Goalkicking

[comrade]

My favourite topic rears its ugly head in the following article:

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/stats-insider-how-western-bulldogs-geelong-cats-have-been-most-hurt-by-inaccurate-goalkicking-expected-scores/news-story/412000efb3bf418c2596d17bc7883b02

Definitely felt like the Giants were kicking them out of every orifice and we couldn't hit the side of a barn door.

11-0 would've been nice.

[jazzadogs]

Re: Goalkicking

That's the sort of article and analysis that I love to read. But I also hate it, because it shows how much we are letting a simple skill dictate our season.

[Twodogs]

Re: Goalkicking

That's the sort of article and analysis that I love to read. But I also hate it, because it shows how much we are letting a simple skill dictate our season.

Frustrating isn't it? I watch our blokes take a set shot and they run in from angles, stop start or stutter their run in or spin the ball in their hands and yell to myself "Do it *!*!*!*!ing properly"

In Rugby League they have a saying "respect the ball". AFL players would do well to learn the saying and understand what it means.

[Bornadog]

Re: Goalkicking

Is there a stat showing missed goals from set shots?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Goalkicking

Is there more to the fact that last year we were ranked 4th in the comp for points scored? Our points against also wasn't that great amongst top 8 sides.

Why the 180 flip this year in terms of offence and defence?

[Mofra]

Re: Goalkicking

Is there more to the fact that last year we were ranked 4th in the comp for points scored? Our points against also wasn't that great amongst top 8 sides.

Why the 180 flip this year in terms of offence and defence?

We dominated Adelaide last year in every category except where it mattered, our lack of accuracy has already cost us.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Re: Goalkicking

Here is the gist of the article.

For all of the planning pre game and in the coaches’ box, even the master tacticians of the AFL can’t help when their team just can’t kick straight.
For Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, that has been extremely apparent in 2016 — because his side should be undefeated.
Analysis from AFL stat gurus Champion Data reveals that nine games this season have been decided by goalkicking. They use a metric called ‘expected score’, which analyses each scoring shot based on difficulty and gives it a value based on how often you would expect a team to goal from that spot on the ground.
By comparing a game’s expected score to the actual score, we can then confirm what you can already see when you look at the scoreboard some weeks — teams that kick poorly while their opponents kick straight can cost themselves the game.
Remarkably, three of the nine matches decided this season by goalkicking were the Bulldogs’ three losses.

Against Hawthorn in Round 3, the Dogs fell by three points while recording two extra scoring shots — they should have won by seven points.
Then against North Melbourne in Round 6 it was the same story. The Bulldogs had one fewer scoring shot than the Kangaroos but had higher-quality chances, meaning in a game they lost by 16 points, they should have won by eight.
The Round 9 loss to GWS is perhaps the most surprising. The Dogs were seemingly soundly beaten, losing 15.8 (98) to 10.13 (73). But the visitors had same number of scoring chances as the Giants and better ones too, meaning that if they had kicked as expected, the Bulldogs would’ve gotten over the line by four points.


It's something in our game we REALLY need to work on. Most of our wins this year should have been bigger too. Giving us a healthier percentage.
Then there's the beautifully constructed forward entries that fizzle out into zero scores from stuffing around with the ball.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Goalkicking

Interesting hearing Brereton on the fox round table saying that not converting our dominance we are prone to a team winning in a few minutes . Tend to agree to an extent, but he failed to see that our set shot kicking in particular has hurt us.
I think we kicked 3 7 on Sunday from set shots

[Mofra]

Re: Goalkicking

Interesting hearing Brereton on the fox round table saying that not converting our dominance we are prone to a team winning in a few minutes .

West Coast kicked 3 goals to get within 3 points last weekend despite us winning almost everywhere else around the ground.
And that's with Stringer kicking a freaky one from the boundary.

[1eyedog]

Re: Goalkicking

Interesting hearing Brereton on the fox round table saying that not converting our dominance we are prone to a team winning in a few minutes . Tend to agree to an extent, but he failed to see that our set shot kicking in particular has hurt us.
I think we kicked 3 7 on Sunday from set shots

It's pretty clear if we miss opportunities we keep the opposition in the game regardless how much we dominate the KPIs.

[GVGjr]

Re: Goalkicking

For Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, that has been extremely apparent in 2016 — because his side should be undefeated.

I don't think this is a fact based comment. From the limited time I have seen the boys train there is still no real urgency or focus on set shot conversion so I don't think it's given the time it needs. I'd even say that some players have gone backwards with this skill and we also seem to have one highly talented player looking to distribute the ball to anyone else rather than take the shot himself.

Would we have won 11 games? I'm not convinced, but my fear is it will cost us when it counts. I think we have to accept it's not a strength of ours and hope it will be addressed in the off season.

[Twodogs]

Re: Goalkicking

I don't think this is a fact based comment. From the limited time I have seen the boys train there is still no real urgency or focus on set shot conversion so I don't think it's given the time it needs. I'd even say that some players have gone backwards with this skill and we also seem to have one highly talented player looking to distribute the ball to anyone else rather than take the shot himself.

Would we have won 11 games? I'm not convinced, but my fear is it will cost us when it counts. I think we have to accept it's not a strength of ours and hope it will be addressed in the off season.

Will it though? It was a problem last year too. When it comes to goal kickers we are all over the place. We have one top line converter, a couple are not bad but the others are a bit like the keystone cops coming up with all sorts of humorous methods of trying to get the ball through the goals.

And I'll keep saying it. We don't have to wait until the off season to teach anyone how to kick the ball properly. It's a simple process.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Goalkicking

Will it though? It was a problem last year too. When it comes to goal kickers we are all over the place. We have one top line converter, a couple are not bad but the others are a bit like the keystone cops coming up with all sorts of humorous methods of trying to get the ball through the goals.

And one player who refuses to shoot for goal. I love his toughness, run and skill but Jack Macrae would rather kick it anywhere (and can) than line up the goals and pot it. Think he kicked a goal in round one but has since gone back to handing it off whenever he is in range. Very disappointing for a talented player.

[Twodogs]

Re: Goalkicking

And one player who refuses to shoot for goal. I love his toughness, run and skill but Jack Macrae would rather kick it anywhere (and can) than line up the goals and pot it. Think he kicked a goal in round one but has since gone back to handing it off whenever he is in range. Very disappointing for a talented player.

I really only played footy to have shots at goal. I can't understand letting somebody else get the credit.

I would have been pushing teammates out the way to get my hands on the ball in range.

[Eastdog]

Re: Goalkicking

Yes this I agree is not a strong area of ours. The question is can players be taught this skill from a coach or is it just innate in the players. Jack Redpath has been really good up forward taking some nice marks this year but a few times his goalkicking hasn't been great. Lachie Hunter has been really good lately but I remember in the game day thread a few weeks back against the Giants I think it was we were very critical of his conversion at goal.

My brother is a Pies supporter but we were talking about the Dogs and he said that while defensive we have conceded very little our for is average 92 and we need to have it around 100 if we are a chance for the flag. Maybe we might be the exception and win it without average around 100.