Contested Possessions

Regarded as one of the most important statistics in the AFL, contested possessions mean the amount of times a team or player wins the ball in a contest.

This is usually achieved by picking the ball off the ground, taking possession in the air, or marking it in the air when two or more players are vying for possession of the ball.

In close games, contested possessions become an even more critical AFL stat. With the game on the line, the player who can win the ball in the contests will give his team a huge advantage that more often than not proves decisive.

Example: “Josh Kennedy has been a bull in the middle of the park, picking up a game-high 20 contested possessions.”

From a betting perspective, contested possessions provide the best indicator of how good a team's desire, toughness and midfield strength is. Winning more contested possessions than the other team is crucial, as it allows your team to have more ball and therefore more chance of scoring a goal.

With the ball almost always in a contest, the players who lead contested possession stats are usually among the favourites to win the Brownlow Medal.

Contested Possessions: A good player will get 10+ Contested Possessions per game