Kicking for goal

[WellardSaint]

I remember when players who couldn't kick properly for goal went back to the 2nds!

Coming soon to a TBBO near you - The St Kilda Football team!

And maybe the Zebs will start winning games when Skunk, Baroose and Mav are back in the baby-poo!

[Moods]

IN my brief coaching career, I was frustrated with a young player who couldn't kick straight from 20m out. To simplify it I told him to merely walk in the direction he wanted to kick the ball then concentrate on kicking a good drop punt. Don't worry about whether it goes through, just kick it in the direction you're walking and make sure you get good connection so that it spins well.

Believe it or not he started kicking goals. Particularly the goals we expected him to kick, ie 30m in front of goalwith a 20 degree arc either way. All this talk about biomeachanics etc confuses players. I saw Roo a few years ago lower his ball drop and it changed nothing. A guy like Roo has always been a beautiful kick and it always frustrated to me to see him miss easy shots. If Stewey Loewe could correct his goal kicking with the most horrendous kicking technique ever, then anyone can.

I've played a little bit of golf, and I used to have a bad habit of lifting my head as soon as I struck the ball-
I wanted to see it in flight to see if I'd hit it right.
OK. Which meant I always sliced the damn thing or hit it into the trees. Every time.
I decided to try to keep my head down, count to 5 (and swing on number 3) then and only then, look up. It worked miracles.

Keep it simple and just go with the basics

Exactly. When Josh Kennedy had the yips early in his career, everyone said he would never be a good shot at goal with that run up. He's actually a very good kick technically. He still runs in funny, but somehow now manages to kick straight. Generally it requires a small correction only, and only one correction. Yours was head down over the ball while you swing. Roo's appears to be shortening his run up. Fill their heads with about 10 things, under pressure, they just go to mush.

[bigcarl]

IN my brief coaching career, I was frustrated with a young player who couldn't kick straight from 20m out. To simplify it I told him to merely walk in the direction he wanted to kick the ball then concentrate on kicking a good drop punt. Don't worry about whether it goes through, just kick it in the direction you're walking and make sure you get good connection so that it spins well.

Believe it or not he started kicking goals. Particularly the goals we expected him to kick, ie 30m in front of goalwith a 20 degree arc either way. All this talk about biomeachanics etc confuses players. I saw Roo a few years ago lower his ball drop and it changed nothing. A guy like Roo has always been a beautiful kick and it always frustrated to me to see him miss easy shots. If Stewey Loewe could correct his goal kicking with the most horrendous kicking technique ever, then anyone can.

Was that you that put your hand up at the members' forum Moods? If it was, good work.

[repta]

It is simple. They dont practice enough. Finally Riewaldt is getting it right. But he is the only one. Every other player goes to water when they get out in front. You can see the clod shiver that runs through their body.

Therefore they go too far back for their run up. They then bob, prop and hop on their run in and finish it by leaning back.

The 'fitness scientists' say they cant practice as it hurts the hamstrings. I am not talking about shots from 55 out, those arent an issue. It is the shots between 15-35 out that wouldnt hurt my Grandmothers hamstring they need to practice. Set a routine and follow it through.
Shots from 40+ are fine as the player kicks through the ball. It is the ones closer in are disgraceful.

The team that works out that kicking for goal is the be all and end all of the game will be unbeatable. If I was to sumarise the point of the game it would be "kick more goals than the opposition". Therefore when you get a chance you better make it count.

On Riewaldt, his kicking has improved through his routine. I see him struggling, he still wants to bop,bob and rock, but he holds firm and it is paying off.

My guess is that it is an underlying issue with the Saints. Their foot skills are atrocious at best. I would be having a look at the skills coach and what is being practiced as it is not improving week to week (eg nearly every games summary starts with "aweful standard of game ....." or something similar

[Beno88]

Worst Goal Kicking Accuracy 1990-2017

Essendon 2016 – 45.76%
Gold Coast 2011 – 46.12%
St Kilda 2017 – 46.35%
Richmond 1993 – 46.40%

So the only two teams worse than us in the last 37 years are a side that had half its list suspended and a side in their first AFL season. Both won the wooden spoon in those years.

We also have the worst accuracy of any team in a finals position since Essendon in 1981 (46.08%).

[Sainternist]

Worst Goal Kicking Accuracy 1990-2017

Essendon 2016 – 45.76%
Gold Coast 2011 – 46.12%
St Kilda 2017 – 46.35%
Richmond 1993 – 46.40%

So the only two teams worse than us in the last 37 years are a side that had half its list suspended and a side in their first AFL season. Both won the wooden spoon in those years.

We also have the worst accuracy of any team in a finals position since Essendon in 1981 (46.08%).

This statistic speaks volumes. We actually kicked ourselves out of winning at least one premiership (2009) from inaccurate kicking. Yet it still troubles us to this day.

Something has gotta give!

[Moods]

IN my brief coaching career, I was frustrated with a young player who couldn't kick straight from 20m out. To simplify it I told him to merely walk in the direction he wanted to kick the ball then concentrate on kicking a good drop punt. Don't worry about whether it goes through, just kick it in the direction you're walking and make sure you get good connection so that it spins well.

Believe it or not he started kicking goals. Particularly the goals we expected him to kick, ie 30m in front of goalwith a 20 degree arc either way. All this talk about biomeachanics etc confuses players. I saw Roo a few years ago lower his ball drop and it changed nothing. A guy like Roo has always been a beautiful kick and it always frustrated to me to see him miss easy shots. If Stewey Loewe could correct his goal kicking with the most horrendous kicking technique ever, then anyone can.

Was that you that put your hand up at the members' forum Moods? If it was, good work.

Haha. No it wasn't. Richo doesn't live far from me, maybe I'll swing by and impart my wisdom. I'm sure he'd appreciate it.

[Yorkeys]

Thanks Repta and Meher Baba, I think I understand a bit better. They do look tense and need to keep it simple. Far away in Cairns I couldn't get why Luke D kept looking at something above and to his left before he slotted his goal. Hopefully Mav's goal from the square has got the monkey off his back. Also I will now keep my head down when golfing, although 5 is a lot to count. Thanks all.

[Enrico_Misso]

The Heater was a superb kick.
If our forwards could get close to emulating him we would be six goals plus better off per week.

Unfortunately it seems like they are being trained by Jayson Daniels.

[supersaints]

I remember when players who couldn't kick properly for goal went back to the 2nds!

I remember the crowds cheering when we actually got a kick... sadly we were that bad once... we are in heaven compared to then

[Jacks Back]

I remember when players who couldn't kick properly for goal went back to the 2nds!

I remember the crowds cheering when we actually got a kick... sadly we were that bad once... we are in heaven compared to then

Luxury. I remember the crowds cheering when we actually won the toss - that's how bad we were.

[shrodes]

Thanks Repta and Meher Baba, I think I understand a bit better. They do look tense and need to keep it simple. Far away in Cairns I couldn't get why Luke D kept looking at something above and to his left before he slotted his goal. Hopefully Mav's goal from the square has got the monkey off his back. Also I will now keep my head down when golfing, although 5 is a lot to count. Thanks all.

I was at the ground - Luke D was looking at the countdown clock on the big screen, which was about to run out. He had to start his run up. I was a bit confused until I realised also.

[bigred]

Mav Weller: 9 Goals 18 behinds for the year. What the living hell.

[Sainter_Dad]

I remember when players who couldn't kick properly for goal went back to the 2nds!

I remember the crowds cheering when we actually got a kick... sadly we were that bad once... we are in heaven compared to then

Luxury. I remember the crowds cheering when we actually won the toss - that's how bad we were.

I remember when I would look forward to half time - coz we had a chance to win in the 'Little League' - they would actually show the score and (I think) run a ladder.

[Sainter_Dad]

Thanks Repta and Meher Baba, I think I understand a bit better. They do look tense and need to keep it simple. Far away in Cairns I couldn't get why Luke D kept looking at something above and to his left before he slotted his goal. Hopefully Mav's goal from the square has got the monkey off his back. Also I will now keep my head down when golfing, although 5 is a lot to count. Thanks all.

I was at the ground - Luke D was looking at the countdown clock on the big screen, which was about to run out. He had to start his run up. I was a bit confused until I realised also.

I noticed that too - and seriously - WTF - until we had the count down clock, I do not think 95% of the players would NOT take 30 seconds to start their run up - now that we have defined it - they all seem to be conscious od it and use their allotted time - kind of like the Public Service having to use this years budget or they wont get the same for next year.

This blasted 30 second rule came in to deal with a perceived issue (Saad) when none really existed - Knee-jerkery at its finest, and football is the victim - not only at St Kilda, but all the teams (we have taken it to the extreme though)

[meher baba]

I'm not suggesting they get rid of the shot clock, but it looks to me that our players are under instructions to run it down to zero each and every time (Dunstan, who doesn't get many shots, just made it more obvious).

The idea is presumably to give our runners enough time to do whatever it is they do: I've never been able to work it out.

It helps to build an impression in my mind of a team that's being over-coached.

[Sainter_Dad]

It helps to build an impression in my mind of a team that's being over-coached.

Maybe this is the issue - Maybe we are being (to quote an old adage) "So open minded that our brains have fallen out"

Structures, set plays, routines.

We need some, but maybe little things like run down the shot clock are clouding the players minds.
Maybe it is a case of a great driver in an automatic - but put them in a manual car and the added stress of gear changes makes everything else go to hell in a hand basket.

Maybe we need to go back (at least in the short term) to driving automatics - let them play football.
- Don't run down the shot clock
- Don't automatically handball when you have a free/mark take a second to assess the options (and this may mean ignoring the guy running past calling for it, or maybe the runner needs to leave a second for the kicker to assess the options)
- If you have a mark 20 metres out directly in front - stop and take the f@rking kick

When we have the basics right, lets then look at what can add the 10% extra.

At the moment I liken our team to a Year 12 student doing an extra 3 subjects so that they can get the extra 10% of each subject on their ATAR, meanwhile the added stress is making them fail their 5 core subjects. Net result - a poorer ATAR than if they had just dedicated their time to doing the 5 subjects.

[perfectionist]

...
- If you have a mark 20 metres out directly in front - stop and take the f@rking kick
...

Not enough. How about, "If you take a mark within 40 metres on an angle less than 45degrees i.e. in the V, then stop and take the f@rking kick. " And add to it an instruction to all the teammates of the person taking the said kick, " Didn't lead anywhere in order to tempt your teammate - just point to the goals and take up the defensive position in case he misses." And finally, " Don't throw your arms up in disgust if your teammate ignores your lead because, guess what, your opponent was right behind you or could have closed the gap easily thereby forcing a turnover."

[Sainternist]

Unfortunately it seems like they are being trained by Jayson Daniels.

Ah, good old Jack. An expert of the helicopter punt and the mongrel finger breaker kick.

[Beno88]

Unfortunately it seems like they are being trained by Jayson Daniels.

Ah, good old Jack. An expert of the helicopter punt and the mongrel finger breaker kick.

And a career goal kicking accuracy of 52.63%!

[borderbarry]

Do you think our lads are allowing too much for the wind at Etihad. And not enough when we play away.

[Superboot]

Apart from keeping the opposition in the game, dominating a quarter and kicking, say, 1.6 to 2.0 is demoralising, especially for our defenders who are working their butts off.