Travis Cloke marks the ball strongly, dominantly. Collingwood fans should be up, in raptures, applauding and revelling in another great contested grab.
Nope.
Half of them shudder and reach for their phones, the other half look away – somewhere else, the sky, their shoes, the other direction at least – at pains to avoid witnessing what’s probably going to occur next.
This mess that set-shot goal-kicking has become is not only a blight on the game, it’s incredibly sad for the players involved, inviting lament and hysteria alike.
But sure, let’s not go too easy on someone such as Travis. He is on a very nice wicket, and for work gets to wear very comfortable clothes, playing the exact same game he did so leisurely after school and weekends, yet this time during business hours.
He is paid more than well enough to be not just a footballer, not just a professional footballer, but an elite footballer and that means bringing elite skill to the workplace as often as can be expected.
From 60 metres out on the boundary, perhaps we can wane the demands in that scenario, but if he is missing a set shot 20 metres out with no angle to speak of, then we’ve got a problem.
Former footballers such as Wayne Carey and Jonathon Brown, who have earned the right to comment and criticise, point to an issue between the ears causing this horrendous pattern of totally unreliable set shots.
Many column inches and radio minutes are dedicated to explaining the reliability and trust of one’s technique, to practice and refine their set-shot routine, and to keep to it every time.
‘Keep it simple’, we are told again and again.
But by ‘keeping it simple’ are they actually making it anything but?
Using rough numbers, let’s assess the efficiency of field kicks – it’s somewhere around 70 per cent. However, that includes rushed kicks, under-pressure kicks, scrambled clearances from a contest, etc.
If we could measure (and Champion Data probably do somewhere in their underground lair) the efficiency of field kicking from a mark or free kick it would be at least 80 per cent. This is when kicking to a stationary target no more than two metres in height and wingspan, or harder still to a fast-moving, leading target where a prediction is made on the expected landing of said disposal.
AFL goal posts are 6.4 metres apart and 15 metres high. A goal is therefore 24 times the target of an individual footballer. Yet where field passing is probably 80 per cent, set-shot goal kicking for some is a 50-50 proposition at best.
Then why do we see players such as Cloke walk back from a mark, pause, and set up some sort of contrived flamingo-like walk where everything is different to what he would do if he was passing to a teammate somewhere on the wing?
Why do players try to nurse the ball through the big sticks? Why do they try and kick it as hard whether from 15 metres or from 65? Why are they using a different kicking technique to when they are looking to hit a target out of scoring range?
Cloke’s 2015 technique includes starting with one foot flat on the ground, one on its tiptoes. From the get-go one is already shot for confidence in the success of what is to follow. There is a real rigidity in his posture, which all culminates in a flurry of limbs and a ball drop that rests more on hope than skill, and whooshka – you aren’t at all surprised he kicked a set shot from 25 metres at right angles.
So this talk of repetition and routine, marking out your steps, a measured run-up, controlled ball drop and keeping it all flowing? It’s utter nonsense.
Port Adelaide’s Jay Schulz is a key example of the real answer.
He does go back a certain distance, but he then strolls in as if he is kicking at goal in general play, without any pressure
He doesn’t use a ridiculous, choreographed marching-band setup, he simply follows the exact same technique he would be using if he had marked in the open and was to play on, waltz in, unobstructed, to an open goal.
You don’t see Power fans squirming in their seats like a yet-to be toilet-trained toddler whenever he takes a nice mark anywhere in the forward line.
So why do forwards possess a technique for field-kicking and something alien for set shots?
The glaring case in point, and we refer back to our old mate Travis, was his cringeworthy miss to the City end in the final term against Geelong on Friday.
Let’s say the man on the mark was 25 metres out and to be even more conservative let’s say the angle was ‘somewhat’ instead of ‘non-existent’.
If Cloke had gone back a routine amount of steps and then walk in, casually but with rhythm, effortlessly aim to pass the ball to a member of the cheer squad, with no real emphasis on height other than to comfortably clear the line, most of these otherwise non-viewing fans would actually hold some confidence in their big man converting.
Sure, concessions are made for feeling the pressure of the moment and therefore allowing nerves to disrupt your action and send the result waywardly, but there must be substantial improvement to be made by using what works around the ground when coming in for a set shot.
Travis, let’s rid ourselves of the ‘Swan Lake’ style stance and the catwalk model on a runway setup on delivery. Aim for a member of the crowd behind the goals and merely ‘pass’ the ball to them.
If the member of the crowd wears a black and white scarf they’ll be more than accepting of the mark, and they’ll start watching you take these shots again!
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
"One of the Haileybury boys has a big forehead... could you stir him up?"
"That's the worst sound in footy!"
As a Carlton supporter, this is probably Sam Pang's idea of Hell!
Sometimes after 120 minutes of blood, sweat, tears and momentum swings, our game makes it so that none of that really matters. With three…
