Following the recent partnership announcement between the VAFA and Premier Data, fans can expect a more in-depth look at the numbers throughout the coming season.
The partnership will cover all games in William Buck Premier Men’s during the 2023 season, not only providing coaches and players with extensive analytics, but also delivering key stats across VAFA Media’s channels.
Ahead of the new season, how will the other William Buck Premier Men’s clubs become the #1 defensive and #1 attacking side like St Kevin’s were last year on the way to their Grand Final victory?
The reigning Premiers have been a picture of consistency since 2017. In 2022, they averaged 83 points a game, and only conceded a staggering 49.7 points from the 20 games they played.
Away from scoring and being the #1 team for the season, SKOB ranked #1 for inside 50’s (55.2) thanks to the continuous midfield work of Jock Nelson Medallist, Tom Jok and the 2022 Rising Star, Luke Winter. Will Coates dominated the ruck, that made them #1 for hitouts (59.7).
Dan Donati has got plenty under the bonnet of the Old Brighton brigade he has inherited from Greg Hutchison. Handballs (141.3), contested possessions (134.6), clearances (51.7), hard-ball gets (35.1) tackles (82), one-percenters (71.5) all ranked #1 amongst a host of others.
All these areas are the key to success for Old Brighton as they chase that elusive premiership in the top-flight. They are all areas that many opposition players say are the reason they don’t enjoy travelling to Brighton Beach Oval during the cold, wet Melbourne winter to face up against.
Throw into the mix the dual 2022 Woodrow Medallist, Harry Hill – #1 for disposals in 2022, with 588, while his teammate Tom Fisher ranked third with 450. There’ll be a number of clubs looking to play lockdown roles as the season unfolds.
In between the two stars of the Tonners, University Blues fullback Marty Gleeson, 491 touches out of defence. The club best and fairest, who was named in the Premier Data 2022 team of the year, was one of the first players to recommit to the club for 2023 under Guy Martyn.
Despite playing week-in, week-out on the best full forwards in the competition, Gleeson was the #1 player for marks (140), with 81 of those intercept marks.
It was a crossing of ships in the night for Collegians and Old Melburnians in 2022. When they met in Round 8 on a Friday night, Old Melburnians handed the purple army a football lesson. What followed the next 10 weeks was extraordinary. The boys from Harry Trott Oval went on a 10-game winning streak climbing up the ladder, finishing the season second.
OM’s started to slide and ultimately finished outside the top four. The opening month of the season has them playing three of their first four matches at Elsternwick Park. Statistically, they’re slow to get-going in opening quarters, and ranked in the lower parts of the table for disposals, marks, clearances.
Paul Satterley has the troops capable of turning this around, they’ve got a strong mix of speed, hardness, defensive attitude and scoring prowess. An ACL tear to 2022 Woodrow Medallist Gus Borthwick has him facing an uphill battle to be right for the early part of the year, but the man did put his hand up to play in Round 18 – seven days after the injury.
Retirements to Oscar Hosking and Tom Paule takes the experience of the playing group down, lifted back up by the recruits of Dylan Clarke (Essendon/VFL), Ben Harding (WAFL), Harry Prendergast (Old Carey) and Jacob Thompson (Greenvale).
As the Official Analytics Partner of the VAFA, Premier Data will provide game day analytics across all William Buck Premier Men’s matches in 2023, while other clubs throughout the VAFA will have the opportunity to utilise the Premier Data’s service at a special league rate.
Speaking of the partnership, Premier Data Director Tony Pucella said, “the team are delighted to be partnering with VAFA – the premier amateur football league in Australia.
“Their ethos that players play ‘for the love of the game’ now allows Premier Data and the VAFA to showcase these amazing players to the rest of the football community in countless mediums, while supporting clubs, coaches and players with the best data and video edits available.
“Now begins an amazing journey.”
Premier Data has opportunities for new team members to come onboard ahead of the 2023 season: Match Statistics Analyst and Digital Marketing/Media Coordinator (click to view further details).
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