It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

[Prince Imperial]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

It irritates me, we picked grant ahead of Riewoldt, and his actually improved every year , whereas Grant , wtf did we see him as a long term footballer ???

They were in different drafts (R in 06 and G in 07). Everitt was selected a pick ahead of Riewoldt which was a total F up.

I remember in 2006 watching our Werribee affiliate play a televised match against Tasmania and the 17 year old Jack starred booting 4 goals. We were totally lacking tall forwards on our list at the time which made it even more crazier.

[GVGjr]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

ALL PLAYERS needs to practice technique under fatigue. When your tired , your body will revert backt to what comes naturally. LYON use to ask his forwards at end of training to practice goal kicking . I wonder what they actually do for practice ? If anyone can share observation from training sessions it would be greaf ?.

Jack and Nick Riewold were poor kicks at the start of their careers. Last nigths 50 m out torp,J.Riewoldt shows how much he improved ,he even practices with ear phones playing with the crowd noise

It irritates me, we picked grant ahead of Riewoldt, and his actually improved every year , whereas Grant , wtf did we see him as a long term footballer ???

We miss goals early in the quarter so I think it's more of a case your technique is lacking it gets exposed later in the game or quarters but we do miss our share early in games.

[soupman]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

But Hannan, Scott, Butler, McNeil do?

Again different argument.

This is about how by not taking our chances as a side (and particularly key players and leaders) and its resultant impact on the side.

Playing Schache has merit, but picking him doesn't fix our issues as a team with "free throws", unless we believe his 1-3 decent set shots have such a steadying influence on the team everyone else's performance is improved immeasurably.

[mjp]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

We miss goals early in the quarter so I think it's more of a case your technique is lacking it gets exposed later in the game or quarters but we do miss our share early in games.

We miss 'em in the first quarter - or at least we have the past 2-weeks. And when you miss, you worry. And when you worry, you're technique falls apart - and your decision making becomes compromised.

The equivalent down the other end is the player who mis-hits a switch kick and decides to go long down the line for the rest of the day (or maybe he is just a limited player who is playing within his capabilities). Either way, once the oppo know you CAN'T or WONT, you become fresh meat and they make you the kicker EVERY TIME. We saw this with Morris early in his career when he basically refused to kick the ball and had 3 kick/11 hb stat lines (much like the 2016 grand final to be fair when he was an excellent contributor). But we can't have it. If you miss all the time (or even regularly) it impacts everyone and everything and it is folly to suggest otherwise.

This is killing us right now and something has to give.

Naughts numbers were absolutely diabolical in 2021 yet he remained an effective player most weeks. But with Jamarra and Weightman clearly not at the level right now - you can add Hannan, Scott, McNeil and Butler to that group btw - it is being magnified. I am not a Bruce fan but he at least demanded an opponent. The oppo simply clog the middle and make Naughts lead wide...they know he wont kick them and set up for a sling-shot...

It's bad right now.

[Bornadog]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

We miss 'em in the first quarter - or at least we have the past 2-weeks. And when you miss, you worry. And when you worry, you're technique falls apart - and your decision making becomes compromised.

This is exactly what I am talking about when I said it is above the shoulders right now. The more you miss the more you worry whether you will kick the next one.

[Grantysghost]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

This is exactly what I am talking about when I said it is above the shoulders right now. The more you miss the more you worry whether you will kick the next one.

We could hardly miss in that prelim could we.

[Bornadog]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

We could hardly miss in that prelim could we.

Kick straight early, gain confidence, and go on with it

[soupman]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

We could hardly miss in that prelim could we.

Bizarrely for all our poor kicking in season from memory we are always great in finals. Barely a wasted shot.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

Bizarrely for all our poor kicking in season from memory we are always great in finals. Barely a wasted shot.

complacency? a bit over confident?

[Mitcha]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

I've said it before and I will say it again. Naughton's issue is his guiding hand (left). All kids are taught to guide the ball onto your boot with the hand at the side of the ball but Naughton's hand is more towards the back. Surely someone who knows more than me must have noticed what I have and could try to fix or at least improve his ball drop otherwise they are not fulfilling the role they are paid to perform.

[Grantysghost]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

I've said it before and I will say it again. Naughton's issue is his guiding hand (left). All kids are taught to guide the ball onto your boot with the hand at the side of the ball but Naughton's hand is more towards the back. Surely someone who knows more than me must have noticed what I have and could try to fix or at least improve his ball drop otherwise they are not fulfilling the role they are paid to perform.

Id hate to see it on a windy day because he’d have 0 control over the drop.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

Should Naughton just change his technique to a snap regardless of where he is? He’s clearly not improving as a set shot, something needs to change.

Most of the time his shots for goal fade left like Dawson of Adelaide kicking the sealer against Port. The difference is that Dawson allowed for the fade. Naughty doesn't. So it is not hard to fix. I heard from the man himself that Hansen was working on it last year with him. So he knows about it.

[Mantis]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

Most of the time his shots for goal fade left like Dawson of Adelaide kicking the sealer against Port. The difference is that Dawson allowed for the fade. Naughty doesn't. So it is not hard to fix. I heard from the man himself that Hansen was working on it last year with him. So he knows about it.

The Dawson reference isn't relevant as it was not his normal kick shape and was acknowledged as a miss-kick/ fluke.

Repetition is the only way to improve.. golfers pound balls all day long until there hands are covered in blisters/ callouses but AFL players training loads get managed and wouldn't spend nearly enough time on the skills that matter... I doubt that AFL players train as much in a week as golfers do in a day.

[soupman]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

The Dawson reference isn't relevant as it was not his normal kick shape and was acknowledged as a miss-kick/ fluke.

Repetition is the only way to improve.. golfers pound balls all day long until there hands are covered in blisters/ callouses but AFL players training loads get managed and wouldn't spend nearly enough time on the skills that matter... I doubt that AFL players train as much in a week as golfers do in a day.

I think the golf analogy is pretty good, except I'd be trying to move away from it as it is clearly not working.

That's why I like the idea of adopting the snap shot set shot style.

With our current set shots you can see them thinking like someone who is learning golf thinks. "Shoulders straight, ball over my foot, steady paces, look at the goals, stop looking at the goals, follow through, head over the ball" etc. Certainly in my experience I've had difficulty both overthinking set shot routines and also taking them too casually.

I think there is merit in changing it to a more natural action, which to me is the snap. It means they can just set up side on, and effectively just drop in to the shot without having to "walk the plank" as such. Bont is such a good snap too that I think it'd work for him, and while the technique of Naughton and Dunkley is not amazing i don't see how they would be much worse.

Obviously it's only really an option inside 40m but I think it's worth a go (can't do worse) and it means when they do take shots from further out they don't have the easy misses from straight in shots at 30m weighing on their shoulders.

[Mofra]

Re: It's a very simple problem - Hit your Free Throws

I've said it before and I will say it again. Naughton's issue is his guiding hand (left). All kids are taught to guide the ball onto your boot with the hand at the side of the ball but Naughton's hand is more towards the back. Surely someone who knows more than me must have noticed what I have and could try to fix or at least improve his ball drop otherwise they are not fulfilling the role they are paid to perform.

His first or second shot on goal against Sydney showcased the worst ball drop I've seen in a set shot for years. The ball just seemed to fall out of his hand and helicoptered down rather than spun. It was just weird.

At this point it's more mental than physical though.