Micro Noises - Issue 4
History almost repeats
You might remember that in last week's Micro Noises, commemoration was made of the 78th anniversary of Collingwood scoring 3.3 in every quarter, the only occasion in which a team has registered the same score in each quarter of one match. Well folks, it almost happened for the second time this week. GWS were a solitary behind away from emulating that magnificent statistical feat. In losing to Hawthorn by 162 points, they scored 1.2, 1.2, 1.1 and 1.2 in their four respective quarters. It's a shame they didn't clock up that extra behind in the third quarter. At least that would have given them something to take away from that match.
It's odd how even it is
The talk around town is that this is one of the most even seasons in VFL/AFL history. But do the figures back that up? Actually, yes! The top four sides can be separated by percentage only after 15 rounds, and it's only the second time in history that scenario has occurred. The first was in 2004 when, just as Sydney, West Coast, Adelaide and Collingwood are all currently locked on 11 wins, so then were St Kilda, Brisbane, Port Adelaide and Melbourne. Those four were to remain inseparable on points for another two rounds beyond that juncture.
But what 2012 has that 2004 did not, is another group of FIVE teams all equal on points further down the ladder. St Kilda, Carlton, Richmond, North Melbourne and Fremantle are each currently sitting on seven wins and seven losses, vying for what is probably the only available spot in the top eight. The last time we had five sides equal on points in Round 15 or later was in 2005, when Sydney, St Kilda, Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle were all level on 11 wins after 18 rounds.
A game of one quarter
Brisbane fell back to Earth with a thud in their match against Sydney on Saturday, losing by 47 points to the top side. The free-scoring Lions of the previous three rounds found it much harder against the strangulating Swans, and only managed to rack up a total of 9.9 (63) for the match. Such was Hawthorn's dominance of GWS the following day, the Hawks tallied that exact score in just ONE quarter against the hapless Giants. 9.9 equates to an amazing 18 scoring shots in a single quarter, easily the most by any side in 2012, ahead of the 15 registered by Adelaide (7.8, 1st quarter v Gold Coast, R1) and West Coast (11.4, 1st quarter v GWS, R2). Tracking down the last occurrence of 18 or more scoring shots in one quarter will be the subject of our research this week - a "Gig Dig", if you will.
The 8.5 specialists
Not content with 9.9 in the third quarter, the Hawks rattled on another 8.5 in the last. It was the sixth time this season a team has scored 8.5 in a quarter and amazingly, four of those six have been by Hawthorn.
Not something you see every day
And still on Hawthorn, their last quarter 8.5 added to a three-quarter time total of 20.20 gave them a final score of 28.25 (193). Although it wasn't the only time in VFL/AFL history a side has totalled 193 in a match (North Melbourne achieved it in 1983 by scoring 29.19 against Carlton), it was the first time it has been attained by a combination of 28 goals and 25 behinds.
Catch 22
With 23 rounds of football in 2012 and 24 rounds last year, many have been yearning for the good old days of 22 rounds in a season. And St Kilda and Essendon appeared to take their liking for the number 22 to a new level in their match on Saturday night. Each team was rewarded with 22 free kicks, while St Kilda tallied up 122 handballs and 122 marks and Essendon recorded 322 disposals.
Score Wars
It's been a losing score every time so far this year but 62 is a winner with us in 2012. Both Essendon and Collingwood registered 8.14 (62) in their Round 15 losses, taking to seven the number of times 62 has been a final score this season. 62 has now leapfrogged 87 (registered six times in 2012) to take the lead in Score Wars 2012.
The Marginal Medal
Meanwhile West Coast's last gasp win over North catapulted 2 points into outright leadership in the race to be the most popular margin of the year. Not to be outdone, 38 points was stung into action and registered in Fremantle's win over the Dogs 24 hours later to rejoin 2 points in the lead. Both margins have been recorded five times in 2012, ahead of 4, 12, 29 and 58 points, each of which have come up four times. One team that won't be happy with the 2-point margin frequency is North Melbourne. They have been on the losing end of that margin THREE times in 2012.
The Case(y) of the Unusually Low Percentage
An upset win over top side Port Melbourne allowed the Casey Scorpions to consolidate second place on the VFL ladder at the weekend. Casey now have a 10-2 win-loss record and are behind Port only on percentage. What's somewhat mysterious is that the Scorpions' percentage is only 103.78, incredibly low for a side that's won 10 of 12. How has this come about? Well it seems that Casey don't like to lose very often, but when they do they like to do it in a big way. Their two defeats this year have been by 71 and 78 points. And with six of the Scorpions' 10 wins being by margins of under 10 points, it all adds up to a very skinny percentage.
Year of the week
Collingwood, having not lost since playing Carlton in Round 3, met them again on Friday night and suffered the same fate as they had 13 weeks earlier. For the Magpies, meeting and losing to their nemesis again must have felt something like the return of Halley's Comet, especially so at quarter-time when they were behind 1.5 to 3.1. Halley's Comet's seventh last appearance, you see, was in 1531.
Postcode of the week
In their loss to Fremantle on Sunday, the Western Bulldogs' quarter-by-quarter behinds total of 2,4,6 and 9 reflected themselves as a team, and who they were lucky not to come up against. 2469 is the postcode of both Bulldog and Sandilands.
Ridiculous footy anagram of the week
Sharrod Wellingham must have known what his Match Review Panel fate would be almost as soon as he crashed into Kade Simpson on Friday night. For confirmation of what the panel members would do, he needed only to look at the letters of his surname. WELLINGHAM is an anagram of WILL HANG ME.
Comments
Barkly St End 10 July 2012
Terrific stuff Gigs, well done - that's some footy imagination you have there!
Andrew Gigacz 11 July 2012
Thanks, BSE!
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