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Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Every year, the Dogs v Swans games are a mini grand final for me. I cannot recall being so flat and angry as I was after last weekend.
What is worse, as the game progressed, I just knew this player or that would miss at goal. And they did. Even in front.
Moving on, we all know this is a serious problem and we can only presume so do the coaches. But it hasn't improved, or its even got worse.
So what should the club be doing?
Can goal kicking be fixed, or have we drafted the wrong players?
If significant improvements can be made, how come we seem to haven't done anything about this?
The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.
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Post Thanks / Like - 1 Thanks, 0 Likes
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Originally Posted by
Dry Rot
Can goal kicking be fixed
I posted this in the three things thread but seeing as how you've asked;
Yes. I will keep saying it and saying it, most of our goalkicking problems comes down to technique. I could take Luke Dalhaus or Josh Dunkley and have them kicking straight(er) inside 15 minutes.
It's not hard. There are basically four things to remember: Take a deep breath, Run in a straight line, keep your head over the ball (even after its hit your foot keep your bloody head down-just like you are driving a golf ball. You don't look at the hole as you hit the ball do you?) and follow through. AND DONT BLOODY TWIRL THE BALL IN YOUR HANDS AS YOU RUN TO TAKE YOUR KICK!!!!!!!! That's the one that really drives me mad, how are you supposed to drop the ball properly onto your foot if you are twirling the bloody thing in your hands????
This is what drives me mad. It's only as complicated as you want to make it. As Basil said to Manuel, this is not a proposition from wittgenstein it's an easy fix and it will win us games in the short term.
As for:
have we drafted the wrong players?
We can't afford to keep drafting guys who are suspect by foot because we can only hide so many players who can't kick surely? The club will have to get serious about getting some players in who can kick the ball. Because we are just about at critical mass.
They say Burt Lancaster has one, but I don't believe them.
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
We were the worst in the AFL last season, converting at 42% having gotten worse from the previous year. This year we're worse again.
It's not a problem.
Western Bulldogs: We exist to win premierships
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Easily fixed. Hire Rocca.
He turned Casboult from a Bulldogs-forward-bad kick for goal into a reliable set shot inside one season.
When you're winning most stats and having more shots on goal than the opposition and still losing than finishing is vital.
Western Bulldogs: 2016 Premiers
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Bevo was asked about it on Talking Footy, and sort of danced around it and didn't really address the question.
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Originally Posted by
Ozza
Bevo was asked about it on Talking Footy, and sort of danced around it and didn't really address the question.
He kind of made mention that goal kicking is something that naturally improves as the players gain more experience. This is consistent with the message I've heard being given to the players over the past 3 years. It also coincides with us going from one of the poorer goal kicking teams to dead last and falling further.
Western Bulldogs: We exist to win premierships
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Originally Posted by
Greystache
He kind of made mention that goal kicking is something that naturally improves as the players gain more experience. This is consistent with the message I've heard being given to the players over the past 3 years. It also coincides with us going from one of the poorer goal kicking teams to dead last and falling further.
At the current rate of improvement Dahlhaus may be a good kick at goal when he is 50 after 600 odd games.
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Unfortunately certain players aren't great shots for goal and others are. We just happen to have quite a few that aren't good under pressure with set shots.
Dahlhaus (bad ball drop, has a natural hooked kicking action)
Suckling (Yes I misses the ones he should get, swans game a good example. Bizarre kicking action means high risk, low percentage accuracy)
Hunter (high ball drop, leans back when shooting for goal)
Jong (runs in a straight line off to the right to get distance but ends up kicking with a straight kicking action, so it goes straight to the right)
Boyd (Mental demons)
Dunkley (some ball drop issues but mostly just leans back)
Bont (has the Buddy left footers arc, so low percentage on set shots. Mostly leans back so it goes left.
The more reliable ones are:
Libba (simple technique, stays over the ball, no difference between his long and short shots)
Wallis (stays over the ball, runs straight. Has a dodgy ball drop as well but it usually goes straight because he runs straight)
McLean (in range he's usually pretty good, outside his technique falls away when he goes on an arc)
Redpath (simple and straight. Sometimes tries to stab at it too hard but he's pretty reliable)
Dickson (Head over the ball, lovely ball drop, even if he arc's it a bit.)
I am keen observer with goal kicking techniques and you can always tell in the run up when they are going to miss.
As soon as they start drifting off a straight line to get more distance, the accuracy goes way down. You are increasing the chances of a hook, shank or just kicking it dead straight on the line you are running in on, which is to the right for a right footer.
Key points for a straight kick are: run in a straight line, low guided ball drop, head over the ball (don't lean back on the kick).
It's not that hard.
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Post Thanks / Like - 2 Thanks, 6 Likes
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Originally Posted by
Ozza
Bevo was asked about it on Talking Footy, and sort of danced around it and didn't really address the question.
I thought he just didn't want to air things publicly, especially if players are watching the interview.
FFC: Established 1883
Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Originally Posted by
Greystache
He kind of made mention that goal kicking is something that naturally improves as the players gain more experience. This is consistent with the message I've heard being given to the players over the past 3 years. It also coincides with us going from one of the poorer goal kicking teams to dead last and falling further.
That's crazy talk. Players don't natural improve. They get taught.
That system just means players are practising mistakes, and getting better at doing things the wrong way.
Originally Posted by
Cyberdoggie
Unfortunately certain players aren't great shots for goal and others are. We just happen to have quite a few that aren't good under pressure with set shots.
Dahlhaus (bad ball drop, has a natural hooked kicking action)
Suckling (Yes I misses the ones he should get, swans game a good example. Bizarre kicking action means high risk, low percentage accuracy)
Hunter (high ball drop, leans back when shooting for goal)
Jong (runs in a straight line off to the right to get distance but ends up kicking with a straight kicking action, so it goes straight to the right)
Boyd (Mental demons)
Dunkley (some ball drop issues but mostly just leans back)
Bont (has the Buddy left footers arc, so low percentage on set shots. Mostly leans back so it goes left.
The more reliable ones are:
Libba (simple technique, stays over the ball, no difference between his long and short shots)
Wallis (stays over the ball, runs straight. Has a dodgy ball drop as well but it usually goes straight because he runs straight)
McLean (in range he's usually pretty good, outside his technique falls away when he goes on an arc)
Redpath (simple and straight. Sometimes tries to stab at it too hard but he's pretty reliable)
Dickson (Head over the ball, lovely ball drop, even if he arc's it a bit.)
I am keen observer with goal kicking techniques and you can always tell in the run up when they are going to miss.
As soon as they start drifting off a straight line to get more distance, the accuracy goes way down. You are increasing the chances of a hook, shank or just kicking it dead straight on the line you are running in on, which is to the right for a right footer.
Key points for a straight kick are: run in a straight line, low guided ball drop, head over the ball (don't lean back on the kick).
It's not that hard.
Precisely. It's not rocket science.
Right footers kicks fade toward the end when they go for more distance, left footers kicks fade.
They say Burt Lancaster has one, but I don't believe them.
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
It is a huge issue for a number of years for us and even in the year we won the flag 2016 it still was an issue.
Bevo needs to listen to us woofers on this goal kicking issue and really tackle this problem. It cost us the game last Saturday for sure. We had 24 scoring shots and they had 21. In the win the previous week 14.20 we could have easily won that by over 40 if we just kicked accurately.
Fitness is through the roof nowadays but basic skill level and goal kicking are well down. If these are addressed will be much more dangerous particularly playing with the manic pressure we have for the last 2 weeks.
Our scores:
R1 - 7.9
R2 - 9.16
R3 - 14.20
R4 - 11.13
More behinds than goals so far this year.
"Footscray people are incredible people; so humble. I'm just so happy - ecstatic"
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
It is a huge issue for a number of years for us and even in the year we won the flag 2016 it still was an issue.
Bevo needs to listen to us woofers on this goal kicking issue and really tackle this problem. It cost us the game last Saturday for sure. We had 24 scoring shots and they had 21. In the win the previous week 14.20 we could have easily won that by over 40 if we just kicked accurately.
Fitness is through the roof nowadays but basic skill level and goal kicking are well down. If these are addressed will be much more dangerous particularly playing with the manic pressure we have for the last 2 weeks.
Our scores:
R1 - 7.9
R2 - 9.16
R3 - 14.20
R4 - 11.13
More behinds than goals so far this year.
Yeah woofers know better than a premiership coach.
FFC: Established 1883
Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Originally Posted by
bornadog
Yeah woofers know better than a premiership coach.
Bevo has turned our side around in the last 2 weeks so a huge plus for him but need to get on top of the goal kicking.
"Footscray people are incredible people; so humble. I'm just so happy - ecstatic"
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
Our scores:
R1 - 7.9
R2 - 9.16
R3 - 14.20
R4 - 11.13
More behinds than goals so far this year.
This isn't the full story and i feel that it simplifies the issue. For example this week we kicked 11.10, with 3 rushed behinds. Some that didn't make the distance or ended up on the full. Not sure what the full story is, but would suggest it's not a simple as goals and behinds on the scoreboard.
"Loves a scrap....oh yeah & he's a pretty handy footballer as well"
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Re: Fixing our ****ing awful goal kicking
Originally Posted by
SlimPickens
This isn't the full story and i feel that it simplifies the issue. For example this week we kicked 11.10, with 3 rushed behinds. Some that didn't make the distance or ended up on the full. Not sure what the full story is, but would suggest it's not a simple as goals and behinds on the scoreboard.
Yes true includes rushed behinds in those final scores. We got a difficult shot in though from Wallis - that goal was a beauty but we didn't win the game.
"Footscray people are incredible people; so humble. I'm just so happy - ecstatic"