THEY say bad kicking is bad football, so obviously the opposite should be true.

And it comes as no surprise that three of the five teams that have cleared out at the top of the VFL ladder are well positioned when it comes to converting their opportunities into goals.

When rushed behinds are removed from the accuracy percentage table, Geelong, Box Hill Hawks and Southport sit third, fourth and fifth, efficiency that has lifted them into premiership contention.

The Cats have kicked 130.105 at a conversion rate of 55.3 per cent, with the Hawks (141.116, 54.9%) and Sharks (159.133, 54.5%) not far behind.

When you remove the rushed behinds, those percentages increase to 62.5, 60.3 and 59.6, lifting each club one rung further up the table.

The leader on the accuracy table is Sandringham, with the Zebras putting themselves firmly in contention for a finals berth by kicking 103.77 in their eight matches at a conversion rate of 57.2 per cent, rising to an impressive 64.8 when their 21 rushed behinds are discounted.

But there are always outliers.

The Casey Demons and Aspley are at opposite ends of the VFL ladder, and also sit at opposite ends in accuracy – the other way round.

The Demons have defied the accepted science, carving out a 7-1 win-loss record to sit third on the VFL ladder despite converting at a league-worst 46.9 per cent (105.119) – and although it rises to 51.7 without their rushed behinds, they are still comfortably last in that category.

It is no surprise, therefore, that their one defeat came when kicking 7.12 to GWS’s 8.7 to lose by a point.

The Hornets, meanwhile, are struggling with just one win from nine games and are on an eight-match losing streak, but it is no fault of their forward line, with Matt Hammelmann leading the Frosty Miller Medal with 39.16 and Connor Stackelberg riding shotgun with 20.9.

They have scored 112.90 overall at 55.5 per cent to sit second behind the Zebras and are still sixth at 58.3 per cent without their 10 rushed behinds.

Undefeated ladder leader Footscray is sixth on the accuracy table at 54 per cent (10th, 57.7% without rushed).

The battle for the last three spots in the top eight could come down to accuracy – with Sandringham having that clear advantage, followed by GWS (52.2%), Collingwood (52%), Werribee (51.4%), Frankston (49.8%) and Williamstown (49.5%).

Without rushed behinds, Frankston has a bit of work to do, sitting in 20th spot on 53.9 per cent, but all the contenders apart from Sandringham are in the bottom half of the table.

ACCURACY PERCENTAGE (goals.behinds, %):
1.  Sandringham (103.77, 57.2)
2.  Aspley (112.90, 55.5)
3.  Geelong (130.105, 55.3)
4.  Box Hill Hawks (141.116, 54.9)
5.  Southport (159.133, 54.5)
6.  Footscray (127.108, 54.0)
7.  Brisbane (98.85, 53.5)
8.  Carlton (99.87, 53.2)
9.  Greater Western Sydney (106.97, 52.2)
10. Collingwood (90.83, 52.0)
10. Gold Coast (90.83, 52.0)
12. Sydney (104.97, 51.7)
13. Werribee (108.102, 51.4)
14. Richmond (104.99, 51.2)
15. North Melbourne (72.69, 51.1)
16. Frankston (117.118, 49.8)
17. Northern Bullants (78.79, 49.7)
18. Williamstown (99.101, 49.5)
19. Essendon (74.76, 49.3)
20. Coburg (100.104, 49.0)
21. Port Melbourne (71.79, 47.3)
22. Casey Demons (105.119, 46.9).

PERCENTAGE WITHOUT RUSHED BEHINDS:
1.  Sandringham 64.8
2.  Geelong 62.5
3.  Box Hill Hawks 60.3
4.  Southport 59.6
5.  Gold Coast 58.4
6.  Aspley 58.3
7.  Brisbane Lions 58.3
8.  Carlton 57.9
9.  Sydney 57.8
10. Footscray 57.7
11. Collingwood 57.0
12. Werribee 56.3
13. Richmond 55.9
14. Greater Western Sydney 55.8
15. Coburg 55.6
16. North Melbourne 55.4
17. Williamstown 54.7
18. Port Melbourne 54.2
19. Essendon 54.0
20. Frankston 53.9
21. Northern Bullants 53.4
22. Casey Demons 51.7.

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

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