Analysis Good kicking is good football

[WeeBlake]

Walker and TT are pretty close to Dawson level

 

[Dirty Bird]

For years, it's felt like we've had a poor kicking team. Even through our push towards a grand final in the mid 2010s, we were a team with a handful of good kicks and it was incumbent on the rest of the team to get the ball in their hands.

But right now, it feels like the majority of players in our best 23 are above average users. Below is my impression in terms of how well players use the ball by foot, with players outside of the current best 23 in italics.


Elite kicks
Dawson
Rankine

Above average kicks
Cumming
Curtin
Fogarty
Hinge
Michalanney
Milera
Rachele
Sholl
Thilthorpe
Walker
Worrell
Cook
Ryan

Average kicks
Draper
Keane
Laird
Neal-Bullen
Soligo
Bond
Borlase
Dowling
Jones
Nankervis
Pedlar
Smith
Taylor

Below average kicks
Crouch
Keays
N. Murray
Peatling
Berry
Butts
Gallagher
Murphy
Schoenberg
Strachan

Kicking is a genuine weakness
O'Brien

Honestly, I have no idea
Burgess
Edwards
McAndrew
T. Murray
Welsh

So, by my rankings at least, that's 13 of our best 23 who are above average kicks (including 2 elite), and only five whose kicking is below average.


What are your thoughts? Disagree with where I've placed any of the players? Are there more users you would class as elite (Walker? Fogarty?) I've tried to focus on the outcome of the kicks, rather than their ability to kick. So for example I've put Murray down in below average kicks because even though his kicking is mostly fine, he often makes poor choices.

I'd make a few changes

Up- Fogarty, Hinge, Milera, Rachele, Sholl, Thilthorpe, Walker, Crouch
Down- Keays, Laird

 

[40porpoise]

I can't remember the last time a crows team was highly skilled. Agree our kicking game is looking great so far. Although essendon were like witches hats.

Also cant fault your list but tex is in the elite category. He'd be in the best kicks to ever play the game

 

[SugarShane]

I can't remember the last time a crows team was highly skilled. Agree our kicking game is looking great so far. Although essendon were like witches hats.

Also cant fault your list but tex is in the elite category. He'd be in the best kicks to ever play the game

It's insane how the switch has just flicked since last season. This looks like the kind of game we tried to get going at times last year but just didn't have the skills for. It's genuinely like watching a different team.

And agree with Tex. His non-preferred is better than most people's preferred.

 

[adelaidecrows]

For years, it's felt like we've had a poor kicking team. Even through our push towards a grand final in the mid 2010s, we were a team with a handful of good kicks and it was incumbent on the rest of the team to get the ball in their hands.

But right now, it feels like the majority of players in our best 23 are above average users. Below is my impression in terms of how well players use the ball by foot, with players outside of the current best 23 in italics.


Elite kicks
Dawson
Rankine

Above average kicks
Cumming
Curtin
Fogarty
Hinge
Michalanney
Milera
Rachele
Sholl
Thilthorpe
Walker
Worrell
Cook
Ryan

Average kicks
Draper
Keane
Laird
Neal-Bullen
Soligo
Bond
Borlase
Dowling
Jones
Nankervis
Pedlar
Smith
Taylor

Below average kicks
Crouch
Keays
N. Murray
Peatling
Berry
Butts
Gallagher
Murphy
Schoenberg
Strachan

Kicking is a genuine weakness
O'Brien

Honestly, I have no idea
Burgess
Edwards
McAndrew
T. Murray
Welsh

So, by my rankings at least, that's 13 of our best 23 who are above average kicks (including 2 elite), and only five whose kicking is below average.


What are your thoughts? Disagree with where I've placed any of the players? Are there more users you would class as elite (Walker? Fogarty?) I've tried to focus on the outcome of the kicks, rather than their ability to kick. So for example I've put Murray down in below average kicks because even though his kicking is mostly fine, he often makes poor choices.

100% but I would argue a defensive game plan places players under way more pressure and hence poor disposal looks way worse. We are playing attacking football right now and with so many players streaming forward into space, we look better because the defence cant cover everyone and players are able to find free players which in turn removes the pressure.

 

[FR0GGY]

My son is just going in to u11s this year and they had their first training last Friday night and of the 35 odd kids, I reckon there was 5 kids who could kick properly.
I’ve made damn sure over the years that my son has a decent action, surely I’m not being too harsh that they should be able to kick by now?

 

[Burtonsgottago]

Crouch is a much better kick than Borlase

 

[Mutineer]

Crouch is a much better kick than Borlase

Crouch is a way better kick than Pedlar, Borlase and Laird and no way is Jordan Butts a below average kick.

And Zac Taylor is definitely an above average kick.

Fogarty and Walker are both deserving of being in the same bracket as Dawson and Rankine, both are exceptional field kicks as well as dead-eye dicks in front of goals.

 

[Mutineer]

My son is just going in to u11s this year and they had their first training last Friday night and of the 35 odd kids, I reckon there was 5 kids who could kick properly.
I’ve made damn sure over the years that my son has a decent action, surely I’m not being too harsh that they should be able to kick by now?

Dual sided?

That's a big tick if it's taught at an early age so it becomes second nature when they get older.

 

[FR0GGY]

Dual sided?

That's a big tick if it's taught at an early age so it becomes second nature when they get older.

Thats the next step, but no he’s not currently.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

Is that readily available?

I don’t think so. I’ve only ever seen it towards the end of a season when they run an article on the best kicks in the comp.

You’d need to have the full subscription to Champion Data to get the data needed.

 

[radiojake]

I know there has been media hoo haa about Adelaide being interested in Sam Draper

I'd like to think Walker and Fogarty were watching his around the corner set shots on the weekend and laughing to each other while making sure to tell the club 'guy can't kick, find someone else'

 

[StonesThrow]

Curtin, Walker, Fogarty and Sholl (particularly his left) all close to elite imo.

We have gone to another level and kicking has finally been prioritised during trade/draft time

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

This thread is amusing in how many people seem to think half the side is an elite kick.

Yes, the team has definitely kicked much better in the 2 games so far, hitting targets and kicking lower and flatter.

But elite is the top 10% of a category. So typically most teams will only have 2-6 players in a given category.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

Curtin, Walker, Fogarty and Sholl (particularly his left) all close to elite imo.

We have gone to another level and kicking has finally been prioritised during trade/draft time

Curtain has had a grand total of 40 kicks in his AFL career to date. To call him close to elite based on that is just silly.

 

[Coopers]

My son is just going in to u11s this year and they had their first training last Friday night and of the 35 odd kids, I reckon there was 5 kids who could kick properly.
I’ve made damn sure over the years that my son has a decent action, surely I’m not being too harsh that they should be able to kick by now?

My experience with kids in under age football in that age range is that the ones that are bigger and already know what to do (taught by a parent?) get the attention and the less skilled and/or playing for the first time don't get helped much.

Training is difficult though - getting that many kids to do the same thing all at once consumes all the time, there is no time to show an individual kid anything when you've got 1-2 coaches trying to make that happen.

 

[FR0GGY]

My experience with kids in under age football in that age range is that the ones that are bigger and already know what to do (taught by a parent?) get the attention and the less skilled and/or playing for the first time don't get helped much.

Training is difficult though - getting that many kids to do the same thing all at once consumes all the time, there is no time to show an individual kid anything when you've got 1-2 coaches trying to make that happen.

Yeah it was only that many kids as they haven't set the teams yet, that’ll get split into 3 teams.
To me it’s the parents, I see the same kids kicking the ball with their parents over the last 3 with no thought to teach them to even hold the ball properly.

 

[Burtonsgottago]

I know there has been media hoo haa about Adelaide being interested in Sam Draper

I'd like to think Walker and Fogarty were watching his around the corner set shots on the weekend and laughing to each other while making sure to tell the club 'guy can't kick, find someone else'

I hope Sam Draper comes nowhere near our club