The argument that Pickett and Lynch are the reason for the free kick ratio we suffer most weeks has some legs, but it certainly does not explain how we have been reamed since before they were playing for us.
Let us get some perspective on the free kicks we receive and give away.
There is still a yawning gap between the frees for and frees against in 2021 for Richmond, an it follows the trend for a few years, here's how it looks since 2010:
The decent outcome this week only raised our free kick ratio from 69% to 74%. Long way to go.
But let us look at the stats for a moment.
In the game on Sunday the free kick count was 19 to Richmond and 12 to Adelaide.
There are 2 ways of looking at this, the difference and the ratio.
We received a +7 free kick count
We received 158% of the free kicks Adelaide received.
So, when was the last time this sort of difference and ratio happened?
The last time we received a +7 or higher free kick count was R22 2017
The last time we received a 158% or higher free kick ratio was R12 2016
But there is another comparison we can make here, and the results will surprise no-one. When was the last time we were on the receiving end of a similar free kick imbalance?
The last time we received a -7 or lower free kick count was R10 2021.
The last time our opposition received a free kick ratio of 158% or higher was, you guessed it, R10 2021.
The way the game is umpired, with a goal of having less free kicks per game, is a recipe for inconsistency, and for one reason or another we have been on the receiving end of that inconsistency for a few years. One game does not fix this but I suppose it is a start.
We still have the lowest number of free kicks awarded to us of any team in 2021, and that is up to the actions of our opponents, and the umpiring. In 2020 we had the lowest number of free kicks awarded to us in the H&A games as well.
DS