Combine - Buckley's kicking drill

[Chookbilly]

Just thinking aloud by posting this, wondering if the club currently look favorably to this test in regard to our recruiting.
It's a well known fact that our foot skills have often let us down over the past few years (something longmire admitted to after our finals defeat), so the club would, and have been actively trying to add foot skills to our squad.

It's interesting to note that since the inception of the Nathan Buckley devised kicking drill at the combine 2 years ago, the swans have recruited both winners of the drill. Gary Rohan & Jed Lamb.

So anyone know anything about Shane Nelson from West Perth? He won the drill yesterday with 29 out of 30.

[Reggi]

I think Sam Reid came second which makes you question the drill

[Chookbilly]

I think Sam Reid came second which makes you question the drill

It's more a field kicking drill.... Sam's issues are in front of the sticks. Can he hit a teammate? Can't say I remember him trying to.

But this does add even more weight to the swans liking this drill.

[Primmy]

Interesting thought process here. Other than I would be uncomfortable endorsing anything Buckley does, if he has a good kicking drill in place and it works, then why not. Sam in front of goals to me looks like he moves off line and just cannot get himself aligned on an angle. Some of his place kicking is not great; neither is Jetts, although his is hit and miss badly, his good ones are brilliant and his bad ones out of bounds. Alex constantly kicked over the head, or spot on. Yep, it seems like drills will be in order. Rhyce should head up the team, not that he is actually bad at it, its just that he is not very good at it, at all, or brilliant.

Just found the word I was wanting. Consistency.

[AnnieH]

Buckley????

Isn't he the behinds coach over at the colliwobbles?
Oh yeah, that's right. He got promoted.

[ABloodsMan]

Buckley's kicking test shows nothing. Gary Rohan came first when he did it, think Lamb did as well the year after.

[ugg]

I think Sam Reid came second which makes you question the drill

2009
1. Gary Rohan 23 points 77% efficency
2. Dustin Martin, Jordon Gysberts, Ryan Harwood, Simon Potts, Aaron Black, Matthew Panos, Nicky Winmar 22 73%

2010
1 Jed Lamb 29/30 97 (record)
2 Aaron Young 26/30 87
3 Tom Liberatore 25/30 83
4 Gerald Ugle 24/30 80
4 Ben Jacobs 24/30 65
6 Nick Murphy 23/30 65
=7 Billie Smedts 23/30 64
=7 Tom Gordon 23/30 64
=9 Lucas Cook 23/30 63
=9 Callum Sinclair 23/30 63

Interesting to note that Sam Reid beat both Rohan and Jetta in the 20m sprint.

[Big Al]

Buckley's kicking test shows nothing. Gary Rohan came first when he did it, think Lamb did as well the year after.

Why are those 2 players mentioned as evidence of the drill showing nothing??

[Big Al]

Doesn't Lloyd design a drill as well??Probably a test of the youngsters diving skills most likely.

[royboy42]

Buckley's kicking test shows nothing. Gary Rohan came first when he did it, think Lamb did as well the year after.

Both are amongst our best kicks!

[Doctor J.]

Doesn't Lloyd design a drill as well??Probably a test of the youngsters diving skills most likely.

Apparently Lloyd has designed a drill that tests players ability/skills in ball handling below the knees.

Something that I used to marvel at how good the great Paul Kelly was, and the likes of Selwood, Bartel, and James Kelly are from the current Geelong side.

[Chookbilly]

Why are those 2 players mentioned as evidence of the drill showing nothing??

I don't follow either..... If anything, it proves the test is a good one

[ABloodsMan]

While I rate Gary's long kicking and kicking for goal. His short kicking is... not so good. I haven't seen Lamb to comment on him.

[ShockOfHair]

Doesn't Lloyd design a drill as well??Probably a test of the youngsters diving skills most likely.

Wind-velocity testing skills?

In any case, I'd have thought that for recruiters who'd done their job, the Buckley kicking drill would be an interesting but academic exercise. It's nice to work up a metric to measure relative kicking effectiveness but it doesn't say how they'd perform in a game environment.

[jono2707]

. It's nice to work up a metric to measure relative kicking effectiveness but it doesn't say how they'd perform in a game environment.

One could argue, however, that most of these boys would be feeling way more pressure at the draft combine than they've ever experienced on the field......