Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking

[Greystache]

50%... wooo!

Without Dickson and Schache we may have kicked last week's score.

[Twodogs]

The kick that Dahl missed was because he was looking at the goal and not his ball drop so his ball drop went skew-wiff apart from that it wasn't bad. If he'd just kept his head over the ball it would have had a much better chance of going through.

[westbulldog]

On a lighter note, this excerpt from the club's website is as accurate as our goalkicking :-
"Inness overseas the day-to-day physical preparaton of the AFL playing group."

[Axe Man]

Science answers footy’s big question: How to kick goals?

A GOAL doctor who has spent the past three and a half years studying kicking technique could help solve one of the AFL’s biggest woes.

Few things frustrate footy fans more than a highly paid player lining up for a match-winning kick only to spray it wide of the goals.

But a landmark study by Victoria University PhD candidate Stephanie Blair could finally cure the sprays, yips and clangers of AFL stars.

Ms Blair and a team of sports, exercise science and biomechanics experts have examined technical aspects of goalkicking accuracy from different distances and angles.

Using 3D technology, a full-body analysis of player goalkicking technique was tested to see what they were doing right and wrong, and how accuracy could be improved.

“We’re trying to determine how we can improve goalkicking performance,’’ she said.

“Through our research we’re firstly trying to understand goalkicking technique, what the requirements are of players and what it looks like.

“We’re trying to determine what players are doing that contributes to an accurate performance, but also then trying to determine what is going wrong with their performance.’’

The study will be hot property for AFL and AFLW clubs keen to kick a winning score, with several Victorian teams already putting key players through their paces.

It comes amid a horror year for AFL goalkicking, with 1965 points scored compared to 2136 majors booted before Round 11.

Ms Blair said angles, distance and player positioning were factors in goalkicking success, and the process was often “very individual’’.

But consistency in style and process seemed crucial. This included the process players went through, point of impact between foot and ball, increasing knee extension when kicking long and “conditioning the support leg’’.

“While a lot of things contribute to a bad performance such as pressure and stuff like that, at the end of the day it’s a technical issue that has caused that,’’ Ms Blair said.

“Because the last thing that contacts the ball is the foot, mechanics are important, and if you don’t contact the ball right you are not going to get correct ball flight.

“Really, their final posture and what it looks like will influence the success of the kick.’’

Richmond great Matthew Richardson and Essendon forward Joe Daniher are among those adored and scorned by fans for wonderful and wayward goalkicking.

Goalkicking greats John Coleman, Tony Lockett, Jason Dunstall and Matthew Lloyd were deadeye dicks in front of goal and all had their own routines to help them boot the ball sweetly.

And West Coast forward Josh Kennedy has made an awkward art form out of a staggering run up that looks ugly but delivers goals in *!spades.

[stefoid]

Just a quirk I noticed- almost everyone seemed to be drilling goals from everywhere in the warmup. Sure this was before the weather really set in again but there seemed to be only a handful of misses and most players didn’t miss more than one.
Most players.
There was one player that I did notice that seemed to be disproportionately inaccurate. Who? The bloke we played at FF most of the night (JJ).

missing goals is largely a mental thing. under pressure, the adrenaline starts to flow, the blood pounds, the mind goes fuzzy, and fine motor control evaporates. Thats why players will hit a running snap one minute and miss the entire goalface from an easy set shot the next. The first is instinct - no pressure. And the bizzare thing is, the easier the shot is, the greater the pressure - the greater expectation that they should *never* miss a shot like this.

thats why the coach is loathe to make a big deal about it. What could be worse for pressure than the coach publicly calling out the team for 'unacceptable goal kicking'. It would make the situation much, much worse.

Most of these blokes dont need a skills coach, they need a psychologist. And the first thing the entire team has to do, without singling any one player out, is acknowledge as a group that they collectively have the yips. Just acknowledging it within the group to each other will ease the pressure somewhat.

[Twodogs]

missing goals is largely a mental thing. under pressure, the adrenaline starts to flow, the blood pounds, the mind goes fuzzy, and fine motor control evaporates. Thats why players will hit a running snap one minute and miss the entire goalface from an easy set shot the next. The first is instinct - no pressure. And the bizzare thing is, the easier the shot is, the greater the pressure - the greater expectation that they should *never* miss a shot like this. .

That's simple to fix, take a deep breath at the top of your mark. It couldn't be any simpler. Anyone who thinks it's more complicated than that is talking shit for some reason. (they want a coaching job, they want to be right about it being really complicated, etc.)

thats why the coach is loathe to make a big deal about it. What could be worse for pressure than the coach publicly calling out the team for 'unacceptable goal kicking'. It would make the situation much, much worse.

The coach doesn't need to make a big deal, he just has to fix the problem. If he can't then he is in the wrong business

Most of these blokes dont need a skills coach, they need a psychologist. And the first thing the entire team has to do, without singling any one player out, is acknowledge as a group that they collectively have the yips. Just acknowledging it within the group to each other will ease the pressure somewhat

Agreed.

[The Adelaide Connection]

missing goals is largely a mental thing. under pressure, the adrenaline starts to flow, the blood pounds, the mind goes fuzzy, and fine motor control evaporates. Thats why players will hit a running snap one minute and miss the entire goalface from an easy set shot the next. The first is instinct - no pressure. And the bizzare thing is, the easier the shot is, the greater the pressure - the greater expectation that they should *never* miss a shot like this.

thats why the coach is loathe to make a big deal about it. What could be worse for pressure than the coach publicly calling out the team for 'unacceptable goal kicking'. It would make the situation much, much worse.

Most of these blokes dont need a skills coach, they need a psychologist. And the first thing the entire team has to do, without singling any one player out, is acknowledge as a group that they collectively have the yips. Just acknowledging it within the group to each other will ease the pressure somewhat.

Yep, I totally agree and said the exact same thing some posts ago. Everyone keeps saying we need to get a goal kicking coach in but I maintain it is (mostly) not a skill problem. We should be looking at our psychologists and working in the mindfulness etc. space.

[FrediKanoute]

Has te shot clock made a difference?

[bornadog]

Has te shot clock made a difference?

Seems to put pressure on the player. Players definitely look up at the clock and it probably plays in their mind.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

All this talk about players needing a psychologist etc are rubbish. Plenty of players have sought psychologists and it’s done nothing - unsurprisingly.

How many modern day players actually practice as much as Dunstall or Lockett or even Fevola? I’d answer none would be anywhere near them.

[Twodogs]

All this talk about players needing a psychologist etc are rubbish. Plenty of players have sought psychologists and it’s done nothing - unsurprisingly.

How many modern day players actually practice as much as Dunstall or Lockett or even Fevola? I’d answer none would be anywhere near them.

I just heard Brent Harvey on SEN say that (he didn't say if it was each week or each session) the onballers and forwards will typically have 150 shots at goal and Ben Brown will have 250 shots. Boomer said that the sports science guys used to try and stop Brown after 150 but he'd just wait until they went away and then he'd have another 100 shots to get his 250 shots in.

Practising your goalkicking is a radical idea but I really hope it catches on. Actually it shits me that it's North Melbourne, and particularly Brad Scott coaching North Melbourne, who figured out that a team with old fashioned (and I hate that term) foot skills that makes the most of its chances in the forward 50 would steal a march on a competition that's too busy trying to be too clever by half for its win good.

If North win the flag with their old fashioned new tactics (115 years after Collingwood figured it out the first time) I'm going to go postal. Or maybe the short term pain will be bearable if it means the other coaches follow the leader to a more skilled brand of football.

[westdog54]

I just heard Brent Harvey on SEN say that (he didn't say if it was each week or each session) the onballers and forwards will typically have 150 shots at goal and Ben Brown will have 250 shots. Boomer said that the sports science guys used to try and stop Brown after 150 but he'd just wait until they went away and then he'd have another 100 shots to get his 250 shots in.

Practising your goalkicking is a radical idea but I really hope it catches on. Actually it shits me that it's North Melbourne, and particularly Brad Scott coaching North Melbourne, who figured out that a team with old fashioned (and I hate that term) foot skills that makes the most of its chances in the forward 50 would steal a march on a competition that's too busy trying to be too clever by half for its win good.

If North win the flag with their old fashioned new tactics (115 years after Collingwood figured it out the first time) I'm going to go postal. Or maybe the short term pain will be bearable if it means the other coaches follow the leader to a more skilled brand of football.

The thought of Brad Scott being an 'innovator' by going back to the future gets me riled as well, but you can't argue its effectiveness.

Could you imagine a Sports Science boffin telling Daniel Cross to stop training when he was playing. They'd get a swift GAGF from the man. All he ever did was train, right down to his (extraordinarily supportive) partner hiding a football in a random kitchen cupboard every day.

[bornadog]

The thought of Brad Scott being an 'innovator' by going back to the future gets me riled as well, but you can't argue its effectiveness.

Could you imagine a Sports Science boffin telling Daniel Cross to stop training when he was playing. They'd get a swift GAGF from the man. All he ever did was train, right down to his (extraordinarily supportive) partner hiding a football in a random kitchen cupboard every day.

Just as you mention Crossy, did you see the other day Paul Roos says it was Cross who changed the culture at Melbourne in the playing group.

[Twodogs]

The thought of Brad Scott being an 'innovator' by going back to the future gets me riled as well, but you can't argue its effectiveness.

Could you imagine a Sports Science boffin telling Daniel Cross to stop training when he was playing. They'd get a swift GAGF from the man. All he ever did was train, right down to his (extraordinarily supportive) partner hiding a football in a random kitchen cupboard every day.

Rocket said he saw said supportive partner one day and gave her a happy greeting and in return he got a dirty look. "Have I done something wrong?" he asked. "We were supposed to go out for my birthday last week but Daniel tweaked a hamstring at training and his coach convinced him the only way it would come up for the weekend was if it was iced every hour, on the hour. So we spent my birthday icing Daniel's leg EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR!!!!!"

[westdog54]

Just as you mention Crossy, did you see the other day Paul Roos says it was Cross who changed the culture at Melbourne in the playing group.

Yes I did. Getting a quality person and workhorse like Cross for two years was an outstanding decision.

Rocket said he saw said supportive partner one day and gave her a happy greeting and in return he got a dirty look. "Have I done something wrong?" he asked. "We were supposed to go out for my birthday last week but Daniel tweaked a hamstring at training and his coach convinced him the only way it would come up for the weekend was if it was iced every hour, on the hour. So we spent my birthday icing Daniel's leg EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR!!!!!"

I remember that story as well.

I also remember a story about her sleeping on the couch for a month while Daniel was hooked up to a special icing machine every night to help recover from an injury.

Daniel is a very lucky man.