Only a rare attendee at training (second time this year), my observations may not be news to others so if I waste your time that's why. However, I gave up some time while passing Gosch's today and thought I would pass on what I could.

First, I was rapt to see Salem participating in all the midfield drills and looking sharp. That's my good news. The other difference was to see skills-specific training. Other times I have watched training in Roos' time the emphasis was on moving the ball up the ground, switch plays, when to go to the corridor. This was different. This was about working on particular skills.

Initially, there were multiple groups working on inside to outside football with midfielders crowding the contest for the ball and then the side that won it spreading quickly from the contest with ever longer handballs before the final player was 'released' with a 15 metre handpass and then kicked to one of his teammates who had spread sufficiently to create a marking contest. Neither Grimes nor Trengove appeared handicapped (i.e.: too slow) in the context of this. Each set up had a "winning team" who had first use of the ball and a "defending team" which was supposed to hold them up. Then they switched roles.

Next, and what a relief after last week, came some serious goal kicking practice. Other times I have been to training goal kicking has been an after thought where the blokes take a ping after the serious running and other drills are done. Today the group split into two. At one end they practiced deliberate shots with the man-on-the-mark props set at five different angles and distances. At the other players practiced goal kicking on the run and inside 20 metre snapshots. The first received a handball then took a shot from 35-40 metres, then gathered a bounced ball near the goal square while running across the goal face for a quick snap. Then, they swapped ends and the deliberates went for the on the run shots etc. The only one who did not complete this was Watts who left the ground after taking part in the deliberate shots. He unwrapped a bandage from his wrist and spoke briefly to Misson. It seems had been instructed not to take part in the handball receive goal run since before they received the handball the players had to either short pass or hand pass it to the coach to begin the move.

Next defenders did a spoiling drill and then spent time working on switch plays with short, 30 metre passes rather than those looping ones we see in games.

The forwards - Hogan, Dawes, Petracca, Garlett - continued working on their deliberate shots. About time.

 

Wayne Carey said on Talking Footy this week that it was about time AFL clubs approached the skill of goal kicking more seriously.

He has always been surprised that clubs don't employ at least a part-time goal-kicking coach.

Thanks, Pitmaster.  I always love the training reports.  They have been few and far between of late, and I miss them!  So, thanks for taking the time and effort.  Greatly appreciated!

The players should, IMO, do short sharp goal kicking drills through a training session and while very tired.

 

it is rare that they are fresh when having a shot for goal in a game, nor should they be at training 

15 minutes ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

The players should, IMO, do short sharp goal kicking drills through a training session and while very tired.

 

it is rare that they are fresh when having a shot for goal in a game, nor should they be at training 

And some goal kicking drills when it's wet/slippery, please. Get the hoses out, if necessary.

Our goal kicking conversion has been excellent this year (58%, which is equal best with West Coast) so I think we could be excused for last week.

I think we've only kicked more behinds than goals in the Port, Sydney, Freo and WC games.

8 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Our goal kicking conversion has been excellent this year (58%, which is equal best with West Coast) so I think we could be excused for last week.

I think we've only kicked more behinds than goals in the Port, Sydney, Freo and WC games.

Three of which we lost!

1 hour ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Our goal kicking conversion has been excellent this year (58%, which is equal best with West Coast) so I think we could be excused for last week.

I think we've only kicked more behinds than goals in the Port, Sydney, Freo and WC games.

You must remember we are only as good as our last game on Demonland   so therefore we are a [censored] team kicking for goal  

 I have been at training and watched goals kicked from every angle possible including from outside the fence, this does not necessarily translate to game day, so all the hot air about practice is just that

14 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

You must remember we are only as good as our last game on Demonland   so therefore we are a [censored] team kicking for goal  

 I have been at training and watched goals kicked from every angle possible including from outside the fence, this does not necessarily translate to game day, so all the hot air about practice is just that

 

Who here is saying we are a [censored] team kicking for goal?

 

I would have thought discussing ways to potentially improve things a perfectly legitimate conversations. Like you, I have seen the guys practice goal kicking at training. I don't remember seeing them doing it when they are sucking in deep breathes after running 50 meters and getting pounded in a marking contest.

Our goalkicking from set shots has been pretty good this year but it cruelled us on the weekend - those misses from 40 out directly in front in the 3rd (Watts, Stretch) were critical, and Jack Viney's kick from 40m that missed everything in the 2nd quarter was horrid.  If Tommy Mac had done that there would have been hell to pay on Demonland!!!

32 minutes ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

 

Who here is saying we are a [censored] team kicking for goal?

 

I would have thought discussing ways to potentially improve things a perfectly legitimate conversations. Like you, I have seen the guys practice goal kicking at training. I don't remember seeing them doing it when they are sucking in deep breathes after running 50 meters and getting pounded in a marking contest.

That's the point   I have seen them practicing after a gruelling 2 hour preseason session in the heat, hardly miss, the only way you 'practice' kicking for goal in games is in games

I thought we were the most accurate team in the comp?

Thanks PM, very interesting report.

43 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

That's the point   I have seen them practicing after a gruelling 2 hour preseason session in the heat, hardly miss, the only way you 'practice' kicking for goal in games is in games

I have seen the same thing and it is why you are missing the point.

 

Those practices are after a 5 minute break, so while they may be very tired, it is a different tired.

1 hour ago, Glenn Molloy said:

Our goalkicking from set shots has been pretty good this year but it cruelled us on the weekend - those misses from 40 out directly in front in the 3rd (Watts, Stretch) were critical, and Jack Viney's kick from 40m that missed everything in the 2nd quarter was horrid.  If Tommy Mac had done that there would have been hell to pay on Demonland!!!

i always wonder why they (at least some players) don't drop the drop-punt on wet days and use the plain old punt kick (not to be confused with the torpedo punt). Peter hudson always used the flat punt and was a dead-eye dick. They should practice goal kicking with punt kicks too, just for those wet days

16 minutes ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

I have seen the same thing and it is why you are missing the point.

 

Those practices are after a 5 minute break, so while they may be very tired, it is a different tired.

You must understand Saty is the only real training observer in the universe and everyone else with an observation is just plain wrong.

4 hours ago, mauriesy said:

Wayne Carey said on Talking Footy this week that it was about time AFL clubs approached the skill of goal kicking more seriously.

He has always been surprised that clubs don't employ at least a part-time goal-kicking coach.

He's not the only one. Should have had one for yonks. I mean...The Game is only about amassing a better score than your opponent. You'd think goal kicking efficiency would be near the top of importance ? 

4 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Our goal kicking conversion has been excellent this year (58%, which is equal best with West Coast) so I think we could be excused for last week.

I think we've only kicked more behinds than goals in the Port, Sydney, Freo and WC games.

Might be a good idea to knock goal less qtrs on the head. There's no such thing for mine as too much goal kicking practice. Arguably you also need drillsthat replicate particular conditions or situations as well as just set shots. 

26 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

He's not the only one. Should have had one for yonks. I mean...The Game is only about amassing a better score than your opponent. You'd think goal kicking efficiency would be near the top of importance ? 

Wacko Jacko reckons he was the greatest.

Get him down to teach these false alarms how to bag a few.

1 hour ago, FireInTheBelly said:

You must understand Saty is the only real training observer in the universe and everyone else with an observation is just plain wrong.

Read below, I am saying that it doesn't matter how much you practice, all AFL players can kick a goal at training

1 hour ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

I have seen the same thing and it is why you are missing the point.

 

Those practices are after a 5 minute break, so while they may be very tired, it is a different tired.

That is my point, you can practice standing on one leg blindfolded with three opposition players hanging off you after just running a 15km time trial, the only way you get to be a good reliable kick in games is to kick goals in games

1 minute ago, Satyriconhome said:

Read below, I am saying that it doesn't matter how much you practice, all AFL players can kick a goal at training

That is my point, you can practice standing on one leg blindfolded with three opposition players hanging off you after just running a 15km time trial, the only way you get to be a good reliable kick in games is to kick goals in games

I disagree and its why the better goal kickers in the game spend hours  upon hours practicing their technique and such. Its about making it a second habit....i.e if and when a situation surfaces  the instinct kicks in, its not a NEW situation.

No, you can improve through training.

 

our points about when the players do goal kicking and how tired they are, may seem the same, but they are not.

4 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

Read below, I am saying that it doesn't matter how much you practice, all AFL players can kick a goal at training

That is my point, you can practice standing on one leg blindfolded with three opposition players hanging off you after just running a 15km time trial, the only way you get to be a good reliable kick in games is to kick goals in games

That sounds very circular - what if you don't get many chances to kick a goal in a game - how is a player to become a 'good reliable kick' for goal?

Goal kicking is about posture and technique which should be perfected on the training track so that on game day the only variable is ground conditions.

When Jason Dunstall says we dont practise goal kicking enough, then we dont. He was the best at it in my books.

5 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

That sounds very circular - what if you don't get many chances to kick a goal in a game - how is a player to become a 'good reliable kick' for goal?

Goal kicking is about posture and technique which should be perfected on the training track so that on game day the only variable is ground conditions.

I am a great believer that if you have been playing footy since a kid, then you 'should' know how to kick a goal, no amount of practice will replace trying to kick a goal in a game, with the tiredness, the crowd, the perceived pressure