No Left Foot

[freo1]

I get embarrassed for the player when they cant kick left foot (left footers kicking right are a lost cause, must be genetics).

As a bloke who used to pride myself on using both sides I find it both embarrassing and cringeworthy that AFL players - we're talking professional athletes in their field - cant execute this skill. So often it costs teams in critical moments

Anyone else feel the same? If at our top level the skills aren't this good what does that say about our sport?

 

[EDFL follower]

I agree. Makes me wonder what all those “coaches” actually do all day.
My old man taught me from a young age and I’ve done the same with my boys. It’s really not that hard

 

[mike123]

Maybe becuase kicking on your wrong foot is a skill that’s highly situational and other attributes are valued higher.

 

[freo1]

I agree. Makes me wonder what all those “coaches” actually do all day.
My old man taught me from a young age and I’ve done the same with my boys. It’s really not that hard

Same, I was brought up that if you cant kick on your left you're not worth much, yet it doesn't seems valued. commentators make so much out of blokes who can do both, yet really, as a professional, shouldn't it be a given?

 

[freo1]

Maybe becuase kicking on your wrong foot is a skill that’s highly situational and other attributes are valued higher.

it's a situation that arises frequently though in our 360 degree game

 

[mike123]

it's a situation that arises frequently though in our 360 degree game

Still more often than not players are able to kick on their preffered.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Maybe becuase kicking on your wrong foot is a skill that’s highly situational and other attributes are valued higher.

Low on the priority list.

 

[wce4premiership]

I can kick with both of my left feet.

 

[Cursed Cat]

debutant Jordan Clark showed some nice touch with both feet tonight.

agree with your observation on left-footers, although there are exceptions.

Best dual-sided players?

a couple of nominations:

Gary Ablett senior
Sam Mitchell

There are champions of the game though who were just always good enough to get onto their preferred foot, no matter what.

 

[PorcelainBus]

When i was 13 i practiced every day kicking left foot and handballing left hand - by 15/16 i was actually a better kick on the left - i found the ball drop easier and more natural? Every right footer should learn to kick on their left. By my adult footy days i was kicking left all the time during play and right only when i was stopped after a mark etc.

 

[PorcelainBus]

debutant Jordan Clark showed some nice touch with both feet tonight.

agree with your observation on left-footers, although there are exceptions.

Best dual-sided players?

a couple of nominations:

Gary Ablett senior
Sam Mitchell

There are champions of the game though who were just always good enough to get onto their preferred foot, no matter what.

LEON BAKER was the best i ever saw

 

[Ron The Bear]

Was it Josh Thomas who took that handball from de Goey and tried to reverse back onto his right instead of having a shot on the left?

 

[greatwhiteshark]

60% of the game is uncontested these days so they don’t need to be.
Not to mention that they are coached by Dads who want to help their kids from a young age instead of football coaches.

 

[Shane Heard]

akermanis and Voss were sublime kicks on either foot. Poetry in motion

 

[Shane Heard]

LEON BAKER was the best i ever saw

Could balance, baulk and turn on a two cent piece and deliver the perfect pass or shot at goal in a split second..Tim Watson the same. Like a couple of ballerinas. Timmy the chunky one of course.

 

[DapperDon]

Same, I was brought up that if you cant kick on your left you're not worth much,

Sounds like you had a wonderful upbringing.

 

[Do the Dew]

debutant Jordan Clark showed some nice touch with both feet tonight.

agree with your observation on left-footers, although there are exceptions.

Best dual-sided players?

a couple of nominations:

Gary Ablett senior
Sam Mitchell

There are champions of the game though who were just always good enough to get onto their preferred foot, no matter what.

Jack Riewoldt has a bloody good left foot, very underrated. Also Jayden Short is ambidextrous and kicks both pretty similarly so not sure that counts

 

[Topkent]

Jack Riewoldt has a bloody good left foot, very underrated. Also Jayden Short is ambidextrous and kicks both pretty similarly so not sure that counts

Riewoldt is lovely on his left.

 

[Topkent]

I get embarrassed for the player when they cant kick left foot (left footers kicking right are a lost cause, must be genetics).

As a bloke who used to pride myself on using both sides I find it both embarrassing and cringeworthy that AFL players - we're talking professional athletes in their field - cant execute this skill. So often it costs teams in critical moments

Anyone else feel the same? If at our top level the skills aren't this good what does that say about our sport?

Completely agree. The amount of players who turn back into trouble because they can't kick on their left is staggering. All players should be able too.
Worse is the ones who miss a handball because it's on the dominant side causing a turnover

 

[Skeparovic]

debutant Jordan Clark showed some nice touch with both feet tonight.

agree with your observation on left-footers, although there are exceptions.

Best dual-sided players?

a couple of nominations:

Gary Ablett senior
Sam Mitchell

There are champions of the game though who were just always good enough to get onto their preferred foot, no matter what.

Akermanis
Mitchell

 

[Gavin Excell]

Completely agree. The amount of players who turn back into trouble because they can't kick on their left is staggering. All players should be able too.
Worse is the ones who miss a handball because it's on the dominant side causing a turnover

Reality is players are less skilled these days

 

[Topkent]

Reality is players are less skilled these days

Yes an no, I think theres a shitload less fumbling in modern footy. Players really are very clean at that aspect now.
Kicking to leading targets, taking marks on the lead and using the oppo side of your body are all worse than when I was growing up

 

[CrowInFiji]

Its amazing that is isnt drilled into juniors to get both feet going.

Totally agree with OP that it's cringy watching players do everything to get back on that dominant side.

Players who cant kick on their non-preferred deserve to be looked down upon and have their spot in the AFL questioned.

 

[Tall poppy Syndrome]

Could balance, baulk and turn on a two cent piece and deliver the perfect pass or shot at goal in a split second..Tim Watson the same. Like a couple of ballerinas. Timmy the chunky one of course.

And they really hurt us with those skills in the 84 and 85 GFs - unhappy memories but sublime players those 2!

 

[Bostonian]

It's because if there's no left footed coach/parent around then you're being coached by right sided people.

Unless you're an exceptionally skilled player teaching yourself to kick left footed won't produce great technique or make it feel natural.