The numbers that show Glenelg’s Luke Reynolds is the leading sharpshooter in the land

North’s Ben Brown is the AFL’s most accurate goalkicker. But an SANFL sharpshooter from the Bay holds the national title of most accurate in senior league football.

BEST IN THE AFL: North Melbourne sharpshooter Ben Brown illustrates his superb kicking technique. Picture: MICHAEL KLEIN.

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A South Australian left-footer can lay claim to being the best kick for goal in Australia.

Glenelg’s Luke Reynolds — who sits equal-second in the race for the Ken Farmer Medal as the top goalkicker in the SANFL — is statistically the most accurate shot in the land when it comes to major Australian Football competitions.

Exclusive Champion Data statistics show that no player who has been a regular goalkicker in the AFL or State Leagues in the past four seasons has been such a Deadeye Dick in front of the sticks as Reynolds.

The 24-year-old is, in fact, in a class of his own.

The former Port Adelaide Magpie and Carlton rookie boasts a stunning accuracy percentage of 77.1 from 118 scoring shots — nearly six per cent higher than the next-ranked player, veteran

NT Thunder footballer Darren Ewing.

Northern Territory Thunder forward Darren Ewing (71.6), who plays in the NEAFL.

Star North Melbourne AFL key forward Ben Brown is ranked third, shooting at 69.9 per cent following his five goals straight in the Kangaroos’ upset win against Richmond on Friday night.

Five players from the SANFL rank in the top 15 sharpshooters, with Sturt’s Mark Evans, North Adelaide’s Alex Barns, Central District’s Justin Hoskin and former Tiger Terry Milera joining Reynolds in the high accuracy stakes.

A fine athlete who at 188cm and 80kg plays mainly as a lead-up forward who patrols up to the wing, Reynolds has kicked 20 goals from eight matches this season.

This is one behind the SANFL’s leading goalkicker, former Glenelg teammate Lachie Hosie, who joined North Melbourne in the AFL mid-season rookie draft, and another Tiger, Liam McBean.

Reynolds has kicked 20.8 this year at 71 per cent accuracy after last season booting 25.5 at 83 per cent.

In his previous two years at Port, Reynolds booted 3.0 at league level in 2017 with a 100 per cent strike rate after spending much of the year in the SANFL reserves as Port’s AFL team had few injuries, and 43.14 at 75 per cent in 2016.

Significantly, he has kicked 17.7 from outside 40m in the past two years and 3.2 from beyond 50m, illustrating how good he is from long distance.

Glenelg’s Luke Reynolds kicks for goal. Picture: Flash Gordon Photography

In an era where increasingly poor goalkicking is costing teams matches — Melbourne missed three regulation set shots in the final quarter of its two-point loss to Adelaide in Darwin on Saturday night — Reynolds is the money man.

“Kicking goals is your bread and butter as a forward, so I take great pride in being able to kick straight and not waste opportunities,’’ said Reynolds, who also plays SACA first-grade cricket for Port Adelaide.

“I’m happy that I have a pretty good record in front of the goals because that is the one stat, goalkicking accuracy, that really hasn’t improved in most competitions.

“I find that quite surprising and, in some ways, a little bit disappointing.’’

Set shot accuracy in the AFL has slumped from 61.1 per cent from 2011-18 to 59.6 per cent this season.

Reynolds, who spent a year on Carlton’s rookie list in 2014, has booted 54.15 from set shots in the past four seasons at 78.3 per cent accuracy.

He has a refined, smooth goalkicking technique, which he works hard on at training, and does not try to overcomplicate matters.

Ben Brown of the Kangaroos is the AFL’s most reliable kick for goal. Picture: Michael Klein

“I spend a lot of my time at training, when I’m not doing set drills, practising my goalkicking and making sure my technique is sound, just staying on top of that,’’ said Reynolds, who started kicking the ball with his dad, Lewis, in his backyard as a kid.

Lewis played 18 league games for West Adelaide from 1978-80 before a serious ankle injury ruined his career.

“I just try to keep it relatively simple. For me, it's just running straight at the goals, guiding the ball straight on to my boot and kicking through it,’’ Reynolds said.

“It shouldn’t be a terribly hard skill because most footballers can kick a drop punt.

“I understand there is a difference between kicking a goal at training and match play because of the extra pressure associated with the result but that just becomes a mental thing.

“If your focus wanes a bit you can tend to miss, so I really concentrate on the process.’’

The proof is in the pudding.

THE SHARPSHOOTERS

Most accurate goalkickers in AFL and State League football 2016-19

(Qualification: Top 25 goalkickers of each league. Source: Champion Data.)

Player Club Games Goals Behinds Accuracy

Luke Reynolds Port/Glenelg (SANFL) 43 91 27 77.1%

Darren Ewing NT Thunder (NEAFL) 55 179 71 71.6%

Ben Brown North Melb (AFL) 77 195 84 69.9%

Matthew Hammelmann Brisb/Redland (NEAFL) 53 139 65 68.1%

Mark Evans Sturt (SANFL) 71 135 65 67.5%

Alex Barns North Adel (SANFL) 60 92 45 67.2%

Josh Kennedy West Coast (AFL) 66 218 108 66.9%

Tom Hawkins Geelong (AFL) 77 197 98 66.8%

Tim Membrey St Kilda (AFL) 68 137 68 66.8%

Jack Darling West Coast (AFL) 78 160 81 66.4%

Luke Breust Hawthorn (AFL) 80 154 78 66.4%

Terry Milera Glenelg (SANFL) 46 93 47 66.4%

Tom Lynch Gold Coast/Rich (AFL) 62 155 80 66.0%

Justin Hoskin Central Dist (SANFL) 62 99 51 66.0%

Josh Jenkins Adelaide (AFL) 72 159 85 65.2%