![]() Sheezel is averaging a team-high 27.6 touches a game, while Wardlaw found himself matched up on Scott Pendlebury in only his second game. It may be another year of tumult at North Melbourne, with coach Alastair Clarkson stepping away in his first year at the club, but in young midfielders George Wardlaw and Harry Sheezel, the future is bright. This includes his goal-of-the-year contender against Fremantle, when he anticipated the tap from a bounce close to goal, tapped the ball to himself with his right hand, regathered it in mid-air and, while under pressure, used the outside of his right foot to tap through a goal. Recruiters say Will Ashcroft could have easily played senior football last year should he have been eligible, such has been the impact the powerful Brisbane Lions’ father-son product has had. The former Swan is one of the league’s most versatile players. One name who wasn’t in favour with the bookies through the pre-season was Jordan Dawson, but the Adelaide captaincy is clearly having a positive impact on him. A quick ball-up can also avoid second and third tackles, thereby reducing the risk of sling tackles - and serious head knocks - when players become frustrated. There is a belief among clubs that it is as a result of umpires wanting to keep play moving quickly, rather than risking too many ugly scrums, which began to blight the sport through the mid-2010s. ![]() There has been an increase in ball-ups, with 31.6 a game, the most in the past 12 years. That hasn’t eventuated, for teams are averaging only 18.6 free kicks against, the fewest since 2015, excluding the pandemic-impacted 2020 season. The move to four field umpires this season had many fans concerned there would be over-officiating, and the game would become bogged down in free kicks. The standing-the-mark rule has encouraged teams to attack more through the corridor, and look at how exciting that is when the Magpies are in full flight and running in waves. That may not be obvious when it comes to the slumping Blues over the past month, or the injury-plagued Eagles, but, overall, there is an average of 12.2 goals a game - the most since 2017. Champion Data boffins say that while there haven’t been many significant changes in game trends from last season, the league’s determination to open up scoring is having an impact. ![]()
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