Mega Thread Non-Freo AFL Discussion 2025

[DragoDelph]

Ken Hinkley is gone
Port Adelaide announces coach Ken Hinkley will leave the club

The sack Hinkley saga in shambles.

No sacking to be seen.

 

[Geoff]

Ken Hinkley is gone
Port Adelaide announces coach Ken Hinkley will leave the club

Be a great coaching mentor, wish he was around a couple of seasons ago. Would have been a great asset for JL.

 

[Cam Payne]

Ken won't be the first coach sacked this year, even though we know he's done for.

 

[fleur]

I was secretly hoping Josh Carr would come back to Freo if JL achieves nothing again this year

 

[Quazar2]

Mixed feelings about Ken going at season's end. On the one hand, it feels like the right call for Port Adelaide; but for us that enjoy the agony Ken seems to bring them (the oh so close, yet oh so far saga...) it feels like breaking those shackles might help unleash something for them. I always felt with him at the helm his maniacal emotions would just be enough to stunt Port from taking that next vital step, hehehe. I think Carr could be good, in the long run..

 

[The Feeder Club]

All games this year will be played with balls that have been "worn in" at practice during the week. Apparently the theory is it will result in more accurate goal kicking, as they're more reliable to kick when softer. It will be interesting to see. Will they gain in accuracy but lose in distance, for example? Or will there be more variation between one ball out of the bag and another?

 

[DragoDelph]

All games this year will be played with balls that have been "worn in" at practice during the week. Apparently the theory is it will result in more accurate goal kicking, as they're more reliable to kick when softer. It will be interesting to see. Will they gain in accuracy but lose in distance, for example? Or will there be more variation between one ball out of the bag and another?

Is accuracy really that bad compared to historical data?

 

[The Feeder Club]

Is accuracy really that bad compared to historical data?

Using a very crude calculation, no. The ratio of goals to scoring shots across all games in a season since the year 2000 is below, it's virtually constant. If anything the last couple of years are trending up. Of course that data doesn't account for where the shots are taken, for out of bounds on the full, weather etc


2000 0.603
2001 0.595
2002 0.590
2003 0.590
2004 0.589
2005 0.598
2006 0.584
2007 0.588
2008 0.601
2009 0.583
2010 0.577
2011 0.582
2012 0.582
2013 0.587
2014 0.585
2015 0.594
2016 0.585
2017 0.577
2018 0.570
2019 0.574
2020 0.579
2021 0.576
2022 0.589
2023 0.588
2024 0.591

 

[DragoDelph]

Using a very crude calculation, no. The ratio of goals to scoring shots across all games in a season since the year 2000 is below, it's virtually constant. If anything the last couple of years are trending up. Of course that data doesn't account for where the shots are taken, for out of bounds on the full, weather etc


2000 0.603
2001 0.595
2002 0.590
2003 0.590
2004 0.589
2005 0.598
2006 0.584
2007 0.588
2008 0.601
2009 0.583
2010 0.577
2011 0.582
2012 0.582
2013 0.587
2014 0.585
2015 0.594
2016 0.585
2017 0.577
2018 0.570
2019 0.574
2020 0.579
2021 0.576
2022 0.589
2023 0.588
2024 0.591

SO it's a "look, we're doing something!" move? Thought so.

 

[largebus]

Accuracy was around or below 50% in the 70s and early 80s but there were a lot more shots on goal.

 

[Big Animal]

All games this year will be played with balls that have been "worn in" at practice during the week. Apparently the theory is it will result in more accurate goal kicking, as they're more reliable to kick when softer. It will be interesting to see. Will they gain in accuracy but lose in distance, for example? Or will there be more variation between one ball out of the bag and another?

love that. hated playing bball with brand new balls. just that little bit less grip, tendency to slip. Can only imagine effect of rain is magnified.

 

[greatgatsby]

If it's supported by the players and improves ballhandling and kicking, I'm all for it.

 

[theGav56]

Using balls that have been worn in at training seems amateurish. Surely informing the manufacturer what's required is the way to go.

 

[greatgatsby]

Two observations about historical goal kicking data. The first is that accuracy from very tight angles has almost certainly improved greatly (most AFL footballers can snap goals from set shots in the pockets these days, back in the day it was just Plugger with a drop punt). Secondly, I suspect where there has been a drop off is set shots from a modest or no angle. The McKennas, Locketts, Dunstalls and Hudsons pretty much never missed these (even Kernahan got his flourbags through most of the time).

 

[largebus]

The Crows will sack Nicks and parachute in Ken a la Malthouse at Carlton, only for him to set the club back another 10 years.

 

[greatgatsby]

Using balls that have been worn in at training seems amateurish. Surely informing the manufacturer what's required is the way to go.

Does potentially raise an issue similar to replacing a cherry in cricket. It will be difficult to ensure that the balls in play have relatively even wear.

 

[Paracleet]

Does potentially raise an issue similar to replacing a cherry in cricket. It will be difficult to ensure that the balls in play have relatively even wear.

Surely there is some kind of factory process they could use, like factory knocking in for cricket bats?

 

[Sumwun]

Two observations about historical goal kicking data. The first is that accuracy from very tight angles has almost certainly improved greatly (most AFL footballers can snap goals from set shots in the pockets these days, back in the day it was just Plugger with a drop punt). Secondly, I suspect where there has been a drop off is set shots from a modest or no angle. The McKennas, Locketts, Dunstalls and Hudsons pretty much never missed these (even Kernahan got his flourbags through most of the time).

Conversely, back in the day the player was put on the proper angle even if the ball was marked in the goal square.

 

[theGav56]

Does potentially raise an issue similar to replacing a cherry in cricket. It will be difficult to ensure that the balls in play have relatively even wear.

The balls should be consistent across the league.

And training balls should reflect what is being used in game balls anyway.

Seems a little low IQ at the moment.

 

[Nodgey]

The Crows will sack Nicks and parachute in Ken a la Malthouse at Carlton, only for him to set the club back another 10 years.

Promise?

 

[theGav56]

Not sure where Hinkley could go from here. Maybe depends on whether the thought is that he got the most from the list but they were exposed during finals OR if the coaching strategy just failed in finals.

Would be an asset as an assistant somewhere I think.

 

[Purpleheart_56]

I think Hinkley overachieved with pretty averaged list containing 6-7 good players and most others sub par...

 

[Joao]

I think Hinkley overachieved with pretty averaged list containing 6-7 good players and most others sub par...

Can clearly motivate players but those tactics repeatedly suck in finals.

 

[Taylor]

New footies are pointy. Stick them in a machine that squishes them end to end a bit until resistance reaches the same as a footy tested as appropriately broken in.

As long as pressures are controlled it should be a time thing.

 

[oldgoat]

New footies are pointy. Stick them in a machine that squishes them end to end a bit until resistance reaches the same as a footy tested as appropriately broken in.

As long as pressures are controlled it should be a time thing.

Both teams play the same ball, pitch, weather...
Variability is the spice of life.