A DEEP dive into the statistics for the Loddon Valley football grand final shows Marong’s flag was won largely due to its stoppage dominance over Bridgewater.
On most stats the two sides were close, but in stoppages and turnovers the Panthers reigned supreme in the Loddon Valley grand final.
They scored 12.5 (77) from those sources to the Mean Machine’s 6.6 (42) in a final decided by 31 points. Marong’s midfield stoppage advantage was particularly stark, generating 6.2 to Bridgewater’s 2.4. 
The Mean Machine was on top in scoring from the defensive-50 – 4.1 to 1.1 – but forward 50 stoppages and turnovers were an issue for Bridgey, with the Panthers scoring 6.4 from this source compared to 3.1.
Other statistics of note included the free-kick count, which Marong won 30-20.
The figures also show that Bridgewater did many defensive things well.
The Mean Machine had 31 spoils to Marong’s 19, 50 one-percenters to 34 and 19 forward-50 tackles to 12.
However, the Panthers won the overall tackled count 91-79, with midfielder Lachie Lee having 13 of them.
Joe Mayes was Bridgey’s best on the day, and his statistics bear out how well he played.
He had 12 kicks at 100 per cent efficiency, 12 intercept possessions – almost a fifth of the team’s total – as well as six marks as he blanketed Marong legend Kain Robins for most of the day.
Bridgewater’s Jack Neylon was the game’s biggest disposal winner with 30, but 10 of those were classified as clangers. Twenty of Neylon’s possessions were contested, five more than the next best, including Bridgey coach Lachie Sharp, Marong skipper Nathan Devanny and Panthers onballer Corey Gregg.
Neylon also racked up 10- clearances, the most on the day.
The highest-ranked player on the field was Marong veteran Shannon Geary, who must have gone close to winning the best-on-ground award. 
He had 28 disposals – 12 of them contested – seven clearances, eight tackles and six inside-50 entries, a goal and two goal assists for 127 ranking points.
The winner of the best-afield award, Panthers rover Jimmy Gadsden, had 21 disposals (including 12 kicks at 42 per cent efficiency), 12 of them contested, six clearances, seven tackles and a goal.
The ruck contest was intriguing, with Marong’s Matt Willox the lowest disposal winner on the ground.
However, the reigning club best-and-fairest had 27 hit-outs, with a game-high six to advantage, while teammate Michael Bradbury had 30 hit-outs, four of which were to advantage.
Alex Powell spurred Bridgewater’s third-quarter revival, but the stats scarcely reflect that.
He had 19 hit-outs, two of them to advantage, but he was still the highest-rated ruckman on the day for his 16 disposals, five marks, fived clearances and four inside-50 entries. 
- GARY WALSH