Strategy Is it time that we get a kicking coach?

[Wizard17]

Can't kick straight at goal, missing targets by 15m, kicking to the advantage of the opposition. Is it time that we try and rectify flaws in our kicking game with a coach to oversee these aspects of the game and work with individuals on our list?

 

[ScragCity]

This seems pretty obvious. I'm amazed every team doesn't have a kicking coach

 

[BRWB]

Can't kick straight at goal, missing targets by 15m, kicking to the advantage of the opposition. Is it time that we try and rectify flaws in our kicking game with a coach to oversee these aspects of the game and work with individuals on our list?

Past time. We should have a biomechanist and psych all over our kicking. Horrible.

Schache, Webb and Richards are excused.

 

[Mutt]

Can't kick straight at goal, missing targets by 15m, kicking to the advantage of the opposition. Is it time that we try and rectify flaws in our kicking game with a coach to oversee these aspects of the game and work with individuals on our list?

I'm amazed and disappointed that year after year we ignore this crucial facet of the game. A kicking coach should be a no-brainer for a sport that is built on the ability to kick the bloody football!

 

[Yojimbo]

It amazes me that clubs (us included) recruit young players that are known
to have poor skills and think that once in a professional environment all
will correct itself automatically. Is there a reason the Irish boys kick the
ball so well at times. Is there a reason the players from a basketball
background seem to be great in traffic.

I took a trip to Scotland around 2010 and in the soccer systems over
there they delist kids at ten years of age and the pro scouts are all over
the junior tournaments. Getting back on topic by the time our young
kids get to an AFL list the last thing they should need is a kicking
coach they should be able to concentrate on learning a system and
fitting in, maybe the intervention should come earlier.

 

[Unorth]

This is a chart I whipped up almost exactly 12 months ago (so similar stage through last season), for goalkicking accuracy from 2015 to June 2017.

I'll probably do an updated version at the end of this season. But you can see the concern: I listed a bunch of guys who, to varying degrees, had(cough)/have shots on goal for us: Only two trended up in that time. And Dickson has only ever dipped from 'league best' to 'about league best'. The other player who trended up was Hunter, and as of this season he's fallen to 21.4%, while Dahl has cratered to...7.1%. Yikes. JJ is another who's plummeted- going at 11.8% goalkicking this season.

Basically...They should be investing in every avenue available to fix this downwards trend.

 

[DognBones]

I'm not convinced that a kicking coach can help improve players who have been in the system for several years. I would expect that there have been efforts at our club to advise players the correct technique before now but the bad habits are just too entrenched. Mind you, if we haven't been doing that previously then that would amount to negligence.
And while we're at it, can we also get some marking coaching for one T Boyd?

 

[dogsfan]

Offer Murphy a part time job.. had one of the best kicking techniques going around.

 

[lachy]

We have many assistant coaches. Teaching kicking is taught at all levels of coaching accreditation.

I would be flummoxed if we dont already but then again Boyd still does not hold his hands properly for a mark which is another thing coaches at all levels are taught to coach

 

[Mattdougie]

Kicking at AFL level is mainly to do with structure and confidence. Winning team have more confidence therefore hit more targets.

Training should be specific to the pattern of play and kicks expected.

Look at Collingwood. Same players as last year yet hitting targets at a much higher rate. Specific game plan and confidence helps the same players improve.

In 2016 we hit targets with ease. Losing increases the pressure on every kick and you stop playing with the freedom we did in 16.

Add having players such as Honey in the team that no one would have faith in and you end up looking like you cannot kick

 

[BRWB]

Kicking at AFL level is mainly to do with structure and confidence. Winning team have more confidence therefore hit more targets.

Training should be specific to the pattern of play and kicks expected.

Look at Collingwood. Same players as last year yet hitting targets at a much higher rate. Specific game plan and confidence helps the same players improve.

In 2016 we hit targets with ease. Losing increases the pressure on every kick and you stop playing with the freedom we did in 16.

Add having players such as Honey in the team that no one would have faith in and you end up looking like you cannot kick

Even in 16 we were grossly inefficient by foot.

 

[Bodicifer]

Why don't blokes lining up for goal pick out someone in the cheersquad and just kick it to them? If you stood out on the ground and said to any of them hit that guy or girl 40 metres away, they'd probably nail them or get within a metre or two 7 out of 10. Put two thin white sticks in front of them and it all goes to shit. It's a head thing, little about technique, more about the head. Like putting.

 

[oneoffpost]

Was thinking about our kicking the other week, we all know how bad our kicking at goal is but I think it’s our field kicking which hurts us more. And not necessarily where we kick but how we do.
Apart from Bont, Suckling and maybe a couple of others we have players that have no penetration with there kicking. No 65 metre players as the commentators call them. Run 10 and kick 55.
We are way too easy to defend against because teams can set up there zone and have 12-13 players within 50 metres of the ball carrier or stoppage knowing full well we can’t get it over the back.
Wallis, Daniel, Dal, Honey, Dunkley can barely kick 40 metres. You might be able to carry a couple of blokes but we need more guys able to kick the ball long. Particularly in today’s game.
I must say our ball movement was much better against North on the weekend. We’ll see how it pans out for the rest of the season.

 

[jdz101]

While were at it, how about a new high performance strength and conditioning guy that's actually an expert in the field instead of a guy that used to play cricket a bit?

 

[Mofra]

I'm not convinced that a kicking coach can help improve players who have been in the system for several years. I would expect that there have been efforts at our club to advise players the correct technique before now but the bad habits are just too entrenched. Mind you, if we haven't been doing that previously then that would amount to negligence.
And while we're at it, can we also get some marking coaching for one T Boyd?

Rocca's done wonders for Levi Casboult.

At the other end of the scale, St Kilda hired a goal-kicking coach for this year and are almost as bad as us so getting the right person is more important than merely getting one.

 

[Bont2Bruce]

Was thinking about our kicking the other week, we all know how bad our kicking at goal is but I think it’s our field kicking which hurts us more. And not necessarily where we kick but how we do.
Apart from Bont, Suckling and maybe a couple of others we have players that have no penetration with there kicking. No 65 metre players as the commentators call them. Run 10 and kick 55.

Adams isn't the most accurate kick in the team, but his ability to run 10 and launch 55 has been sorely missed. Our ball movement is much better when he can clear the press with those sort of kicks.