Goal kicking.

[Tap Twist Snap]

Just watching the 1969 grandfinal and they kicker from Balmain just shoves his heel into the ground twists it a bit sits the ball in the hole steps back a couple and kicks it.. goes straight through the centre. How the hell do modern goal kickers miss from the places they do. If someone did that today they would say they were some sort of miracle worker when I'm guessing back then it was just the norm.. didn't even use sand. Anyway any coach who has a kicker who misses from anywhere near infront needs to sit them down and watch some old school kicking.

 

[*Paul*]

Goalkicking percents in 2000s are over 70%, my guessimate that in the 60s it would've been more like 60%

 

[Slappy]

I saw it too, I wonder if a lot of those guys got injured kicking balls in such a manner. it looks dangerous toe-bashing a ball like that with virtually no ground clearance at all.

I wonder when sand was introduced for kicking.

 

[The Preacher]

Sand wasn't allowed to be used on the SCG until the mid '70's, it was said it would bring diseases into the grass and ruin it for athletics and cricket, though it was used on the surburban grounds.
When Eric Simms made his Test debut for Australia he kicked 8 goals, and had to dig up dirt and grass to rest the ball on.
The Balmain kicker you're referring to is Len Killeen, a South African.
Changa Langlands used to kick all his short range goals in the same fashion.
It never used to hurt kicking that way, except when it was wet, and with the leather ball weighing 5 times its normal weight, you used to think you were going to dislocate your knee every time you had a shot.
Mal Meninga was the last of the "toe pokers" playing just a few games more than Ricky Walford.

 

[Steelers4eva]

I also think the leather balls, being a totally different shape to the current league ball, were much easier to find a sweet spot on. The ends were slightly rounder and the footy itself was a touch larger meaning it was more like kicking a soccer ball than a league ball on some days. Not that I think its a bad thing but kids (mini-mods) these days don't know the joy of running full field carrying a wet leather ball, weighing a tonne, thats bigger than thier body.

 

[innsaneink]

I also think the leather balls, being a totally different shape to the current league ball, were much easier to find a sweet spot on. The ends were slightly rounder and the footy itself was a touch larger meaning it was more like kicking a soccer ball than a league ball on some days. Not that I think its a bad thing but kids (mini-mods) these days don't know the joy of running full field carrying a wet leather ball, weighing a tonne, thats bigger than thier body.

I actually think the balls of today are rounder, the ends smoother....the old balls seemed longer and pointier at the ends, as a kid they were difficult to kick...I scored a synthetic Mitre ball when I was about 12.....compared to the old leather balls the synthetic ones were a piece of cake. I remember also back then a bigger difference in union and RL balls.

 

[Danish]

Just watching the 1969 grandfinal and they kicker from Balmain just shoves his heel into the ground twists it a bit sits the ball in the hole steps back a couple and kicks it.. goes straight through the centre. How the hell do modern goal kickers miss from the places they do. If someone did that today they would say they were some sort of miracle worker when I'm guessing back then it was just the norm.. didn't even use sand. Anyway any coach who has a kicker who misses from anywhere near infront needs to sit them down and watch some old school kicking.

Why dont you get a ball and a tee out and show them how its done then? :roll:


No one ever appreciates how hard taking a shot at goal is until they take out the kicking tee and have a few shots themselves.

 

[Tap Twist Snap]

Why dont you get a ball and a tee out and show them how its done then? :roll:


No one ever appreciates how hard taking a shot at goal is until they take out the kicking tee and have a few shots themselves.

Well I wouldn't miss one from directly infront and compared to how they were kicking back then and how well they did it and that they didn't get a whole week with no job to practice whenever they want as professional footy players... There is no excuse on a still day missing some of the kicks professional first graders do. Anyway I think you missed the point of the post.. the kickers back then were much more skilled than the ones today. I have heaps of respect to the old toe pokers who kicked it off the ground.

 

[The Immortal Luke Covell]

So you have more respect for a toe-poker kicking at 65% than Hazem kicking at 80%+?

 

[Danish]

Well I wouldn't miss one from directly infront and compared to how they were kicking back then and how well they did it and that they didn't get a whole week with no job to practice whenever they want as professional footy players... There is no excuse on a still day missing some of the kicks professional first graders do. Anyway I think you missed the point of the post.. the kickers back then were much more skilled than the ones today. I have heaps of respect to the old toe pokers who kicked it off the ground.

Do you know the percentage kickers were at back then??

You cant be basing this "kickers were better back then" on more than just a few kicks you saw in an old game i'm sure.....

Also, when you say a kick from "right in front", how far out are you talking? Again, i'd like to see you kick at better than 70/100 even from 30m out and right in front. Let alont from the sidelines. I'd like to see a toe punter do it too.

I dont see why it should be declared more skillful simply because they used an outdated technique.

I spose you think there is no excuse for a professional footballer to ever drop the ball either, or miss a tackle, or have a kick in play come off the side of the boot, or throw a pass behind the man. Or course players back in the day had much more of these skills too since they played with a leather ball.... even though they made more errors.

Not trying to have a go at you i just think place kicking is an extremely hard skill and something that is very rarely given the credit it should. Pros might miss from right in front occasionally, but they land them a hell of a lot more than anyone else.

 

[innsaneink]

Tees, better balls, better boots, better grounds have all helped to ipmrove the art of place kicking.

 

[6togo]

Goalkicking has increased tremendously over the years and particularly in the last 6 or 7 years. Especially kicking from the sideline and difficult positions on the field. When I was growing up if somebody kicked one from the sidelines there was a strong case to be knighted. Now people expect most kicks to go over.

 

[dannyboy]

So you have more respect for a toe-poker kicking at 65% than Hazem kicking at 80%+?

Damn straight...if Eric Simms was playing today, using the kicking tee and the synthetic ball he'd be potting them over with about 90-95% success rate....he'd miss only when he chose to.

Hazem is great I'll grant you (the best going around since Halligan) but I've seen Simms pot a sodden leather ball straight over the dot from the sideline more times than I can count....throw a ball that heavy at Hazem and you'd probably knock him flat on his arse....they were like a bucket of bricks when wet.

 

[The Preacher]

Do you know the percentage kickers were at back then??

You cant be basing this "kickers were better back then" on more than just a few kicks you saw in an old game i'm sure.....

Also, when you say a kick from "right in front", how far out are you talking? Again, i'd like to see you kick at better than 70/100 even from 30m out and right in front. Let alont from the sidelines. I'd like to see a toe punter do it too.


Well Danish, I'm 47 and I haven't played for 13 years, but I'd like to take a peice of that action. I'll "toe-poke" it with either the new or old ball.
What sort of odds are you looking at and for how much ????

 

[The Preacher]

And I'll also kick left footed, come on Danish, HELLO, DANISH, where are you???? :sch: