Each new AFL season brings conversations about team strategies, structures and fitness but nothing about kicking straight for goal.
Fed up with seeing so many lame shots during the NAB Cup, Mark Ricciuto claimed that goalkicking was undervalued. If he’s right, it’s an extraordinary situation considering goal scoring is the purpose of the whole exercise.
For two years now, champion Essendon full forward Matthew Lloyd has verbalised his frustration at the high number of easy goals that are missed, and the apparent lack of concern shown by players and coaches.
Both Lloyd and Ricciuto have highlighted the fact that development of goalkicking skills is not a focus of clubs – some have admitted their reluctance to indulge in lengthy goal practice sessions out of fear of causing leg injuries and others, more unbelievably, mentioned the inconvenience of having to retrieve balls – and hence it is one aspect of the game that has not improved over the years.
All clubs have forward coaches but their exact role is unclear: do they deal with forward structures or goalkicking or both? Some are classified as assistants and others as development staff.
If Lloyd and Ricciuto are correct and it appears they are, why wouldn’t a coach want to improve the goalkicking of his players?
One reason could be the perception by coaches, who are predominantly former defenders, that goal kickers are born not made.
In the case of the great full forwards and freakish goal sneaks there may be an element of truth to this, however you’ll probably find that many of these sharpshooters were largely a product of a childhood dominated by endless and solitary goal kicking practice.
The fact is goalkicking in all its manifestations is a more difficult task than general kicking, even for those with the greater skills. This is because of the mental aspect: the pressure.
You can see it on the face of defenders and many midfielders, who in the modern running game, find themselves within range of goal: the avid desire to give the ball off despite being only thirty metres out and facing a rather large stationary target that is 6.4 metres wide and as high as gravity will allow.
Forced to take the shot, their timidity forces them into fundamental errors. They either lean back and kick the ball upwards which makes he ball lose momentum and accuracy, or they try to steer the ball with a soft foot which usually results in the ball slewing off the side of the boot.
Technically there is not a lot of difference between accurate kicking in general play and shooting for goal: running straight at the target, head over the ball and kicking through the ball.
Of course, many prominent forwards have their own idiosyncratic style that works. There was Peter Hudson’s dowdy flat punt and more recently there are Lance Franklin’s exquisitely curving left footers. Franklin’s method is capable of producing some magnificent goals but it’s also high risk which may explain his relatively poor conversion rate of 57%.
In regards to the mental pressure that makes many players go to water in front of the sticks, the clubs should employ former forwards like Lloyd to teach the fundamental procedures that all the great goal shooters perform in order to focus on that sacred space between the posts.
It was surprising to discover that none of the eighty four players who have kicked over 400 goals in their career – and that includes the great full forwards like Tony Lockett, the all time record holder for goals scored, and Hudson, who had the phenomenal goal average of 5.6 per game – have exceeded an accuracy rate of 70%.
So kicking for goal, even for the greats, is no walk in the park. But that doesn’t excuse the clubs’ seemingly haphazard approach to this fundamental skill.
If a coach wants to gain a genuine premiership winning advantage it could be as simple as putting his players in front of goal more often.
waltzing matera
Guest
Last year, an average of 1 team per round lost a match despite having more scoring shots so yes, inaccurate kicking for goal is a relevant issue. I have worked with junior and senior footballers from auskick through to the top level and in my humble opinion there are 2 factors that affect goalkicking, mental pressure and lack of strategy. Developing a goalkicking strategy, as per Matthew Lloyd or Ahmed Saad, also alleviates the mental pressure aspect as you are simply repeating the same technique. This may sound simplistic but all of the accurate goalkickers over time have the same technique each time they take a shot.
Brewski
Guest
Couldn't find your ad Harry, what edition was it in ?, they have digital editions, so do tell, would love to have a laugh !!.
Harry
Guest
Brewsk, Tremendous research mate - congratulations - exactly what does the story have to do with kicking straight though - or were feeling the need for a little chest thumping?
Brewski
Guest
Couldn't find your ad Harry :) , what edition was it in ?, but I did find a interesting story pertaining to Australian football. Multi talented sports star James Dunn of Marist Eastwood was crowned Metro Catholic schools senior sportsman of the year, and of course his school as well. Recognised for his sporting achievemnts from Swimming to Rugby, James is also a member of the Swans AFL team and has played reserves football, and could play senior football this year. page 35 9th of January, digital edition of the Northern District times. http://newslocal.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
Redb
Roar Guru
it was a joke to attract attention to the Ad, get it? Probably not :)
Brewski
Guest
It actually appears that you are the serious one, in the context of any conversation about AF. It is actually usuing a joke that is fired off by people like yourself, its called self deprecating comedy
Harry
Guest
Very touchy Red - take the helmet off mate: whatever way you want to skew it that is how they advertised for AFL juniors - in the context of this conversation it will hardly encourage accurate goal kicking by highlighting mediocrity.
Redb
Roar Guru
It was a joke Ad. Sorry you don't get it. :) Another Ad says "Do you kick like a girl:" - which was an invite for girls to try Auskick. No footy club would encourage its players to deliberately miss. That the author commented says it all really. Stick to rugby league mate.
Harry
Guest
Stavros, It was a paid ad in the Northen Districts Times submitted by the North Ryde Dockers AFL club. It actually said, "Is your child over the physical side of Rugby, sick of playing soccer, want to play a game where you get a point for missing?" Don't worry, I could hardly believe it myself.
Brewski
Guest
"free throw shooting hasn't really budged. Is that a sign that the level of play in the league is no better than it was five decades ago? Probably not. Instead, it likely reflects the point at which free throw shooting collectively stops determining NBA talent. To get the average any higher, teams would have to pass up players that are otherwise far more skilled. " Says it for me, the stay at home full forward who could kick deadly straight would no doubt be overlooked if he did not have the required athletic talent, the same in the NBA, however the champion athlete who they suspect may become a relatively competent kick is drafted. Goal kickers IMO are born rather than made to a large degree, you either have it or you don't., and even if you have it, you may lose it, talk to Ian Baker Finch about having it then losing it. And just on free throw shooting, you are at exactly the same place for FTS, in AF you can be all over the place, on any distance or angle. Having said that i thought Chris mayne from Freo was a absolutely shocking kick for goal a couple of years ago, could not hit a barn door with a shotgun, however in the space of a year or two has become a dead eye dick.
rgmerk
Roar Rookie
This article on free throw shooting in the NBA is relevant here. In short, free throw shooting percentages have not really improved over the history of the league, and while some players have managed to get sustained improvements in free throw shooting, declines are almost as common as improvements.
Timmy
Guest
The pressure element is clearly what causes the majority of misses as I can guarantee that most afl players would have much less trouble hitting a target 40 metres up the ground than they would having a set shot at goal from 30
Australian Rules
Guest
That 'dig' also ignores the fact that many sports have different scoring values...like both rugbies, basketball, cricket, American footballl and others.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Yep, the height of wit in League circles.
Stavros
Guest
Surely that must have been an NRL inspired ad. They seem to have a real issue with rewarding the minor score.
Redb
Roar Guru
I find that very hard to believe.
Andrew Sutherland
Roar Guru
Harry, says it all really.
Andrew Sutherland
Roar Guru
Lucan, it has also affected the preparation of the forwards. On Friday night, Jonathan Brown was talking to the haranguing umpire as he was walking in to take a shot.
Harry
Guest
A Sydney newspaper recently advertised for junior players by saying 'come and play a game where you get a point for missing' , hardly a way to promote accurate goal kicking in kids.
Lucan
The "shot clock" has pretty much removed this goalkicking option.