AFL Coaching Glossary, Part 7: Stats & Metrics
Differentials, conversion rates, and the numbers that show up on a coach's iPad — explained in plain English.
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AFL Coaching Glossary, Part 5: Defence & Pressure
Zones, references, +1s, pressure rating — how coaches describe shutting the opposition down as a unit and as individuals.
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There's no universal formula
Platform-wide averages can't tell you what wins for your side. Capture your own games and find the stat that lights up your wins.
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Is footy momentum real?
Footy momentum is real — goals genuinely clump together. But the warning sign is how many have gone in, not how fast they came.
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Field position: the value of a turnover
Where you win the ball back is everything. An intercept in your forward 50 scores about six times as often as one deep in defence.
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How pressure becomes points
"Apply pressure" isn't just a slogan. Pressure makes turnovers, turnovers make scores, and every link in that chain is tight.
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The forward-half lock-in
Pinning them in your half and waiting for the mistake works — because the mistake comes inside your 50, where it scores.
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Footy is a turnover game
More than half of all possessions end in a turnover. Win the open-play scramble and you win the footy.
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Where do scores come from?
Most goals start with a turnover, not a stoppage. And the longer you keep the ball alive, the more often you score.
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