kicking for goal

[stueyspencer no12 73]

Some of the matches this week have been dreadful, both as spectacles and as displays of goal kicking. For example Adelaide and Hawthorn have kicked appallingly. It sounds as though Brisbane did too. Last week at docklands Collingwood didn't kick a goal in the 2nd half--missed a hell of a lot of easy set shots in calm conditions with the roof closed. It couldn't get amny easier than that.

Even last night C'wood missed a lot. It was interesting hearing Matthw Lloyd commenting. Amongst the points he made:--Cloke leans back when kicking 'and he hasn't improved this in 3 years"--immediately Lloyd said this Cloke demonstrated precisely what he was saying--a complete miss!

' Brad Green is the best example in the competition of the correct manner of getting the ball onto the foot and kicking through it"

'Players never work on this. It's something they do at the end of training--have a few shots for goal for 10 minutes"

I suspected this to be the case. [Forget the fact the MFC kicked well today--we miss a lot of set shots most weeks}

Just change codes for a minute. Jony Wilkinson the British rugby player who sank the Wallabies in the World Cup with a dropped goal a few years ago, practises his goal-kicking for an hour and a half EACH DAY.

Earlier this year I heard and saw an impressive demonstration by Melbourn'e kicking coach in which he showed, eg, how hard the club is working to help Jake Spencer avoid any more "airies"! But surely kicking for goal is a skill which could be greatly improved. I agree that the increased pace makes shots in general play more difficult, but not set shots. While all the other skills have improved greatly, this vital part of the game hasn't--not one bit.

[pitchfork 181]

While Lloyd's comment about Brad Green applies to Brad's first few years, his goal-kicking over the last year or two has been decidedly less reliable.

We shouldn't forget about yesterday's match. It was like a kicking masterclass.

WHAT NOT TO DO: Cam Bruce running out of defence...never looks down to watch the ball fall onto or even towards his foot...instead he drops the ball from too high, it carries on with its sidewards momentum, completely missing the middle of Cam's foot and slicing insipidly towards the boundary, all under almost no pressure at all. (he did kick better at other times, but this was the worst example)

BETTER EXAMPLES:

- Franky Grimes: drops the ball onto his foot from so close to his actual foot he has to hunch over...any closer and he'd take off his fingers with his foot. But he doesn't miss.

- Tom Scully: WIth Tom, 1/5 kicks is a laser at the moment, 2-3/5 kicks are pretty good and 1-2 are not great at all. He did much better this week because he focussed on the basics, watching the ball onto his foot, taking just a fraction longer to put the whole motion together too (as opposed to his handballs which are faster than...name anything so fast you can't see it properly)

- Colin Sylvia: kicks through the ball like he wants to kill it, when he's within 40. Kicks with the same intent as Schwarta used to. From outside 50, focuses on kicking through the ball and following through straight and high. That said, earlier in the match Col performed one of our trademark 2009 midfield kicks that, when eventually executed, cover a distance of less than a mid-range handball, and put the receiver under more pressure. I guess this was his first game back, he was surprised to see leading forwards!