Yep it was a long time and it could have torps, but Paul Doran in the 1980’s was Manager of the Club at Windy Hill (think he was on the Committe as well), anyway I remember a discussion between him and Hugh Mitchell about who was the best drop-kick, and comments about kickouts to the centre.
I do remember watching both play in 1964 and 1965, but it gets a bit hazy. Mitchell always did dropkicks and so did Barry Davis until he went to North and Barass banned them.
Heaps of players used the drop kick until the early 70s…when as you said…Barassi banned them because of the high failure rate, exemplified by Jerker Jenkin drop kicking the ball straight into Jezza’s nuts when he was standing on the mark. Billy Barrot, Colin Tully, Barry Price…magnificent exponents. Successful drop kicks just went longer and straighter than other kicks, but too risky on an uneven or muddy surface.
Which begs the question, given that drop kicks well executed do go further, and the playing surface these days is much better than in the 60s and 70s, why don’t we see drop kicks return?
Could be a great tool to break the zone.
It was fascinating seeing the Irish using them in the International Series. Their drop kicks were getting a good extra 10m vs our drop punts.
Imagine McKenna running from defensive 50 reaches the middle and drop kicks it to the square to Daniher.
I remember him kicking it straight to Lucas in the last few seconds who gleefully dobbed the winner!
Maybe not in general play, but as a kick in option or even for set shots would be fun to watch
I can’t see St Franga in the AA nominations. Selectors have no foresight; spend all their time looking in the rear vision mirror.
You guys are seriously old!
Who was worried about their super the other day? Remind me.
If it was next year I wouldn’t be worried… plenty of time for them to screw it up for me!
Some innovative and intelligent coach might just try and bring it back in…then it will start all over again until someone else bans it.
Too great a margin for error.
Kicking out from FB with a place kick however might possibly be viable.
Could be used from free kicks/marks to do a 60m switch.
Francis already has a great kick - perhaps it would be a good addition to the armory
It wasn’t banned…it was just recommended that players don’t use it because it’s too risky.
Although the umpires were told to penalise players who ostensibly drop the ball to their boot when tackled, but the ball hits the ground first. Players were claiming they were just drop kicking.
Interesting that both rugby codes still require field goals to be executed by the drop kick.
I remember Jezza having a kick for goal after the siren to break a tie in a Carlton-Richmond final at Waverley in 1972 or 1973.He was about 70 metres out and the drop kick was his only hope of scoring. He failed, but the kick would have gone 10 metres more than a torp would have.
Coaches should get more creative for the dump kicks inside 50. Drop kicks, torps high or low, floaters and grubbers would catch most defenses off guard.
It would certainly be more exciting to watch than what happens today with the predictable punt to the top of the square or the hit up 40 out
LETS HOPE HURLEY GETS BACK TO BE HIMSELF
STRONG AGGRESSIVE TOUGH AND NOT ABLE TO BE EASILY OUTMARKED
Pretty sure I’ve seen Boris kick a drop kick running into an open goal.
I didn’t go into too much detail but was presuming a coach that would instill a stronger discipline into the players to reduce the error factor as much as any other kick in today’s game. However, yes it may well be used in only certain required parts of the game and FB does seem the most appropriate. I wouldn’t rule out a 70m kick for goal in the right weather conditions.
I AM SURE HE HEARD THAT 
BT has said without any doubt that Francis’s mark is MOTY.
Carey, Darcy and Campbell Brown think Heeney’s is.