Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury leads the AFL in possessions this season after racking up 273 disposals in nine matches.
That’s an average of more than 30 disposals a game as the young Magpie looks to have further lifted the bar on his already lofty standards.
But Pendlebury says the number of possessions shouldn’t be rated too highly, with the young leader saying a greater emphasis needed to be placed on disposal efficiency.
“I think one of the Geelong guys, maybe Jimmy Bartel, said that 30 has become the new 20 in terms of possessions and I tend to agree with him,” Pendlebury told collingwoodfc.com.au.
“Geelong has high-400 possessions a game so if a team is having that many possessions then someone’s got to have a fair bit of the ball.
“The way footy goes now it’s a bit more of a keeping-off theme than what it used to be.
“In terms of disposals it’s what you do with them. You can get a lot of easy football but if you hurt the opposition with your possessions, then they’re the ones that count.”
While the Magpies star says all teams – and therefore players – are today gaining greater numbers of possessions, statistics show that Pendlebury is also hunting the footy unlike never before.
The 21-year-old worked on his strength over the pre-season to allow him to spend more time in the middle, as well as win more of his own footy.
As well as raising his average disposal count, stats show Pendlebury is winning far more contested football and clearances.
His superb early-season form has seen him come into a $21 chance for this year’s Brownlow Medal.
But Pendlebury says he hasn’t paid too much attention to his own performances.
“I suppose it goes straight back to team aspects and team goals … they’re the things that I focus on going into a game, not individual stuff,” he said.
“If I have 15 possessions and we get a win then I’ll be more than happy every week.”
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