Round 16: Can we beat the Dees?

This coming Saturday the 12th of August sees the Blackwood Football Club play its seventh home game of the 2017 season. The match up at the newly named U-Install-It Kitchens Oval sees the second placed Woods face the third placed Uraidla Districts Football Club.

The match up sees a second versus third encounter with both sides coming off solid victories in Round 15. It will be a highly anticipated clash for both sides with Blackwood looking to maintain their ‘unbeaten’ record in 2017 whilst Uraidla will be looking to record another victory over the Woods, a side they have had a good record against since 2010.

Previous encounters

Since 2006 the sides have met on 27 separate occasions with Blackwood winning ten matches, Uraidla winning sixteen matches and one draw occurring. Whilst the record at Uraidla Oval isn’t flash, when the sides have met at U-Install-It Kitchens Oval, Blackwood has won on five occasions since 2006. The most recent match at U-Install-It Kitchens Oval between the sides was in Round 13 2016 where the Woods recorded a 43 point victory with Scott Bricknell being awarded three mail medal votes.

Recapping on the previous encounter between the sides in Round 7, after trailing at quarter time the Woods hit the lead in the 3rd quarter holding a 17 point advantage at the final break. As the wet weather closed in, so did Uraidla with Blackwood coughing up the 17 point advantage to see a draw recorded when the final siren sounded. On that day, Nick Homburg was see by the coaching staff as one of the better players whilst Ryan Anderson kicked two goals. Read the full match summary here.

Nick Homburg was one of the better players in Round 7

Ryan Anderson kicked two goals against Uraidla back in Round 7

Season 2017 statistics

Attack

Blackwood are the second best scoring side in the competition to date averaging 94 points per game. This compares to Uraidla, they average 83 points per match in 2017. Looking further into the attacks, since the Round 7 encounter between the sides, the Woods have averaged 88 points for whilst Uraidla have averaged 79 points for.

Defence

Blackwood have the second best defence in competition in 2017 conceding on average 56 points per game. When compared with Uraidla, they are conceding on average 61 points per game in 2017. Looking further into the defensive units of the side, since the Round 7 encounter between the sides, the Woods have averaged only 53 points against per match whilst Uraidla have averaged 61 points against.

Differential

In terms of differential Blackwood are +39 in 2017 (+34 since Round 7) whilst Uraidla are +21 (+17 since Round 7). This ranks both sides 2nd and 3rd in the competition to date. This statistic means that on paper, Blackwood starts the game with an 18 point lead on the side from Uraidla.

Key statistics

A spread of goal kickers will be important. Of the top 4 goal kickers for both sides, Uraidla’s kick 63% of all the goals they have kicked whilst for Blackwood the top 4 goal kickers have kicked 49% of all goals. For 2016, to make the grand final sides the top 4 goal kickers averaged 61% of the teams goals. Since Round 7, Uraidla has increased this percentage from 61% whilst Blackwood has decreased from 51%, meaning the Woods have have had a greater spread of goal kickers during this period.

Quarter won is another important statistic. To date in 2017 Blackwood has won 67% of all quarters they have played, compared to Uraidla who has won 56% of all quarters. This ranks the sides second and third for quarters won. Looking into it further since Round 7, the Woods have won 68% of quarters whilst Uraidla has only won 50% during the same period. Across these games, Uraidla has only won two of seven last quarters and three of seven first quarters.

Ryan Dijksman has been in outstanding form in 2017 kicking 36 goals

Brad Jones featured in the better players during the Round 7 clash with Uraidla Districts

The key players to watch for Uraidla

Riley Hayes (#3): Was recruited to Uraidla for the 2017 campaign and has immediately impacted the competition kicking fourteen goals and being named in the best players in seven of thirteen matches. In his last six games he has only featured in the best players on one occasion.

Michael Tudor-Tsourtos (#4): The left-footed, long sleeve guernsey wearing is a key player for the Uraidla side. They look to get the ball into his hands on every occasion possible. Whilst only featuring in the best players on three occasions this season, he has been in the best players on 38% of games played since 2014.

Tom Kluvanek (#7): The swing-man has kicked twenty-two goals to date in 2017, his second highest tally since 2010. He has been named in the best players on five occasions throughout 2017 and like Hayes only one has come in the past six matches.

Nick Amato (#15): Moved to Uraidla from North Adelaide in 2017 and like Hayes has made an immediate impact on the competition. He has been in the best players in 92% of the thirteen matches played. (He has the second highest percentage of any player in the competition being Reinbriecht from Echunga who is at 100%). Amato is also the leading goal kicker for Uraidla with thirty-four majors including six hauls of three goals.

Nathan Remnant (#21): Played at Uraidla since 2011 biding his time during their successful periods. He has become a key player in the midfield where he has been a prominent feature in the better players during 2017. Of the thirteen matches, he has featured on nine occasions (second highest for a Uraidla player). In recent matches he has been in red-hot form featuring in the best players five of the last six times he’s crossed the white line.