Looking at the score from Saturday’s clash between Rochester and Shepparton United at Moon Oval it may be hard for the average punter to spot any shining lights for the young Demons.
But through GVL Data, we have the power to delve a little deeper into the numbers, and have picked out one diamond in the rough that would have certainly brought a subdued smile to face of Paul Serra and his United coaching team.
And that is the play of smooth-moving skipper Kyle Clarke.
A model of consistency for the rebuilding Demons this season, Clarke once again proved why he is one of the Goulburn Valley League’s most exciting young talents, putting together an incredible performance across half-back for his struggling team.
With the ball constantly being fired into the Demons’ defence, Clarke picked up a game-high 39 disposals, equalling his biggest tally of the season to date.
But as we always say, there is more to the story than just the 39 disposals.
Of his 39 touches, 28 came as kicks as he did all he could to relieve his young teammates of the constant pressure coming their way.
At a glance
Kyle Clarke v Rochester, round 16
Disposals: 39
Uncontested possessions: 25
Handball receives: 15
Rebound 50s: 10
Ground ball gets: 10
Marks: 8
Intercept marks: 4
Contested marks: 3
The number that stands out from this performance is the 10 rebound 50s, clearly the most of anyone on the field, as he made up just under a quarter of his team’s total in that category on the day.
Clarke also managed a game-high 15 handball receives and gathered 25 uncontested possessions as he attempted to create some sort of drive out of the back half.
On the contested side of things, the young gun got his hands dirty with 10 ground ball gets, while he also showed off his aerobic ability, taking eight marks (three contested and four intercepts).
It was about as well-rounded a performance as you are likely to see from a running defender.
And efforts like this have become a regular occurrence for Clarke in 2022.
Key stats
Kyle Clarke leading the way in 2022
Disposals: 25.6 per game
Marks: 5.2
Intercept marks: 1.8
Handball receives: 9.1
Ground ball gets: 7.4
Rebound 50s: 5.4
Easily United’s most consistent performer this season, the young gun averages 25.6 disposals per game and has only gone under 20 touches on two occasions across his 16 matches to date.
So as Shepparton United continues its rebuild, Clarke is well and truly the central figure behind getting the club back up to the top.