Three-time premiership Lion Jonathan Brown says he’s been left “frustrated” by Harry McKay this season, with the star Blue’s accuracy now sitting below 40 per cent after six rounds.
McKay, the 2021 Coleman Medallist, has struggled in front of goal kicking just nine goals from six games.
On Saturday night against the Saints, McKay pulled out an array of goal kicking styles which saw him finish the night with 1.2 plus attempts that didn’t register a score.
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“One thing I can’t stand is goal kickers not having a routine,” Brown said On the Couch.
“And I’m sitting back watching Harry McKay and it’s so frustrating.”
“Training a habit – the amount of times you see kicking for goal at training with no man on the mark – how many times do you have a set shot in a game and there’s no man on the mark?
“The worst thing about it is if you don’t have a routine and practice that habit consistently, you create bad habits.”
Statistics show McKay is converting at just 39 per cent accuracy this season, off the back of 52% in 2022 and 57% in his Coleman Medal-winning year.
Fox Footy’s Jason Dunstall said he was perplexed to why the Blues were struggling to score with McKay and Charlie Curnow in attack.
“They are a team that should be scoring a lot and they don’t score so that tells you there’s something wrong with the method,” he said on AFL 360.
“I fear if (the Blues coaching staff) just think it’ll come good, it won’t come good. They’ve got to make some subtle changes.”
Brown said it wasn’t only McKay who was falling down when opting to go around the body instead of “sucking it up” and taking the drop punt set shot.
“He’s got to fix that up. 30 per cent (accuracy) is nowhere near good enough for a top level forward,” he said.
“I reckon it’s a cop out (going around the body) – and not just Harry McKay.
“I reckon there’s too many players copping out in this competition going around the corner and making it quick.
Carlton Press Conference | 09:26
“Go back like (Adelaide’s) Darcy Fogarty did, with the game on the line, three points down and suck it up.
“Embrace the occasion. At least have the presence to go back and embrace the occasion and have the kick.
“I’ve heard (McKay) works hard on his goalkicking, but we need some consistency.”
Fox Footy’s Garry Lyon said McKay’s goal kicking woes were “an issue” for both player and club.
“I don’t care if you’re a goal kicker and you keep missing to the same sport every time, at least you can make the adjustment,” he said On the Couch.
“Harry ain’t doing that.
“We’ve had right foot, play on, give off, drop punt – there ain’t no consistency (in his performance against St Kilda).
“Left foot he’s gone ‘drop punt’s my go’. No, he tries around the corner – which he flushed by the way.
“I think around the corner is his best kick.
“I don’t mind if that’s your choice of kick – just go about it consistently.”
Saints make it five wins from Six! | 01:59
Carlton coach Michael Voss defended McKay’s goal kicking choices when speaking post-match.
“I think it’s a definite play-by-play,” he said of the type of shot on goal McKay takes.
“He goes to work on it pretty hard.
“I think there’s an acknowledgment that its (the snap around the body style) industry-wide that it gets done.
“This is not a new technique.
“(We) ask the players to be able to look at their technique and how they finish and keep evaluating it and have enough humility to know if it’s not working, what you need to adjust.
“(We) don’t just think that something’s going to work and then you don’t practice it.
“I’m not a predictor of his mindset … but I think he’s OK (mentally in front of goal).”
Earlier this season Fox Footy’s Mark Robinson labelled McKay “the calamity kid” for his woes in front of goal.
“Forever and a day if you are a key forward and you can’t kick goals, you’ve got a flaw,” he said back in March.
“I’ve likened him to (ex-Magpie) Travis Cloke … he was a powerhouse, but he was a flawed goalkicker.”
