AS THE greatest goal kicker the game has ever seen, Tony Lockett is well qualified to pass judgement on the current crop of AFL sharp (and not so sharp) shooters.
The former St Kilda and Sydney full-forward booted 1360 goals from 281 matches at an average of 4.84 per game.
ARCHIVED FOOTAGE: Lockett becomes a St Kilda Legend
He was not just a prolific goal kicker, he was also an accurate one – registering 590 behinds throughout his 18-season career. To put his accuracy in perspective, Gary Ablett Snr kicked 330 fewer goals and netted 100 more behinds.
In a rare interview with Melbourne radio station 3AW, Lockett said a clear mental approach was far more important than any specific routine.
“You have to keep it simple,” Lockett said.
“When I look at the blokes these days, they seem very mechanical and robotic. They have too much going through their minds with what they are doing. The only thing they should be concentrating on is kicking the ball.”
Buy your tickets for St Kilda's round five game against Essendon HERE!
When Lockett arrived at Moorabbin in early 1983 as part of the North Ballarat zoning system, football was a significantly different beast to what it was when he played his last game in 2002.
“Back in the early days we used to get out before training and kick for goal then,” he said.
“We didn’t really have a routine or a set way of doing things.”
Instead of stepping out his run up, or measuring it as a host of current day players do, Lockett would simple walk back, ask the field umpire where the mark was and then begin his approach.
He treated the art of goal kicking as a closed skill, not too dissimilar to skill sets in other sports.
“If you don’t make the correct contact then 40 metres down the track it could be doing anything,” he said.
“It’s a bit like a golf swing. The ball release and the contact are the two most important things I’d work on. They were the things I was conscious of, almost to the stage of trying to kick the ball out of my hand.”
Become a Saints member. Click HERE or call 1300 GO SAINTS!
When asked about Travis Cloke’s efficiency struggles close to goal as opposed to further out, Lockett’s response was typically pragmatic.
“Some blokes kick better from further out. Why do they do that?” he asked.
“I don’t know, they might have more of a follow through but I think it’s a mental thing. Common sense will tell you, 20 metres out directly in front – that’s where you want to be kicking them from.”
“That’s more of a mindset than anything else… I was just focussed on the goal umpire. He stands in the middle of the goals no matter where you position yourself.”
Probably the best long range goal kicker in the AFL is Lance Franklin whose unique set shot approach lies in contrast to more technical methods like Matthew Lloyd’s routine.
Lockett admitted he does not watch a great deal of football anymore, but when he does tune in, it is Franklin who he marvels at.
“I had two years out of the game and tried to make a comeback but couldn’t get near it. I think the game has gone well and truly past my capabilities,” he said.
“Blokes like Buddy Franklin are up the ground and running everywhere and it’s quite incredible to watch really. That’s just the way the game is these days.”
Lockett (49) currently lives in Bowral, New South Wales with his wife and four daughters.
In January, club historian Russell Holmesby named him as the second greatest Saint of all time.
