Two of football's biggest names have launched stinging attacks on Nathan Fyfe's defensive game recently, but a closer look at the Fremantle captain's statistics show the duo are off the mark.
Premiership coaches Mick Malthouse and Paul Roos both believe Fyfe doesn't work hard enough when the Dockers don't have the ball and lets his opponent run off him.
Nat Fyfe was criticised for his defensive running against the Suns, despite official AFL stats rating him the best player on the ground.Credit:AAP
Roos, who coached the Swans to a premiership in 2005 against West Coast, said Fyfe's defensive running was at the lowest end of AFL standards after the Dockers lost to Gold Coast by three points at Metricon Stadium on Sunday.
"I know [he] is an outstanding player … [but] some of his off-ball running is bottom end. Its just absolute bottom,” he told Fox Footys On The Couch on Monday.
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The 27-year-old is a Brownlow Medallist, dual All-Australian and dual Doig Medallist and regarded far and wide as one of the AFL's best players but Roos claimed opposition coaches had identified this flaw in his game and had begun to exploit it.
"Ive spoken to opposition coaches and I know they exploit him on the outside," Roos said.
"When they (Fremantle) dont have the football, he doesnt work hard enough defensively.
"The trick to it is to get off him and run … and thats what the Suns did really well.
"Hes a great player but what I'm saying is the level of coaching that goes into the game now, youll look at all opposition players and youll say 'his strength is this and its hard to stop him'.
"So you say; 'what were going to try and do boys is nullify (Fyfe) around the stoppages and then get off him in general play'."
Malthouse also took a swipe at Fyfe's defensive running on the eve of the season, while highlighting his "deplorable" disposal.
Fyfe was elite against the Roos, his 32 touches including eight intercepts, 13 score involvements, five centre clearances and 22 contested posessions.Credit:AAP
Malthouse hits the nail on the head regarding Fyfe's disposal. His career average disposal efficiency is 66.8 per cent while his kicking efficiency is 56.9 per cent, both below the mean AFL benchmark.
But of 55 key statistics Champion Data measures for each AFL match, the only other field Fyfe rates below-average in is rebound 50s, which sit at 1.2 a match over his 155-game career and could suggest, as Roos believes, that he doesn't occupy the opposition's inside 50 as often as his team needs.
Most of Fyfe's other stats are either benchmarked as elite (top 1-10 per cent) or above average (11-35 per cent).
A closer look at his career averages show Fyfe is a great defensive player:
- Tackles – 4 (average)
- Tackles inside 50 – 0.6 (average)
- Pressure acts – 18 (above average)
- Spoils – 0.8 (above average)
- Intercept possessions – 3.5 (elite)
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