FOR all the statistical categories that can sometimes over complicate football, ultimately, the game is about putting the ball through the big sticks.
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And Sandhurst certainly needs no reminder of that given how the Dragons' past two games have played out.
The Dragons have lost their past two matches to South Bendigo and Strathfieldsaye in games where they had more scoring shots than both their opponents.
The Dragons have had a remarkably accurate 32.9 kicked against them the past two games by the Bloods (16.4) and Storm (16.5) in a pair of losses that now leaves Sandhurst - the only team to have beaten top side Gisborne - two games outside the BFNL top five with six rounds to play.
On Saturday the Dragons had 26 scoring shots to South Bendigo's 20, but lost 16.4 (100) to 13.13 (91) at the QEO.
READ MORE: BFNL round 12: Stats what I'm talkin' about
The previous round the Dragons had 23 scoring shots to Strathfieldsaye's 21 in a 16.5 (101) to 11.12 (78) defeat at Tannery Lane.
The Dragons also had more scoring shots than South Bendigo (26 to 24) in their earlier round three meeting when the Bloods won 14.10 (94) to 12.14 (86).
South Bendigo's return of 16.4 from 20 scoring shots last Saturday against the Dragons featured 5.1 in the first quarter, 3.0 in the second, 4.1 in the third and 4.2 in the last, with forward Brock Harvey pivotal in the victory that keeps the Bloods a game clear inside the top five as they chase their first finals berth since 2012.
Harvey booted 6.1 from 10 kicks, took four contested marks and laid four effective tackles - two of which he was awarded free kicks for that resulted in goals.
"Brock was certainly elite for us," said Bloods assistant Neale Torpey, who coached South Bendigo with Nathan Horbury (COVID protocols) unavailable.
"I spoke to him before the game and at half-time around his ability to not just kick goals, but to compete in the air and also, his forward pressure inside 50 is just elite when he's up and about.
WATCH BROCK HARVEY'S MATCH HIGHLIGHTS VS SANDHURST:
"We've already known what he can do, but he showed on Saturday the rest of the competition just how good he is."
Harvey now has 34 goals for the season for the Bloods (7-5), who continue a month of vitally-important games this Saturday against fourth-placed Kyneton at the QEO.
BFNL ROUND 12 GAME-BY-GAME PLAYER STATS:
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