SOS Tony Lockett

[DownAtTheJunction]

It really is time to get specialist help for our forwards. I have 3 nominations. First up I’d be on the phone to our greatest ever goalkicker, Tony Lockett. I wonder if a call has ever been made. What a coup it would be to get him back to Moorabbin. There is no doubt Lockett has rekindled some of his love for the Saints and he may just jump at the challenge at helping someone like Max King. There is the opportunity over the next few weeks with the Saints in Sydney and then Queensland. Then we have the bye. King is apparently injured and may be due a spell. It could be just the impetus he needs. The other aspect is that a reconnection with Lockett would bring hope and belief back to a club that is sadly in need of energy and confidence.
If it is not possible to lure Lockett then I’d go for one of the best set shot kicks of the past (perhaps somewhat left field) in Paul Hudson. Gosh I’d get his dad, in a heartbeat if he was inclined. Hudson jnr had a great set shot routine and super conversion. I believe he lives and works in Melbourne, so let’s get on the phone.
The Candidates
Tony Lockett (with the best strike rate of 69.74%) insisted ‘the two most important things’ were the ball drop and making proper contact with the foot. ‘They were the things I was conscious of, almost to the stage of trying to kick the ball out of my hand,’ he said. ‘I felt that if I dropped the ball (from) too high, the ball had time to do anything before your foot came through.’ Lockett said he was amazed and frustrated that goalkicking hadn’t improved. ‘(It) should be relatively simple, especially set shots because you take your time and go through the process …’ Lockett would always check with the umpire where the mark was before he walked in, focusing on the goal umpire because ‘he stands in the middle of the goals no matter where you position yourself’.
Peter Hudson – ‘I’d stand at the end of my run-up and roll up on to my toes a couple of times. That simple movement put my mind into gear. ‘(Then I) put the ball in the vice,’ – or in other words, he kept it as still as possible. The Hawk genius then followed the ‘straight-line’ method – he’d run straight towards a stationary target behind the goals, drop the ball from the ‘vice’, watch it on to his boot and finish with a straight follow-through. (Paul Hudson used a similar approach).
Matthew Lloyd – ‘I dropped the ball from too high and I stabbed at it and I might have had an arc at times, too, so Dave (Wheadon, assistant coach) used a split-screen to compare me with Tony Lockett and it was a stark contrast because he was so far over the ball. So I tried to bridge the gap. I got immediate results and when I missed one, I knew why, whereas previously I didn’t. I went from a 50 per cent strike rate to 70 per cent.’ Of those to have kicked at least 750 goals, Lloyd’s conversion rate of 68.59% is second only to Lockett. ‘I took as long as I needed to lower my heart-rate and remove some lactic acid and fatigue,’ he said. ‘In my first five or six steps, I’d focus on something behind the goals and in my last six or seven steps, I’d focus on my ball-drop, keeping my head down over the ball, running straight, kicking straight and following through. ‘There weren’t many things that could go wrong.’
Alas I fear we have wrongly committed to assistant coaches who are not the very best. Without a true expert I strongly doubt that King, Higgins and company will ever achieve consistent accuracy.

[Wayne42]

What about all the time Ben Dixon spent at the club as the goal kicking coach, that achieved 2 fifths of F*** all.

Either Dixon was shite at his job or he was given Mission Impossible.

[bigcarl]

Good post. Let’s hope there is some work being done on them getting solid fundamentals that stand up to pressure.

Such as running towards what you are aiming at and getting as far over the ball as you can.

What could be a more important skill than making your shots at goal count? Being a poor kick for goal is something that can be worked on and dramatically improved. Ask Stewart Loewe.

All the forwards should be working on it as part of every training session

[saynta]

What about all the time Ben Dixon spent at the club as the goal kicking coach, that achieved 2 fifths of F*** all.

Either Dixon was shite at his job or he was given Mission Impossible.

Nah. I will go that he was just s*** at his job and his heart , if he even has one, was not in it.

f****** pathetic appointment IMHO.

[Life Long Saint]

What's Jason Heatley up to these days?

[Enrico_Misso]

What's Jason Heatley up to these days?

Yes, The Heater was a magnificent kick.
His problem was getting the ball.

[Life Long Saint]

What's Jason Heatley up to these days?

Yes, The Heater was a magnificent kick.
His problem was getting the ball.

Wasn't an issue in 97

[skeptic]

Doing is different from being able to teach

Even if he was interested, which is doubtful as plugger has seldom looked back at the Saints since he walked out... there is little to suggest that teaching and communication is/was a strength of the great man.

Heatley is another... he was barely interested in footy when he was playing with us. What’s the slightest indication that he could teach it now

[chook23]

What's Jason Heatley up to these days?

Coaching North Heidelberg

[B.M]

Here we go again

Why not get Stewart Loewe to teach them to mark

Get Robert Harvey to teach them how to be as good as him

Get Lenny Hayes to teach them to tackle

Get Nathan Burke to teach them how to be tough

Get Winmar to teach them how to be mercurial

What a great idea, wheel out champions to tell our players how to be great!!!!

BTW
If Tiger Woods showed me how to swing a club, would I play off scratch - because ATM I’m slicing the f*** out of it!!!

[shanegrambeau]

Here we go again

Why not get Stewart Loewe to teach them to mark

Get Robert Harvey to teach them how to be as good as him

Get Lenny Hayes to teach them to tackle

Get Nathan Burke to teach them how to be tough

Get Winmar to teach them how to be mercurial

What a great idea, wheel out champions to tell our players how to be great!!!!

BTW
If Tiger Woods showed me how to swing a club, would I play off scratch - because ATM I’m slicing the f*** out of it!!!

Pretty much how I feel too.

Has there been many cases of these appointments actually working.

Players are kicking the ball a different way to the ways these ‘mentors’ did.

I think informally it might work but it might not be a champ. Terry Jenner played about 8-12 tests and was an immense help to Warnie who played about a 100.. or so the story goes.

They can find a mentor, a go-to guy, but not necessarily a champ.

[B.M]

Rarely a champ can relay his attributes to others

Generally a good teacher who understands skill acquisition is best equipped to coach skill

Often great players like Lockett are natural geniuses, and often don’t even realise why they are so good or how they are so good.

Loewey could mark because he is a man mountain with dinner plates for hands - can’t teach that
Can’t teach the one touch genius and creativity of Harvey and Winmar
Can’t teach the toughness of Burke and Hayes

You can take what you’ve got and coach it to be more effective

But not turn s*** into strawberry jam

[saintkid]

Rarely a champ can relay his attributes to others

Generally a good teacher who understands skill acquisition is best equipped to coach skill

Often great players like Lockett are natural geniuses, and often don’t even realise why they are so good or how they are so good.

Loewey could mark because he is a man mountain with dinner plates for hands - can’t teach that
Can’t teach the one touch genius and creativity of Harvey and Winmar
Can’t teach the toughness of Burke and Hayes

You can take what you’ve got and coach it to be more effective

But not turn s*** into strawberry jam

Exactly as you said, "you can't turn s*** into strawberry jam" but our list needs a major overhaul.

The draft is our way forward and irrespective of our past failures, we need to load up again and play to the rules a hell of a lot better. A well run club has astute recruiters and we need to get this right above anything else, otherwise we are just going to be treading water for the next decade also.

[Winmore]

Buckets was a shocking kick until Hudson straightened him up. He was on the same level as Plugger at the back end of his career, or damn close.

[Sainter_Dad]

LOL - I know that there is no place for the drop kick in todays football - but I picked up the ball for the first time in a while yesterday - and was not striking it properly - I had a few kicks with a drop kick - and it straightens your kicking action incredibly - if your ball drop is bad there is no way you are going to even strike the ball - maybe there is room for practice over very short distances with a drop kick. Bottom line is that if the technique is right 20/30/40/50 metre kicks are then just a matter of force applied.

Queue comments about Drop Kicks .........

[Yorkeys]

Our "forwards" have no confidence in their kicking ability accuracy because their ability is extremely limited. They are correct to feel that way. Our selectors might well take note.

The one exception is Max. He will come good i.e. better than 55% from 40m.

[shanegrambeau]

LOL - I know that there is no place for the drop kick in todays football - but I picked up the ball for the first time in a while yesterday - and was not striking it properly - I had a few kicks with a drop kick - and it straightens your kicking action incredibly - if your ball drop is bad there is no way you are going to even strike the ball - maybe there is room for practice over very short distances with a drop kick. Bottom line is that if the technique is right 20/30/40/50 metre kicks are then just a matter of force applied.

Queue comments about Drop Kicks .........

What about the ‘Place Kick’?

For a team kicking at 30%, could we do any worse?

The last goal was kicked with a place kick in 1955 at Brunswick St. by a Fitzroy player, who even then, considered it unusual and risqué.

But in 1955, they kicked at better than 30% even with water logged, out of shape footies.

[shanegrambeau]

LOL - I know that there is no place for the drop kick in todays football - but I picked up the ball for the first time in a while yesterday - and was not striking it properly - I had a few kicks with a drop kick - and it straightens your kicking action incredibly - if your ball drop is bad there is no way you are going to even strike the ball - maybe there is room for practice over very short distances with a drop kick. Bottom line is that if the technique is right 20/30/40/50 metre kicks are then just a matter of force applied.

Queue comments about Drop Kicks .........

What about the ‘Place Kick’?

For a team kicking at 30%, could we do any worse?

The last goal was kicked with a place kick in 1955 at Brunswick St. by a Fitzroy player, who even then, considered it unusual and risqué.

But in 1955, they kicked at better than 30% even with water logged, out of shape footies.

Seriously folks: https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... k_in_Rugby

[saynta]

What's Jason Heatley up to these days?

Coaching North Heidelberg

'' Just goes to show doesn't it? Some pple just don't have a clue.

[saynta]

Here we go again

Why not get Stewart Loewe to teach them to mark

Get Robert Harvey to teach them how to be as good as him

Get Lenny Hayes to teach them to tackle

Get Nathan Burke to teach them how to be tough

Get Winmar to teach them how to be mercurial

What a great idea, wheel out champions to tell our players how to be great!!!!

BTW
If Tiger Woods showed me how to swing a club, would I play off scratch - because ATM I’m slicing the f*** out of it!!!

Peter Hudson improved Stewie's kicking no end.

[skeptic]

Won 5 out 18 this year and second last on the ladder

Obviously a great coach

[Life Long Saint]

What's Jason Heatley up to these days?

Coaching North Heidelberg

'' Just goes to show doesn't it? Some pple just don't have a clue.

[saynta]

What's Jason Heatley up to these days?

Coaching North Heidelberg

'' Just goes to show doesn't it? Some pple just don't have a clue.

Not referring to you mate,someone else's ridiculous comment in this thread.

[bigcarl]

Here we go again

Why not get Stewart Loewe to teach them to mark

Get Robert Harvey to teach them how to be as good as him

Get Lenny Hayes to teach them to tackle

Get Nathan Burke to teach them how to be tough

Get Winmar to teach them how to be mercurial

What a great idea, wheel out champions to tell our players how to be great!!!!

BTW
If Tiger Woods showed me how to swing a club, would I play off scratch - because ATM I’m slicing the f*** out of it!!!

Peter Hudson improved Stewie's kicking no end.

Correct. Because he imparted good, simple fundamentals.

These champion goal-kickers may not necessarily have it in them to teach, but ignore what they are on record as saying in the subject at your own peril.

It’s not that hard. A set routine. Proper aim. Body as far as possible over the ball. Guide ball on to foot as per Plugger. Don’t stab at it. Kick through it. Don’t lift your head to see where it has gone until it has well and truly left your boot.

This type of thing.

And Marto, if you are still slicing, learn how to hit a big “duck” hook. Then it is just a matter of degrees to turn it into a nice baby draw. And no, you probably wouldn’t play off scratch - unless you have excellent scoring touch and short game - but you would improve and rid yourself of that ugly over-the-top banana ball.

[Life Long Saint]

If Tiger Woods showed me how to swing a club, would I play off scratch - because ATM I’m slicing the f*** out of it!!!

I bet he'd probably fix your slice though - as would most golf pros.

We're talking about one specific, controlable aspect of the mechanics of football.
Goal kicking has little to do with being able to find the ball, running patterns, reading the play, etc.
It's about technique and practice.

I agree that just because someone is a champion player, they don't make a good coach. But there might be one or two points they bring up that resonate.

I'm sure a total rework of everyone's technique isn't needed...Just a few minor tweaks or slight change to the routine.

Got to be worth a try. Becuase whatever we're doing now clearly isn't working.