The torpedo - nothing better

[Lance Uppercut]

Is there anything more beautiful in footy? And any better exponent of it than the great man himself??

[YOUTUBE]sTasc7FF1RQ[/YOUTUBE]

He kicked two enormous bombs in the one game. If that second one had gone in it would have been one of the best footy moments in years I reckon.

Do we see enough of the torpedo? I'd hate to see it die out. Who else can shoot a barrel like Fletch?

 

[dumb]

footy becoming about KPI's, torps are no doubt a low percentage play. good chance of a shank, and don't always go further than you can drop punt.

luke darcy likes torps, and thinks the game should have more of it...

 

[Prudster]

Just saying, but Fletcher could have set that ball up to the top of the square and given his team more of a chance to kick a goal. The torp out of defence is interesting. Obviously if you aren't pinpointing it, then you want to kick it as far as possible. Torps have a risk of coming off really badly, and could float, or just go straight to an opponent.

For mine it probably isn't coming back. The risk of turning it over with a torp, and costing your team a goal, is too high compared to the chance it comes off and directly benefits your team. Drop punts are just safer. Even if a torp comes off, it will likely be to a contest, and because they are harder to direct, it will likely be a 50/50 contest. You can get the same result with a drop punt, with less risk of completely ballsing it up.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Just saying, but Fletcher could have set that ball up to the top of the square and given his team more of a chance to kick a goal. The torp out of defence is interesting. Obviously if you aren't pinpointing it, then you want to kick it as far as possible. Torps have a risk of coming off really badly, and could float, or just go straight to an opponent.

For mine it probably isn't coming back. The risk of turning it over with a torp, and costing your team a goal, is too high compared to the chance it comes off and directly benefits your team. Drop punts are just safer. Even if a torp comes off, it will likely be to a contest, and because they are harder to direct, it will likely be a 50/50 contest. You can get the same result with a drop punt, with less risk of completely ballsing it up.

yeah fair enough, doesn't help his cause the shot on goal went OOF. But jeez it was exciting!

I reckon the barrel out of full back still has a place, particularly as a zone-buster

 

[The Goon]

Coming back I reckon. Great way to get over the forward press.

And as much as I dislike the Bombers I was riding that torp all the way to the goal line willing it home. DF is a true legend of the game.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Coming back I reckon. Great way to get over the forward press.

And as much as I dislike the Bombers I was riding that torp all the way to the goal line willing it home. DF is a true legend of the game.

ha, even Eddie was creaming his jeans in commentary. It was truly Blight-esque!

 

[Bunk Moreland]

There’s something absolutely hypnotising about it.

 

[walshy93]

A couple of times this year I've seen the odd torp pulled out when wanting to clear the zone into an open forward line. Carlton have worked it well with Jeffy Garlett and Eddie Betts running onto kicks like this and then popping them through for goals.

Not often pretty, but provides swift clearance from half back to the forward fifty and closer to goal.

Maybe there is a tactical place for the torp?

 

[UpTheGuts]

They certainly should be practised more, though used only as a last resort.

They do take longer to get to their destination in my experience and obviously the shanks are truly horrendous.

Fine exponents are good to watch, but as we saw last week with Dusty's 70m drop punt from the back 50 to well inside 50, the long, low drop punt is still a much more effective offensive weapon

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Maybe there is a tactical place for the torp?

oh there definitely is. Essendon have managed a good system this year of creating heaps of space behind their zone in the forward line, and getting heaps of "joe the goose"s with players running back.

If Fletcher (for argument's sake) has the capacity to fire a ball 80 metres over the zone you're far enough away from your own goal to mitigate the risk, and it only needs one thing to go right for you to be over the zone and hit up a player running on his own into space and an open goal.

 

[The Goon]

oh there definitely is. Essendon have managed a good system this year of creating heaps of space behind their zone in the forward line, and getting heaps of "joe the goose"s with players running back.

If Fletcher (for argument's sake) has the capacity to fire a ball 80 metres over the zone you're far enough away from your own goal to mitigate the risk, and it only needs one thing to go right for you to be over the zone and hit up a player running on his own into space and an open goal.

Not only that but if you can execute it well even if the opposition does get it it takes two kicks to get it back to where it was.

 

[AndyLucimitis]

Is there anything more beautiful in footy?

Yes - the Reverse Left Foot Wormburner Spiral.

Made famous by Setanta 'Carlos' o'hAilpin.


(refer highlights Carl vs GWS 2nd Quarter)

 

[Kram]

It's very rare to see someone in our side kick one.

Should probably be practised more, for people that are good at them they are useful on the odd occasion.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Yes - the Reverse Left Foot Wormburner Spiral.

Made famous by Setanta 'Carlos' o'hAilpin.


(refer highlights Carl vs GWS 2nd Quarter)

heh that was a remarkable goal

 

[Nostradumbass]

Watching kicks like Fletchers is hypnotising. Getting onto one yourself is a great feeling, you just know when the football hits your foot. It's like hitting a Cricket ball on the middle of the bat.

 

[Triptanes]

Used to love it when Wirrpanda would kick-in with a massive torp, to Gardiner waiting for it in the middle of the centre square.

There was an article earlier this year about Shannon Hurn thinking about using it at kick-ins to break the zone. Haven't seen him try one yet though.

 

[Smoooothy]

i loved watching matty robran get onto the torp circa 2000. he was a beautiful exponent of it!

[youtube]bonoElDEtiI[/youtube]

 

[smasha]

I remember Jimmy "the ghost" Jess kicking goals from the centre square using the torp.

 

[Kcrack]

I have the same reaction as the people watching Happy Gilmore tee off. Truly is a thing of beauty.

 

[CrimsonRaven]

[YOUTUBE]7H1HBsKOW20[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Lance Uppercut]

[YOUTUBE]7H1HBsKOW20[/YOUTUBE]

god they get the blood pumping don't they

 

[Mancey]

[YOUTUBE]Yz4tGU2CePU[/YOUTUBE]

Not surprised to see Lord Byron make a couple of appearances

Love a bomb

 

[Tex_21]

Remember Benny Graham launching them into the centre circle down at Geelong. **** he could kick a footy. Josh Hunt can get onto a decent one too.

Fletcher also has an innate ability to kick a 70m mongrel punt too, probably allows him to go for the torp more often.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

Yes - the Reverse Left Foot Wormburner Spiral.

Made famous by Setanta 'Carlos' o'hAilpin.


(refer highlights Carl vs GWS 2nd Quarter)

The One True GOTY.

 

[SloppyJoe]

Who else can shoot a barrel like Fletch?

Dale Thomas can launch a fair torp; not as far as Fletcher though.