Looking at the scoreboard in the fourth quarter of Euroa versus Seymour, you would think the Magpies were flying rings around the Lions, but the statistics tell an interesting story.
In the final spell, each side controlled different aspects of the game.
Fourth quarter
Euroa vs Seymour
Disposals
Euroa: 98
Seymour: 77
Contested possessions
Euroa: 35
Seymour: 23
Uncontested marks
Euroa: 18
Seymour: 41
Overall pressure
Euroa: 16
Seymour: 25
Euroa had the better quarter on the scoreboard as Jett Trotter kicked three majors and the away side also seemed to have the better ball movement.
The Magpies were able to rack up 21 more disposals than their opponents, but when that statistic is broken down it was Seymour who was on top when it came to getting foot to ball, while the Magpies opted to handball their way upfield.
This would suggest two starkly different playing styles being implemented, with the Magpies preferring to run with the ball.
When it came to contested possessions, Euroa was getting the better of the Lions with a differential of 12.
In terms of uncontested marks, the Lions were miles ahead with 23 more than Euroa.
The Lions had clearly implemented a, ‘what we have, we hold’ mentality as they sought to manage the game to its end.
While Seymour was no longer putting pressure on the scoreboard, it was shutting down its opponent on field and an overall pressure rating of 25 compared to the Magpies’ 16 was the result.
In chases, smothers and forward 50 tackles, the Lions were dominant.
Seymour evidently had more control over the game than the scoreboard suggested, but the match was one of the most even contests the Lions have come across in a while.
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