Damning data reveals AFL goalkicking at its worst level since 2000
St Kilda has made wholesale changes to its coach and list but, if it is to succeed, it will need to fix one damning area that has it setting a record for futility since Champion Data began recording the statistic.
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AFL goal accuracy is at its lowest point this century, with only a single AFL side last year registering an accuracy rating above 50 per cent.
Only West Coast (51.3 per cent) kicked more goals than behinds and total misses last year as goal accuracy dropped to 46.4 per cent, down from 50.1 per cent in 2016.
The shocking figures, which combine set shot and general shot accuracy, come despite players never having more advantages to nail their routines and on-the-run goals.
The league has cracked down on rushed behinds, players kicking on angles now have a 10m exclusion zone and players have 30 seconds before getting on the “runway” and starting set shot routines.
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The league has even changed its rules to allow players to kick round-the-corner snaps after the siren without play on being called.
Yet St Kilda kicked 233.347 last year plus total misses, its 42.6 per cent total accuracy coming from 49.8 per cent set shot accuracy and 35.8 per cent accuracy in general play.
The figure is the worst since Champion Data started recording total accuracy — including out-of-bounds misses — in 2002.
Clubs defend the volume of shots taken midweek and say forwards now running 15km a game are more fatigued when they take shots.
But 1986 Coleman Medallist Brian Taylor, a noted exponent of set shot kicking, told the Herald Sun despite their protestations players simply were not practising enough.
“I still don’t think they do enough work on it. We keep getting told they do but I am not so sure how many dedicated sessions there are at each club for that particular skill due to the fact midweek is all about recovery. There is a big emphasis on recovery and not skill.
“I can remember having lots and lots of shots both at designated training sessions before after and during and I would go down into parks with guys teaching me to kick over and above training at the club. I would like to know how many current footballers would go to the trouble of that? I am not sure how many do that?”
Former Australian Masters winner Craig Spence, now teaching at Albert Park driving range, said yesterday golf pros would hit between 200-400 balls on the range in a training phase as well as hours of chipping and putting.
“Most guys don’t have many days off. Other than travel days, tour pros who aren’t gifted freaks would practice nearly every day, they are a bit obsessive,” he said.
Brad Scott said last year Ben Brown took hundreds of set shots a week but the figures show accuracy has never been worse this century.
GWS forward Harry Himmelberg was footy’s most accurate goalkicker last year (24.8 with no total misses), ahead of North Melbourne’s Nick Larkey (25.7 and three total misses), Fremantle’s Michael Walters (30.11, two misses) and Roo Cam Zurhaar (18.4 and five misses).
But Marcus Bontempelli’s 15.27 stood out given his incredible skills, while Carlton’s Harry McKay kicked 26.30, Brisbane’s Cam Rayner 20.25, St Kilda’s Jack Lonie 13.19 and Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper 10.18.
St Kilda champion Steven Milne, who kicked 574 goals in his 275 games, is adamant players aren’t practising enough.
He also wonders if they are becoming obsessed with taking up the full 30 seconds for set shots to allow their teammates rest.
“You see the players now looking at the clock and they are worried about the clock and giving guys rest,” he said.
“I used to get in trouble for going back and quickly kicking the goal but more often than not I actually kicked the goal. When I was playing I had 80 to 100 shots during the week but these days they are not allowed to have an extra 100 shots a week because of the load on their bodies.”
“I used to hang out after training and do 50-100 shots then, anywhere from 10 set shots then 20 around the corner, left foot, right foot, throw the ball along the ground and kick it from there.”