Jon Anderson: Goalkicking guru David Wheadon reveals his tricks and routines of the game’s greats

Goalkicking coach David Wheadon has revealed an amazing stat with former AFL superstar Stevie Johnson, while lauding the special routines adopted by some of the best in the business.

TOM Hawkins and Matthew Lloyd are two of the finer kicks for goal in recent history, with the common denominator being kicking coach David Wheadon.

Wheadon, 73, has now put his wealth of experience into print where he explains how to kick straight between the sticks.

“I love the straightness of Tony Lockett’s run-up, Peter Hudson’s large amount of the actual ball on boot, Matty Lloyd’s repeatable routine and his high ball flight with a lot of spin, while Daniel Bradshaw was also so straight in every thing he did,” Wheadon writes.

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“Of the more recent players, I worked with Stevie Johnson who had a 90 per cent set-shot accuracy via the snap across his body, Luke Breust visualises during the week in preparation, plus Ben Brown’s willingness to be different with his long run-up.”

The Art of Goalkicking: By David Wheadon (available from Slattery Books).

Steve Johnson’s accuracy with a set-shot snap across his body sits at 90 per cent.

Becker latest sports star bound for big house

LATER this week, a fallen sports idol in Boris Becker will stand before a judge with the distinct possibility he could be sent to jail.

Accused of concealing millions of pounds by hiding assets, Becker, 54, who has never been regarded as the brightest bulb in the tennis world, was found guilty in a London Court earlier this month of four charges under the Insolvency Act.

It’s hard to imagine a bigger fall from grace, yet surprisingly Becker (should he be imprisoned) will find himself a small player when you consider rape and murder are two of the crimes sporting legends have been incarcerated for.

Released on conditional bail ahead of sentencing this Friday, in legal speak he has been told to pack a toothbrush with a maximum sentence of seven years available to the sentencing judge.

Former tennis player Boris Becker could be facing serious jail time.

But his crimes pale into insignificance with others, arguably the most remarkable being Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriots tight end who played alongside Tom Brady and Ron Gronkowski.

Hernandez was a train wreck, abused as a child, drug dependent, confused about his sexuality and suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and according to a riveting read by James Patterson (All-American Murder) possibly responsible for four murders and three further shootings. Sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017, he took his own life to end a tragic 27 years.

Naturally the Dear Old Juice as in Orenthal James Simpson, 74, is the most infamous sporting jailbird of all, widely believed to have gotten away with the double murder of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman.

English cricketer Chris Lewis, 54, a fine allrounder who played 32 Tests in the 1990s, was given a 13-year sentence in 2009 for smuggling 3kg of liquid cocaine into London from St Lucia. He was released after serving six years.

Well done? 57 off stick seems a bit better than well done!

THERE have been a growing number of 59s in world golf recently, and even the odd 58, but 57?

That’s what Ben Murphy, 29, who plays off minus 4.19, shot last weekend on the North Course at Peninsula Kingswood.

Just the five pars for Murphy (who works at The National) coupled with 11 birdies and two eagles. The part I loved most was the reaction of Peninsula Kingswood, which read “member Ben Murphy had a good day today. Well done Ben, 57 off the stick”.

Thought it might have been worth a little bit more than “good day” and “well done”.

HOT

ASSUMPTION COLLEGE

Who this Friday officially open the Neale Daniher Centre.

MICHAEL ZERAFA

Maybe he will get to fight Tim Tszyu.

NOT

WIMBLEDON

Sport and politics should never mix, so why ban Russian players?

AFLX

Yes, it’s dead and buried, but I still want to know who invented it.