Bit ironic that Fark Carlton were beaten by a Ratten coached St Kilda.
It is no fluke St Kilda has rapidly emerged as the best goalkicking team in the competition in less than two season. Jay Clark reveals how six Saints forwards turned themselves into sharp shooters.
St Kilda says its investment in its dedicated two-year dedicated goalkicking program is paying dividends as it strives to secure a drought-breaking finals berth this season.
The Saints are the most accurate goalkicking side in the competition after surging from 17th across 2018-19 (42.9 per cent) to No.1 (54.5 per cent) this year.
Adding another lethal layer to the Saints forward half operations, Brett Ratten’s men are also No.1 for forward 50m tackles with an average 13.2 a game, according to Champion Data.
Together, the two huge improvements helped make St Kilda the highest-scoring team in the competition before this round.
Ex-goal kicking coach Ben Dixon rewired and refined St Kilda players’ set shot and on-the-run techniques with weekly goal kicking sessions over a two-year period.
It included a breakthrough session for Tim Membrey who nailed 36-straight set shots at a Moorabbin training session days before he slotted six goals against West Coast in Perth two years ago.
St Kilda chief operating officer Simon Lethlean there was no doubt the club’s goalkicking program had paid-off as the club searches for its seventh win of the season against Gold Coast Thursday night.
“Ben was very upfront with the club that his goalkicking program would take two years, at least, to entrench itself and to bear fruit for a number of reasons, and part of that is the amount of work he was doing with the guys,” Lethlean said.
“He certainly ingrained in lots of our players the methodology and the mindset and a discipline to practice. That hasn’t changed this year.
Tim Membrey celebrates a goal for the Saints. Picture: Michael Klein
“They have goal kicking comps every week and those little silly prizes they come up with. They have found what their triggers are and that goes for all parts of their game.
“Also dealing with some pretty young guys who didn’t (previously) necessarily have someone at the front of their minds showing them how to go about that part of their craft.
“Now they have a plan, something to focus on and for many it is helping.”
Dixon left at the end of last season, but the likely reduction in the AFL football department soft cap to $6.3 million is another blow to any club hoping to employ a dedicated goalkicking coach as the Brisbane Lions desperately try to snap their slump.
Lethean said the Saints were proud of their capacity to score in 2020.
Central to the resurgence is Butler, who has become the top-tacking small forward in the game, averaging 2.5 a match, and amassing 23 in total for the season.
STRAIGHT SHOOTERS
How six Saints fixed their goal kicking routines:
JACK BILLINGS
Increased the speed of his goalkicking run-up to generate more momentum and power in his kick. Also straightened his leg on impact.
TIM MEMBREY
Benefits from repetition in his training. Multiple shots from varying distances.
JACK LONIE
Quicked his run-up t0 maximise power.
MAX KING
Shortened his run-up. Benefits from compact set shot technique. Limit excess movement.
JADE GRESHAM
Let him kick on natural arc on right-side. Benefits from smooth run-in rather than late sharp sideways step to right side.
JACK STEELE
Counts steps on run-up. Six walk steps, six run steps.
The sharpshooter, who fell out of favour at Richmond last year, has emerged as the best value recruit of the season after moving to Moorabbin in exchange for pick 56.
Lethlean said he fitted the way the Saints wanted to play.
“Part of the St Kilda way is to have an attacking style when and where we can. You have got to have the cattle to do it and the confidence to do it and we are only half way through the year,” he said.
“But certainly it looks like they are playing a more attacking brand of footy then we have for a while.
“But you need to be able to defend to win as well and we have seen a couple of times where we haven’t been good enough and that is a part of our game as well.”
We missed an opportunity not employing Ratten when he was available. The man can coach
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I actually wouldn’t be surprised to see St Kilda win a flag in next few years. I think they will add to their list again in the Offseason. Ratten is a players coach. Kind of guy that gets his hands dirty at training. Easy to relate to and no bullshit. He’ll do well there.
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I’m jealous.
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Huh.
It’s St Kilda.
They’re one short-statured schoolgirl away from imploding.
AFL site reporting that Jade Gresham will be out for the season with stress fracture in his back. Big out for the sainters!
Edit - Just saw this posted in another thread
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Glad someone beat me to posting this article. Was just about to do the same…
Terribly sad read…
That’s appalling. We humans can be horrible and lack any care of what others go through.
My next-door neighbour knows him from Ballarat. Told some horrific stories about Muir’s behaviour.
That sounds like a narrative that football doesn’t want to hear
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St.Kilda’s social media team is elite.
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I find it pretty cringe tbh.
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obviously they haven’t seen mozzie smile.
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would be a good time to merge with the saints we might have a half decent side then.
b: Paton Howard Ridley
hb: Long Carlisle Jones
c: Hannebery McGrath Langford
hf: Billing’s Membrey Stringer
f: Butler King Tippa
R: Marshall Steele Shiel
int: Gresham Heppell, Merrett, Parish
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Damn, I thought the exact opposite. To be fair, if our club produced this right now I’d be fuming. I guess it’s easier to crack jokes when things are looking up as opposed to being 10 goals down at three quarter time.
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Together we rise, not a bad slogan.
It’s not really a joke, more a play to get all those supporters of other clubs on their side for finals. Happens every year in one form or another. I love it.
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