Opinion Need a new goal kicking coach

[daffo]

We just need the boys to have confidence. It's between the ears.

 

[saladodger]

My wife recently attended a 2 day workshop that was run by a well renowned and respected psychologist Dr Russ Harris. During the course of the workshop Dr Harris stated that he is employed by 2 AFL clubs, (he hinted that one of them was Geelong but ultimately refused to name them) to deal with the anxiety related issues that affect player performance.
According to Dr Harris, approximately 75% (seems very high?) of AFL players meet the criteria for some kind of anxiety related disorder, furthermore he stated that the anxiety experienced by players during high pressure situations, and its effects on performance are quite often the difference between success and failure (e.g kicking that set shot for goal or missing it).
As a layman this seems fairly straight forward and we reel off lines like "it's a confidence thing" or "it's between the ears" and at a very basic level I guess we are right. However, the methods utilised to overcome these problems are certainly not straight forward and I would suggest that as other clubs have done already, we need the assistance of a professional.
Our conversion rate has been atrocious in recent times and it certainly has nothing to do with skills, in a relaxed environment those boys can kick with amazing accuracy and skill, yet when it matters we are seeing amateur level kicking.
Our results are beginning to suffer, the club needs to move with the times and enlist someone to help our players to deal with the pressure, the weight of expectation and the scrutiny that is placed on their every action on the field by the media, the club, the fans.

 

[Rack Watts]

Fantastic post Salad.
Great read!

 

[quotemokc]

Just out of interest do we ever train at Etihad during the week?

 

[Slattery_20]

As we've learnt over the last 18 months Essendon sneakily swap and change coaches at the drop of a hat and this has a direct and immediate impact on the players' performance. I'm sure they're the same with their psychologists, dieticians, sports science people, marketing & so on.

I hereby move that they should sack the guy they had for the first 3 quarters, and keep the guy who was coaching their goalkicking for the last quarter. CLEARLY it's "coaching".

And, since someone saw a talk from someone who works at one AFL club, clearly this means it's an area that our club hasn't even thought about.
A quick glance at our 'staff' listing any time since the 1990s might prove worthwhile, but if you have seen a talk, then by all means make an assumption that it's something we haven't got.
BTW, why would anyone want to kick at goals like Geelong? Does no-one else remember a certain grand final???

{BTW from what I can find, that Russ Harris bloke isn't a psych. He's an ex-GP, who now runs coaching stuff in mental techniques. The Sports Psych (the one that Essendon apparently don't have) is a Sports Psych, who works at 3 professional sports teams, QLD's institute of sport, Tennis Australia, and QU, and also worked at the Suns is, actually, a Sports Psychologist. He probably should be taking advice from someone not even qualified, if he's not already - great call Saladodger!}

 

[Kong]

Evidently there is room for improvement though, S_20.

It could be that the players still need that mental resilience to be able to kick straight for 4 quarters, not just when it's do or die and they're running on adrenaline.

It's probably also tied in with why even during our dark years, we could get up for the better sides and yet rolled over for those just as bad or even worse than us.

You can't tell me there isn't an aspect of our level of mental application in there.

 

[Slattery_20]

Of course there's room for improvement. (Well, at 3/4 time there was, anyway....)

Our key forwards have played about 55 games (as forwards), between the two.
We're going to get ups and downs.
IMHO the only way it'll come, is by dealing with that pressure week in, week out.

The thing I worry about - far more than the misses themselves - is passing off, to avoid the pressure.

 

[Kong]

It's unfortunate, because Hurley stated he was aware he'd been passing off too often.

Then in the Melbourne game, there were a few instances where you could actually see his body language shift, as though he thought "**** it, it's my time", yet he just shanked the kick.

Those are the times where I really hope he's taught to be resilient, and keep taking the shots; not be put off by whatever the hell happened that night.

 

[Tassieboy]

I don't understand why we pass the ball off when we should be taking a shot at goal, then we go for goals we should pass off. Beats me.

 

[Slattery_20]

It's unfortunate, because Hurley stated he was aware he'd been passing off too often.

Then in the Melbourne game, there were a few instances where you could actually see his body language shift, as though he thought "**** it, it's my time", yet he just shanked the kick.

Those are the times where I really hope he's taught to be resilient, and keep taking the shots; not be put off by whatever the hell happened that night.

Agree fully.
Needs to completely iron out that 2nd thought.

 

[Jade]

 

[pazza]

There's different parts to this.

One is the seeming instruction to lead into the pockets and flanks. Your chances of scoring goals from those positions is significantly decreased.

Two is the passing by those up the field to players in those pockets and flanks. A good example was early in the game last week where Watson had the ball 45m out on the 45 degree angle and he passes over to Ryder who's on the boundary line. Watson had 2 other choices - either take the shot himself or if passing the ball, look to where the goal square is and pass it there.

Three is about confidence. Hurley's lacking it - Crameri's lacking it. Davey has it in spades.

 

[Tassieboy]

Just out of interest do we ever train at Etihad during the week?

Not that I'm aware of.

 

[saladodger]

So your name is Slattery and you are slamming supporters for throwing out suggestions that may improve the club? Are you a Carlton troll? Or do you think that because you post here incessantly that your opinion is worth more than someone else's? Perhaps the person that's currently employed in the position you so vigorously defended is not getting the job done? Maybe the guy doesn't have a good rapport with the players? On the other hand he may actually be the greatest psychologist since Freud. I can't be sure of exactly what the inner workings at the club are, Slattery. Im quite happy to be shown to be wrong in this instance and know that the club has got every avenue covered. But I would also suggest you can't offer much more insight than I can in this instance, but you go right ahead and flex your interweb muscles, champ.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

Alright, cool thine jets.

 

[Slattery_20]

Have I ever claimed to be an expert?

It took me all of 2 minutes to find out that
a) we have a psychologist who, in the eyes of at least 6 large elite sporting bodies, does a pretty good job;
and b) GP Russ Harris isn't a psych in the first place

Substantially more 'insight' than 'someone I know went to a course and we should get that guy because he worked with XYZ'.

I'm sorry you've taken such offence, (and I was a little OTT with the sarcasm), but it really doesn't take much research to shoot down the guesswork you led with.

To me this smells a lot like the criticisms of John Quinn. Gumby/Myers/Dempsey pulling hammies added to a few losses = guy can't do the job. (Or, for that matter, Dodoro: Rioli > Myers = sack Dodoro). A classic knee jerk reaction, remember we're all only seeing a very small part of the total picture.



btw If people can't see the improvement in the mental resilience, fortitude, and response under pressure of this football side, then I'm obviously watching different games. Have not been out of a game yet.

 

[Astro Bomber]

The boys need to be given a routine before kicking for goal.
Hurley - sits down on the ground for 5 seconds and meditates before taking a shot.
Crameri - turns his back on the goal and closes his eyes and prays for 5 seconds before taking a shot.
...

 

[yaco55]

I personally don't think that you can do anything about it, unless it is a pure technical issue - like Stewart Loewe.

I watched Buddy Franklin mark on Sunday 25 metres out on a 75 degree angle - which is virtually straight in front - he turned around, played on and hit the post - This is a guy who kicked 13 goals the previous week,had already kicked 3 goals - It is mental pressure.

 

[yodellinhank]

When I was a kid I remember one of the most nervous times in a game was Salmon's first shot at goal. The rule of thumb was if he kicked the first, he'd be fine all day. But god help us if he missed. Still remember jumping out of my seat and running around the room, 1993 GF.

Anyone get the same feeling with Crameri?

 

[Kong]

The thing with Crameri is though, he could miss the first 3 then nail the neext 4.

Or, like the Carlton game, miss the first 5 or 6, then nail 5. Freak.

What he never does is nail goals from around 30 out on a slight angle, left side of goal. Put it further out on a worse angle and he'll dob it, but from that spot he's sure money to miss.

 

[yodellinhank]

So you think its the bad side for him or you reckon he has the Nick Riewoldt's (Matty Richo) then? Miss the easy shots (pressured by fear of failure), but relaxes on the difficult ones because "they can hardly blame me for missing this"?

 

[Doss]

Kong is spot on....left side of goal, 30 out on a slight angle, Crameri missing is pretty sure money at the moment.

It's been observed that Crameri doesn't follow through properly- he tends to stab at the ball. Why this means he seems more likely to miss from the left side though, I'm not sure. Haven't studied his ball-drop in detail, has anyone spotted a flaw in that as well?

 

[Summer Nights]

As we've learnt over the last 18 months Essendon sneakily swap and change coaches at the drop of a hat and this has a direct and immediate impact on the players' performance. I'm sure they're the same with their psychologists, dieticians, sports science people, marketing & so on.

I hereby move that they should sack the guy they had for the first 3 quarters, and keep the guy who was coaching their goalkicking for the last quarter. CLEARLY it's "coaching".

And, since someone saw a talk from someone who works at one AFL club, clearly this means it's an area that our club hasn't even thought about.
A quick glance at our 'staff' listing any time since the 1990s might prove worthwhile, but if you have seen a talk, then by all means make an assumption that it's something we haven't got.
BTW, why would anyone want to kick at goals like Geelong? Does no-one else remember a certain grand final???

{BTW from what I can find, that Russ Harris bloke isn't a psych. He's an ex-GP, who now runs coaching stuff in mental techniques. The Sports Psych (the one that Essendon apparently don't have) is a Sports Psych, who works at 3 professional sports teams, QLD's institute of sport, Tennis Australia, and QU, and also worked at the Suns is, actually, a Sports Psychologist. He probably should be taking advice from someone not even qualified, if he's not already - great call Saladodger!}

s**t post is s**t.

 

[Kong]

So you think its the bad side for him or you reckon he has the Nick Riewoldt's (Matty Richo) then? Miss the easy shots (pressured by fear of failure), but relaxes on the difficult ones because "they can hardly blame me for missing this"?

Yeah dunno, but the same distance and angle, on the right side, he'll usually get.

 

[Summer Nights]

I think there's a partly physical explanation from being more likely to kick a goal from 45 than 30. From 30, we all know that some players stab at the ball rather than kicking through it. From 50, you have to kick through the ball to make the distance. The end of the imaginary arc of the ball as it goes through the air is usually the middle of the fence behind the posts - you're actually aiming for something.

So yeah, I think it's partly physical but also eliminates the mental hurdle by forcing the player to aim the ball at the end point, rather than the player aiming the ball at the middle point (top) of a ball's arc (which forces a "stab").