Lions.com.au takes a look at some of the key statistics from the first half of the 2013 season.

Players Used
The Lions have used a total of 37 players across their first 10 matches – the equal second most in the AFL competition. Only the newly-formed GWS Giants (38) have used more.

Todd Banfield, Michael Close, Jesse O’Brien, Patrick Wearden remain the only senior listed players yet to feature in a senior AFL match in 2013.

The Lions’ five debutants is also the second most in the AFL, behind Collingwood and St Kilda who have each blooded six new players.

As a result of the regular changes to the side, only seven Lions players have played in every game so far – Brent Moloney, Jed Adcock, Rohan Bewick, Ash McGrath, Dayne Zorko, Joel Patfull, Jack Redden – which is the second least in the League behind Melbourne (five).

At the other end of the scale, Sydney have been able to maintain the most settled line-up, with 15 of their list playing in every match this season.  

Disposals
The Lions rank 14th in total disposals, with Tom Rockliff boasting a team-high 235 from nine games (averaging 26.1 per game).

Brent Moloney (216), Jack Redden (205) round out the top three.

However, Pearce Hanley averages the second most disposals per game at the Lions (22.1) – despite being held to a season-low 10 against Collingwood last Friday night.

The Lions’ overall disposal tally of 292 against the Pies, was also the team’s lowest for the season.

The Lions’ highest came in Round 5 against Melbourne, when they collected 420 possessions. 

Marks
The Lions also rank 14th in total marks, with a total of 801 for the season. But if marks were an indicator of team performance, someone forgot to tell reigning Premiers the Sydney Swans.

The Swans have taken the least amount of marks so far this season (722), yet sit third on the ladder with just two losses.

Co-Captain Jonathan Brown leads the way in terms of individual marks at the Lions with 58, closely followed by Hanley (53) and Joel Patfull (52).

Brown’s 19 marks on the lead ranks him 6th in the competition, while his 22 marks inside 50m has him placed just outside the top 10.

It’s no secret that the Lions have struggled to find another marking target inside 50m, and statistics support this theory. Rohan Bewick has taken the second most marks inside attacking 50m with just eight, while Marco Paparone – who has played just four games – ranks third at the Club with six.

Clearances
Brent Moloney was recruited to help the Lions win more clearances, and he looks to have done his part with a team-high 54 from 10 matches.

In fact, Moloney ranks equal 14th in the AFL competition along with Adelaide’s Scott Thompson.

Jack Redden (47) and Tom Rockliff (40) have also been busy in the engine room, while Daniel Rich had 20 clearances from four games before suffering a broken scapula on the eve of Round 5.

Tackles
The Lions have the 7th highest tackle count of any team in the competition, with Jack Redden the League leader with 76.

Dayne Zorko also ranks inside the top 20 with 54 tackles, while Brent Moloney (49) isn’t far behind.

Inside / Rebound 50
One area the Lions have really struggled with this season has been generating their forward entries into winning scores.

The Lions rank 12th in terms of total inside 50s, yet are 16th in goals.

The most evident example of this was in the team’s tight Round 7 loss to West Coast at the Gabba. The Lions finished with 52 inside 50s, but managed just 12 goals at a strike rate of just 23%. The Eagles, meanwhile, kicked 17 goals from 46 forward entries (37%). It proved the main difference between winning and losing.

At the other end of the ground, the Lions rank first in rebound 50s, with Jed Adcock ranked second overall in the League with 53.

Goals
The Lions are the third lowest-scoring side in the AFL competition, averaging just 10.9 goals per game. The League’s heaviest scoring side, Hawthorn, average an extra seven goals per match.

It probably doesn’t help that the Lions have the worst conversion rate in front of goals (51.9%).

Jonathan Brown remains the team’s key weapon in attack, but even the Co-Captain has been relatively quiet in front of goals this season with 15 majors from his nine matches (a third of which came against Gold Coast in Round 3).

Dayne Zorko and Rohan Bewick share second place on the Club’s 2013 goal-kicking with 11 goals each this season.   

Dream Team
Tom Rockliff’s absence against Collingwood has enabled Jack Redden to reclaim his position at the top of the Lions’ AFL Fantasy rankings. The top 10 are as follows:

958 – Jack Redden
875 – Tom Rockliff
822 – Brent Moloney
817 – Pearce Hanley
799 – Jed Adcock
769 – Dayne Zorko
663 – Rohan Bewick
624 – Matthew Leuenberger
597 – Jonathan Brown
593 – Mitch Golby