The Secret to Straight Kicking

[Lucky Knickers]

What I don't get is that players like Luke Parker can kick very accurately in the Ressies but miss shots from a set shot in the seniors.

Are you serious? There isn't a player, coach or fan who doesn't speak about or can't see the massive increase in pace and real/perceived pressure between Reserves (particularly a weak comp like NEAFL) and seniors footy. THis is a first year player too.
You've been taken in by his manly physique. He's just a boy.
Surely you have played easy games and hard games and sprayed a couple of shots in the latter due to the pressure of a harder game in all your years of experience.
As for your comments on Ryano. I suspect his technique has changed due to moving him into the midfield. He isn't taking as many set-shots is he? His instructions? Get the ball out and get it forward.
I suspect you like fishing. A lot.

[sharp9]

As someone who did not grow up with AFL I find it very weird that so many in and around the game seem to equate On Field prowess with coaching ability. Wolfy, by your theory Plugger would make a great coach....which obviously he would not. As a singer and actor I can tell you categorically that the greatest singers and actors VERY RARELY make even good teachers. Why? Because those with the great talent usually have unique skill sets and usually only know about themselves. To be a great coach or teacher you need to know about stuff that goes way outside your personal experience as a player (or performer). You need to really care about people who's approach is really different from your own one as a player. You need to understand things about the game which Plugger (for example) never knew or needed to know to kick 1299 goals.

IMO Buckley might really struggle as a coach, just as Voss has. Why? 'cos Voss went in thinking he was coaching 44 Michael Voss' and he just had to tell them what to do and it would happen. WRONG! He is no better as a coach than any other mug who has spent as long in the game as he has....and he is taking just as long to learn how to coach as a normal player takes to learn to be AFL standard.

Wolfy, as has been said many a time...Alex Ferguson. It's not that any good player will become a good coach....however anyone with the skill set for coaching will MAKE themselves into at least a reasonable player DESPITE not having great talent (Malthouse, Sheedy, Clarkson, Thomas....and, yes I say 55 games in the AFL makes you a reasonable player). Roos and Mathews are the only two modern "born" coaches who were also great talents, IMHO. The greatest coaches, if you are trying to predict from their playing days will be those who actually made it to the top (All Australian Level/250 plus games) when quite obviously not born to rule.....(Malthouse, Sheedy, Kirk, Blakey to name some obvious examples)...players who really had to think outside the square to get themselves to elite level. These coaches are the most likely to know how to get a wide variety of players to elite level - rather than former players who were brilliant from the get go.

[Lucky Knickers]

I'm torn now though in my man love for Hanners and Sammy - I'm not sure its healthy for a heterosexual male to have man crushes on two footballers. I'm going to have to choose one or the other... eeek!

I think this is ok on the basis that you are staying in the same phonetic family. You can add Lamb and Cam (Heath) as well and feel comfortable. If you find yourself developing feelings for Spang you are in trouble.

[sharp9]

Also did anyone see the question and answer when Reidy referred to the "Kicking Coach" and how he was kicking really well at practice? Didn't say who that was...but presumably not John Blakey then. And lo and behold he goes out the very next weekend and kicks 3 from 3 set shots...including one long and one from near the boundary. Have a little faith, folks! :-)

[wolftone57]

The loss last week is inexcusable as far as I am concerned. I am not into mediocrity and that performance in front of goal was disgusting. We should have won that game and games like that one, the Adelaide game and this game against Richmond are ones we should win. We are a developing side with backbone of experienced players and it is them who have been letting us down this year not the young blokes generally. The experienced blokes should be stepping up or stepping out!

I don't know about you lot but I want to win premierships, not just one but lots! I prescribe to Kanga Kennedy's mantra 'Every game is winnable, every game is losable & it is whether you have the will or not & if you don't have the will you're not a part of my football club'. The current number 12's grand father, a great man who would never give in even when the Hawks were getting flogged every week & eventually they won a premiership because of his perseverance and it was him that suggested Alan Jeans go to Hawthorn. My brother was a Hawks fan (now dead) and belief was everything at Hawthorn & still is, they believe they will win the premiership this year!! Just ask my nephew! for a club to be successful over a long period everyone must believe implicitly in success & believe it will come and is inevitable. Every season is a premiership in the making just ask Collingwood supporters!

[Big Al]

I think this is ok on the basis that you are staying in the same phonetic family. You can add Lamb and Cam (Heath) as well and feel comfortable. If you find yourself developing feelings for Spang you are in trouble.

Too late, Damn it...I can't help it that strut gets me everytime.

[Big Al]

The loss last week is inexcusable as far as I am concerned. I am not into mediocrity and that performance in front of goal was disgusting. We should have won that game and games like that one, the Adelaide game and this game against Richmond are ones we should win. We are a developing side with backbone of experienced players and it is them who have been letting us down this year not the young blokes generally. The experienced blokes should be stepping up or stepping out!

I don't know about you lot but I want to win premierships, not just one but lots! I prescribe to Kanga Kennedy's mantra 'Every game is winnable, every game is losable & it is whether you have the will or not & if you don't have the will you're not a part of my football club'. The current number 12's grand father, a great man who would never give in even when the Hawks were getting flogged every week & eventually they won a premiership because of his perseverance and it was him that suggested Alan Jeans go to Hawthorn. My brother was a Hawks fan (now dead) and belief was everything at Hawthorn & still is, they believe they will win the premiership this year!! Just ask my nephew! for a club to be successful over a long period everyone must believe implicitly in success & believe it will come and is inevitable. Every season is a premiership in the making just ask Collingwood supporters!

So what's your point here Wolfy. You make it sound like you're the only one striving for success and "us lot" and the club are somehow not.

You do understand that you can't win every game and you can't win the premiership every year. Smart clubs know this and plan for the future where they hope their decisions on recruiting and developing will pay off in a premiership.

As disappointing the result was last Sat I saw it as a massive positive that we we're generating these scoring chances where earlier in the year we were barely scoring. You criticized the coaching staff back then because of it but haven't given them any credit for the improvement in this area.

The goal kicking will come good I have no doubt. A lot of it's between the ears because as you say in a previous post they're accurate in the Reserved but miss at AFL level.

[Triple B]

As it unfolded on Sat night, we naturally were disappointed that we appeared to be leaving the gate open for Essendon by missing goals, but from the stands it also appeared we didn't miss any that we absolutely should have kicked, except the Goodes running into an open goal very early in the quarter.

We certainly should have converted at least one or two, but none of them were out and out howlers like the game against Richmond at the SCG where we were shanking them form 30m out directly in front, time and time again.

[aardvark]

but none of them were out and out howlers like the game against Richmond at the SCG where we were shanking them form 30m out directly in front, time and time again.

Thanks for that. Just what we needed today.....

[Triple B]

Thanks for that. Just what we needed today.....

You're welcome .. lol