FFC/WBFC Goal Kicking for Your Life

[bulldogtragic]

Imagine this. A #standbyhird Essendon no-brain cult zombie bites you on the neck. The only antidote and way to avoid becoming like them is selecting any Footscray or Western Bulldogs player to ever to pull on the tri-colours to have one set shot at goal from 40 metres out on a slight angle. Who do you pick from any listed player in our entire history to save your life from hash tagging #standbyhird on every tweet, facebook entry or email for the rest of eternity??


I go with Paul Hudson.





(PS; i was going to go with who has a set shot to save your life, or who was our best shot, or set shot you can remember, but its a tad boring)

[wimberga]

I think I'd have to say Gia - but I'm only 24 and haven't seen a lot of our past greats.

[always right]

Gia used to be a bit flaky around goals in his earlier years but he is now unequivocally our go-to player for crunch situations.

[azabob]

From the hazy mind of my early teenage years Jason Watts or Danny Del Re

[Twodogs]

#ScottWelsh

[1eyedog]

I would pick KT. A beautiful fluid kicking style, lovely follow through and straight as a dye. At 65% efficiency (better than Roughead / John Brown (64%), and also considerably better than Jack Riewoldt, Matthew Pavlich, Drew Petrie, Nick Riewoldt, Simon Beasley, Michael Moncrieff, Brian Taylor, Ross Glendinning, Doug Wade, Royce Hart and Bernie Quinlan.

I would like KT to kick on my behalf.

[lemmon]

Lindsay Gilbee, the man could do no wrong with ball in hand

[LostDoggy]

You couldn't go past the peripatetic Shane Loveless for mine. He played at nearly every club in regional Victoria, couple in Tassie too I think?

But he pulled on the tri-colour for a couple of seasons with the scraggers and kicked a fair few goals as well, very solid shot in front of goal.

If we had that shot described after the siren in a prelim this year to get into the big dance i'd put it in Gia's hands.........if of course BMac had activated the sub by then!;)

[bulldogtragic]

Gee whiz there's some stiff competition, I forgot about Welshy... I might have to break mine down now having seen Hudson's stats, I still pick him but in 1998, 88 shots at goal for 61 goals, 27 behinds (circa 70%).

[1eyedog]

Gee whiz there's some stiff competition, I forgot about Welshy... I might have to break mine down now having seen Hudson's stats, I still pick him but in 1998, 88 shots at goal for 61 goals, 27 behinds (circa 70%).

What about weather variables? Would anyone choose a different player if it was a set shot in sideways rain and spongy underneath as opposed to a closed roof at the dome? KT kicked the ball on dreadful patches into that horrible swirl that seemed to drag a ball down at the Geelong Road end for many years.

[ledge]

Akermanis anyone ?

[bulldogtragic]

What about weather variables? Would anyone choose a different player if it was a set shot in sideways rain and spongy underneath as opposed to a closed roof at the dome? KT kicked the ball on dreadful patches into that horrible swirl that seemed to drag a ball down at the Geelong Road end for many years.

Ive only ever seen highlights of KT to be true. But if we mixed the OP around to includes either running, weather etc. Then wet i'd take Akermanis without thinking twice, and running maybe with Lem, taking Lindsay G.

[The Doctor]

Hudson or Kolyniuk

[ratsmac]

Gilbee or Aker for me.

[LostDoggy]

Barry Hall anyone?

[Happy Days]

'09 model Shaun Higgins all day.

[Pickenitup]

Doug Hawkins

[LostDoggy]

Cooney was an absolute dead eye in he's early years.

[Murphy'sLore]

Think I'd pick BBBBarry too.

[Maddog37]

Me three for Barry Hall.

[bornadog]

Paul Hudson

[lemmon]

Akermanis anyone ?

Maybe just my perception but I always thought he dropped off after leaving Brisbane, particularly in his last year I thought he lost a lot of his kicking depth and accuracy

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Simon the Pieman or Simon Garlick.

[Remi Moses]

I'd go with Paul Hudson ( particularly near the boundary line)
KT was pretty good ( not the demon version where he couldn't kick more than 30)

[craigsahibee]

Huddo of the Paul variety and Billy Kolyniuk are two that I always felt at ease with whenever the ball was in their hands.

40 out on a slight angle was Beasley's bread and butter. I'll go with Huddo.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Set shot would have to be Beazer or Huddo.

[Twodogs]

Set shot would have to be Beazer or Huddo.

Huddo for sure from anywhere in the 50 metre arc but I don't know about Beazer. He could be a bit flaky from 10-20 metres out. Especially on a slight angle. 30-40 metres out then you mark it in the record but the closer he got the more chance he was of missing I reckon.

[Bulldog Revolution]

He could be a bit flaky from 10-20 metres out. Especially on a slight angle.

Are you still annoyed about the one he missed against the Bears at Carrara after the siren?

A vivid memory of my youth

[Greystache]

I'll take Liam Jones-Loves the clutch goal!!

[Sedat]

Thread needs more Ben 'Clutch' Harrison :D

[Twodogs]

Are you still annoyed about the one he missed against the Bears at Carrara after the siren?

A vivid memory of my youth

Not really. There's not much you can do when there's fifteen blokes forming a human pyramid on the mark.

[bornadog]

Not really. There's not much you can do when there's fifteen blokes forming a human pyramid on the mark.

That was a disgrace and should have been dealt with by the AFL, on the day.

[Ozza]

From 40 or closer - Simon Garlick was a dead eye.

Other than him - Hudson, Beasley and Kolyniuk can all kick for me!

[Twodogs]

I wonder what the most goals kicked by a player in a season before he missed is?

[bornadog]

Jimmy Edmond use to be a pretty good shot. He would take forever to line it up, and people would reply " Put the kettle on" as soon as he marked it.:D

[Mofra]

I wonder what the most goals kicked by a player in a season before he missed is?
Jones is up to 7 with no behinds this year - can't recall any Bulldog players getting to double figures before their first blemish.

[Ozza]

Jones is up to 7 with no behinds this year - can't recall any Bulldog players getting to double figures before their first blemish.

Can't recall a run at the start of a season - but I do remember Chris Grant kicking 16 straight to finish a season (maybe 2005 when we were flying home late in the year).

[LostDoggy]

Jones is up to 7 with no behinds this year - can't recall any Bulldog players getting to double figures before their first blemish.

I wouldn't have put money on that preseason.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Huddo for sure from anywhere in the 50 metre arc but I don't know about Beazer. He could be a bit flaky from 10-20 metres out. Especially on a slight angle. 30-40 metres out then you mark it in the record but the closer he got the more chance he was of missing I reckon.

I tried looking it up but I remember being stunned at how good Beasley's conversion rate was, superior to most 100+ goalkickers.
Sorry to blemish some fine memories with statistics but the answer to which Footscray/Western Bulldog to bet your life on in front of goal, based on a minimum of 50 shots, from 1972-2014 is:

1) Shane Loveless, Footscray, 72% and 4th best all players
2) Tory Dickson, Western Bulldogs, 70% and 10th best all players
3) Daylight

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/accuracy.html

[boydogs]

3) Daylight

Steven Koops 68% :D

[boydogs]

You couldn't go past the peripatetic Shane Loveless for mine. He played at nearly every club in regional Victoria, couple in Tassie too I think?

But he pulled on the tri-colour for a couple of seasons with the scraggers and kicked a fair few goals as well, very solid shot in front of goal.

Good get

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Steven Koops 68% :D
:) Yeah but no goals for Footscray.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Beasley is right up there with excellent conversion despite seeming a bit suss.

Player Years Active Career Goals Conversion per cent
Peter Hudson 1967-77 727 69
Michael Roach 1977-89 607 67
Peter McKenna 1965-77 874 66
Kelvin Templeton 1974-85 593 64
Simon Beasley 1982-89 575 64
Michael Moncrieff 1971-83 629 63
Brian Taylor 1980-90 527 63
Ross Glendinning 1978-88 325 61
Doug Wade 1961-75 1057 60
Royce Hart 1967-77 369 59
Bernie Quinlan 1969-86 817 58

Actually to bet your life or a Grand Final on one kick at goal, it's not just about conversion rate, but staying calm about the kick. Barry Hall seemed nerveless and strong until he hooked someone. Gia has a lot of self belief. Simon Garlick gets the job done. Paul Hudson and Ted Whitten jnr. were exquisitely skilled straight kicks. Kelvin Templeton was a great goalkicker with a strong character.
I'll go with ego and skill to save my bacon: Shane Loveless because its all about him and Aker as backup.

[Twodogs]

Jones is up to 7 with no behinds this year - can't recall any Bulldog players getting to double figures before their first blemish.


I reckon Wil Minson started with 18.1 in 2005 or 2006

*edit. I checked footywire and it was 2009. Wil finished the season with 16.4 but he was 16.1 at one stage.

[Scorlibo]

I reckon Wil Minson started with 18.1 in 2005 or 2006

*edit. I checked footywire and it was 2009. Wil finished the season with 16.4 but he was 16.1 at one stage.

But it was 2008 when he subbed in for Brian and drew the Richmond game! Ice cool Will.

[Twodogs]

But it was 2008 when he subbed in for Brian and drew the Richmond game! Ice cool Will.


That's the one. He ran from 40 metres away to be the closest player when the decision was made.

[Greystache]

He ran from 40 metres away to be the closest player when the decision was made.

No that was Lindsay Gilbee. The umpire wasn't having any of that and just threw it to the nearest player that wasn't Gilbee, which was Minson.

[bulldogtragic]

Bonts. I feel incredibly confident with him already.

[bulldogtragic]

And Dickson.