Goalkicking, AFL and Sports Science
Recently there was an article on Goalkicking in the AFL. Chris Scott made an interesting comment. “We run a football program here, not a sports science program,” Scott says, bluntly. “I’m heavily in favour of an enormous amount of practice. It’s a collaborative approach, and the sports science guys have input, but we don’t simply say: ‘You manage the total load and we’ll work within that’, which is the environment I’ve been in my whole football life.”
Let’s get this straight Rohan Connolly . July 8, 2011. Read more:
http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/afl-news/lets-get-this-straight-20110708-1h6zg.html#ixzz1RkmSWnPB
Obviously they have had a frustrating season and also have a player with the yips. And yes there does exist a concern in medical and fitness departments when players go out at any time t do extra kicking.
The argument that it is ok to lose a player or two given more kicking does not really have logic especially inseason. There is more leeway with this philosophy in pre season with kickiig and fast running. But I can assure readers that if a fitness guru does more sprinting to increase speed ( works!) and loses player then much stress surrounds this.
That perfect practice and then more practice works cannot be disputed. Junk training no. And of course practice of a skill is the aim.
The caveat is simply individual needs. Some players can be bashed with baseball bats and hung upside down all day, then sprint and kick all day and never get injured. Bartel for example. But if a player HAS core instability problems and other musculoskeletal issues then doing heaps of kicking may lead to injury and more so impaired mechanics. That is changed skill to avoid sore spots, tightnesses etc.
Thus everyone acknowledges that more practice ( and practice with a purpose) will improve a skill. But the specific issue here is that if a talented young player has groin, osteitis issues etc, then these problems must be addressed first
I think the issue here is simply one of individual needs and then of course how one practices and why and . My major gripe with players (and clubs) is that these technical needs should be addressed in October to Xmas. That is the time to perfect skills.
But losing players. No way, that never works as a philosophy.
loris bertolacci 