How your AFL team can improve in 2022

As teams start returning for official pre-season training, game plans and areas of improvement for 2022 are being finalised. Football reporter Jon Pierik and Champion Data’s Louie Kebakovski run the rule over your team.

Adelaide

The Crows began promisingly under coach Matthew Nicks last season but fell away and then had to deal with the Taylor Walker racism scandal. They must improve their tackle differential, given they have ranked in the bottom two in each of the past three seasons. In 2021, they were out-tackled by 10.2 per game, ranked last. They were out-tackled by at least 10 in 13 matches, including by 45 against St Kilda in round 13 â€" the second-worst differential of any side since 2016. It’s time to toughen up.

Carlton’s new senior coach Michael Voss.Credit:Carlton FC

Brisbane Lions

The Lions will almost certainly be in the premiership frame, for the Gabba will again be a fortress. But it’s what goes on in September that really counts and the Lions have had their issues there in recent seasons. Since 2019, they have won 29 of 35 matches at home but four of the defeats have been in finals, losing to Richmond, the Giants, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs. Has this become a psychological issue or is it more to do with game plan? Time will tell.

Carlton

New senior coach Michael Voss and assistant Aaron Hamill have been brought in to help reshape the Blues’ defensive structure. That Liam Jones, who has so far refused to be vaccinated, may miss the entire season won’t help in this regard, but the Blues are banking on a team-first approach regardless of personnel. Only North Melbourne conceded more points than the Blues in 2021 â€" conceding 100 or more points in nine matches. The Blues also conceded the third-most marks inside 50 and were the third-easiest side to score a goal against once entering the forward 50.

Collingwood

New coach Craig McRae has much to work on. The Pies need to find a way to hit the scoreboard but it will be just as interesting to see what his approach to defence is. Under Nathan Buckley, the Magpies conceded just 77.8 points per game from rounds 1-13 â€" ranked sixth and the fewest of any team outside the top eight. They weren’t as effective after his departure, conceding 89.2 points from round 15 â€" ranked 17th. But it should be said caretaker Robert Harvey gave his men greater freedom.

Jye Caldwell will be a welcome return for the Bombers.Credit:Getty Images

Essendon

The Bombers, led by Zach Merrett, Dylan Shiel and Darcy Parish, have a strong, improving midfield, particularly with the big-bodied Jye Caldwell returning from injury. They will be keen to boost their contested possession numbers, given they have been in the negative over the past two seasons. Last season, they were the worst-performing finalist, losing contested possessions by 5.1 per game â€" ranked 13th. This blew out to 22 in the losing elimination final to the Western Bulldogs.

Fremantle

There is much to like about the manner in which Justin Longmuir has gone about rebuilding the Dockers, although the health of Nat Fyfe remains a concern. Where they need to improve is in their turnover game. They ranked bottom in scores from turnover differential (-13.8 points) last year, including being outscored by more than 20 points in nine matches. To underline how important minimising turnovers is, in the six games they were in the positive, they boasted a 5-1 win-loss record.

Geelong

Chris Scott has much to ponder heading into his 12th season. The finals failures have become an issue, having been eliminated in a preliminary final five times in nine seasons. As new CEO Steve Hocking said: “The closer you get to the top of the mountain ... sometimes you can actually be getting further away from it.” The Cats have struggled offensively in finals across their past four campaigns, averaging just 64.8 points, including reaching 100 points in just two of 11 finals. By comparison, they average 85.6 points through the home-and-away season over the same period, ranked second.

Gold Coast

Coach Stuart Dew is under enormous pressure next season, coming in a year when Alastair Clarkson and Buckley are on the free market. The Suns have much work to do, particularly when it comes to finishing seasons strongly. Since 2017, from round 15 onwards, they have only five wins from 39 matches â€" the fewest of any side. Carlton and Fremantle (12 wins apiece) are the next worst.

Jesse Hogan will be a key again for the Giants.Credit:AFL Photos

Greater Western Sydney

Leon Cameron had a fine 2021, guiding his side into a semi-final in a season in which the Giants spent much of it on the road because of Sydney’s lockdown. Amid the Toby Greene controversies, the Giants averaged just 9.7 marks inside 50 last season â€" the second-fewest, behind only Gold Coast (9.3). A consistently fit Jesse Hogan would help in this area. They also ranked 13th for inside-50 differential, losing the count by 4.3 per game, which was the worst record of any finalist.

Hawthorn

The football world eagerly awaits just what the new era under Sam Mitchell brings. We know the Hawks were unable to be as productive as they had hoped through the trade period, so whether this impacts the game plan Mitchell settles on remains to be seen. Scoring from stoppages was an issue last season, for they were ranked 17th in points differential in that area (they were 16th in 2020). In the 15 games they were outscored from clearances, they paid a price, winning only three and drawing once.

Melbourne

Simon Goodwin and the Demons will be out to build on their premiership win.Credit:AFL Photos

It was difficult to find fault with the Demons, who produced one of the greatest third-quarter blitzes in grand final history to deliver a breakthrough premiership. They will be keen to maintain the statistical advantage they had in several areas, particularly in scores-from-turnovers differential, where they were ranked No.1. Coach Simon Goodwin is no doubt aware that in the five matches they were outscored in via that source, they only had a win, a draw and three defeats. For the Demons, their biggest challenge may be ensuring they maintain their selfless attitude amid the mental challenge of seeking back-to-back flags.

North Melbourne

The Kangaroos have undergone a football-department clean-out and reconfiguration, and head into season two under David Noble determined to again avoid finishing last (although there will be considerable reward for that at this month’s national draft). The Roos must work on their stoppages, for they were 13th in the league for clearance differential (-1.1). They were outscored by 15.1 points per game from clearances (ranked last) and were outscored in 19 of 22 games. They hope a healthy Ben Cunnington can help rectify matters.

Dustin Martin will be back and the club says he shapes as a captaincy contender.Credit:AFL Photos

Port Adelaide

Ken Hinkley is another coach firmly in the spotlight, as the Power have faltered on the cusp of a grand final berth in each of the past two seasons.

They are exhilarating when on the attack but, without the ball, were exposed by the Western Bulldogs in a brutal preliminary final loss. They were outscored by 52 points in turnovers â€" their worst differential since 2018. They were crunched in the contest in the first term, losing the contested possession differential by 23 â€" the worst differential at quarter-time in a final since 2000. All this despite boasting Ollie Wines, who a week later became the first man to become a Brownlow medallist while playing at the club.

Richmond

The Tigers have put their 2021 flame-out down to injuries and exhaustion, having had four straight deep finals runs, for three premierships. They had just two wins from their last 10 matches, and were ranked last on the AFL form ladder from round 13. In that time, they also ranked last in scores from clearance differential, 17th for contested possession differential and 15th for converting inside 50s into a score. The absence of Dustin Martin hurt, but he is back from a kidney injury and, according to club CEO Brendon Gale, shapes as a captaincy contender.

Lance Franklin.Credit:AFL Photos

St Kilda

Brett Ratten is another coach off contract next season, and has spoken of the spectre of Clarkson. The Saints had both forward and defensive issues last season. Remember the 111-point loss to the Western Bulldogs, or the 86-point mauling by the Tigers? Max King is an emerging star and it’s up forward where they hope he can help the Saints improve from a 12th ranking for points scored â€" an issue they had addressed in 2020 (ranked fourth).

Sydney

The return of Lance Franklin gave the Swans greater potency up forward. His kicking efficiency this season (64.3 per cent) and shot-at-goal accuracy (61.4) was the best it’s been since his second season of 2006. On a wider scale, however, conversion was a key for John Longmire’s team. In wins, it scored from 48.4 per cent of inside 50s â€" ranked second. In defeats, that figure dropped to 34.1 per cent, ranked last in the league.

West Coast

Are the Eagles done, or can Adam Simpson have them rise again? This is one of the intriguing storylines of 2022. But for the Eagles to be a legitimate premiership threat, their form on the road must improve. They had only three wins from 10 interstate matches last season. They conceded 95.3 points per game on their travels, ranked 17th, behind only Carlton (99.2). That they allowed a score from 50.8 per cent of an opposition’s inside 50s in these matches â€" ranked last â€" was also a worry.

Western Bulldogs

The Dogs were brave and bold in 2021 and overcame considerable odds in having to play all their finals on the road, before falling away after half-time in the grand final. Their work around the ball will again be pivotal next season. Only four times were they outscored from turnovers and at stoppages in 2021, one of which was in the grand final. On that night, they were outscored by 39 points from turnovers and 35 points from stoppages â€" their second-worst result in any match for the year.

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Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via Twitter or email.

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