VFL standard kicking.

[Coathanger]

Anyone else think the first two rounds have had the worst standard of footskills?
No pressure & can't get anywhere near a team mate from 30 - 40 mtrs.
What do they do all week? Forget all the technical crap & practice kicking for Christ sake.

 

[Cincinnatus]

I think this has been an issue in the first 3-4 rounds in the last decade or two even. Just rusty.

 

[Supercoach Bargain]

I think this has been an issue in the first 3-4 rounds in the last decade or two even. Just rusty.

Pressure steps up, players have to adjust. Some better and quicker than others.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Kicking skills across the board in the AFL are average and have been for many years now. It sort of comes with recruiting athletes instead of footballers.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Anyone else think the first two rounds have had the worst standard of footskills?
No pressure & can't get anywhere near a team mate from 30 - 40 mtrs.
What do they do all week? Forget all the technical crap & practice kicking for Christ sake.

Have you watched Finlayson the last couple of weeks? I thought we'd given our best kicks to Freo and the Bombers, now I've changed my mind.

 

[MowShow]

This isn't limited to the first few rounds (though it is expectedly worse). The skills we have at the top level by so called "professionals" are an absolute disgrace. Don't get me wrong, some players are wonderful but the bottom end is just terrible.

You are a full time, highly paid professional and you can barely spot up a wide open teammate under no pressure. There shouldn't be an excuse.

Seeing someone take a mark, look up and see a team mate in the open 15m away, kick under no pressure, the ball not spinning correctly and landing 10m away from the target absolutely makes me embarrassed to be a fan of this sport.

If you can't kick a drop punt on command you should f!@# right off an AFL list.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

VFL standard is generous

 

[Brunswick Trap King]

Players are expected to do better with the ball now than simply bombing long to contests in the manner of the 80s/90s.

 

[marcus1232]

I heard the saints are being given tape on my 1998 under 12s grand final on how to hit a target and take a mark

 

[Silent Alarm]

Maybe if AFL list managers and coaches actually selected footballers and not people who played basketball for 10 years, and the notion of the 'role player' was abolished then you wouldn't have players out there who don't know how to look for a kick or who can't kick.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Less practice games will do that...

 

[Donakebab]

The kicking and all round skills in the first half of the North vs St Kilda game were up there with the worst I have ever seen.

 

[Big_Birdy]

The kicking and all round skills in the first half of the North vs St Kilda game were up there with the worst I have ever seen.

Was truly an abortion

 

[Damon_3388]

Players are expected to do better with the ball now than simply bombing long to contests in the manner of the 80s/90s.

They're also under far more regular intense physical pressure when disposing of the ball, and have to combat full-ground defensive structures too.

You might see what appear to be "better" disposal skills at lower levels, but I guarantee you that they're also not under AFL defensive pressure, either.

 

[Damon_3388]

Kicking skills across the board in the AFL are average and have been for many years now. It sort of comes with recruiting athletes instead of footballers.

How many of these "athletes instead of footballers" or recent converts from other sports does each club actually have? 2-3 at most.

 

[Brunswick Trap King]

How many of these "athletes instead of footballers" or recwnt converts from other sports does each club actually have? 2-3 at most.

I thought this supposed trend of 'athletes over footballers' died out 10 or so years ago now.

 

[Tbonefreo]

Have you watched Finlayson the last couple of weeks? I thought we'd given our best kicks to Freo and the Bombers, now I've changed my mind.

Super impressive

 

[JoondalupJ]

Anyone else think the first two rounds have had the worst standard of footskills?
No pressure & can't get anywhere near a team mate from 30 - 40 mtrs.
What do they do all week? Forget all the technical crap & practice kicking for Christ sake.

This has been an issue for a long long time. When Peter Daicos kicked magic dribbles and we saw the banana several times, it was a great thing, the younger players now have become circus acts, to the point where they either can't or are too frightened to try a long drop punt from in front or on a mild angle, even the good kickers , of which there are a few in AFL, are starting to choose the banana circus kick instead of a good straight kick!
To me it means they are more confident doing that , than kicking a football straight, the main stay of our whole game is kicking goals, and our good big forwards are slowly disappearing .
Now Bananas of course can be handy , but I've noticed players on an angle with any difficulty, do this face away thing,and hook kick?
I can remember when hooks on the run were applauded , some players would be on the run and bang , that's fine, but lots won't stand their ground and have a set shot these days.
Can not kick straight with any confidence??
To me that is lack of basic FOOTBALL PLAYING skill.
I blame , as I usually do, the expansion/dilution of high level elite footballers, not athletes, they are that to a degree anyway, but I have witnessed , lack of skill, high running injury riddled football, more than I 've ever seen in my life.
But when a super champ goes out the gate for six weeks or your team is massacred by losing top players because you have injuries every where, and can't fill the holes, then I 'd be looking at the whole game in itself.
Over speed causes slow tired legs , it hurts kicking skills , makes players look fancy by excuse making banana kicks when not needed , or dribbles when not needed, and makes them lack confidence kicking a ball straight in the big picture. To a point where they lose the skill for good.
Or of course some players these days never had it.
Big big bug bear is this. The first two rounds and a lot from last year , I have seen more player to player woeful passes that miss the mark for turnovers, handballs that missed or are fumbled, the magic is left in only a handful of teams.
Basically what I'm saying is we are diluted, we are lacking some skills over handballing is just about ruined teams, also not quite up to standard players, we are getting TOO MANY injuries , the game is much much to fast and scraggingly terrible with some lower clubs.
People will shoot me , but I don't care, this is what lots of us, that knew the game, are realising this under the realm of money making at all costs. It'll bite Gil on the backside soon.

Coathanger spot on! PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE, if that doesn't work , then they really can't pass or kick straight.

 

[JoondalupJ]

I think this has been an issue in the first 3-4 rounds in the last decade or two even. Just rusty.

Its more than rusty, you either have a skill or you don't, expansion has lowered the pool , believe it its coming to fruition.

 

[Cincinnatus]

Some people seem to be falling into the trap of reading media as gospel. Ex-players whore out sensationalist rubbish to sell newspapers and keep their jobs. They can't do the actual investigative/analytical writing because they arent actually writers.

The game isn't full of athletes instead of footy players. The amount of players who haven't gone through junior footy is miniscule.

Yes there does tend to be a preference toward speedier players so what? They have all grown up playing the game.

There are still plenty of trucks lumbering around the league.

I think speed and stamina is more important than raw skill anyway. You can see this comparison at your local club.

Does anyone really watch the 2s? It's diabolical because every one is cooked 2 mins in.

I will concede that clubs could probably do more toward skills and there does seem to be testimony from current and past players that the ratio of skills work at sessions has reduced.

Are we at panic stations though? Not really. You just dont get a second on the ball these days.

For an interesting comparison look at soccer - they pass around the back 4 and CMs with ease. Each pass is crisp and true - because there is zero pressure. Once a team goes forward most passes break down and shots more often than not do not test the keeper.

As frustrating as it is, the expectations of fans on players to be perfect is a little over the top.

Anyway, lets judge in a month I reckon.

 

[JoondalupJ]

How many of these "athletes instead of footballers" or recwnt converts from other sports does each club actually have? 2-3 at most.

Probably more than that. How many times do you see a lousy kick go short of the mark and some bloke from the lopposition sitting 5 to 10 metres away gets the mark and slingshot. It happens all the time.
Once more from me , 16 clubs just , JUST, made the grade standard wise, 18 has spilt over the edge and we have a game changed to suit less talented players.
I 'm not saying they can't play , I am saying a few should be in the reserves and another lot maybe wouldn't get there either.

So many new players I'm sure everyone can name a few who can't kick, but Casbolt from Carlton , he must practice he's the only one that seems to have improved his kicking for goal.
We could use him at the Hawks, Brendan send him over .

 

[La Dispute]

Christ the way people bang on about it you'd think AFL clubs predominantly recruited out of the NBL and dragged across any second-tier track-and-field athletes.

It's hard to execute a kick under immense forward pressure while the opposition's also got extra numbers behind the ball waiting intercept.

 

[JoondalupJ]

Players are expected to do better with the ball now than simply bombing long to contests in the manner of the 80s/90s.

A lot can't though?

 

[Cincinnatus]

This has been an issue for a long long time. When Peter Daicos kicked magic dribbles and we saw the banana several times, it was a great thing, the younger players now have become circus acts, to the point where they either can't or are too frightened to try a long drop punt from in front or on a mild angle, even the good kickers , of which there are a few in AFL, are starting to choose the banana circus kick instead of a good straight kick!
To me it means they are more confident doing that , than kicking a football straight, the main stay of our whole game is kicking goals, and our good big forwards are slowly disappearing .
Now Bananas of course can be handy , but I've noticed players on an angle with any difficulty, do this face away thing,and hook kick?
I can remember when hooks on the run were applauded , some players would be on the run and bang , that's fine, but lots won't stand their ground and have a set shot these days.
Can not kick straight with any confidence??
To me that is lack of basic FOOTBALL PLAYING skill.
I blame , as I usually do, the expansion/dilution of high level elite footballers, not athletes, they are that to a degree anyway, but I have witnessed , lack of skill, high running injury riddled football, more than I 've ever seen in my life.
But when a super champ goes out the gate for six weeks or your team is massacred by losing top players because you have injuries every where, and can't fill the holes, then I 'd be looking at the whole game in itself.
Over speed causes slow tired legs , it hurts kicking skills , makes players look fancy by excuse making banana kicks when not needed , or dribbles when not needed, and makes them lack confidence kicking a ball straight in the big picture. To a point where they lose the skill for good.
Or of course some players these days never had it.
Big big bug bear is this. The first two rounds and a lot from last year , I have seen more player to player woeful passes that miss the mark for turnovers, handballs that missed or are fumbled, the magic is left in only a handful of teams.
Basically what I'm saying is we are diluted, we are lacking some skills over handballing is just about ruined teams, also not quite up to standard players, we are getting TOO MANY injuries , the game is much much to fast and scraggingly terrible with some lower clubs.
People will shoot me , but I don't care, this is what lots of us, that knew the game, are realising this under the realm of money making at all costs. It'll bite Gil on the backside soon.

Coathanger spot on! PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE, if that doesn't work , then they really can't pass or kick straight.

You are spot on with those checkside kicks for goal from a set shot. I think its a blight on our game. Noticed Jack Riewoldt wont kick a drop punt, chief among MANY others. It is ugly to watch.

I have also noticed that there seems to be A LOT of players who can't use both feet. Bare minimum all players should be able to throw the ball on their non-preferred and get some distance. So many not willing to gain that skill and will instead get caught HTB trying to get onto their preferred foot or dish off making it someone elses problem.

 

[Brunswick Trap King]

A lot can't though?

It's still a lot better than those periods. The matches I've seen are so poorly skilled despite so much less pressure.