WE HAVE analysed your club's good statistics from 2017 and now it's time to look at the bad.

Thanks to Champion Data, AFL.com.au has assessed three key areas your club struggled in last season.

Check out the results below.

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Centre clearance differential -1.1 #16 Kicking efficiency 64.5% #16 Forward 50 groundball gets differential -4.3 #17

SUMMARY

The arrival of star recruit Bryce Gibbs should help the Crows in winning centre clearances. It was an area of their game that they struggled at last year, ranking 16th in the League for centre clearance differential (-1.1). That is, they averaged 1.1 less centre clearances than their opposition per game. The Crows' kicking efficiency was also low (16th, 64.5 per cent), but this could come down to game style. Instead of chipping the ball around and maintaining possession, the Crows moved the ball quickly and took risks through the corridor. The Crows' small forwards need to do a better job of winning the ball on the deck, ranking 17th in forward 50 groundball-gets differential, at -4.3 per game.

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Inside 50 differential -14.9 #18 Time in forward half differential -14:53 #17 Points against 114.8 #18

SUMMARY

Coach Chris Fagan's lament for most of last season was his team's inability to get the ball inside the forward 50. Once it went in there, Brisbane was as efficient as any club at converting – it just didn't happen often enough. The Lions were ranked last for inside 50 differential, getting the ball in a staggering 14.9 times less a game than their opponent. This was also reflected in the time in forward half stat, where they ranked 17th. Their opponents had the ball in their forward half an extra 15 minutes each game. Defensively, Brisbane improved almost three goals each game from 2016, but it was still ranked last, conceding 114.8 point a game. This is an area Luke Hodge's addition should help to rectify in 2018. - Michael Whiting

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Disposals differential -21.1 #15 Score from kick inside 50 33.1% #18 Uncontested possession differential -23.3 #17

SUMMARY

While the Blues have improved many aspects of their game under Brendon Bolton, the conversion of their opportunities inside 50 remains a constant problem. This pre-season Carlton’s focus has been on ball movement with the aim of scoring more and making the most of its chances. Last season the Blues were the worst of any team of creating a score from a kick inside 50, at only 33 per cent. Carlton has struggled to win more of the ball than the opposition and importantly use it effectively when in possession. The Blues also need to improve their ability to win more uncontested possessions, which will help them set up play more efficiently. – Howard Kotton

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Offensive one-on-one win 23.5% #18 Opposition kick inside 50 to mark 22.3% #14 Scoring accuracy 55.3% #15

SUMMARY

The lack of chemistry between the Magpies' midfield and attack last year contributed largely to their scoring woes. Attempted kicks to position weren't always placed to the advantage of forwards and as a team they won just 23.5 per cent of offensive one-on-one contests, well down on the AFL average of 28.5 per cent. And their poor conversion rate of 55.3 per cent (trailing the competition average of 57.8 per cent) was an indictment on the likes of Alex Fasolo (29.29), Ben Reid (14.13) and Levi Greenwood (7.18). If Mason Cox (10.5) can establish himself he could lift this rating because he can mark in the hot spot and generally kicks straight. The Pies' team defence was also under scrutiny given they were 14th when it came to conceding marks in their defensive arc. - Ben Collins

Ben Reid and Mason Cox will lead the Pies' attack. Picture: AFL Photos



KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Points from forward half clearances 11.7 #17 First possession to clearance 81.3% #16 Marks inside 50 conceded 13.4 #15

SUMMARY

Essendon was ranked No.2 for scoring from turnovers last year and was organised to score that way. It was 14th for clearance differential, so John Worsfold's men did not win the ball from stoppages very often. The Bombers concede a lot of marks in their defensive 50 because of their aggressive ball movement, leading to a ranking of second in the AFL for defensive-half turnovers. With Essendon's backmen leaving their opponents to stream down the ground, they face a tough task to turn around and pick up a forward quickly if the footy is coughed up. The Bombers' midfield was too often dominated in 2017, particularly for a team that made finals, and adding more talent in there might see more of their first possessions become clearances. - Dinny Navaratnam

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Disposals conceded 401.4 #18 Kick rating -1.5% #18 Contested possession differential -10.6 #17

SUMMARY

With the Dockers embarking on the first full season of a four-year rebuild in 2017 it's not surprising they struggled in a number of key statistical areas. When Freo was in its 'premiership window' during Ross Lyon's early seasons at the helm, the club prided itself on contested ball, but a younger team was beaten up at times last year. The Dockers ranked 17th in contested ball differential (-10.5) across the campaign and also conceded the most disposals in the competition. Poor disposal, especially by foot, has long been a bugbear of fans and a kick rating (which takes kick difficulty into account) of -1.5 per cent last year was the AFL's worst. - Travis King



KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Hit-out to advantage win rate 11.8% #14 Fourth quarter set shot accuracy 59.3% #15 Frees against holding the ball 5.7 #18

SUMMARY

The Cats were one of the teams most affected by the 'third-man up' rule change, which saw Mark Blicavs forced to re-think his role and Zac Smith shouldered with the entire brunt of the ruck work. Smith had a career-best season, but the Cats still lagged when it came to hit-outs to advantage. Still, it didn't seem to hurt their super-talented midfield too much, as they finished third in the League – behind Greater Western Sydney and Adelaide – for clearances. Working on their fourth-quarter accuracy is pretty self-explanatory, with players needing to improve at finding themselves in better positions inside 50 when the heat is on, although the transient nature of their forward line, due to injuries, could have contributed to such unreliability in set shots. They'll be aiming for a more consistent mix of forwards in 2018 after their goal-kickers were cursed in 2017. They were surprisingly last in the competition for frees against holding the ball, which means while they might pack one of the biggest punches when to comes to midfield talent, the Cats need to get better at moving the ball rather than relying on individual skill to run it out. - Jennifer Phelan

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Opposition kick inside 50 retained 53.9% #18 Goalkickers per game 7.4 #16 Tackles 61.6 #18

SUMMARY

Perhaps the most notable area of weakness for the Suns last season was their lack of defensive pressure, and it's backed up statistically. Gold Coast was ranked last in tackles in 2017, notching just 61.6 each game. The League average was 68.5. They did not have one player in the top 60 in the entire competition for total tackles, with David Swallow (91 tackles) the best performed. Gold Coast was also poor at defending opposition kicks-ins. While the League average is a tick under 50 percent for this area, the Suns allowed their opponents to retain the ball almost 54 percent of the time – the worst in the AFL. New coach Stuart Dew has made defensive pressure a priority in his first pre-season and he needed to. - Michael Whiting



David Swallow led the Suns in tackles last year. Picture: AFL Photos





KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Centre clearance to score 19.5% #15 Offensive one-on-one win 23.9% #16 Opposition kick-in to forward half possession 23.8% #14

SUMMARY

The Giants were ranked first in the competition for centre clearances last season which is no surprise given the quality of their midfield, but they’ll be keen to clean up their scoreboard conversion rate this year. Playing three tall targets inside 50 for most of last year often led to a reliance on bombing the ball to Jeremy Cameron, Jon Patton and Rory Lobb. But despite Lobb (fifth) and Patton (sixth) being ranked in the top 10 for contested marks, if they didn’t clunk it, the footy came back the other way too easily. Some of that can be contributed to a lack of pressure from the forwards, an issue that also caused GWS headaches from opposition kick-ins. Forward pressure and competitiveness will be a huge focus for the Giants this season, and they’ll likely only go with two talls to make sure there’s plenty of ground level intensity. - Adam Curley



KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Opposition inside 50 to score 48.8% #14 Points from centre bounce clearance 5.8 #18 Contested possession differential -8.2 #16

SUMMARY

Remember Patrick Dangerfield tearing Hawthorn apart at the MCG last year, ruining an otherwise splendid afternoon to celebrate Luke Hodge’s 300th game? Opposition teams can get hold of the Hawk backline and there were times last year when it was tough sledding for the Hawks’ back six with so many established names sitting in the grandstand. The contested possession numbers also come as no surprise – the Hawks lagged in that department even when the premierships were piling up. But recent personnel moves would suggest they want to get better at the coalface and while the trade for Tom Mitchell was a great move, youngsters Kieran Lovell, James Cousins and James Worpel also have the potential to help Hawthorn’s ranking improve. - Ashley Browne

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Inside 50 to score 43.4% #16 Contested marks 9.4 #16 Defensive midfield to inside 50 38.1% #14

SUMMARY

Despite winning the fourth-most quarters of any team in the competition in 2017, Melbourne's concentration lapses and drop-offs within games tended to be extremely costly. The Demons lost eight quarters by 30 points or more – the fourth-worst in the AFL. No team had a lower kick-to-handball ratio than Melbourne in the midfield zone, emphasising its struggles in moving the ball from defensive midfield to inside 50. Not having Jesse Hogan (illness/injury) and Max Gawn (hamstring) available for the whole season impacted on the Demons' ability to kick the ball forward to a contest, with the team ranked 16th. Small forward Jeff Garlett (42 goals) and Christian Petracca (26 goals) led the Demons' goalkicking. With Hogan playing just 10 games last year, Melbourne lacked a focal point in attack and, more often than not, had to convert its inside 50s in non-conventional ways. - Ben Guthrie

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Opposition defensive midfield to score 20.4% #18 Uncontested marks 71.7 #18 Handball clangers 8.4 #16

SUMMARY

Under Brad Scott, North Melbourne has had an attacking game style and that continued in 2017. On the flip side, North's team defence is not quite up to the standard required yet. That meant opposition teams could go from the defensive midfield (the space between the opposition forward 50m arc and the middle of the ground) and score relatively easily. Another reason was the Kangaroos fielded 11 debutants last year – their most since 2000 – and they played a collective 68 games. With so much youth on the field, it was almost inevitable performances would dip. It takes a long time to master defensive structures, so more experience will help in this facet. North lacks classy midfielders, explaining the handball clangers, and the low amount of uncontested marks was because the Roos ranked last in kicks per game. – Dinny Navaratnam

Jy Simpkin was one of 11 Roos to debut in 2017. Picture: AFL Photos



KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Disposal efficiency differential -1.9% #18 Kick inside 50 retained 46.7% #16 Uncontested possession differential -10.1 #13

SUMMARY

Locking the ball inside the forward 50 was one of the Power's biggest weaknesses last season, but the addition of Melbourne forward Jack Watts should help address that problem. Watts' quality service into attack will play a role in the Power improving on their lowly ranking of 16th for kicks inside 50 retained (46.7 per cent, compared to the League average of 49.1 per cent). It's also up to the small forwards to apply more pressure once the ball hits the deck. The Power also need to improve their disposal efficiency. They were last in the competition for disposal efficiency differential at -1.9. Sitting 13th for uncontested possession differential (-10.1) isn't that big of a problem, given the Power build their game around contested, hard football.

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Kicking efficiency 62.8% #18 Uncontested marks 73.5 #17 Hit-out win rate 35.9% #18

SUMMARY

The Tigers would not have lost any sleep through the season about their 18th ranking for kicking efficiency. Controlling the ball and taking uncontested marks (17th) was not a focus of their new game style and these rankings are almost a badge of honour. The new plan under Hardwick was to move the ball quickly after a turnover and get the ball inside 50 any way possible. That's when the small forwards and pressing midfielders could get to work, either winning the ball or forcing forward-half turnovers and scoring. In a game of territory, the sideways and backward kicks that lead to uncontested marks and lift a team's kicking efficiency were gone. A requirement of the smaller line-up was the absence of a second ruckman for much of the season, with wingman Shaun Grigg nominating as the ruckman at some stoppages. That explains the Tigers' low ranking for hit-out win rate. - Nathan Schmook



KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Points from forward half clearances 13.9 #15 Scoring accuracy 52.0% #17 (equal) Opposition forward 50 marks 13.3 #14

SUMMARY

The Saints' biggest issue last season had nothing to do with their method and everything to do with their finishing. Their scoring accuracy speaks for itself after Jack Billings (23 goals and 36 behinds), Josh Bruce (36.27) and Jade Gresham (30.30) failed to capitalise on opportunities. The Saints were excellent at generating scores from inside 50s, but too often those scores were behinds. They had more success scoring when launching from the defensive half and from turnovers, rather than relying on forward-half clearances (15th). Their inaccuracy also held them back in this stat. The Saints were recognised by Champion Data as the worst team at defending opposition ball movement in their own defensive 50, leading to their ranking of 14th for opposition marks in this area of the ground. - Nathan Schmook

Jack Billings' new goalkicking routine looks alright at St Kilda match sim. pic.twitter.com/RFxsDroakW — Dinny Navaratnam (@dinnynavaratnam) February 9, 2018

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Kick-in to score 5.8% #17 (equal) Disposals per turnover 5.3 #14 Caught holding the ball 5.1 #17

SUMMARY

Bringing the footy into play from a behind has been an issue for the Swans in recent seasons, which is somewhat surprising given how experienced their defence has been. Jarrad McVeigh has been missing for extended periods which has hurt them, so Jake Lloyd, Dane Rampe, Callum Mills and Nick Smith have all had turns taking kick-ins. The first kick hasn’t usually been a problem, it’s the next possession that has let the Swans down. A lack of leg speed through the midfield can take some of the blame because Zak Jones aside, there’s nobody breaking lines to get out the back to help create a quick scoring opportunity. A chip kick in is an easy option but leads to slow ball movement and allows the opposition time to flood back to limit Sydney’s scoring. A lack of pace could also be a factor in Sydney’s players getting tackled with the footy. - Adam Curley



KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Inside 50 from defensive 50 18.7% #15 Hit-out win 39.9% #15 Offensive one-on-one win rate 25.7% #14

SUMMARY

Everybody knew West Coast wouldn't have the same ruck dominance last year without Nic Naitanui, but No.2 big man Scott Lycett missing almost the entire season was a double blow, and the Eagles' hit-out win percentage was the fourth-worst in the competition in 2017. Without a clearance advantage, the midfield struggled to supply a hungry forward line and an inability to efficiently move the ball from defence to attack (ranked 15th from D50 to F50 transition) compounded the issue. Once the Eagles got the ball into attack they were among the competition's most efficient teams, despite rating below average for one-on-one contest wins (ranked 14th). - Travis King

KEY STAT RESULT LEAGUE RANK Inside 50 to goal differential -3.9% #17 Contested marks differential -3.6 #18 Defensive one-on-one marks conceded 16.5% #17

SUMMARY

When it comes to clunking a contested mark, the Bulldogs sit last with a differential of -3.6. With midfielder Marcus Bontempelli leading the club in this important element of the game with 21 last year, coach Luke Beveridge will be hoping the return of key defender Marcus Adams from injury and further development from young key forwards Tom Boyd and Josh Schache will help his side improve. In another glaring stat, the Dogs sit 17th for conceding one-on-one marks in the backline (16.5%). Inefficiency in attack has plagued the Dogs for some time, and this is reflected with a ranking of 17th last year. A fit and firing Tory Dickson and better cohesion between the midfield and attack would help fix this ongoing problem. - Ryan Davidson