We need some reliable goal kickers

[Hard Yakka]

Less than 50% goal-kicking accuracy this year and in most games have had horrid patches allowing opposition teams to take control of the match. It started in the pre-season game against Richmond and has been a curse ever since, even impacting on the reserves team on occasion.

I'm not sure what can be done to correct it...suggestions?

Round 1 – Bulldogs - 19.15 – 2.7 in second term
Round 2 – Melbourne – 12.14
Round 3 – St Kilda – 4.17 – 0.9 after half time
Round 4 – Hawthorn – 17.21 – 2.11 third quarter
Round 5 – Essendon – 18.12
Round 6 – Carlton – 24.11
Round 7 – Kangaroos – 23.19
Round 8 – Fremantle – 20.13 – 3.6 second quarter
Round 9 – Geelong – 6.14 – 2.12 after half time
Round 10 – Brisbane – 11.14 – 5.9 after quarter time
Round 11 – Bulldogs – 17.11
Round 12 – Melbourne – 9.22 – 1.9 third quarter

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Suggestions
a) select players with footskills. Brad Dick was a breath of fresh air today.
b) coach the players to use the corridor. If they don't; drop them.
c) coach the players to move the ball more quickly. If they don't; drop them.
d) coach the players to lead (and honour leads) predominately up the centre of the forward 50m. If they don't; drop them.

 

[HFF]

Some very valid points there TRS and do agree with them.

However, the majority of the misses this year in the games where we have been woeful in front of goal have nothing to do with corridor usage, ball movement or leads. In fact, even our highly-skilled players with elite footskills have made a meal of them.

We have missed serious sitters that should be buried time and time again, especially at crucial times where we could have blown games apart in our losses. This is my biggest fear come finals time. I have no doubt about us "coming to play" but our confidence in our conversion is a worry, especially if we miss very early on.

 

[Visions]

Suggestions
a) select players with footskills. Brad Dick was a breath of fresh air today.
b) coach the players to use the corridor. If they don't; drop them.
c) coach the players to move the ball more quickly. If they don't; drop them.
d) coach the players to lead (and honour leads) predominately up the centre of the forward 50m. If they don't; drop them.

Oh, how I wish it was this easy.

Issues are that with (a), there aren't too many options to choose from, and the rest of them, a leopard (MM) doesn't change his spots.

 

[Axl the great]

When you enter your forward 50 in low percentage position and take shots from there, then your conversion percentage will be lower, not friggin rocket science!!!!!!!!!!
If Malthouse doesnt recognise this and still thinks we dont have the cattle then he has lost the plot.
Fact- we are a good side who doesnt need to use the boundry every time we attack!!!!
Fact 2-Attacking through the boundry line cuts off half the ground for options and players to lead in too.

And this man employs and directs these tactics and then has the hide to say our forwards are not performing????? maybe you are not performing MICK!!!!!! ever think about that!!!!!

 

[The Royal Sampler]

When you enter your forward 50 in low percentage position and take shots from there, then your conversion percentage will be lower, not friggin rocket science!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly. How many years ago did they introduce the concept of "heat maps" on the television coverage? Two or three years, maybe more?

Teams are happy to let us go along the boundary because it's a low percentage option, and it's slow giving the opposition time to get numbers back. They can then rebound down the corridor. If teams like Brisbane and Melbourne are carving us up with their rebound, you'd better believe Geelong and St. Kilda can.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Some very valid points there TRS and do agree with them.

However, the majority of the misses this year in the games where we have been woeful in front of goal have nothing to do with corridor usage, ball movement or leads.

This is very wrong. Look at how many set shots we've had inside 50m in these matches. Very few... therefore pure footskills ("bad kicking is bad footy", blah blah blah) are not the sole issue, we just remember misses like MacAffer's because they were such sodas. The problem is that our forward line is flooded, so we're relying on running shots from 45m-55m, usually on a 30+ degree angle, to score. These are low percentage shots, and usually under intense pressure because we're running at defenders while trying to kick them.

This is the way of modern football defence, there's less man-on-man football, and more zoning and defensive structures which are strongest in the highest percentage areas on the field. They try to force you wide and just beyond the 50m arc; we go there by choice. It's madness.

 

[Papa Juggs]

Rocca was a star and is sorely missed.

Collingwood have been in the position to flex their financial muscle and buy a big forward.

Brown didn't want to go but they could have kept trying.

Cloke/ L.Brown with Fraser/Jolly pushing forward in the ruck just isn't enough big man firepower to get the job done.

One day a player will come along and replace Rocca. I hope for you guys it's sooner rather than later.

 

[NatheM]

Cloke is always reliable, but he needs a batman so he can be the robbin.