The origins of the Checkside (or Banana) kick - with Poll

[TooFar]

Interesting article explaining the origins of the Checkside with a dose of SA football history.
http://www.afc.com.au/news/2014-07-31/the-great-checkside-debate

Peter Endersbee, dubbed by fans the “checkside champion”, says people thought the kick was “magic”.

The former Sturt rover-small forward, who brought it to prominence with successive goals from “impossible” angles in the 1968 grand final against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, even admitted he neither kicked to, nor thought about the goals when kicking it. And that was under instructions from Sturt master coach of the 1960s and ’70s Jack Oatey. “You have to kick it to the crowd,” he said of what Oatey taught. “It’s about forgetting the goals … kick the kick and the rest will follow.”

Wherever Endersbee goes, people bring up those checkside kicks. And they are still mentioned in television broadcasts. In last year’s finals series, when Port Adelaide tackled Geelong and forward Justin Westhoff had the ball in the Power’s right forward pocket, Channel Seven’s commentary team was reminiscing.

Dennis Cometti: Westhoff … I’m thinking checkside, invented – at least the name was – in South Australia. He needs to do it right here.

Bruce McAvaney: Jack Oatey, hey? A guy called Peter Endersbee kicked two from this pocket in a grand final, set the whole State alive. Couldn’t believe he could do it.

 

[Righteo]

Banana is inside of the boot, checkside is outside of the boot. That's how I've always differentiated between the two. Unfortunately 'both' wasn't an option.

 

[eaglesfan99]

snap is inside bananas out.

 

[WeetBixKid]

For me bananas and snaps are kicked with the inside of the boot, checksides the outside.

 

[PatientMental]

It's Checkside (inside of the boot, across the body), Banana (outside of the boot, away from body)

 

[Halorad]

what are you nuffies talking about, a checkside and a banana are the same thing???

 

[NobleBlood]

Lol seems no one in this thread can agree on what it actually is.

For me bananas and snaps are kicked with the inside of the boot, checksides the outside.

This is what I thought it was, based on commentators over the years.

 

[Underdog]

Who has ever called them a boomerang?

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Banana is inside of the boot, checkside is outside of the boot. That's how I've always differentiated between the two. Unfortunately 'both' wasn't an option.

Correct.

 

[Underdog]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punt_(Australian_football)#Checkside_punt

"Also known as a 'banana kick', the checkside punt is a kicking style used in Australian rules football, rugby league and rugby union."

I reckon Chris Grant would know what a banana is...


And Joel Selwood...

Steps to kick a banana/ check side kick

1. Place your guiding hand (hand that guides ball onto foot) near the top of football
2. Other hand opposite side and near bottom of football.
3. Ball should be placed at a 45 degree angle
4. Guiding hand guides ball to foot
5. The half of the football nearest to you hits the foot
6. Follow through with foot

http://www.aflauskick.com.au/kids/joels-top-tips/

 

[Bulldocker]

NO, THEY ARE NOT THE SAME! Banana is kicked on the inside of the boot across your body. A checkside is kicked on the outside of the boot. So a right footer kicking for goals from the left forward pocket would use a banana. From the right forward pocket he would use a checkside.
Either kick is directed by pointing the nose of the footy at the target but ideally the kicking foot comes out at around 90* to the target. That is why many players now stand side on to the centre of the goals and then kick the ball directly at right angles off the boot either way.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

It's a banana in the east or was up until the 70's when an influx border hoppers arrived. The term is more a reference the the action of the ball, it "bends like a banana" (and it's not unique to aussie rules) It comes off the outside of the boot.

A "snap" comes off the inside and bends in the opposite direction. (the term snap was highly original snapping back towards the goal)

I'd never even heard of the term checkside until the tools on seven broadcast it to the nation. It is most likely just a SA term expunged by players and useless commentators from that state.

the first photographic evidence for the kick is from the saints Bill Young against collingwood in the 50's a decade before sturt "invented" it and Young was said to have been using it since the 40's. there is evidence from newspaper write up's that describe "banana" like goals kick as far back as the 1890's.

 

[Kram]

Who has ever called them a boomerang?

Occasionally heard that.

Never heard anyone use checkside over in WA growing up.. Thought that was always a SA term that only first turned up on TV.

For me a right foot on the outside is a banana, on the inside across the body is called a snap kick.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

Occasionally heard that.

Never heard anyone use checkside over in WA growing up.. Thought that was always a SA term that only first turned up on TV.

For me a right foot on the outside is a banana, on the inside across the body is called a snap kick.

#SydneyBloodsLikesThis
#BringBackMyLikeButton

 

[Damon_3388]

There was always that one idiot in primary school who pronounced it "check-sized".

 

[TooFar]

I always thought a checkside and banana were the same kick. Just different state vernacular.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

I always thought a checkside and banana were the same kick. Just different state vernacular.

it is and just like the great parma debate and the word Derby (there's no ******* A bruce doesn't matter what state it's in there's no ******* A) S/A is wrong.

 

[TooFar]

it is and just like the great parma debate and the word Derby (there's no ******* A bruce doesn't matter what state it's in there's no ******* A) S/A is wrong.

Steady on young man, I'm not sure if I like your tone. Why is SA wrong for coming up with a better name? A banana is something a 10 year old would say, but a checkside adds an air of mystique to the kick.

Btw, we should celebrate state diversity more in this country, not knock it. Australia is homogenous enough.

 

[deltablues]

The checkside was invented by the great Jack Oatey and perfected by the Double Blues back in the '60's. It describes a kick from either side of the ground/forward pocket which bent back (whichever side of the boot was used to kick it) and ideally threaded the big sticks.

 

[Holy Foley!]

It's actually the ba-na-na-naaa coined by BT.

 

[Apsaalooke]

I once met Peter Endersbee. He left footy at 21 to be a hippie and hasn't really changed much since then. He credited the checkside to West Torrens triple Magarey medallist Lindsay head in the 50's, but honed it under Jack Oatey. It was called a backscrew punt before it became a checkside and later a banana in Victoria.
Having said that there is a record of Colin Churchett using a backscrew for Glenelg in the 1940's after his high school teacher suggested the possibility of reversing the ball by holding it at 2 and 8 o'clock and kicking with the outside of the foot.

 

[Upgrayedd]

The VFL had the premier and best checkside in the country

 

[Twist_of_Lemon]

It's actually the ba-na-na-naaa coined by BT.

Or the boonana according to one James 'Jim' Brayshaw.

 

[Ryannn]

Up here we know the inside bend as the Snap kick and the outside bend as the Checkside.

 

[Docker Alyssa]

Oh my foot.. Are there some misguided folk in here. Even from my beloved team.

Checkside/Banana : (vernacular choice, neither is right or wrong)
1. Right footer in the RIGHT pocket, bending back to goals of the outside of the right boot.
2. Motlop style from 20-30 out poking off the outside of his right as he runs around a bloke at goals.
3. Left footer in the LEFT pocket, bending back to goals
4. Almost all of Peter Diacos highlights were checkside, did it so many times in the left pocket with his right boot. Freak style.

Snap : (Sandy once called it "helicopter-punt" )
1. Right footer in LEFT pocket, hooking/bending it around to goals off the inside/top of right boot
2. "Reinvented" by stevie J who shifted the style of body position slightly. Effectively ruined the excitement of the act though.
2. Left footer in the RIGHT pocket, hooking/bending it around to goals off the inside/top of the left boot
3. Idiots following stevie J doing it in front of goals or on a 45 angle. (who should stick to drop punt)

Yes there has been RARE cases of players like Akermanis doing in-step checksides but its barely teachable and is some combination of clusmy ball drop followed by feel/fluke with the foot even for the freaks in the game. Thanks to Stevie and the modern sheep train, snaps are so boring these days. That's why eddie betts pocket and fare by the likes of Marc. M this year were so lauded. The checkside still exciting.