Goal Kicking

[Cicjose]

http://www.bigpondsport.com/let-the-goodes-times-roll/tabid/91/newsid/87541/default.aspx

There are worse spectacles than Saints footy

What's more excruciating than watching Fremantle execute Ross Lyon's game plan to perfection? Watching them butcher the ball in front of goals while doing it. The Dockers dominated the second quarter against Carlton for a return of 2.7 and kicked 7.15 for the match, throwing away the opportunity to land one of the biggest scalps in the league and thrust themselves into top-four calculations.

Lyon's side won the clearances, broke even in contested possession, had more scoring shots and only five fewer inside 50s but never came close to actually winning. Their three-goal burst in the dying minutes flattered them on the scoreboard and left frustrated fans wondering why Freo couldn't kick them when it counted.

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Do we have a problem kicking goals without Pavlich?

of the 10 players for who have scored 2 or more goals for Fremantle so far this year:

only Zac Clarke and Josh Mellington are better than 50% with 6.3 and 4.3 respectively

Pavlich is 6.6
Mzungu 4.4
Ballantyne 3.3

with Bradley scoring 2.3 and De Boer's terrible accuracy being worse at 2.6

so saying all that:

do we have a problem with our forward setup or just poor kicking?

[valkorum]

We should have beaten Carlton quite comfortably on Friday night but couldn't kick straight.

Rd 1: 16.9 (win against Geelong)
Rd 2: 12.9 (loss against Sydney)
Rd 3: 8.16 (win against Brisbane)
Rd 4: 14.8 (win against Saints)
Rd 5: 7.15 (loss against Carlton)

Totals
Goals: 57
Behinds: 57

We are averaging nearly 23 shots a game (22.8 ).  That is more than enough shots at goal to kick a winning score - if we could kick straighter against Carlton then we would be at 4-1 not 3-2.  If we were sitting 4-1 then the media would be talking us up about being a top 4 possibility but at 3-2 we now become a target for the media (due to our history).

I don't think we play ugly footy - every other team has all their players involved in a press in half (sometimes a quarter) of the oval.  But because we have Ross Lyon as our coach we get branded as ugly footy (due to his history) 

Before anyone brings up the Brisbane game - that game was ugly due to the tactics that Brisbane deployed. 

So, answering the original post - only one game has our inaccurate kicking cost us a game (Carlton). 

[Cicjose]

what type of forward setup would you like to see Valk?

i know that a lot of Ross Lyon's game plan revolves around being able to kick well under pressure in general play.

are our assistant coaches Michael Prior (general skills) and Peter Sumich (forward line) doing enough to help Ross achieve better results?

[Cruiseon]

 
Valk I agree with much of what you say with the exception that I reckon Freo are playing ugly football which I find (as a neutral) disappointing. I'd love to see Hill, Fyfe, Mzungu etc really cutting it up the open spaces of Subi rather than tied up in contested footy but that is Ross' way.

I must add that round 1 was a corker of a game but the last 3 games have been just so drab. In fact when I actually think of it I didn't watch the final quarter of any of these games. If I was a fan I probably wouldn't be bothered (if we were winning), but as a neutral I quickly lose interest.

[valkorum]

Cruise - With the invention of the new press Subi actually becomes easier to clog up.  Subi is only longer than every other ground but actually about the same width as every other oval in the country.  With the press you only have to cover a kick/kick and a half distance in length and the entire width. 

The old style of playing of flooding, original zone, man on man etc meant that the length allowed for players to be open and appear to have space.  This new method negates that.  The wider the oval the easier it will be to get some free flowing football as the gaps in the press will be slightly wider.

[Cruiseon]

Quite possibly Valk but home and away the Dockers style of play has't inspired me at all in the last three rounds which is disappointing because, as you know, I have a soft spot for them.

[valkorum]

Keep in mind that this is only our 5th game under a new coach with a new direction/game style.  It's gonna take a bit of time before we get it.

The same thing happened at St Kilda and then BANG they went on to play in the big games (unfortunately never taking the cake)

Eagles have been the same over the last few years then last year BANG they got it and now look at them.  If we are 3-2 (could of been 4-1) while we are still learning the new style, I am looking forward to when we go BANG.

**BANG is proudly brought to you by Bruce McAvaney**

[Capper]

Rd 1: 16.9 (win against Geelong)
Rd 2: 12.9 (loss against Sydney)
Rd 3: 8.16 (win against Brisbane)
Rd 4: 14.8 (win against Saints)
Rd 5: 7.15 (loss against Carlton)

Totals
Goals: 57
Behinds: 57

looks like Freo have done the Coke Zero Challenge, after Sydney did it last year their kicking became atrocious.

I gather after the weekend Anthony wont be back for a while???

[valkorum]

I gather after the weekend Anthony wont be back for a while???

I hope not - he had a terrible game on the weekend.

[Cicjose]

i loved the goal kicking from today's game obviously we need to improve our pressure in the middle of the ground to make it harder for teams to score but love it when:

Chris Mayne 3.0
Matthew Deboer 3.0
Lachie Neale 2.0
Tendai Mzungu 1.1
Matthew Pavlich 1.0
Stephen Hill 1.0
Dylan Roberton 1.0
Ryan Crowley 1.0
Zac Clarke 1.0

:)

But we still lack a target up forward.......