AFL 2021 LIVE updates: North Melbourne take on Giants before Richmond, Eagles battle in WA

Key posts

  • Let’s get this straight: The tough art of kicking for goal
  • Kangaroos struggle to score effeciently

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Let’s get this straight: The tough art of kicking for goal

In 2004, St Kilda became the first and only team to kick with greater than 60 per cent accuracy for a whole season. It helped that they had Fraser Gehrig, Nick Riewoldt and Stephen Milne up forward. Gehrig kicked 103.39 that year.

But coach Grant Thomas played a part. As related by James Coventry in his 2018 book Footballistics, Thomas believed goalkicking to be a neglected fundamental. Ignoring the warning of sports scientists about overwork, he held long goalkicking sessions before and after training.

Jack Higgins after St Kilda’s defeat by the Swans.Credit:Getty Images

His favourite was “the gauntlet”, in which players had to take shots while running through a tunnel of jeering teammates. But Thomas did not keep score. “It’s only when you bring outcome into a skill that you have problems,” he told Coventry, “whether that be with a golf putt, a smash in tennis or a shot at goal, because you’re thinking about the consequences rather than the cause.”

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Kangaroos struggle to score effeciently

GWS Giants have recorded a score from 45 per cent of their inside 50s this season – ranked fifth in the competition. Offensive efficiency has been a weakness for the Kangaroos all season, converting 36.5 per cent of their inside 50s into a score – ranked 18th . Jy Simpkin leads the club for kicks into the forward 50 with 39.

Good afternoon all

G’day everyone! I’m Roy Ward and I’ll be running today’s AFL blog as North Melbourne takes on GWS Giants then West Coast and Richmond enter their heavyweight clash in Perth.

We will have all the major developments from the matches and a few extras too. Keep an eye out for our ‘from the archives’ matches.

The first game is due to start at 3.15pm AEST and I’ll have a few items to put up until then.

Please feel free to leave a comment at anytime and enjoy the day to come.

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