Ross Lyon, Cameron Mooney reflect on Grand Final misses and what could have been
FLASHBACKS still haunt Ross Lyon. They haunt Cameron Mooney as well. Kicking for goal is never more crucial than in the big dance.
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FLASHBACKS still haunt Ross Lyon.
The sight of St Kilda players squandering chance after chance in the 2009 Grand Final as they eventually fell to Geelong will forever torture the veteran coach.
“It will bob into my head, players running into an open goal from 10m and missing,” Lyon said years later.
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Cameron Mooney regards a goalsquare blunder in the 2008 decider as “by far the worst moment of my career”.
“I’ve probably cost us back to back (flags). God it hurt for a long time, it really did,” he reflected.
The adage “bad kicking is bad football” rings true. It’s the difference between tears and beers.
Fremantle (8.14 from 29 shots in 2013) and North Melbourne (8.22 in 1998) will also vouch.
On the flip side, sharp kicking is super football — and Sydney enters Saturday’s Grand Final doing just that.
The Swans’ accuracy in the past two weeks is off the charts. It is stuff we haven’t seen in September.
Sydney nailed 5.2 from set shots beyond 40m last week to finish with 15.7, every kick at goal sailing scoring.
The Cats generated two extra shots and trudged off 37-point losers.
No club in a Grand Final has bettered Sydney’s preliminary final accuracy of 68 per cent since Hawthorn stunned Mooney’s mob in 2008.
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So take a bow, Tom Papley.
The rookie revelation has led the way, spearing through 7.0 in the past two weeks. Bullseye, Bunyip boy.
Buddy Franklin has 6.2. John Longmire’s team has drastically turned the tables from its wasteful 7.13 in the qualifying final loss.
Across the season, the Swans’ accuracy of 52.1 per cent ranks third — and is going north in a hurry.
And they have ambushed Adelaide and Geelong with seven-goal bursts in the first quarter, swelling their reputation as the AFL’s fast starter.
As for the Western Bulldogs? Their goalkicking accuracy ranks 16th (47.6 per cent), but the Dogs have started to take chances in September, particularly beyond first quarters.
Usual deadeye Tory Dickson uncharacteristically got the yips against the Hawks, but returned with 4.1 against the Giants — that solitary behind a poster kicked after the final siren. Clay Smith has 7.1 in finals.
Every premier in the past decade has boasted greater goalkicking accuracy and Dogs assistant coach Steven King knows taking chances will be “crucial” on Saturday.
“They (Sydney) don’t need too many opportunities,” King said.
“Our pressure is going to have to be really good and our defensive structures and our systems will take care of it.”
Who will bring their kicking boots?
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