Collingwood ranked last in goalkicking and set-shot accuracy in 2017

IT’S hard to believe that Collingwood’s goalkicking without Travis Cloke has got worse this year, and JON RALPH reveals which players are not so hot in front of goal.

Alex Fasolo has kicked 4.11 from set shots in 2017. Picture: George Salpigtidis

THE only certainty at Collingwood this year was that without Travis Cloke its goalkicking couldn’t get worse.

Despite Cloke’s ability to shank a sitter like few others in history, the Pies were seventh for set-shot accuracy last year and sixth in 2015.

As Collingwood’s season tailspins out of control, it turns out Cloke just handed his yips to Alex Fasolo.

FORWARD FAILINGS: DESPERATE TIMES FOR MISFIRING MAGPIES

MARK ROBINSON: THIS HAS JUST GOT WORSE FOR BUCKLEY

‘BUCKLEY OUT’: JOFFA FILTHY OVER BUCKLEY GAG

In four days the Pies risk running into a Geelong buzz-saw.

Since 2012 five teams have played off a five-day break while handing a rival six or seven days, and only one has achieved victory.

And a Collingwood team that ranks 18th in both total accuracy and set-shot accuracy plays a Geelong side that is first in both those categories.

Coach Nathan Buckley needs to work on midfield-forward synergy, stop the defensive bleeding and fire up his under-fire leadership group.

Alex Fasolo has the yips in front of goal this season. Picture: Getty Images

Then he needs to find a way to make them kick straight.

Geelong is not only the best finishing side in the comp (+151 points in final quarters), its players rarely miss.

Tom Hawkins is the most accurate player in the comp (13.2 for set shots) and Daniel Menzel is lethal (10.2 for set shots) after a technical correction last year.

If they don’t get you, Patrick Dangerfield has kicked 9.2 and Steven Motlop 8.1 this season in all shots at goal.

Geelong has combined for 94.43 (plus 17 misses) in all shots at goal, with the Pies a disastrous 52.60 (20 missed shots).

The ugliest stat — the Pies kick only a third of all set shots, with 18.33 for the year plus four misses.

Fasolo kicked a remarkable 25.6 last year but after 4.11 from set shots this year, Buckley admitted he had the yips.

“It seems that way. He wears his heart on his sleeve, he is an emotional guy, it’s the type of player he is,’’ he said.

“His first shot is pretty important, we all know that, and he missed a couple of key ones for us today and what do you do?

“He is putting the work in during the week and if he wasn’t putting the work in, as a coach you would be really disappointed.

“He has got to have blisters on his feet and that’s exactly what he is doing. It will come, it will turn if he stays with it.”

Geelong spearhead Tom Hawkins is the competition’s most accurate set shot Picture: Michael Klein

Menzel has kicked 15.6 overall and told the Herald Sun last year that after 0.5 against Essendon early last year he straightened out a tactical kink.

“I was really disappointed with my kicking and we had to come up with a reason why,’’ he said.

“I worked with Blake Caracella and Nigel Lappin.

“I practised not with a Buddy arc but with a slight arc and I kicked so much better.”

There was a time where Darcy Moore didn’t miss from 30m out.

This year he has just seven shots at goal in five games and nailed one of five set shots, with Taylor Adams 0.3 from his three set shots.

Buckley’s criticism of his side covered inability to execute plans and to convert inside-50s, and finished with a broadside for his leaders.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so when Buckley is whacking away at his trio of leaders you know he is running out of ideas.

“We rely really heavily on our leaders. Pendles, Taylor and Steele (Sidebottom) were relatively quiet. We got a couple of bad games out of those blokes all at once.

“Pendles would be dirty on his performance, dirty about where we are at, and we will find out how dirty in five days’ time against the Cats.”

HOT SHOTS - AND NOT (Set shots in 2017)

GEELONG — 49.18 and five missed (No.1)

Tom Hawkins 13.2

Daniel Menzel 10.2

Patrick Dangerfield 3.2 (1)*

Steven Motlop 3.0 (1)

Joel Selwood 2.1

Lincoln McCarthy 2.1

George Horlin Smith 2.1

COLLINGWOOD — 18.33 and four missed (No.18)

Will Hoskin Elliott 5.0

Alex Fasolo 4.11

Jesse White 2.4

Chris Mayne 2.1 (2)

Darcy Moore 1.3 (1)

Taylor Adams 0.3

Levi Greenwood 1.2

Jack Crisp 1.2

Adam Treloar 1.1

* Did not score in brackets

THE LADDER

1. Geelong Cats 68%

2. GWS Giants 66%

3. Essendon 64%

4. Adelaide 60%

5. Port Adelaide 58%

6. Melbourne 58%

7. Gold Coast 57%

8. Sydney 57%

9. West Coast 57%

10. Brisbane Lions 55%

11. Hawthorn 53%

12. Richmond 52%

13. Carlton 51%

14. W Bulldogs 48%

15. N Melbourne 47%

16. Fremantle 45%

17. St Kilda 44%

18. Collingwood 33%

Source: Champion Data

Originally published as Collingwood ranked last in goalkicking and set-shot accuracy in 2017