Sidebottom kicking.

[yuba]

I have been a reader of this forum for years. I don't normally post but I have one BIG question. We recruited sidebottom as an endurance athlete who can play both right and left side whilst overall being a really smart footballer. I love the guy but his passing skills last year and early this year are a real concern. What does the overall public think???

 

[mattys123]

Sidey's kicking has always been his negative really, it lacks penetration, and at times accuracy, and it's sometimes hard to tell which foot he's better off kicking with, his left or his right.

But for the first half of last year his kicking was better, and despite a few clangers tonight his kicking in the pre season has looked better.

He has the rest of the skills needed to be an elite midfielder, his kicking is holding him back just a little it seems.

 

[bucksisbest]

I think his kicking is sloppy, he often tries dinky nothing kicks, or his passes drop short.
I also think he fumbles too much.

Overall I feel he is slipped under the radar compared to some of our more maligned players.

 

[eddiebankbalance]

He might wanna improve this year, or Bucks will move him on.

 

[Go_Brad_Dick]

He might wanna improve this year, or Bucks will move him on.

He needs to take the game more seriously he's always grinning and laughing, needs to get a poker face going that will for sure make him kick better.

 

[Mick98]

He needs to take the game more seriously he's always grinning and laughing, needs to get a poker face going that will for sure make him kick better.

WTF?
Some people do have that facial expression naturally you know.You should try it

 

[Jelly Bean]

Sidey's kicking has always been his negative really, it lacks penetration, and at times accuracy, and it's sometimes hard to tell which foot he's better off kicking with, his left or his right.

But for the first half of last year his kicking was better, and despite a few clangers tonight his kicking in the pre season has looked better.

He has the rest of the skills needed to be an elite midfielder, his kicking is holding him back just a little it seems.

There have been a number of people on thiis board (and I thought you were one of the them Matty) who used to try to say Sidebottom's kicking skills are his strengths, and among the best on our list. Regardless, your bolded comment is correct, although it implies that kicking is his only negative, where clearly his speed isn't great either.

I think tonight was just one of those bad kicking games (terrible kicking games...), and he will get back to his usual self, which is only 2-3 kicking errors a game rather than about 8... Does Etihad have anything to do with it?

 

[RuFiO]

WTF?
Some people do have that facial expression naturally you know.You should try it

i prefer he gets a mean streak and has the Walter White look.

 

[Palmer Stoat]

In all my time watching footy, I've never seen a player kick so many underweighted passes. Although he is capable of a clever finish and generally shows pretty good vision, his actual kicking is ****ing sloppy. It's always been an overrated part of his game.

 

[cleomenes]

Sidebottom has never been great at passing, nor a spectacularly long kick. Against the eagles, he hit the mark with his passes and looked great, and this gave me a bit of hope that he had improved.
As regards underweighted passes, that is a glaring failure in Collingwood's forward delivery method and is not restricted to Sidebottom. Our players are clearly coached to err on the short side rather than the long. Dawes was crucified by this method, but if nobody can place the ball to a lead accurately, then it is true that is better to land it at the forwards feet than out of reach over his head. Hitting the target confidently would be better.

 

[Soul_Pie]

Is there some way of strengthening your legs or something? Because at times it looks like he's struggling to kick 40 metre passes. It doesn't help that he doesn't look like he follows through properly on his kicks. Being able to deliver off either side isn't much good if they're both equally as bad, he really made it difficult for his teammates, and we're talking about simple passes here.

Hopefully this is just pre season and he's dusting off the cobwebs but it was a trend last year as well. Definitely something Nathan needs to address with Sidey because our kicking has to be precise if we're to be using the corridor more.

 

[Old Spice]

My impressions are that he's a great kick, one of the very best in the side.

I must be delusional.

With ball in hand Pendles, Didak and Sidey are players I feel totally comfortable with. There were some half-volleys the other night, but I don't understand this thread at all.

 

[MeisterBot]

My impressions are that he's a great kick, one of the very best in the side.

I must be delusional.

With ball in hand Pendles, Didak and Sidey are players I feel totally comfortable with. There were some half-volleys the other night, but I don't understand this thread at all.

Sidebottom has really good vision, he makes good decisions and can be creative by foot. For a guy with not much of an inside game, I also feel his composure in traffic is underutilised since he has that Pendles-esque "I have more time than everyone else" vibe. If he isn't rushed and throws the ball on the boot (often when he actually has more time than he thinks), he usually has the right idea when he kicks the footy.

But he has issues with penetration with his passes, so you'll see a lot of times when the kicks are maybe 5m short, forcing players to collect on the half-volley instead of hitting the target on the chest. At least, that was the case in the second half of 2012 and it happened v Brissie a bit, hence the thread.

But also, it's a reaction to the perception that Sidebottom's disposal is elite, when really, it's far from (though if he cleaned up those half volley kicks, he'd be very good).

 

[Old Spice]

I think people are confusing some ordinary kicking recently with his overall skills.

The man can kick.

And kick it well.

 

[Obese Arachnid]

Is there some way of strengthening your legs or something? Because at times it looks like he's struggling to kick 40 metre passes. It doesn't help that he doesn't look like he follows through properly on his kicks. Being able to deliver off either side isn't much good if they're both equally as bad, he really made it difficult for his teammates, and we're talking about simple passes here.

Hopefully this is just pre season and he's dusting off the cobwebs but it was a trend last year as well. Definitely something Nathan needs to address with Sidey because our kicking has to be precise if we're to be using the corridor more.

Sidey is a bit of an enigma in that he has a rep for being a good kick, & he is but he shanks a few as well.

I suspect directly or sub consciously you are referring to last nights "goal" that fell short. It did so not because of his skill but more to do with his "goose stepping" or long stride to get in the clear to have a shot.
Unfortunately once you goose step or long stride in our game (over a reasonable distance) your rhythm is out of whack to have an effective kicking action.

Hence a kick with no penetration.

 

[sirene]

I think Sidebottom was awesome at Subi...I actually commented to husband that "he looks all dirty, and is playing better", last night he was average. But, seriously, I think our entire team plays crap at Etihad. We do not ONLY play well on the MCG, we play well at all other interstate grounds...but Etihad, players play like they like it as much as I like going there.

 

[Knightmare]

I have been a reader of this forum for years. I don't normally post but I have one BIG question. We recruited sidebottom as an endurance athlete who can play both right and left side whilst overall being a really smart footballer. I love the guy but his passing skills last year and early this year are a real concern. What does the overall public think???

His skills aren't poor. His kicking and disposal efficiencies are above average by position. He knows his limitations, can use both sides well, he just won't do great damage whether it be as a playmaker or finisher.

On what he has done in the NAB cup while there were a couple of below average kicks v Brisbane last night I've found his footskills to otherwise be sound on both sides to this point.

No reason for concern. He's improved every season. We know who he is and the expectation is the form he showed over the first half of 2012 over a whole season.

 

[DERKADERRR]

You cant really judge Sidebottom's disposal efficiency based solely on the nab cup.
Last year he was 17th in effective disposals per game, and people forget his performances in both 2010 grand finals, In the drawn grand final he ran at 89% efficiency and 94% in the replay.

 

[TradeDraft]

Was 40 in Mike Sheanen top 50.

I think his Kicking is Put to the Right Place and goes to the Players Advantage. Just lacks Penetration

 

[millsy29gopies]

IMO Steele will this year lift himself up to the elite standard ala Beams last season.

 

[TradeDraft]

IMO Steele will this year lift himself up to the elite standard ala Beams last season.

I say he has that Potential but we will wait and see

 

[The Royal Sampler]

I don't think he has any obvious technique issues, it just appears that he's the anti-Nathan Buckley; instead of trying to put the ball through his teammates' chest, he tries to finesse the ball and have it land on a platter.

Obviously he is dual-sided which is a good skill to have. Struggles to kick strongly beyond 50m which I don't think is the cause of his main flaw.

 

[TradeDraft]

I don't think he has any obvious technique issues, it just appears that he's the anti-Nathan Buckley; instead of trying to put the ball through his teammates' chest, he tries to finesse the ball and have it land on a platter.

Obviously he is dual-sided which is a good skill to have. Struggles to kick strongly beyond 50m which I don't think is the cause of his main flaw.

What is the cause of his Main Flaw?

 

[Go_Brad_Dick]

WTF?
Some people do have that facial expression naturally you know.You should try it

I think you missed the point. (It was a joke, albeit a poorly executed one ;()

 

[the distributer]

I have been a reader of this forum for years. I don't normally post but I have one BIG question. We recruited sidebottom as an endurance athlete who can play both right and left side whilst overall being a really smart footballer. I love the guy but his passing skills last year and early this year are a real concern. What does the overall public think???

He has a major flaw in his kicking action, he tends to force the ball onto the boot to hard instead of placing it, at times his kicking can be quite good but when it's off it's way off, i started a thread about his kicking last year when he went around 4 weeks without hitting a target, he needs to get rid of that ridiculous ball drop IMO.