Analysis Good kicking is good football

[cmndstab]

For years, it's felt like we've had a poor kicking team. Even through our push towards a grand final in the mid 2010s, we were a team with a handful of good kicks and it was incumbent on the rest of the team to get the ball in their hands.

But right now, it feels like the majority of players in our best 23 are above average users. Below is my impression in terms of how well players use the ball by foot, with players outside of the current best 23 in italics.


Elite kicks
Dawson
Rankine

Above average kicks
Cumming
Curtin
Fogarty
Hinge
Michalanney
Milera
Rachele
Sholl
Thilthorpe
Walker
Worrell
Cook
Ryan

Average kicks
Draper
Keane
Laird
Neal-Bullen
Soligo
Bond
Borlase
Dowling
Jones
Nankervis
Pedlar
Smith
Taylor

Below average kicks
Crouch
Keays
N. Murray
Peatling
Berry
Butts
Gallagher
Murphy
Schoenberg
Strachan

Kicking is a genuine weakness
O'Brien

Honestly, I have no idea
Burgess
Edwards
McAndrew
T. Murray
Welsh

So, by my rankings at least, that's 13 of our best 23 who are above average kicks (including 2 elite), and only five whose kicking is below average.


What are your thoughts? Disagree with where I've placed any of the players? Are there more users you would class as elite (Walker? Fogarty?) I've tried to focus on the outcome of the kicks, rather than their ability to kick. So for example I've put Murray down in below average kicks because even though his kicking is mostly fine, he often makes poor choices.

 

[I Lost My Keays]

Keays scares me with his set shots

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Spot on observation

It has been a pleasure to watch us move the ball with precision so far

We'll get placed under more pressure as the season wears on so we'll see how we fare there. I think in the past it has been as much that we haven't been good at getting out of congestion and releasing the ball to players on the outside (system & decision making) as it is the pure skill, though there's been some obvious weak skill links too

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

If you’re going to focus on the outcome of kicks, then I think Keane drops down a category and Crouch jumps up a category.

Keane will take on risky kicks, often with poor outcomes. Crouch tends to play it much safer, but generally hits the target.

Walker is elite for a KPP and can kick on both sides of the body to almost the same high level.

I’d probably put Laird in the below average category. He used to get a lot of his effective kicks by kicking long up and under kicks to a contest (long kicks to a contest count as effective kicks).

 

[cmndstab]

If you’re going to focus on the outcome of kicks, then I think Keane drops down a category and Crouch jumps up a category.

Keane will take on risky kicks, often with poor outcomes. Crouch tends to play it much safer, but generally hits the target.

Walker is elite for a KPP and can kick on both sides of the body to almost the same high level.

I’d probably put Laird in the below average category. He used to get a lot of his effective kicks by kicking long up and under kicks to a contest (long kicks to a contest count as effective kicks).

Yeah, fair points. I think with Keane, he takes on risky kicks, but he also hits very useful options. Balances out to average for me. Crouch almost always takes safe options and sometimes misses those. But I agree, it's line ball for some players, including those two.

I almost put Walker in the elite category. There's definitely an argument there. Fogarty as well.

I'll admit, I'm slightly higher on Laird than normal just because I've liked how he's gone so far this year. But most of the things I've liked about him have been his ground ball work and his handballs, so perhaps below average is where he belongs.

 

[cmndstab]

Spot on observation

It has been a pleasure to watch us move the ball with precision so far

We'll get placed under more pressure as the season wears on so we'll see how we fare there. I think in the past it has been as much that we haven't been good at getting out of congestion and releasing the ball to players on the outside (system & decision making) as it is the pure skill, though there's been some obvious weak skill links too

For me, the issue has always been twofold, with kicking skills the smaller piece of the puzzle. The bigger piece is that we've not been good at manufacturing loose players, so the kick doesn't need to be that good. We've been so determined to have an extra number at the stoppage, and have slower, nuggety players through the middle, that we're inevitably covered once we get the ball. The only time we have usually had players free is when the opposition has done the work for us, getting themselves free, only to suffer a turnover.

But I think a big part of fixing that is making it so players know they'll be rewarded for doing the work. Honouring the lead, hitting the targets. Players will happily lead a couple of times if they know they'll get rewarded for it, but they'll get pretty sick of leading all day if they get ignored, or the ball sails over their head.

 

[FR0GGY]

Does Dawson make the elite kick category?
His first few kicks were ordinary, he started the season ordinary last year in terms of kicking.

 

[cmndstab]

Does Dawson make the elite kick category?
His first few kicks were ordinary, he started the season ordinary last year in terms of kicking.

I think based on body of work, absolutely. Obviously if he starts messing up kicks more often, then we'll have to reevaluate.

 

[FR0GGY]

I think based on body of work, absolutely. Obviously if he starts messing up kicks more often, then we'll have to reevaluate.

His kicking efficiency is rated as average each year for 23-25? (Low 60s)
75% in 2022
I’m not sure how they calculate it, but it would seem a good gauge.

 

[Brenton Davy]

A trifle harsh on Soligo I think, especially his goal kicking. I’d give him an above average rating.

 

[imagifED]

We are genuinely set if we replace ROB (who is our only weakness by foot along with Butts if he plays) with a quality mobile decent kicking ruck.
The likes of Crouch (beautiful hand to foot, short kicking on both feet), Keays (sometimes kicking inside 50), Murray (technically good for his position) and Peatling are all technically decent kicks. Laird, ANB, Soligo, Jones, etc all pretty tidy as expected with smaller players.
Bond, Borlase and Dowling maybe to below average.

 

[SydCrow]

And our goal kicking is arguably the best going with Filthy, Fog and Tex as KPFs.

On SM-S901E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

His kicking efficiency is rated as average each year for 23-25? (Low 60s)
75% in 2022
I’m not sure how they calculate it, but it would seem a good gauge.

The best measure of kicking efficiency is when Champion Data compare the expected kicking efficiency of kicks compared to the actual outcome.

That takes into account players who take on more difficult kicks. Otherwise defenders generally win due to them having a heap of safe kicks in defence.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

Yeah, fair points. I think with Keane, he takes on risky kicks, but he also hits very useful options. Balances out to average for me. Crouch almost always takes safe options and sometimes misses those. But I agree, it's line ball for some players, including those two.

I almost put Walker in the elite category. There's definitely an argument there. Fogarty as well.

I'll admit, I'm slightly higher on Laird than normal just because I've liked how he's gone so far this year. But most of the things I've liked about him have been his ground ball work and his handballs, so perhaps below average is where he belongs.

I think Walker is a better field kick than Fogarty, often takes on more difficult kicks and has better vision too.

Fogarty would still be above average.

 

[Coopers]

Does Dawson make the elite kick category?
His first few kicks were ordinary, he started the season ordinary last year in terms of kicking.

But then he kicks a goal from 65+ while running at full speed.

He's regularly passing it 55+ low, flat and fast. He'd have to be up there in the best few kicks in the comp, especially at speed.

 

[Coopers]

Not sure I've seen enough of Peatling to say he's below average.

I'd also say that Keays has done an amazing job to not be in the "kicking is a genuine weakness" pile. He's improved so much. I'd think you could even have him as average, given he's not trying to bite of more than he can chew and he's executing those pretty well.

 

[FR0GGY]

The best measure of kicking efficiency is when Champion Data compare the expected kicking efficiency of kicks compared to the actual outcome.

That takes into account players who take on more difficult kicks. Otherwise defenders generally win due to them having a heap of safe kicks in defence.

Is that readily available?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

At one stage during the game against Essendon, they said we had a record kicking efficiency differential with Essendon - think it was over 30% difference.

If someone is re-watching the game, would love to know what it was.

But a great OP, as many of us have been saying for a while that turnovers are a killer & improving skills & execution makes all the difference... particularly when moving the ball so quickly.

Exciting times ahead.

Going to be fascinating when we come up against another high skilled quick moving team like the Hawks.

 

[Scorpus]

Walker is an elite kick. I think Fogarty is as well, particularly set shot kicking

 

[1970crow]

For years, it's felt like we've had a poor kicking team. Even through our push towards a grand final in the mid 2010s, we were a team with a handful of good kicks and it was incumbent on the rest of the team to get the ball in their hands.

But right now, it feels like the majority of players in our best 23 are above average users. Below is my impression in terms of how well players use the ball by foot, with players outside of the current best 23 in italics.


Elite kicks
Dawson
Rankine

Above average kicks
Cumming
Curtin
Fogarty
Hinge
Michalanney
Milera
Rachele
Sholl
Thilthorpe
Walker
Worrell
Cook
Ryan

Average kicks
Draper
Keane
Laird
Neal-Bullen
Soligo
Bond
Borlase
Dowling
Jones
Nankervis
Pedlar
Smith
Taylor

Below average kicks
Crouch
Keays
N. Murray
Peatling
Berry
Butts
Gallagher
Murphy
Schoenberg
Strachan

Kicking is a genuine weakness
O'Brien

Honestly, I have no idea
Burgess
Edwards
McAndrew
T. Murray
Welsh

So, by my rankings at least, that's 13 of our best 23 who are above average kicks (including 2 elite), and only five whose kicking is below average.


What are your thoughts? Disagree with where I've placed any of the players? Are there more users you would class as elite (Walker? Fogarty?) I've tried to focus on the outcome of the kicks, rather than their ability to kick. So for example I've put Murray down in below average kicks because even though his kicking is mostly fine, he often makes poor choices.

Crouch isn't a below average kick.

 

[Coopers]

At one stage during the game against Essendon, they said we had a record kicking efficiency differential with Essendon - think it was over 30% difference.

If someone is re-watching the game, would love to know what it was.

But a great OP, as many of us have been saying for a while that turnovers are a killer & improving skills & execution makes all the difference... particularly when moving the ball so quickly.

Exciting times ahead.

Going to be fascinating when we come up against another high skilled quick moving team like the Hawks.

I think it was towards the end of the 3rd quarter. Not sure it was a 30% difference, but it was some kind of a record - like the biggest differential ever, or something.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I think it was towards the end of the 3rd quarter. Not sure it was a 30% difference, but it was some kind of a record - like the biggest differential ever, or something.

I vaguely recall we were around 80% & they were around 50%... perhaps they were high 50's.

Was a reflection of the 2 sides.

 

[hippyhippy]

Walker is an elite kick. I think Fogarty is as well, particularly set shot kicking

Criminal you wouldn't rate them as elite... even tt has a great kick

Walker elite on both sides

 

[Geoffa32]

The kicking game was my take away from the trial games.
Pretty happy it has continued into the season.

 

[Geoffa32]

Does Dawson make the elite kick category?
His first few kicks were ordinary, he started the season ordinary last year in terms of kicking.

When he has space and time, elite.

Feels rushed, real or perceived pressure it falls away a little bit.