Where has the season gone! This weekend marks the last round of the home and away season in the Hills Football League. Round 18 sees the Blackwood Football Club playing the Mt Lofty Football Club at U-Install-It Kitchens Oval. The round is a big occasion for the club with the fourth Axemen’s luncheon and a live band playing after the completion of the A Grade.

Currently in 2017 Blackwood are sitting second in the Division One ranks with eleven wins, two draws and two whilst Mt Lofty have only won four games to be sitting in eighth position on the ladder.


Previous encounters

In the round 9 match between the sides at Arkaba Oval, the Woods got the jump on the Devils leading by 15 points at quarter time and were never headed. On that day Daniel Bennetts kicked three goals whilst Ryan Anderson was awarded best player. Read the full match summary here

Looking further into the past, the Blackwood Football Club holds the wood over Mt Lofty winning ten of the past thirteen matches, including seven on the trot. The last time Blackwood lost to the Mt Lofty Football Club in the A Grade was back in 2012 in Round 10 where inaccurate kicking resulted in a 14 point loss, 4.13.37 to Mt Lofty 7.9.51.

Since that day on June 23 of 2012, Blackwood has won the next seven games against Mt Lofty by an average of 37 points, kicking at least 15 goals in five of the seven matches. Overall since 2006 the sides have met on 26 occasions with Blackwood winning 13 matches compared to Mt Lofty who have won 13 matches. Of the 10 matches between the sides since 2006 at U-Install-It Kitchens Oval, Blackwood has won on eight occasions having not lost to Mt Lofty at home since 2007.

The final results are as follows:

2016: Blackwood 18.12.120 defeated Mt Lofty 8.4.52

2015: Blackwood 18.15.123 defeated Mt Lofty 5.2.32

2014: No game played as Mt Lofty in Division 2

2013: Blackwood 7.8.50 defeated Mt Lofty 3.16.34

2012: Blackwood 15.9.99 defeated Mt Lofty 16.1.97

2011: Blackwood 13.16.94 defeated Mt Lofty 10.7.67

2010: Blackwood 17.10.112 defeated Mt Lofty 9.9.63

2009: Blackwood 17.13.115 defeated Mt Lofty 14.14.98

2008: Blackwood 14.14.98 defeated Mt Lofty 5.7.37

2007: Blackwood 11.9.75 defeated by Mt Lofty 15.16.106

2006: Blackwood 7.9.51 defeated by Mt Lofty 20.21.141

Harry Wakes completes the definition of ‘head over the ball’

Michael Minuzzo kicks a goal at the southern end of the ground


2017 statistics

Attack, Defence and Differential

After the completion of seventeen rounds, the ladder and statistics have taken shape. The statistics show:

Blackwood has the second best forward line in the competition kicking on average 88 points for per match. This compares with Mt Lofty who have average 58 points for in 2017.

Since Round 9: Blackwood is scoring eleven less points. Mt Lofty has remained steady at 58 points for.

Being hard to score against is a vital part of being a successful side in the Hills Football League. To date in 2017, the Woods have the second best defence conceding on average 5957 points per game, whilst Mt Lofty has the eighth best defence conceding on average 88 99 points.

Since Round 9: Blackwood is conceding 2 more points whilst Mt Lofty are conceding 11 less points per game.

This puts both sides at different ends of the scale in terms of differential, with Blackwood +29 compared to Mt Lofty who are -29. So theoretically before the bounce, the statistics show Blackwood should win the match by 62 points.

Since Round 9: The starting differential between these two sides was +83 to Blackwood.

Brad Jones gets his fingertips to the ball as Kurt Thompson comes to lend a hand

Ryan Dijksman makes sure he’s not dropping this mark


Other 2017 statistics

Quarters won

Blackwood has won 62% of quarters for the season, compared with Mt Lofty who has won 35% of total quarters.

Since Round 9: Blackwood has won 57% of quarters whilst Mt Lofty has won 43% of quarters played.

Accuracy

Blackwood has a shooting accuracy of 50.0% for the season whilst Mt Lofty has the worst accuracy kicking at 45.7%.

Since Round 9: Blackwood has averaged 22 shots per game kicking at 45.5% whilst Mt Lofty has averaged 18 shots kicking at 42.3%. These are the lowest percentages of any sides in the back half of the season.

Players used

Mt Lofty has used the equal most players in the competition to date with forty-one individuals pulling on the red and white with remarkably only 5% of players have played every match. This compares to Blackwood who has used thirty-three players with 27% playing every game.

Woods average shots (Rounds 10 to 17)

HFL average shots (Rounds 10 to 17)

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Woods shooting % (Rounds 10 to 17)

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HFL shooting % (Rounds 10 to 17)


Key players to watch for Mt Lofty

Although Mt Lofty currently sit in eighth position on the ladder, they are a side which you can not underestimate. Some players which the Woods must watch include:

Brad Burch (#3) – The stalwart of the club has played over 250 matches for the Devils. In 2017 he has played fourteen matches being named in the best players on six occasions. The durability of Burch is something to be admired. Of the 145 matches he has played since 2010, he has been in the best players on nighty-eight occasions.

Sam Miles (#7) – A genuine star of the competition Miles is key man for the Mt Lofty Football Club. The attacking midfielder is a key link player for the side with his damaging kick and hard running. In 2017 he has played thirteen matches being in the best players on 85% of the time. He has also kicked seventeen goals.

Mark Nielsen (#8) – A key pillar for the Devils, Nielsen is relied on down back to thwart the attacking forays of the opposition sides. He has played thirty-three games for the Devils since the start of 2016 being in the best players 64% of matches. In 2017 he is one of only two players to have played all fifteen matches.

Daniel Gonzales (#10) – He was the match winner in their round 16 victory over Onkaparinga Valley where he kicked a career high tally of seven goals. In 2017 he has played twelve matches being in the best players on five occasions.

Steve Woods kicks the ball into the forward 50 metre arc

Daniel Benson takes an uncontested mark and Scott Bricknell supports


Final Thought

Both sides are entering uncharted territory having not met in a final round game in any season since 2006. Of the last three round 18 matches both sides have played, Blackwood has won only one (that being in 2016 by 20 points) whilst Mt Lofty has won three from three by an average of 55 points.

See you at the Football #honourthecolours