Geelong’s Steve Johnson has a lot to answer for. Not for the reckless play that has seen him suspended on three occasions already this year.
For the spate of copycat snap shot goal kicking attempts that have gone awry.
Twice in the dying stages of Geelong’s loss to Adelaide last Sunday, errant set-shot snaps at goal cost the Cats dearly.
The first came from the usually reliable boot of former Brownlow medallist Jimmy Bartel, the second was from talented swingman Harry Taylor. Either shot would have put Geelong back in front with just seconds left to play.
Missing crucial shots at goal is not a new phenomenon, it happens time and time again. But what is relatively new is the approach that a handful of our top footballers are now taking when faced with kicking a goal from any sort of angle.
Of course, Johnson is a master of the art. When faced with a difficult shot he lines his body up sideways to the mark, cribs a couple of metres to open the angle to goal, before kicking across his body and snapping the ball through.
Yes it is spectacular when it comes off. Yes it is a safe method when in the right hands. But is it always necessary? Probably not.
Bartel and Taylor were faced with difficult, yet not impossible shots at goal on the weekend.
Sure they were confronted by tight angles, Bartel’s more so than Taylor’s, but there was still plenty of daylight to aim for and the distance to goal was negligible.
Both players were also on the correct side for their natural kicking foot.
Surely, under such circumstances, the most accurate kick would be the drop punt!
When questioned about the merits of the snap shot versus the drop punt, Geelong’s captain Joel Selwood was unequivocal in his belief that it should be a drop punt every time.
Brisbane’s Jonathon Brown took a similar stance, stating that the only time he would attempt a snap shot was if there was absolutely no daylight between the posts at all.
As neither Bartel nor Taylor were hard up against the boundary line, and as both were within just metres of the goal line, there seems to be only one explanation for their attempted snap shots. A lack of confidence in their own kicking abilities.
Why else would they attempt to open up the angle for a shot at goal that was already highly gettable?
The great goal kickers of the past never did it, which is probably why they were great goal kickers. But then again, in those days, players actually practised their goal-kicking.
Today, with the fitness and conditioning staff and the sports scientists so enamoured with their own programs, little time is left over for the vital art of goal-kicking.
A case in point for the value of goal kicking practise is North Melbourne’s Lindsay Thomas.
A couple of years ago Thomas was a basket case. His confidence was shot and even the simplest of set shots was approached with nervousness and trepidation.
In 2011 he kicked 21 goals and 36 behinds, a success rate of less than 37 percent. This year he is tracking at almost 73 percent with 45 goals and just 17 behinds.
He attributes the improvement to a rigorous regime of several hundred shots at goal per week at training.
The repetitive nature of his practise has led to improved technique and confidence, something Bartel and Taylor must have lacked when faced with their potential match winning kicks on Sunday.
Of course Bartel and Taylor aren’t the only culprits. Scores of players have developed the habit of ‘kicking around the corner’ even when running into an open goal. On most occasions it is totally unnecessary and increases the risks of what can go wrong.
Players of the past would have been dragged for it, even if the cross body kick came in general play.
I have vivid memories of a hotshot, top ten draft pick from the late 80s who had dominated his state league, being pulled from the ground during his first AFL/VFL match.
In those days you were never taken from the ground for a rest, and as the recruit – who had been playing a good game – walked past me on his way to the dug out I asked him what was wrong.
“He (the coach) doesn’t like blokes kicking around corners,” was the bemused reply.
Perhaps it is time for coaches to revisit that philosophy.
Darren
Guest
And another thing on goal kicking, you notice how the import players (Mike Pyke mainly comes to mind) are one of the best kicks or goal? Maybe something about a blank canvas to teach the proper kicking technique? I remember when I was about 6, my uncle (RIP Gerry) encouraging me to only kick and hand pass left hand when I was practicing. Needless to say I was a pretty awesome kick when I was 20 and my mates and I would smoke pot and go for a kick haha
Darren
Guest
I have a theory about the old high scoring full forwards, players played in position so there was much more space to lead in the "corridor". That combined with the fact that were better footballers then, whereas now players are picked for athletic ability (beep test, jump height etc) with only recently the kicking skills (is it Buckley test?). The "fat" big arsed full forward like Dunstall and Lockett wouldn't have been the same players today. While I am ranting I think Ablett senior would have been better than junior with the same discipline, so if he was able to take the stricter regimes of current day he would have been even more amazing but Junior has such incredible work ethic he has risen above the old man.......an amazing feet. Please comment, makes me feel special
Sean Lee
Expert
We've all tried them Shmicky, whether in a game or just mucking around with our mates, but I reckon there is a time and a place for them. They are a lot of fun to do, especially when they come off, but when things gone wrong, they can make you look second rate (oh yes I speak from experience :-) ) They may work for Stevie J but that doesn't mean they work for everybody.
Sean Lee
Expert
I totally agree vocans. The snap and the grubber have their place, but not when a normal drop punt will adequately suffice.
Sean Lee
Expert
Hi Brent, I have no problem with Johnson doing it if he can regularly hit the mark. But when other players start doing it on less than acute angles and miss, then I think it needs to be reassessed. I don't think it is working, as indicated by last Sunday's result. Of course we'll never know if Bartel or Taylor would have been more accurate with a drop punt, but it is interesting to consider. As for Cloke, I don't think it would matter what style of kick he used! ;-)
Sean Lee
Expert
One of the most frustrating things about today's footy.
Sean Lee
Expert
Quite happy for Ablett and Johnson to do what ever they want. Going back Peter Daicos was another who could make the ball talk. But not everyone can do it!
Sean Lee
Expert
Ah AJ, don't get me started on the grubber kick! How many times do we see that fail? And running to the bench after kicking a goal - that's the last thing I'd want to do. Kicking goals gets the adrenaline up and makes you hungry for more making you hit the next contest even harder. Surely that has to be a positive!
Bob Dawson
Guest
You got it A J , but i doubt if anyone will enlighten the punters
Shmick
Guest
Do whatever works for you. I've always found snaps to be more accurate, but that's just me. I'm just a mug who enjoys a kick among mates, but I see where Stevie J is coming from.
AJ
Guest
It is baffling Bob - The one that most recently caught my eye was in Suns Pies on the weekend. A Collingwood player (His name has slipped my mind but I think Seedsman) had a few possessions in the chain and then scored a reviving goal late in the game from just inside 50 in the corridor. He then bolted off at full tilt and he looked wrecked by the time he got there. He would have been infinitely better rested had he walked the 50 feet to the edge of the centre square and put his hands on his head.
Ash of Geelong
Guest
When your winning every game just about you can kick it as you like , But when you loose you get pulled back into line pretty quick. Keep that sort of kick for when your 10 goals up.
vocans
Guest
Many games, especially finals, have only a kick or two in them. High percentage is best. Snags are touched before the line where punts would not be. They bounce askew where punts don't have a chance to. If you can kick it along the ground, most times you can put it just above the goal umpire's head. They're for tight places where only an along the ground trajectory will get through. Round the corner is for just that - in tight pockets, and I'd say, in windy conditions. Otherwise, a well-executed drop punt is incredibly accurate especially within 30m.
Brent Ford
Roar Guru
"The great goal kickers of the past never did it, which is probably why they were great goal kickers. But then again, in those days, players actually practised their goal-kicking." They also rarely left the 50. In my opinion with these players that do "snaps" or "grubbers" it is a confidence thing. If Stevie Johnson hits hit 9/10 as a coach you wouldn't say anything. Who is to say that kicking a drop punt is fine? Just look at Travis Cloke figures in the past two weeks. It all comes down to the individual, and if you seriously think they don't practice these things every kid in the country is doing it. I remember an interview Dale Thomas gave a few years back where he said him, Leon Davis and Didak would practice snags regularly before training. I can see your point but if it is working why stop it? The game is changing.
Bob Dawson
Guest
hooray for A J I have been waiting for years for a coach to explain why a player has to run off the ground when he scores a goal. you dont see Buddy or Roughy or JB getting dragged. Why am I confused????
Mark
Guest
Quite hapy for Johnson and Ablett to 'experiment ' and use any kick they deem OK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyKpRENn1hA
AJ
Guest
I don't know if there is any one player to blame - but the genius who came up with grubbering the ball into open goals as you scorch inside 50 has a lot to answer for. Why anyone would even want to chance an awkward bounce is beyond me? Not to mention the many instances of having the ball touched on the line! The Brisbane Lions comeback against Geelong would have been that bit easier if not for the inexplicable attempted grubber through a crowded goalline that Harry Taylor put his hand on. Granted there are moments which require the grubber and the snap, but if you can spear a ball onto someone's palms from 40m away with a drop punt why would that not also be the most effective way of scoring goals? It seems like one of those things where everyone followed the leader but the original 'sound' reasoning has been lost in the wash. Sort of like the; "you just scored a great goal in the dying embers of a game. Now run like buggery to the other side of the ground, positively exhausting yourself, so that you can sit on the bench to recover..."
vocans
Guest
I agree, but not in the cases of Taylor and Bartel. I don't know what went through their minds but the choice was not as silly as it might at first appear. It was a windy day, and the wind was unpredictable. A drop punt could easily be taken off line (especially with not a lot to aim at), but the round the corner snap bites into the wind with more power and is less likely to be taken by the wind.