Peter Hudson: Hawk legend's lament to modern sharpshooters ....

[Chewy]

Huddo mostly stayed within a 30m radius of goal and took many marks one-out against his opponent.

Lance Franklin has had more shots at goal than anyone this season (58.45) but he would've had about 1/10th of the number of these gilt-edged chances as Huddo. He faces double and triple teams. His opponents force him to lead up the ground for marks outside the 50m arc, or wide out to the boundary line.

It's likely Huddo's accuracy percentage would also be at 60-65% if he had to kick from the same spots as today's forwards.

I think it's a myth that goal kicking has not improved.
Defences of today are simply better at protecting the "hot spots".

 

[Dixie Flatline]

You can add Anthony Rocca, Fraser Gehrig and David Neitz as three other guys who play the traditional full forward role (in 06). Would there be any others who do?? Just because someone kicks loads of goals doesn't mean they are either.... I think i read somewhere Matt Pavlich has moved to a permenant full forward role in 07??

In 2006, Mark Williams would have spent most of his time inside the 30-40 metre arc. He was given some time on the ball by Clarkson, but I think that was more to get Williams in to the game.

 

[LVAK]

Apart from the possible fatigue factor it may also be about the percentage of training time that you get to practice

Huddo may have done a couple of laps then an hour of goalkicking.

Now they have to train for 3 hours then comes some set shots.

 

[Valve Bounce]

In 1994, qtrs were reduced by 5mins. Time on was changed though. So about 10% was lost overall.

Allthestats.com

I am sure this greatly affects the accuracy of kicks as the kicker has to rush his shot before the 10% loss of time in the quarter kicks in.

 

[shoe]

Amen! Someone had to say it, i'm glad you did. It feels like every 2-3 weeks, some old-timer pops up with an article about how the game was so much better "back in the day". Guess what, it's 2007 and footballers aren't playing for a keg anymore gramps.

Well.. that's not what he's saying at all.

“I don’t live in the past. I don’t subscribe to the theory that the game was better in my day,” he said.

 

[Yashek]

I think what Peter Hudson is trying to say in his article is the same thing all Hawks supporters were thinking after Sunday's game -

"How the f#ck did jordan lewis miss that fu%king shot from 30 out in the last quarter?"

 

[wce4premiership]

What was his accuracy?

 

[Valve Bounce]

What was his accuracy?

I think HIT AND MISS

 

[Tas]

why is it different ? a shot 30 metres out in 1970 is the same as a shot 30 metres out in 2007. If anything, with modern technology, the conversion rate should be higher in 2007. Flooding/zoning/fitter opposition has nothing to do with set shots on goal.

The problem with modern football is the speed and physical nature of the game, you have to be more a natural athlete than a natural footballer to survive at AFL level because not having speed, endurance, size, agility all packed into one is more of a liability than not being as good a converter.

If Hudson played in this day and age he would have to bulk up, he would have to focus more of his training on running and on weights than he can on kicking. It doesn't matter how beautiful a kick you are if you never get the ball. Sav Rocca is still an awesome kick, he was dead as a footballer because his opponent would do far too much damage on him and is slow enough that even an average opponent can deny him the ball on most occassions.

Then we have the fatigue. Have ten shots at goal from 30m out. Then compare that to having 10 shots on goal from 30m out after you spring up the ground and come back. You accuracy would wane, the more you run, the worse your kicking will be.

From what I have seen of older games, key forwards didn't move a hell of a lot out of their position. I doubt fatigue was a major factor when Huddo was playing.

No disrespect, he was a fantastic player. It is just a different time, a different era. We just can't afford to have one-dimensional players in our game, they are dinosaurs that have been long extinct.

 

[The Casey Cat]

I agree with Hudson. TOO MANY EASY GOALS MISSED! Set shot within 40 metres and better than 45 degree angle stuff should be pretty much automatic yet that is Chris Tarrant's worst nightmare (he's most likely not alone). Johnson is pretty much the same for Geelong, looks ten times more comfortable running toward the boundary kicking across his body on his opposite foot. Considering how much longer players spend training/planning compared to the old days and how 'professional' they now are it isn't good enough.