With the Goulburn Valley League undergoing a split round this week, Rochester had no fixture this Saturday and will take on Kyabram in a special Sunday match-up on July 7 at Kyabram Recreation Reserve.
This presents an opportunity to look at how the Tigers have performed over their first 11 fixtures and what sets them apart from their rivals.
Digging into the numbers, the first thing that becomes apparent are the effort stats.
Rochester leads the league in pressure acts (73.5) by a good margin, with a gap of 10 per game to the nearest rival (Kyabram’s 63.5).
The Tigers also record more spoils than any other side (21.3) and are second in the GVL in terms of tackles made per game (66.6), trailing only Shepparton Bears (72.7).
Rochy isn’t afraid to dig in and gain possession of the loose ball, with the Tigers also logging the most ground ball gets per game (95.3) in the league this season.
Another defensive key is intercept marks, where the Tigers (16.2) rank a respectable third behind Echuca (17.6) and Shepparton Swans (16.9).
On the ball, Rochy is second in contested possessions per game (147.7), gets the ball inside 50 the third most in the GVL (49.6), and marks it there the second most (17.7).
Interestingly for a team in third place on the table, the Tigers have the third-worst disposal efficiency in the league, with only 67 per cent of their disposals finding a teammate.
This all speaks to the tenacious Tigers not being the most skilled side in the league, but one that grinds out wins through hustle and effort.
It’s been working well for Rochester so far. The question remains whether it will be enough to go all the way in the GVL this season with Sunday’s match-up with the Bombers the next measure of the Tigers’ mettle.
Rochester in 2024
Pressure acts: 73.5
Spoils: 21.3
Tackles: 66.6
Ground ball gets: 95.3
Contested possessions: 147.7
Inside 50s: 49.6
Marks inside 50: 17.7
Disposal Efficiency: 67%