Sunday, September 17, 2023

AFLW Rankings: Round 3 2023



Reigning premiers Melbourne have been an offensive juggernaut so far this season:

- They have amassed 255 points at an average of 85 points per game. This is almost 20 points per game more than the next highest team (Brisbane), and more than double the points of twelve of the seventeen other sides.

- They have 0.57 scoring shots per inside 50 entry so far this season. This is 13 percentage points better than the next highest AFLW team (see table below), and 10 percentage points better than even the highest AFL men’s teams.

- They have taken 46 marks inside 50, which equates to 0.37 marks per inside 50 entry. That is 10 percentage points higher than both the next best AFLW team Adelaide (0.27), and the highest AFL men’s team.

The Demons may have the most formidable forward line in AFLW history. They have two of the top three highest goalkickers in AFLW history with Kate Hore and Tayla Harris, who are both also in the all-time top 10 for goal assists. They have two other capable forward targets in Eden Zanker and Alyssa Bannan. They’ve got great attacking midfielders in Paxy, Tyla Hanks, and Olivia Purcell. The Demons lost Daisy Pearce to retirement and haven’t missed a beat.

The main question around Melbourne’s performance this season is whether their forward line can stay at this ‘off-the-charts’ level. They’ve yet to play Brisbane, Adelaide, or North Melbourne so far this season, all of whom they will play in the remaining rounds. But they’re currently so good on offence that even a reversion back to more ‘normal’ levels would still stand them in great stead for a tilt at back-to-back flags.

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