Ben Dixon has joined St Kilda as a part-time goalkicking coach

ST KILDA has moved to address its Achilles heel - poor goal conversion - by employing highly-rated kicking coach Ben Dixon on a part-time basis.

Ben Dixon has joined St Kilda as a part-time goalkicking coach

ST KILDA has moved to address the Achilles heel that cost it a finals spot this year — poor goal conversion — by employing highly-rated kicking coach Ben Dixon on a part-time basis.

The Saints won a battle for the former Hawthorn sharpshooter after several AFL clubs, including Port Adelaide, actively chased his services.

The Saints were ranked 17th in overall accuracy and 16th in set shot accuracy this season, with coach Alan Richardson lamenting lost opportunities in front of goal as an area desperately requiring attention.

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Dixon, who kicked 282 goals from his 203 games with the Hawks, has previously worked with Collingwood, and was regarded as one of the best set shots for goals of his era.

St Kilda general manager of football performance Jamie Cox confirmed the part-time appointment soon after the Herald Sun broke the news.

“Accuracy in front of goal was a clear weakness of ours in 2017,” Cox said.

Ben Dixon has joined St Kilda as a part-time goal-kicking coach

“We went through a thorough review of all areas of our performance at the end of the season and identified the opportunity to increase our resources in regards to goalkicking.

“Ben has had success in similar coaching roles in the past. He brings a wealth of experience and we look forward to him joining our team ahead of the pre-season.”

It is understood Dixon will revamp the individual techniques of all players and he will also look to address the mental pressures faced in kicking for goal.

He will use some of the lessons learnt under long-time Hawthorn strategy and innovation head David Rath. Part of it will centre on tight accountability and a 70 per cent success rate at training.

The Saints missed the finals by one game and percentage, with inaccuracy in several games almost certainly costing the team the chance to play finals.

Richardson said in August that the club needed to take the necessary steps to improve its conversion.

Tim Membrey kicks at goal. Picture: Michael Klein

“You’ve always got to make the most of your opportunities,” Richardson said. “We nearly beat Port (Adelaide) over there (after) being 2.12 at one stage.”

“That’s been an issue for us; it’s been a bit of an issue. Our guys work incredibly hard ... (but) we clearly need to get better.

Dixon, who once famously slotted through a matchwinning goal after the siren in 2001, told the Herald Sun earlier this year every club could improve their goalkicking within a season.

“Any club which doesn’t have proper goal kicking programs, I have got no doubt whatsoever it would deliver unbelievable results,” Dixon said.

“It is the area of the game that continually gets overlooked.

“It is a marginal gain that can either help you win or lose games of footy, cost you a top-four or top-eight berth and cost players their careers.

“People can blame it on fatigue and on rule changes or the state of play but ultimately good teams and good clubs put the right program in place to eliminate the margin for error.”