Lefties

[seano1]

Can we when drafting lefties make sure they have some sort of right side skills , sick to death of these professionals who cannot kick with both feet . As a rightie i was told to and shown how to and can i also practiced this in cricket and could bat pretty well as a lefty .

[WellardSaint]

Kent got caught at least once because he couldn't use his right foot

[The Barometer]

Kent got caught at least once because he couldn't use his right foot

Kent’s inability to not even attempt on his right was under12s level laughable.

[Ghost Like]

Kent got caught at least once because he couldn't use his right foot

Kent’s inability to not even attempt on his right was under12s level laughable.

Lonie's the same, he'd rather get rag dolled than acknowledge his right side. You must be able to do something on your opposite side at AFL level, surely???

[B.M]

Very few lefties can kick right

They grow up getting time and space by going left and wrong footing defenders

It’s why most lefties are beautiful kicks

Billings can use his right when needed

Stats say player use their non dominant foot less than 5% of the time
Coaches prefer they don’t unless they absolutely have to as they prioritise ball retention.

Very few players are even 50% as good on their non dominant side

[maverick]

Billings is a good right foot kick
Connolly is good on his non preferred too
Steele is a good kick on his left, has kicked goals on his left in the last two weeks
Hasn’t worked for dunstan by the way

[B.M]

Billings can kick on his right - wouldn’t call him good though

Seen Jimmy Webster kick on his right?

[CURLY]

Billing’s retains the ball with his right often just 15 meter kicks which is perfect.

Kent is poorly skilled and should be delisted no point worrying about him.

[maverick]

Billings can kick 40 on his right
Good for a leftie, agree not good overall
Never seen Webster or dunstan kick on their right
Wilkie is ok on his right I think???

[Ghost Like]

Nothing excuses AFL players from not putting some work in on their non dominant side for that emergency situation to save a turnover & embarrassment.

Professional golfers will practice with their wrong side knowing it will only be used in an emergency.

[B.M]

I think you’ll find 90% of AFL footballer only use their wrong side if the desperately have to… and if they are caught on their left Will prefer to handball.

Left footer generally become more one sided because going to their left normally finds them space.

Kent was caught on the right boundary, he only had to centre the ball, it didn’t even need to be a good kick

[Ghost Like]

Exactly B.M., his skills on his right were so non existent he could even bring himself to execute a poor kick. Not good enough for someone playing AFL, that was a bad (arguably) as our butchered dinky kicks in the last.

[Junction Oval]

I can't understand how players at this level (and pay), cannot kick both feet. Why aren't the players practicing this? What are the recruiters and indeed, the coaches saying/doing about these lack of skills - "nothing" it seems.

I taught myself to kick both feet (at a reasonable level), quite quickly/easily. Surely AFL players today can easily do the same. They have the time to do so.

[Ghost Like]

Very true JO, I think most can so it's glaring now when a player gets caught not having that ability to even manage a poor attempt.

[ace]

Show me the incentive, I'll show you the behaviour.
Warren Buffett used slightly different words but he is spot on.
It is how company boards encourage CEO to meet the requirments of company boards.
Wrong incentive expect wrong behaviour, incentivise share price, the share price will be talked and manipulated up, incentivise earnings per share watch EPS grow.

These players are paid a fortune compared to most workers.
If you make part of a players pay dependent on an improvement in their skills they will work for that money.
Require a forward to kick straight from set shots, they will work on their technique to improve their accuracy.
Require a one sided player to improve skills on the other side, they will work on them.

But if you pay players to train and play that is all they will do, train and play.

[older saint]

Goes to TAC level where many are taught now to kick across the body on preferred foot rather than opposite when have a choice. All this statistics crap that has come into the game.
Look at guys like Sam Mitchell, Leon Cameron, Bob Murphy you couldn't tell at times their preferred side.
The elite with this skill stand out now.

[B.M]

The fact you can name those few players (from the last two decades) shows you how rare a dual sided player is

I’ll give you aker and BJ too

Can you name many more??

And there is a difference between
Can kick on their left and is equally as good on their left.

[roskilde]

It's unforgivable in a professional footballer as well. No one expects complete ambidextrousness from the players but having a side you just won't even use means you haven't put the time in to train your non-preferred side.

All it takes is practice to get youself to the point where it's at least usable in a tight spot.

[Devilhead]

Just as many righties who cant kick on their left

I am leftie and kick perfectly well on my right - its just practice

[kosifantutti]

Hunter Clark kicks well with either foot.
Riewoldt would take set shots from the wrong pocket with the left foot and was pretty good at it.

[The Barometer]

Just as many righties who cant kick on their left

I am leftie and kick perfectly well on my right - its just practice

Not sure I've seen many righties fluff it as badly as Kent did.
Agree it is just practice, for a professional player it should not even be much practice for a basic level of putting the ball onto your foot. Kent didn't even seem remotely aware as to even contemplate how to kick it on his right foot.

[Scollop]

Just as many righties who cant kick on their left

I am leftie and kick perfectly well on my right - its just practice

Yeah but that means you have to reduce your days on the golf course...

Or you have to stop playing COD ( that's Call Of Duty for those over 60 )

[shanegrambeau]

Left footers are inaccurate in front of goal statistically.

What hope did Richo have?

2015 Geelong had 3 lefties. St Kilda? 12! with a Wooden Spoon in hand.

And St Kilda people…we are a frazzled and twitchy lot…some may call us paranoid.

The paranoia and leftedness can combine and effect coordination, including susceptibility to smoking weed. Lefties have a different brain.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21082479/

St Kilda set shots…0.6 last game..

It must spread to right footers?

[StPeter]

Billings can kick 40 on his right
Good for a leftie, agree not good overall
Never seen Webster or dunstan kick on their right
Wilkie is ok on his right I think???

Dunstan kicked an excellent goal on his right foot from around 40 metres out only 2 or 3 weeks ago.