The John Barker Line — Carlton’s Dismal Forwards

There are many Carlton supporters lamenting at the laughable inability of the Blues to convert opportunities in front of goal.

The club has lost a number of games in the past few seasons due  to poor conversion (i.e. August 2012: Gold Coast 15.8.98 def Carlton 11.20.86), but how do the Blues stack up and what is the trend line across the competition?

Goal kicking accuracy (goals as a ratio to total scoring shots)

 photo BluesGoalAccuracy_zps188d6494.png

Forward line efficiency (goals per inside 50)

 photo BluesGolasPerIn50_zps19c36d72.png

Here you see statistical proof that moving John Barker on from the role of Forward Line Coach was not the worst move Malthouse has made. Although Barker is now coaching a backline that’s leaking like Brendan Fevola on a nightclub window.

It’s going to be a long year for Blues’ supporters.

Comments

  1. Damien – I love the way that you use stats to test the crackpot theories that all footy fans have. Interesting that the goals % of total scores for all clubs was slightly higher in 2012 and 2013. Goes against the conventional wisdom that its getting worse. I wonder how it has changed across the decades? Seems to me that there are less scores from set shots than 20 or 30 years ago, and more from broken play.
    I have this image of the Little family growing up. Some families played doctors and nurses. I reckon you played Dr Freud to Craig’s hysterical Dora.

  2. Djlitsa
    Thanks you for pointing out that the Blues are shite. That said, when a graph can start kicking regular bags I’ll take more notice

    ED”
    What do you mean oasis of sanity in a storm. More like a deserted island in the middle of a cesspool. Did you see that garbage the other night. We are not the ones that should be in the loony bin.

    cheers
    TR

  3. Hi Peter, thanks for your comments. Actually the red markers are only for top 8 teams that went up in 2012 and 2013. A lot of the time, looking at the numbers is a bit like reading the tea leaves, don’t really mean mean a lot much of the time but I think it is safe to say the Blues need to improve on goal kicking.

    Hi Tony – should we win a few games I’ll definitely be looking for some numbers to “prove” we are on the way to the finals!

  4. Tony Robb says

    Damien
    Will it be a Bell Curve or a J Curve. If the former, it peaked in 1995. If the latter it will look like fish gaffe from 2000 onwards
    cheers
    TR

  5. Damien- “leaking like Brendan Fevola on a nightclub window” is a great line. Fev was a beautiful kick for goal, and would outdo most at goalkicking today, even on his wayward journey home from said nightclub. He should be Carlton’s goalkicking coach, but probably not the Social Responsibility director.

  6. John Butler says

    DJL, one of the many questions at Carlton is how John Barker has kept a job.

    I can see Litza in a Dora outfit actually….

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