Free Kick Analysis: How Your AFL Team Stacks Up

Home Free Kick Performance

In a nation where sports are deeply embedded in the culture, discussions around free kicks often dominate casual conversations and media platforms. But what do the statistics reveal about the teams’ performances? Which clubs are benefiting from favorable decisions, and which might need to refine their tackling techniques?

St Kilda Saints have shown remarkable consistency at home this season, not losing a single free kick count in their five home games. They’ve managed a perfect 5-0 record in this metric, accumulating 110 free kicks awarded and conceding 81, resulting in a percentage of 135%. Despite this impressive stat, they have only won two of these matches, highlighting the complex nature of football outcomes.

Three teams—Collingwood, Sydney, and Richmond—are closely following with a percentage around 117%. The Swans lead the league with 147 free kicks awarded on their home turf, while Geelong is not far behind with 146. The smaller stadiums that serve as home grounds for these teams seem to offer a statistical advantage.

On the other hand, the two expansion clubs, Gold Coast and GWS, are struggling on their home decks. The Suns have conceded 27 more free kicks than they’ve been awarded, while the Giants have given up 22 more than their opponents in home fixtures.

Home Free Kick Percentage Ladder

St Kilda
Collingwood
Sydney
Richmond
Western Bulldogs
Geelong
Brisbane Lions
Fremantle
Adelaide
West Coast
Essendon
Melbourne
Hawthorn
Port Adelaide
North Melbourne
Carlton
Greater Western Sydney
Gold Coast

Away Free Kick Performance

Geelong continues to benefit from umpire decisions in away games. Before their recent loss to the Blues at the MCG, they had a percentage of 131%, but after conceding 22 free kicks to 19, it dropped to 120%. This is still the best return for an away side this season.

The Saints follow closely with 111%, while North Melbourne, Melbourne, Sydney, Hawthorn, Essendon, and Richmond also perform well in away fixtures. However, four interstate teams—West Coast, Adelaide, Fremantle, and Greater Western Sydney—occupy the bottom four positions in this category.

Collingwood, a Victorian powerhouse, faces challenges in away games, with a percentage of 93%, which is fifth-worst in the league and the worst among Victorian clubs.

Away Free Kick Percentage Ladder

Geelong
St Kilda
North Melbourne
Melbourne
Sydney
Essendon
Hawthorn
Richmond
Gold Coast
Carlton
Brisbane Lions
Western Bulldogs
Port Adelaide
Collingwood
West Coast
Adelaide
Fremantle
Greater Western Sydney

Total Free Kick Performance

Drum roll, please. The Saints lead the league with the best total free kick percentage at just over 121%. They have won the free kick count in nine out of their 12 fixtures so far. Geelong follows closely with just over 116%.

Six of the bottom nine teams in the free kick percentage ladder are from interstate, adding some weight to the argument about potential ‘Vic bias’. The Giants hold the unenviable title of being the hardest done by, with a percentage below 80%. They have conceded over 50 more free kicks than they’ve been awarded, won the free kick count just twice in 11 fixtures, and are one of only three clubs with fewer than 200 free kicks awarded at the time of writing.