After a weekend of footy where the officiating was again called into question, it seems like the perfect time to put forward another Free Kick Ladder.
Hawthorn’s win over Brisbane in Tassie was a meritorious result, but the umpiring was the talk of the day after a massive 63 free kicks were paid - the most in a game since 2012.
Many footy identities took to social media to air their frustrations, with some labelling it “terrible” and others “outrageous”.
There was also some negativity surrounding Saturday night’s Dreamtime clash between Richmond and Essendon while the Adelaide v St Kilda match was also a frustrating watch for some.
A total of 415 free kicks were handed out across Round 10 at an average of 46.1.
In contrast, the same round last season had 314 frees at an average of 34.8.
Without further ado, here is the Free Kick Ladder after 10 rounds of the 2022 season.
The Western Bulldogs sit atop with a differential of +55 with the second most frees for and least against.
They are 22 clear of second-placed Carlton who hold a +33 differential with the third most frees for, just one ahead of Adelaide on +32. The Crows have been awarded the most frees so far.
Fourth is Collingwood on +21 and Melbourne sit fifth on +14, while Fremantle +12, Hawthorn +6, Essendon +5 and North Melbourne +3 are the other teams with a positive
Down the bottom, it is Richmond who have been on the wrong end of most umpires’ calls. The Tigers are -66 having given up the most frees against and least frees for.
The Sydney Swans are second bottom, more than double the differential, with -32 from the second most frees against.
Gold Coast -19, West Coast -17, Port Adelaide -15, St Kilda -14, Brisbane -12, GWS -5 and Geelong -1 are all in the red.
See the Free Kick Ladder after Round 10 below:
| Position | Club | Frees For | Frees Against | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Bulldogs | 247 | 192 | 55 |
| 2 | Carlton | 241 | 208 | 33 |
| 3 | Adelaide | 250 | 218 | 32 |
| 4 | Collingwood | 228 | 207 | 21 |
| 5 | Melbourne | 220 | 206 | 14 |
| 6 | Fremantle | 239 | 227 | 12 |
| 7 | Hawthorn | 226 | 220 | 6 |
| 8 | Essendon | 215 | 210 | 5 |
| 9 | North Melbourne | 231 | 228 | 3 |
| 10 | Geelong | 218 | 219 | -1 |
| 11 | GWS | 209 | 214 | -5 |
| 12 | Brisbane | 225 | 237 | -12 |
| 13 | St Kilda | 218 | 232 | -14 |
| 14 | Port Adelaide | 213 | 228 | -15 |
| 15 | West Coast | 199 | 216 | -17 |
| 16 | Gold Coast | 202 | 221 | -19 |
| 17 | Sydney | 216 | 248 | -32 |
| 18 | Richmond | 183 | 249 | -66 |
We’ve also taken a look at the 50-metre penalties, which has been a hot topic in 2022.
Richmond has given away a massive 28, double the amount of the next.
Gold Coast has given up just five.
See the ladder for most 50-metre penalties against below:
| Club | 50s against |
|---|---|
| Richmond | 28 |
| Hawthorn | 14 |
| St Kilda | 14 |
| West Coast | 14 |
| North Melbourne | 13 |
| Port Adelaide | 13 |
| Adelaide | 12 |
| Sydney | 12 |
| Brisbane | 11 |
| Collingwood | 11 |
| Geelong | 11 |
| Essendon | 10 |
| GWS | 10 |
| Western Bulldogs | 10 |
| Melbourne | 9 |
| Fremantle | 8 |
| Carlton | 7 |
| Gold Coast | 5 |