http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tab...57/default.aspx .....NEW LINK

PROSPECTIVE draftees will be tested on their kicking skills for the first time at the 2009 NAB AFL Draft Camp in Canberra.

Future Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has devised a high-pressure kicking examination, following demand by recruiters who wanted more information on players' ability to kick accurately on both sides of the body.

Not a bad idea IMO, good to see who can accually kick, hopefully nerves dont get the best of the kids.

Edited August 18, 200915 yr by col=sk

Testing potential AFL players' ability to kick?

Surely it's unnecessary.

Testing potential AFL players' ability to kick?

Surely it's unnecessary.

just how firmly is that tongue in your cheek there 45 ??

youd think they can all kick... youd think..

still youd think AFL forwards would all know where the goals were too ...youd think !!

I think its a good idea... but hopefully good prodimantly one sided players ( kick wise ) will still get a look in come drafting...after all many good playrers over the years havent been too brilliant off both feet

Its just another thing to pack in the file I would have thought...handy but not all encompassing.

Good idea?

Assessing the draftees ability to kick a football.

I actually thought this should have been a pre-requisite for part of the program at Draft Camp from the very start.

They've come to their senses. yay!

I wonder if they've got goal posts for them...

Edited August 18, 200915 yr by High Tower

Not a bad idea IMO, good to see who can accually kick, hopefully nerves dont get the best of the kids.

It might be a good chance to weed out some of the chokers though. If you can't kick in front of a bunch of recruiters, good luck having a ping at goal at the G in front of 80,000. It's staggering that this hasn't been a part of the process before, though I suppose recruiters will have had the chance to see enough of their kicking in game situations.

It might be a good chance to weed out some of the chokers though. If you can't kick in front of a bunch of recruiters, good luck having a ping at goal at the G in front of 80,000. It's staggering that this hasn't been a part of the process before, though I suppose recruiters will have had the chance to see enough of their kicking in game situations.

Nick Riewoldt, well noone's perfect

Of course this is a good idea. It's a damn obvious thing to be testing. The fact this hasn't been tested is ridiculous.

Good idea?

Assessing the draftees ability to kick a football.

I actually thought this should have been a pre-requisite for part of the program at Draft Camp from the very start.

They've come to their senses. yay!

I wonder if they've got goal posts for them...

Im pretty sure there a picture of the setup on the link

How the test works

Each player has six kicks to six different targets.

Targets are randomly called as they receive the football.

The calls are:

* 'short left' or 'short right' (20m)

* 'middle left' or 'middle right' (30m)

* 'long left' or 'long right'(40m)

Another player will be in the centre of a 2m diameter target circle to mark the ball

Kicks will be rated as follows:

* 5 points – excellent

Target didn’t move and ball travelled quickly with low trajectory and perfect spin

* 4 points – very good

Target receives within one step off the cone, low trajectory and good spin

* 3 points – effective

Target receives with a foot inside circle, good trajectory and spin

* 2 – ineffective

Target had to leave circle to mark ball, good trajectory and spin

* 1 – poor

Target unable to mark football, poor trajectory and spin

Players will wear football boots and their kicks will be taped from two angles and made available for clubs to assess.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tab...57/default.aspx .....NEW LINK

PROSPECTIVE draftees will be tested on their kicking skills for the first time at the 2009 NAB AFL Draft Camp in Canberra.

Future Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has devised a high-pressure kicking examination, following demand by recruiters who wanted more information on players' ability to kick accurately on both sides of the body.

Not a bad idea IMO, good to see who can accually kick, hopefully nerves dont get the best of the kids.

No good unless the test was devised by Freak.

This will be great for seeing who can kick well in a draft camp kicking test.

Then they'll play football and you can see how they really kick.

Wow! I thought this would have always been an original Basic Test from Day one.

Oh well better late than never i suppose.

Good & Wise idea.

Testing potential AFL players' ability to kick?

Surely it's unnecessary.

I know, the nerve the clubs and recruiters have.

These kids are going to end up getting around $150,000 in their first few years, if they want a player with a decent kick, then the price ought to be jacked up to a base salary of $300,000.

I'd be interested to see Karmichael's score for this test at the moment!

No good unless the test was devised by Freak.

192cm players need not apply?

Wish this was in two years ago, we could've got Jack Grimes in the PSD

This is rubbish.

You would expect a kid, with an average kick but with excellent game sense, etc, to be treated exactly the same as a kid who can pinpoint a kick. These kids with average skills will be taught correct technique in their first years with professionals at the club.

Hopefully this test will be judged in conjunction with other tests, eg: game sense, decisions under pressure, etc.

This will be great for seeing who can kick well in a draft camp kicking test.

Then they'll play football and you can see how they really kick.

Pretty much what I was thinking too.

Perhaps it's the footage I saw, but looks pretty easy, certainly NOT much pressure. This test will probably only highlight the players that the recruiters already know are either very good or very bad kicks.

Funny that a couple of years back when some researchers studied the game for the most valuable skill a player could have they came up with 'an accurate long kick on the run'.

Why wouldn't they test for this or, as some have laughingly alluded to, GOAL KICKING for f#$% sake.

Go Dees - Two more losses and the prize will be ours and the pain will be over.

I'd be interested to see Karmichael's score for this test at the moment!

According to Buckley he's as good as any.

Personally I liked Mark William's at last years camp where he got a few kids to kick the ball to him straight after they'd finished the 3km time trial

Nick Riewoldt, well noone's perfect

At least he was 40m out with 8-10 Bombers on the mark. What about Newton 15m out against Adelaide?

Im pretty sure there a picture of the setup on the link

Cheers.

PS. I was kidding. It's taken them this long to get this into the draft system. I figured we better question whether they had goal posts.

Wish this was in two years ago, we could've got Jack Grimes in the PSD

:D