Carlton rising star Ashton Moir on kicking skills, long friendship with Camporeale housemates

Ashton Moir reveals how – and why – his parents forced him to become the most ambidextrous player in the AFL, while the Blues rising star reveals his close bond to his teammates and a new skill.

A young life raised on the mats learning taekwondo is behind the ambidextrous kicking skills of rising Carlton goalkicker Ashton Moir who is turning to a new feat of co-ordination on the harmonica.

Moir booted four goals in Carlton’s breakthrough win over Melbourne on Saturday – and earned the round 19 rising star nomination – with three coming off his left boot on set shots.

Blues fans were perplexed when Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley said in commentary on Fox Footy that Moir can kick so well on either foot that he deliberately alternates between left and right on each set shot.

Ashton Moir put that one through on his left foot. Picture: Michael Klein

He proceeded to kick goals with three set shots, all on his left, with one coming from directly in front of the goals.

Buckley wasn’t quite correct but Moir said he was “pretty close”.

“I just happened to be on the right side of the field for all of my shots (on Saturday),” he said.

“When I have a shot if I am on the right side, I will kick on the left (foot). But if I’m on the other side, I will kick on the right.”

As some coaches bemoan a lack of dual-footed players in the modern game, Moir’s path suggests budding footballers should look to the mat to improve their skills.

His mother Cynthia represented Australia in taekwondo at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and his father Daniel also kicked for the country.

Cynthia Moir (nee Cameron) at the Sydney Olympics. Picture: Roy Haverkamp.

Naturally, Moir got into the spot as a kid and was forced to kick opponents with both feet.

“In taekwondo you have to use both sides of your body in pretty much everything,” he said.

“So I have been doing that generally since I have been able to walk. Mum and dad have been digging that into me my whole life so it has become second nature.”

While he comes from excellent martial arts stock, Moir has a long, long friendship with twins from exceptional footy stock, father-son Blues Ben and Lucas Camporeale.

Moir said he been friends with the twins “since I was probably two (years old)” and he lives with them, plus Blues Billy Wilson and Harry Charleson.

“We properly grew up together, our families have been close, obviously through primary school, through (SANFL club) Glenelg, (Adelaide school) Sacred Heart,” Moir said.

Moir was drafted to the Blues a year ahead of the brothers and watched last year’s draft night from the edge of his couch.

Ben (far left) and Lucas (far right) Camporeale and Ashton Moir (middle) celebrate a win with Adelaide school Sacred Heart

“I think Ben went first (in the draft) and when I heard Ben I was over the moon. I was living by myself at the time but it was loud in that household I can tell you that much,” he said.

Moir is the musician of the household, the Camporeales the chefs, Wilson the barista, and Charleson is learning from all four.

An avid guitar player – a recent song Moir learned was Richard Marx’s 1989 ballad Right Here Waiting – he is learning to add some more noise to the house.

“I bought a guitar about a year-and-a-half ago and I saw people learning the harmonica and learning (Billy Joel song) Piano Man, so I went on Amazon and bought one,” he said.

“I am figuring out how to play the harmonica, the tricky part is doing is at the same time (as the guitar).”

Asked whether the addition of the harmonica meant he wouldn’t sing as much, Moir only laughed.

“I cannot sing. You will never hear me singing ever, just playing,” he said.

Originally published as Carlton rising star Ashton Moir on kicking skills, long friendship with Camporeale housemates