actual ladder.

[Blood Fever]

Might explain Bulldogs missing finals. Haven't they fallen down the differential ladder?

[barry]

The Victorian clubs get a significant advantage, as seen on your ladder, by having the umpires train with them. Breeds an understanding and maybe an exchange of tips to avoid or gain a free kick. Co-training should be banned.

I looked through the suspensions of 2023 and, anecdotally, it seemed non Vic sides coped more suspensions than Vic sides. Again the tyranny of distance to defend in person or appeal skews it, or even the fact that the MRO doesn't want to stir up the pro-vic media.

Hopefully new operations boss sorts it out.

[Sandridge]

Might explain Bulldogs missing finals. Haven't they fallen down the differential ladder?

Yes, the umpires who didn't give the Poodles an armchair ride this year should be stood down!

[crackedactor 01]

Yes, the umpires who didn't give the Poodles an armchair ride this year should be stood down!

I agree. What is wrong with these umpires? Don't they believe in carrying on a Bulldogs tradition?

[Mel_C]

The Victorian clubs get a significant advantage, as seen on your ladder, by having the umpires train with them. Breeds an understanding and maybe an exchange of tips to avoid or gain a free kick. Co-training should be banned.

Not long after reading your post, I was watching the news tonight and they had a report about a couple of Carlton players that got into a scuffle during training. In the foreground there was an umpire wearing number 9, who I assume was Stevic. He better not be umpiring our game!

[Nico]

Not long after reading your post, I was watching the news tonight and they had a report about a couple of Carlton players that got into a scuffle during training. In the foreground there was an umpire wearing number 9, who I assume was Stevic. He better not be umpiring our game!

The finals are nigh; no umpire who will be officiating in the finals should be within a bull's roar of competing clubs. There are plenty of spare umpires who missed out on the finals.

[barry]

Not long after reading your post, I was watching the news tonight and they had a report about a couple of Carlton players that got into a scuffle during training. In the foreground there was an umpire wearing number 9, who I assume was Stevic. He better not be umpiring our game!

Worse than I thought. Having a real umpire, umpire a inter club practice game is a step beyond just doing laps around the oval.

[stevoswan]

Not long after reading your post, I was watching the news tonight and they had a report about a couple of Carlton players that got into a scuffle during training. In the foreground there was an umpire wearing number 9, who I assume was Stevic. He better not be umpiring our game!

You could just about guarantee it happening.

[ugg]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/so-...04-p5e1uc.html

Okay fess up, who here wrote this article?

[longmile]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/so-...04-p5e1uc.html

Okay fess up, who here wrote this article?

wow

"In the past 10 years, the Swans have only once finished on the right side of the free-kick count against Victorian teams in a final (and that was in last year’s grand final humiliation by Geelong)."

1 game

[Blood Fever]

Great article. Surprised it got published.