SIMPLE football - winning the ball and moving it forward - is often forgotten because of an extensive use of analytics and contrived metrics.
The Brisbane Lions made a decision on the weekend in their NAB AFL Women’s match against Adelaide to focus on the simple, proving in this case the 'opportunity' measures of contested possessions and inside 50s can tell the story of the game.
In last year’s AFLW Grand Final, the Lions failed to match a rampant Adelaide engine room. They lost contested ball (112-133), inside 50s (27-43) and the game (by six points). Even the teams' round five contest, when the Lions came from behind to narrowly win, was dominated by the Crows on both measures.
Match report: Lions get revenge over Crows
The Lions were the No.1 defence in the competition last season (conceding only 21 points per game) yet struggled around the contest, finishing last for clearances and second-last for contested possessions. The Crows, on the other hand, ranked first in contested possessions and inside 50s.
And while Adelaide was lauded as the inaugural AFLW premier, the Lions rued what could have been.
In the first half of the Grand Final rematch at Norwood Oval on Saturday night, the tale was similar; Adelaide used direct ball movement in transition, while the Lions over-possessed for little gain.
The Crows finished the first half with three of the four goals, despite the Lions dominating the uncontested possessions (77-29).
The Lions needed to change what they were doing. Coach Craig Starcevich knew his team needed to be smarter with the ball.
"We were overusing it in the first half and ran ourselves into a bit of difficulty," he said after the game.
"I thought we were right in the game [at half-time]. The scoreboard didn’t reflect [that].
"A bit more 'simple' footy in the second half saw us gain some ground and get it into a dangerous spot.”
The Lions held Adelaide scoreless in the second half on the way to a 12-point win, beating the Crows at contests and in transition. They finished with twice as many inside 50s (32-16), won contested possession (111-97) and outmarked their opponents inside-50 (13-2).
The third quarter underlined the Lions' adoption of simple footy. They had 13 inside 50s to one, restricting the play to their forward half, and allowing Sabrina Frederick-Traub to take hold of the game.
"[She was] enormous," Starcevich said.
"Put the ball in her area and she looked like marking everything."
Intrigue surrounded how the Lions would use the 182cm Frederick-Traub this season following the departure of forward Tayla Harris to the Blues. Starcevich shifted key back Tahlia Randall into the ruck to allow Frederick-Traub to stay predominately inside 50.
She won 14 disposals (11 contested) and took 10 marks (seven contested and five inside 50) in a dominant performance. Although she was unable to convert her opportunities in front of goal (three behinds), her presence in the Lions’ attacking 50 created opportunities for Jess Wuetschner and Kaitlyn Ashmore.
"No matter what defence we threw at her (Frederick-Traub), she was still beating us," Crows coach Bec Goddard said.
"Even when we put Chelsea (Randall) back on her, that meant we were conceding in the middle. It just didn’t work."
In defence, lockdown defender Leah Kaslar blanketed Crows spearhead Sarah Perkins, restricting her to one disposal while remaining industrious herself, collecting 14 touches to drive the Lions out of defence.
Adelaide was limited throughout the game, forced to move co-captain Randall out of defence and onto the ball in the absence of reigning competition best and fairest Erin Phillips, a late scratching because of a quad injury.
With All Australian defender Courtney Cramey also missing, the Crows lacked power to combat a desperate Lions team.
"Brisbane were terrific (in the second half)," Goddard said.
"One-on-one across the ground I reckon we had one winner tonight [Randall]."
Both of the Lions' third-quarter goals came from the lively Wuetschner (assisted by Brit Gibson and Ashmore), which moved them ahead on the scoreboard with the Crows to have the breeze in the last.
Ashmore was the solitary goal-scorer in the last, as the Lions continued to move the football up the ground from stoppages. That goal broke a run of six straight with the wind.
Simple footy sealed the victory, and revenge, for the Lions.
