Is Ballantyne our most important player?

[Kenny_01]

Found this interesting piece on Champion Data's twitter. http://t.co/v73fNDxB7t

Since Rd 1 2010 we have won 68% of games when Ballantyne has played. In contrast, we have only won 28% games where he hasn't played. I think the sample size here is large enough for this to be a significant trend.

Even since Lyon took over, we have won 42 of 56 games with Ballantyne but only won 3 of 8 without. I dare say we would have beaten North earlier this year had Ballantyne played.

Hopefully we can buck the trend this week but we need Ballantyne for the finals. His defensive work cannot be replaced by anyone on our list and this season he has also added a very strong offensive element to his game.

 

[GordonT]

I think that Freo have evolved beyond a team that requires a "most important player".

 

[Seppo]

I think Walters and Hill are more important as current missing players than Ballas is at the business end of the season.

 

[Bicco]

Found this interesting piece on Champion Data's twitter. http://t.co/v73fNDxB7t

Since Rd 1 2010 we have won 68% of games when Ballantyne has played. In contrast, we have only won 28% games where he hasn't played. I think the sample size here is large enough for this to be a significant trend.

Even since Lyon took over, we have won 42 of 56 games with Ballantyne but only won 3 of 8 without. I dare say we would have beaten North earlier this year had Ballantyne played.

Hopefully we can buck the trend this week but we need Ballantyne for the finals. His defensive work cannot be replaced by anyone on our list and this season he has also added a very strong offensive element to his game.

Any idea of the teams who we lost too and he didn't play? If the games were against Hawks, Sydney etc it may take something away from the stat. It's an interesting one though.

 

[Schauermann]

Any idea of the teams who we lost too and he didn't play? If the games were against Hawks, Sydney etc it may take something away from the stat. It's an interesting one though.

Lost:
2014 North,
2013 Richmond, St. Kilda (Rd23)
2012 Sydney, Essendon

Won against:
2013 Western Bulldogs, Adelaide
2012 Brisbane

Onviously we lost mainly (apart from St. Kilda) to teams where he really could've been the difference, while winning against fairly easy opposition. But that is business as usual, closer/harder games can more easily decided by one player missing.

But sometimes there is more to it. Richmond vs Freo for example where we won earlier in 2013: Missed Ballas kicking 4 including the matchwinner but also McPharlin who held Riewoldt to 1 goal instead of 4 in the replay. Earlier games was our homegame as well. So a 28 point turnaround is not unreasonable.

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

Of the games we lost, how many of them were also without Sonny in the side?

 

[clivenator26]

When ballaz kicks 3 goals or more we are 27-1, the one loss being his second career game.

Hill, the other barometer for us when he has 24 or more we are 24-3.

Walters more of an important cog for mine and I dare say more opposition coaches put more work into him but ballaz is the barometer.

 

[Lost_Deputy]

All things considered he probably is. Ballaz embodies everything Ross is trying to get out of the rest of the boys. A little like Hodge for the Hawks but with more impact

 

[valkorum]

I agree with GordonT that we dont need a "Most Important Player" but I am much happier with Balla in the team. I also want Walters and Hill in the team sooner, rather than later as well.

 

[Kram]

Really missed him in the Norf game with that stupid suspension.

 

[Eski3]

I think Ballantyne is more of a "barometer" than he is our most important player. Important players don't have natural replacements, which causes a reshuffle in structures when they are out. With Walters fit and DeBoer and Mayne both playing up forward, Ballantyne can miss a game without our structures suffering too much

I think our most important players are Fyfe and Mundy. We don't have like-for-like replacements for them when one of them goes out

Walters being injured does make Ballantyne very important though....

 

[mightydockers]

When ballaz kicks 3 goals or more we are 27-1, the one loss being his second career game.

Hill, the other barometer for us when he has 24 or more we are 24-3.

Walters more of an important cog for mine and I dare say more opposition coaches put more work into him but ballaz is the barometer.

hopefully ballaz can back it up in this finals series :S. walters is already a proven finals performer

 

[yoong]

Didn't we have similar stats posted for Pav and McPharlin last year when they were out?

There is a couple of players that are important to the team, and Ballantyne definitely is among them.
We are definitely worse off when one of them don't play, but given our depth and team structure I don't think there is any single player you can point to and said that had he played we would have won a match we lose (e.g. Fyfe Sydney, Ballas North)

 

[PapaJ]

Balla is so important to us at the moment because he's in ripping form and the most constant avenue to goal, and scoring has been out biggest weakness - but that's really only been in recent weeks.

In a broader sense, I still think one of the big three midfielders are the most important (Fyfe, Mundy, Barlow). One of those goes out and we're decidedly weaker, two go out and we become very very vulnerable to most teams I reckon. Sandi is another. Elvis has been vital when playing any team with a decent forward, but we seem to be covering without him better these days.

All things considered, the player I'd least want out of the team, especially playing a big important game, would be Fyfe, pretty simple really for mine. Sandi would probably be the next one.

 

[strobe00]

All things considered he probably is. Ballaz embodies everything Ross is trying to get out of the rest of the boys. A little like Hodge for the Hawks but with more impact

... And a lot less love from oppo supporters and media.

 

[Freomaniac]

overall he would easily be in the top 10, possibly top 6.

Fyfe, Pav, Mundy, Sandilands and Hill would be Freos top 5 important players in my opinion. Ballas, McPharlin, Johnson and Barlow and Walters would make up the top 10.

 

[sij1981]

Found this interesting piece on Champion Data's twitter. http://t.co/v73fNDxB7t

Since Rd 1 2010 we have won 68% of games when Ballantyne has played. In contrast, we have only won 28% games where he hasn't played. I think the sample size here is large enough for this to be a significant trend.

Even since Lyon took over, we have won 42 of 56 games with Ballantyne but only won 3 of 8 without. I dare say we would have beaten North earlier this year had Ballantyne played.

Hopefully we can buck the trend this week but we need Ballantyne for the finals. His defensive work cannot be replaced by anyone on our list and this season he has also added a very strong offensive element to his game.

We will buck the trend too much at stake, one thing is with Ross we rely on no one player. Ballad was missed big time in Sydney game we lost by 15 I think his pressure was missed big time then and 1-2 freakish goals and 1-2 creations for others

 

[sij1981]

When ballaz kicks 3 goals or more we are 27-1, the one loss being his second career game.

Hill, the other barometer for us when he has 24 or more we are 24-3.

Walters more of an important cog for mine and I dare say more opposition coaches put more work into him but ballaz is the barometer.

I reckon walters would have been second for the gf medal had we won it behind mundy Walters single handedly got us close with an injury he looks like he is on a mission to be back before finals a determined bloke

 

[hoss]

I think Barlow is our barometer actually. When he's out, we have troubles.

 

[Righteo]

Our forward pressure does seem non-existent without Ballas in the team so OP may not be too far off. Also gives the greatest effort which is infectious.

 

[samFFC]

Yes.

 

[wild side]

Yes he is.

 

[Outshined]

Possibly, but I don't even think he could have lifted us today.

 

[Pegasaur]

Possibly, but I don't even think he could have lifted us today.

He would have tried at least.

 

[benfica]

how that selfish pric k ballas gets away with any criticism is beyond me after that forgetable gf you would think he would make amends but NO
gets suspended against north ,we would have won that game if he played and now against st kilda when he was our most inform player