Have players gone too far when opting to snap for goal anywhere other than near the goal line or lining up for a shot, out of the field of play?

sprockets

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Fun fact - accuracy on snap goals are the lowest recorded in 2019 (37.9%) since the stat was first measured in 2013 (39.6%)

Are players worse at converting these shots, or are there lots of factors to consider?

edit* 8 times more shots are being attempted.
Is that just 'set shot' snap goals or all snaps?
 

Goggin Our Best

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Some of the shots players take as snaps are plain ridiculous. Having said that, many players can't even have a straight run-up when taking a set shot, which limits their potential accuracy heaps. I just don't understand how they aren't being coached to stop this. I'd say the majority of players run at least a small arc when coming into kick a set shot and it does my head in. That's not proper technique, you're not buddy franklin, have a straight run up and maybe, just maybe, you'll find that you can kick the ball straighter at goals.

Harry Taylor takes the cake - that one against the Crows - way back in the Football Park days to win the game with seconds to go - after taking the mark - 30 metres out - 45% degree angle - on his favoured left side - straight forward drop punt - no ran out and tried to snap it or hook it - never looked like. Actually Dangerfield was still with the Crows ( out injured ) sitting in the grandstand - he roared laughing after Taylor did that
 

PerthBoy86

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Yeah it's definitely excessive. Snaps are a great part of our game, and have their place, but good players should know when to use it and when not to, also depending on abilities and strengths. 40m in front is not the situation to use it for 95% of players.

But yeah, the dribbling probably gets to me more.
 

SportsCentre

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I still remember getting sternly told by my junior coach who worked at an AFL club to stop running around on an arc when I was having a shot at goal. Yet seems like the coaches at these AFL sides are barely working on the goalkicking at all.

I couldn't pinpoint why it's gone backwards tbh but there's very few players in the AFL you'd put your house on from 30 metres out haha

The players don't or aren't allowed to dedicate much time to it during the week
I remember Jack Riewoldt saying the "coaches" / sports science nerds at Richmond limit him to just 30 shots at goal per week
 

Doashuey

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Stevie J was the worst (insofar as where he would elect to snap from)- he legit would snap from dead in front.
Dom Sheed on the other hand kicks inch perfect drop punts from the boundary :)
 

Goomba1973

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Don't get me wrong, snap kicking is an art form that I enjoy, when appropriate. I watch players do this on the reg, sometimes with minimal to no angle (Castagna on the weekend 25 metres out). Perhaps I'm a traditionalist and appreciate a drop punt set shot, or maybe I'm way off and people couldn't care less.

i wonder if it's that players do it because they think they're a better chance for goal, or if it'st that they don't like the responsibility/pressure of going back and taking a shot?

I'll concede that some of the better set snap kickers (Menzel, Gray, Martin, C. Cameron etc.) have more of a right to snap, but by and large players should stick to a set-shot unless along the boundary or goal line.

Yes ... . A player loses confidence, a mechanical error they just don't notice, were never really taught as a junior properly but because they are a great athlete that can kick a mile.

Pro Golfers get the yips and a coach comes in a works the mechanics of the player to straighten them up or teaches them to use their quirky style differently. We have forward coaches but not any goal "kicking" coaches that I know of.
 

AndyLucimitis

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More annoying is players wanting to give it off rather than take the shot.




Yep - watch when the player is lining up for goal. If his eyes are darting all around the place then odds are against him kicking it.

One thing about Brendan Fevola back in his heyday - he knew his job was to kick goals and once he had a shot from anywhere within 50-55m his eyes never left the ball or lining up the goal. He simply backed himself in.
 

HTPunter

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When comparing to accuracy of days gone by we need to remember:

1. A much greater percentage of shots at goal were taken by a fewer number of players; the specialist goalkicking forwards.

2. The aforementioned specialist forwards were not completely buggered from running repeatedly up and down the ground when they took their shots at goal.

But they would have been completely buggered anyway because their level of fitness was a lot lower too.

A fit bastard running 15km is going to be as buggered as a beers and smokes and some gym work overweight bastard running 3km.
 

HTPunter

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The biggest blight on players is how 'far' they go to seem unselfish, when really it is much more likely they are shitting themselves about having the shot. Little dinky passes around 30 meters out to improve the angle by 5 degrees but risk a too short call, or defender spoiling etc isn't 'unselfish', it's dumb and it costs teams a goal semi-regularly, I.e. the least team-oriented play around.

The only time it's at all remotely acceptable is when you have half the 50 to yourself and can afford a fumble, say the Hawkins-Clark goal. Otherwise kick the ******* goal the moment you are within your range.

Speaking of range, too many players are ******* stupid about kicking long goals, especially when on a full sprint. Dangerfield, Shiel and Treloar kick the occasional one from outside 50 but they miss way more than they kick. It's an extremely hard skill and it's not at all the percentage play, hence why guys like these hover around maybe the 10% for good execution (still higher than other players yes, but way less than a full forward converting from 30 out after these players could have passed).

These issues are plaguing the game but media and the AFL seem to promote these things, and then complain about low scoring....if players didn't do dumb things and took the percentage options we'd see more goals kicked via that method than any dumbass rule change.
 
Only if you change direction or are tackled before you make it on to the field of play.

A player can't run off their line when kicking after the siren because that's deemed playing on...same thing should apply to players who snap outside the boundary line...99% of them run off their line.
 
Apr 6, 2008
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Does it really matter? Torpedos used to be more popular way back, they fell to the wayside when players opted for more control of a drop punt. Now players are currently finding they get more control with intentionally curving the ball rather than trying to lay one out dead straight. It's just a progression.
In more than 50 years of watching footy in WA and Victoria I don't recall a player using the torpedo for any reason other than to achieve greater distance. By the 1970s the great majority of players used the drop punt when having a set shot for goal, with the very notable exception of the great Peter Hudson who famously used a flat punt. As to the snap , well each to their own and if it works fine. I cant however avoid the sneaking suspicion that some use the snap to pretend the shot is harder than it really is and furnish some lame excuse for missing a very gettable goal.
 
Apr 6, 2008
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Some of the shots players take as snaps are plain ridiculous. Having said that, many players can't even have a straight run-up when taking a set shot, which limits their potential accuracy heaps. I just don't understand how they aren't being coached to stop this. I'd say the majority of players run at least a small arc when coming into kick a set shot and it does my head in. That's not proper technique, you're not buddy franklin, have a straight run up and maybe, just maybe, you'll find that you can kick the ball straighter at goals.
100 % agree . It is just amazing that with the whole team of specialist assistant coaches teams employ that these basics aren't being corrected. It seems that few players have established and then repeatedly practiced a sound technique , based on a straight approach and a set number of steps. The routine when practiced repeatedly, much like a golfer on the range, becomes more related to muscle memory and reduces the chances of demons getting in the head when shooting for goal in a match.
 
May 29, 2011
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I know I always found it easier to snap the ball, than kick a drop punt straight. That being said, I don't know why they dribble the ball along the ground.
 
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