103 goals missing - if found please return to Ross Lyon

[Enrico_Misso]

How did our 2007 goalkicking compare to 2004 ?

Year___ G____ B____ Shots__ Accuracy
2004__ 370__ 223__ 593__ 62.39%
2007__ 267__ 272__ 539__ 49.54%

2007 at 04 accuracy
2007*_ 336__ 203__ 539__ 62.39%

103 goals less than 2004
69 due to reduced accuracy
34 due to more defensive style (54 less shots)

This raises 2 issues

Firstly we have generated 54 less scoring opportunities this year.
This is partly our more defensive gameplan.
And partly because we are not dominant out of the middle like we were in 2004.
I think the more attacking brand of football we played towards the end of the season will partially address this.
But still need to find a ruckman who can tap to advantage.
And need Lenny and Luke free from injury and some more run in the midfield to move the ball quickly to take advantage of our "star studded" forward line.

Secondly we seem to have a basic error of procedure.
Our accuraccy rate has slumped by 13%.
That is massive.
This is surely something that needs to be a top priority during the pre-season to take us from (last time I checked) the second most inaccurate side to one that at least is above average.
An extra 69 goals is 3 per game - pretty handy !.
That's like picking up a new crumbing forward.

[Animal Enclosure]

Basically we took too long to get the ball inside 50 & when we finally did we went wide & had tougher shots.

In 06 we moved it quicker & had more shots in the corridor.

That is my thinking anyway...it'd be interesting to hear if anyone has stats that summarise where we actually had shots from.

[bigcarl]

we also need to get goal-kicking players within striking range of goal. in another thread i've suggested adding bj and dal to the half-forward line and kosi to ff.

basically if we can't convert our opportunities to scores 2008 is lost already.

a goal-kicking forward line:

http://www.saintsational.com/forum/view ... hp?t=37058

[borderbarry]

Why are you using 2004 to compare with 2007? Why not 2006? Not a big enough difference?
Also dont forget that we played 3 extra games in 2004.

[Oh When the Saints]

We have had 9 players retire since 2004. How can you compare the results of totally different teams?


Our list has changed substantially, and I believe the plan Lyon is building around it (as you saw in 2-3 games in the second half of the year, and in Round 1 against the Dees) will allow us to have a decent chance at winning a flag.


All that said .... I totally agree with you on the accuracy point. We would have beaten Fremantle in Round 9 this year had we kicked accurately, and we wasted a lot of chances against the Eagles at the Dome in the first quarter.

We need to get a lot more accurate .... the 2004 figures reflect a greater degree of accuracy because we won many games by >30 points, and it is easier to kick well on goal when the pressure is off.

[Enrico_Misso]

BorderB/OWTS,

I chose 2004 as the comparison point partly because I wish we could play attacking footy like that again.
But primarily to illustrate how inaccurrate we have become.

A 13% change means that every 8th goal that we used to score in 2004 we now miss.
I understand that changing team structures, injuries, different personnel, different opposition tactics, evolving game plans etc. sadly means that we generate less scoring opportunities.
BUT I do not accept that there is any major reason why the accurracy rate is so dramatically different.

I think we need to work on this urgently.
It may be simplistic but to me this seems a quick win.
Practise practise practise and the goalkicking will become more reliable.