Clearances

When the ball is cleared from a stoppage (ball up or ball in) scenario, either by kicking, handballing or punching the ball.

Often this statistic is separated into clearances that can occur anywhere on the ground, and centre clearances that are only the result of centre-bounces at the beginning of the game, or at the restart of play after a goal is kicked.

High clearance numbers from a team or individual players usually coincide with high contested ball numbers, as the player who can win the ball in the middle has the first opportunity to send it forward.

Example: “Richmond dominated in the clearances, smashing St Kilda's by 53 to 25 in the scrap”

Clearances are another stat which convey the strength and ability of a team's midfield unit. High clearance numbers mean that the ball is being sent forward towards goal.

When a team that averages plenty of clearances comes up against a team with low clearance numbers, there is a potential for a blowout score.

Benchmark: A game where a team had less than 35 Clearances suggests they have been dominated at the stoppages. If a player were to have over 5 Clearances in a game, it would be considered a valuable contribution.