West Coast Eagles land right down the bottom with the umpires for free kick differential so far this season

West Coast are one of the umpires’ least favourite teams so far this season, new figures have revealed.

Just four teams have received fewer free kicks than the Eagles through the first 20 rounds of this season and they have also given up the fourth-most free kicks against.

The Eagles have the third-worst differential in those stats of any team in the competition. Port Adelaide and battlers North Melbourne are the only two teams who have fared worse in the eyes of the umpires.

Leading the way for West Coast is young gun Harley Reid, who despite being ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ankle injury, has tied the club record for the most frees given away in a season.

Reid now shares the record of 60 frees against with Karl Langdon from the club’s 1992 premiership season. Reid got there with two fewer games.

Elliot Yeo racked up 53 in 2018 and Reid’s 47 in his debut campaign last year has now dropped to fourth on the all-time charts at West Coast. Peter Sumich rounds out the top five from the 1993 season.

Reid’s tally is also the highest by any non-ruckman since Adelaide hard man Scott Thompson notched 61 in 2012.

Fremantle have only been looked at slightly more favourably by the umpires. They have the equal fifth-worst differential of any side in the league, tied with Richmond. St Kilda are the other club with a negative differential.

Carlton have the best differential in the league, followed by Hawthorn, Essendon, Brisbane and Geelong.

Every club’s free kick differential so far this season

1. Carlton 56
2. Hawthorn 55
3. Essendon 40
4. Brisbane 37
5. Geelong 29
6. Melbourne 25
7. Adelaide 24
8. Gold Coast 14
9. Collingwood 13
10. Western Bulldogs 3
11. Sydney 1
12. St Kilda -17
13. Fremantle -20
14. Richmond -20
15. GWS Giants -23
16. West Coast -45
17. North Melbourne -64
18. Port Adelaide -88