Here, firstly, is the Rankings on Dashboard Metrics graphic, which really doesn’t tell much of a story after only 13 games. We’ll talk more about it in the weeks to come.

The final Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and shows that the strongest rank correlations with final ladder positions are associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.91)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.85)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.80)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.79)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.78)

• Scoring Shots Generated (+0.73)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.73)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.73)

It’s very much been a season where defences have, at the margin, prevailed.

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.21)

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.51)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and now shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder positions are currently associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.88)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.81)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.79)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.76)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.75)

• Scoring Shots Generated (+0.74)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.73)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.71)

Interestingly, perfomances in any of the four quarters does not appear on this list. Also interesting is the fact that the teams in 4th and 5th on Win Production Function Expected Wins are both out of Finals contention.

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.2)

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.39)

• Q4 Performances (+0.47)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and now shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder positions are currently associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.85)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.84)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.79)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.77)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.75)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.25)

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.39)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and now shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder positions are currently associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.89)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.88)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.87)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.84)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.83)

• Scoring Shots Recorded (+0.74)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.72)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.72)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.12)

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.45)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and now shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder positions are currently associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.83)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.82)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.81)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.79)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.77)

• Scoring Shots Recorded (+0.71)

• Q4 Performances (+0.7)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.7)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.19)

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.43)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and now shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder positions are currently associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.85)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.83)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.83)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.82)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.81)

• Q4 Performances (+0.77))

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.15)

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.43)

There’s no doubt that defence has played a major role in tteam success this year, as evidenced by the high correlation between a number of defence-related metrics and competition ladder performance. Currently, the Top 9 teams on the competition ladder include the Top 8 teams on Scoring Shots Conceded, the Top 8 teams on Goals Conceded, and 7 of the Top 8 teams on Points Conceded.

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and now shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder positions are currently associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.88)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.84)

• Q4 Performances (+0.81)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.78)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.78)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.76)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.75)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.72)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.36)

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.41)

Adelaide’s statistics are particularly interesting at the moment as they are Top 5 on six different metrics, including Expected Wins, and Top 8 on four more, despite sitting 12th on the Ladder.

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and now shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder positions are currently associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.9)

• Q4 Performances (+0.87)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.85)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.79)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.76)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.75)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.74)

• Scoring Shots Registered (+0.72)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.71)

• Q1 Performances (+0.7)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.33)

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.36)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and now shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder positions are currently associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.95)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.88)

• Q4 Performances (+0.85)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.79)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.79)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.78)

• Q1 Performances (+0.75)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.75)

• Scoring Shots Registered (+0.72)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.36)

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.40)

• Q2 Performances (+0.49)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and now shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder positions are currently associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.91)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.89)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.78)

• Q4 Performances (+0.72)

• Q3 Performances (+0.71)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.71)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and, again, uses the Match Ratio metric to adjust for the fact that not all teams have yet had their bye.

The strongest rank correlations with those ladder positions are currently associated with:

• The MoS Win Production Function and Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.90)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.78)

• Q1 Performances (+0.85)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.78)

• Q3 Performances (+0.74)

• Goals Conceded (+0.74)

• Q1 Performances (+0.72)

• Scoring Shots Generated (+0.72)

• Q4 Performances (+0.71)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.30)

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.37)

• Q2 Performances (+0.42)

Winning and losing at the moment is more about scoring shot generation than it is about the average quality of the shots generated.

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and, again, uses the Match Ratio metric to adjust for the fact that not all teams have yet had their bye.

The strongest rank correlations with those ladder positions are currently associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.96)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.9)

• Q1 Performances (+0.85)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.77)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.76)

• Q4 Performances (+0.76)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.75)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.73)

• Scoring Shots Generated (+0.73)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.3)

• Q2 Performances (+0.47)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and uses the Match Ratio metric to adjust for the fact that four teams had byes this week.

Collingwood and Melbourne have the most impressive set of numbers, with the former ranked no lower than 5th except for Q3 Performances, and the latter ranked no lower than 5th except for Q3 Performances and Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion. Melbourne, in fact, are the only team in the Top 8 not to be ranked 12th or lower for at least one of the metrics.

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.96)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.9)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.83)

• Q4 Performances (+0.83)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.8)

• Scoring Shots Generated (+0.78)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.76)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.75)

• Q3 Performances (+0.74)

• Q1 Performances (+0.72)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.18)

• Q2 Performances (+0.44)

It’s notable, I think, that every team currently in the Top 8 is ranked 10th or worse on at least one metric, and six of them are ranked 12th or worse on at least one metric, the exceptions in the latter case being Collingwood and Melbourne.

Notable as well is the fact that the teams in 9th to 15th on the ladder are all ranked in the Top 5 on at least one metric.

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.95)

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.93)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.9)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.8)

• Scoring Shots Generated (+0.8)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.77)

• Q4 Performances (+0.76)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.75)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.15)

• Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.49)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.96)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.94)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.93)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.84)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.71)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.76)

• Own Scoring per Game (+0.73)

• Q2 Performances (+0.72)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.71)

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.94)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.91)

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.91)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.79)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.73)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.73)

• Q4 Performances (+0.73)

• Own Scoring per Game (+0.71)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.71)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.1)

• Q1 Performances (+0.51)

At this stage, Port Adelaide looks perhaps the most out of place as a Top 8 team, based solely on their scoring metrics, and Essendon looks perhaps the most out of place as a team outside the Top 8.

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.91)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.89)

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.79)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.74)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.77)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.75)

• Q4 Performances (+0.74)

• Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.73)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.1)

• Q1 Performances (+0.41)

At this stage, Port Adelaide looks perhaps the most out of place as a Top 8 team, based solely on their scoring metrics, and Sydney looks perhaps the most out of place as a team outside the Top 8.

The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• The MoS Win Production Function (+0.89)

• Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.88)

• Q4 Performances (+0.81)

• Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.8)

• Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.74)

• Own Scoring: Goals (+0.72)

• Own Scoring: Points (+0.71)

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

• Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (-0.04)

• Q1 Performances (+0.35)

Remarkably the ladder’s Top 8 teams includes the four worst teams on Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion.

Overall, the teams whose scoring statistics look least congruous with their ladder positions are Geelong, who the Win Production Function places 2nd, and who are in the Top 4 on a slew of other measures, and Richmond, who the Win Production Function places 11th.