POV – you’re an avid AFL fan who loves the gritty, hard-nosed players who battle week in and week out for their clubs to get their hands on the footy. The players who relish the contest, thrive under pressure, and simply don’t give an inch to the opposition. Well, welcome to AFLW, where tackling is just as rugged, just as brutal and has an impact in a competition that is still somewhat learning the ropes. I may get whacked here, but it’s only Season 8 of the W competition, in a sport that is still semi-professional, and whether we like to admit it or not, the game and its players are still developing their skills. But the tackle sits at the forefront, and has since the league began. It’s a skill that has been drilled into players who came from the various amateur women’s leagues around the country, way before AFLW was even a pipe dream. Those familiar with the women’s game here in Victoria, and clubs such as Diamond Creek and Darebin Falcons will be very aware of names such as Pearce, Vescio, Chiocci and Molloy – and that’s naming just a few - who have been tackling on suburban grounds since back in the 1980’s when the Premier Women’s League began.
Daisy Pearce (Darebin Falcons) tackling Shae Audley (Diamond Creek) back in the 2015 VWFL Premier Division Grand Final. Photo credit – Yuri Kouzmin via Herald Sun
It has been suggested, in a league that has been propelled forward at rapid pace, that the tackle has in fact been the most important part of the game. With the difficult challenge of finding depth in player numbers to contest for wins on a weekly basis, and now with 18 clubs, teams have relied upon the tackle as a means to somewhat stagger the flow of scoring for opposing teams. Big margins and lack of scoring opportunities has meant a need to find ways to hold the ball up, and the pressure from tackling has become a key cog across the competition. Teams still learning game plans and fundamentals in an evolving and improved professional environment have taken the tackle as the measuring stick to keep the opposition honest. And whilst kicking skills and transition from the back half are still a work in progress, there are tacklers that are proving critical for their clubs on a consistent basis.
Ebony Marinoff laying a tackle versus GWS. Photo credit – Sarah Reed, courtesy of News Corp Australia
When we’re talking numbers, of course, we want to look directly at those who have the ‘best’ statistics. And whilst we have to be careful not to simply look at some numbers in isolation, they are a good starting point. All-time tackle leaders are easy to find, with only two AFLW players having amassed tackle tallies into the 500’s over the first seven and a bit seasons. Ebony Marinoff (ADE) leads the way with a total of 598 tackles, and Kiara Bowers (FRE) sits close behind on 561. The next best are Cathy Svarc 370 (BL), Emily Bates 369 (BL/HAW) and Jaimee Lambert 312 (COL/STK). Some may suggest it’s a simple equation. Marinoff has played 69 games in her career, a far cry from Bowers’ 45. Hence, it should be no surprise that her total all-time tackles are higher than Bowers’. However, Bates (69) and Lambert (64) have both played a similar number, and compare similarly with a time on ground percentage across their careers beyond 75%.
So let’s break it down a bit more and have a closer look. If we compare Marinoff and Bowers and their tackling finesse, Bowers is a clear statistical leader. Coming into the competition two years later than Marinoff, Bowers has played 24 less games, and therefore her average tackles per game, including average tackles inside 50 are greater. Furthermore, her total tackles inside 50 are also higher.
Player Comparison - AFLWstats.com.au
Those of you who enjoy looking at the data will also appreciate a bit more of a random snapshot into both players. Midfielders who have been influential, and consistent contributors for their respective teams across their careers so far, it’s interesting to note that both have amassed game high totals of over 20 tackles – Marinoff with 21 versus GWS back in 2018, and Bowers with 22 versus Hawthorn last year. When it comes to opponents, though not OG AFLW clubs, Marinoff has enjoyed playing against Richmond, averaging more than 12 tackles per game against the Tigers. And when we look at Bowers, she has enjoyed her highest average tackle numbers versus the Gold Coast Suns. The venues where we’ve seen the highest average tackle numbers for both, in no surprise, are located close to home. Though not sitting at the top in either instance, mainly due to lack of numbers at each venue so far (we’ve based our figures on a minimum of two games at each location), Wigan Oval in Adelaide and Freo Community Oval are where both players have done the most damage on average, respectively.
Random Tackling Facts, Marinoff v Bowers - AFLWstats.com.au
Whilst season 8 has just begun, we can also consider total tackle number per season over the first 7 seasons to help us paint a picture of how each player has delivered great numbers over a consistent period of time. Already noted, Marinoff was on the field two seasons prior to Bowers, so we can only look at five seasons for her – but as our article suggests, the numbers don’t lie.
Comparison of Season Tackle Totals – Marinoff v Bowers (AFLWstats.com.au)
In her first 7 seasons, Marinoff has finished in the top three 6 times, on top of the total tackle leaderboard on 2 occasions. And Bowers’ record is even more impressive. In just five complete seasons so far, she’s finished top 3 every time, including an amazing record as the total tackle leader on 4 of those occasions. And with game numbers of course increasing season on season, there is a clear increase across the board from season to season (in most cases), however it’s important to note that Bowers has amassed more than 90 tackles in 4 seasons (plus 89 in her first season, S3), whereas Marinoff has only reached 90 once (126 last season, S7).
Kiara Bowers tackles GC player Daisy D’Arcy. Picture credit: Will Russell, Getty Images.
It’s no surprise from what we’ve looked at from just these two players that as OG AFLW clubs, Marinoff’s Crows and Bowers’ Dockers sit in the top three for total tackles all time since the league began. Brisbane have set the bar from day one, collecting more than 4,350 tackles so far, but Fremantle and Adelaide sit in second and third place.
Original AFLW Clubs and their total tackle numbers - AFLWstats.com.au
We’ll be watching Season 8 with interest. With only three games played so far, Ebony Marinoff has again set the standard, in equal first place for total tackles (31, tied with Georgie Prespakis, GEE and Laura Gardiner, SYD). Bowers missed one game but is already in the top 15 with 25 total tackles. Will these two continue leading the pack in one of the key categories for each club, or will some new players push the numbers up and take the mantle for total tackles in 2023? We’ll revisit tackle numbers at the conclusion of the season, along with how the newest AFLW clubs are comparing in their first couple of seasons.
If there’s a statistic you’d like us to put under the microscope and review in more detail, let us know via email – extratimesportstories@gmail.com
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