‘AFL Icon Slams Minor Statistic Change That Could Distort the Record Books’

Tony Shaw, the premiership captain of Collingwood, has urged the AFL to cease counting kick-ins as disposals, expressing his frustration over how this rule change is affecting the game’s historical records.

On Anzac Day, Essendon defender Archie Roberts enjoyed a standout performance with 42 disposals, securing a spot in the voting for the Anzac Medal, despite the Bombers suffering a heavy 77-point defeat.

However, out of the 20-year-old’s total disposals, seven were credited from kick-ins, as the Magpies struggled with their accuracy, registering 17 behinds during the match.

If those kick-ins are removed from the tally, Roberts’ disposals drop to 35, still an impressive result but falling short of the 40-mark.

The AFL implemented this rule change in 2019 to reward players who play on from kick-ins. This has resulted in a trend where players are inclined to play on in order to inflate their statistics.

Shaw, who captained the Magpies to their 1990 premiership victory, feels that this alteration has led to an unnecessary inflation of statistics among defenders across the league.

“Today’s topic is kick-ins. They shouldn’t be counted as a stat,” Shaw remarked during a discussion on 3AW on Sunday.

“Archie Roberts, who’s doing his bit as the game is played, achieved 42 disposals on Anzac Day. He had 29 uncontested possessions and, considering Collingwood scored 17 points, he executed seven kick-ins which were effectively disposals for free,” he continued. “These kick-ins shouldn’t contribute to the players’ statistics until the next play begins. They shouldn’t be included as part of the stats.”

“I mention this because (my nephew) Heath Shaw claims he was better than me, but he often takes 10 to 15 kick-ins per game. That can inflate career averages to 25 or 30 disposals per game. It’s nonsense.”

“It’s unjustifiable to count these kick-ins. It distorts historical records and does not reflect true player performance,” he concluded.

In recent weeks, Roberts has taken a notable total of 22 kick-ins, securing a stat for each one. Western Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale leads the league with an average of 8.1 kick-ins per game, executing nearly 90 per cent of them.

In round six, Dale remarkably took 11 kick-outs, playing on from 10 of those, which is the highest by any player this season. He has accumulated 48 disposals from this scenario since round one.

Following him, GWS’ Lachie Whitfield, St Kilda’s Jack Sinclair, and West Coast draftee Josh Lindsay are averaging between five and six kick-ins per game this season.