Walker's goal kicking

[amer]

Carl Spackler Conspiracy Theory #13 p) came after our first PS hitout this year when he suggested that the AFC's coaching staff may have altered Walker's set shot goal kicking routine when there wasn't any need to. He came out in round one slotting them nicely and it seemed like business as usual, but there's no doubt this year that his set shot stuff hasn't been nearly as reliable as we were seeing at SANFL level. I thought he was a little patchy at times for us last year as well.

A LOT of his kicks are swinging significantly through the air - take his shot late in the final term against Essendon. He was maybe 25 metres out, and the line of the ball started smack bang between the two sticks before fading sharply and missing to the right. His kicking routine doesn't appear to have changed since he rocked up at the legs as a cocky 17 year old - goes back, leans down and spins the footy in front of the boots before walking in and kicking through it. His set shots appeared to be his bread and butter, with the speccy stuff a bit of a bonus, but it has been the other way around in the big league. Still finding his radar with the crowd pressure on him or is there an issue here?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

His finishing in play on situations or kicking across his body has been very good. He's even kicked some beauties on his left side. He's also loaded up some decent bombs from outside fifty where he doesn't take much time, just runs around a bit to the right and unloads (and then I unload shortly after).

The ones he is struggling with are the regulation set shots from 20-40m out. These are the ones where he has a bit of time to think. I haven't seen him pacing out a run up or any obvious signs of a regimented routine infiltrating his natural style. But for a skillful player he is certainly botching a few.

 

[The Karma Bus]

Yeah it seems when he doesn't have to think too much about it or if it's a long long kick that he can really drill and is maybe not a huge chance to kick anyway, he slots it..

The one's where you'd go back thinking "this is an easy kick, i can't miss this surely" he seems to muck up..

Very much like Tippett in that sense.. I think it comes back to just a bit of composure and dealing with that pressure, it's a lot easier to do it at a suburban norwood oval than in front of 40000 and a national audience.. These pressures can do things like that..

Biggest thing, he's only 20yo and has not even played 30 games.. It will happen a bit, time and experience and he will deal better..

 

[Brenton Davy]

Carl Spackler Conspiracy Theory #13 p) came after our first PS hitout this year when he suggested that the AFC's coaching staff may have altered Walker's set shot goal kicking routine when there wasn't any need to. He came out in round one slotting them nicely and it seemed like business as usual, but there's no doubt this year that his set shot stuff hasn't been nearly as reliable as we were seeing at SANFL level. I thought he was a little patchy at times for us last year as well.

A LOT of his kicks are swinging significantly through the air - take his shot late in the final term against Essendon. He was maybe 25 metres out, and the line of the ball started smack bang between the two sticks before fading sharply and missing to the right. His kicking routine doesn't appear to have changed since he rocked up at the legs as a cocky 17 year old - goes back, leans down and spins the footy in front of the boots before walking in and kicking through it. His set shots appeared to be his bread and butter, with the speccy stuff a bit of a bonus, but it has been the other way around in the big league. Still finding his radar with the crowd pressure on him or is there an issue here?

I noticed the other night one thing in his pre kick routine. Where he leans down, he seems to have abbreviated it somewhat. He used to lean down with the ball over his right boot and pause for a moment. I noticed he now doesn't lean down quite as far or for as long. To me, that is a sign of anxiety over the shot. It's like having the yips with the putter, you dread standing over a 3 foot putt. Tex looks like that at the moment to me.

He is kicking the snaps and long range bombs off 2 steps because he is operating on instinct, unlike the set shots where the instinct has been replaced by anxiety and uncertainty.

 

[jackster83]

Kicks the tough ones, misses the easy ones but hey even Modra used to miss some sitters (like when he took mark of the year).

Tex should get some goal kicking lessons from Dangerfield and Sloane who have both been pretty good in front of goal lately. Sloane looks like he is using Burton's kicking action these days.

 

[cmndstab]

Walker's fitness is not an issue (it's reportedly quite good in fact) but it might simply be a result of having to work a hell of a lot harder to get shots on goal, and him not being used to working through the fog in the head that results. Which would explain why his snaps are still picture perfect, but as soon as he stops for a breath he loses some of it.

 

[SydCrow]

it's all between the ears