Collingwood working hard to fix kicking woes, says Travis Varcoe Ben Waterworth News Corp Australia Network COLLINGWOOD recruit Travis Varcoe says his new side is working hard to atone for its poor kicking efficiency that plagued the club in 2014. Champion Data statistics last year revealed the Magpies had the worst kicking efficiency and fourth-worst overall kick rating in a season that saw them miss the finals for the first time since 2005. Of the 22 players to have 100 kicks or more in 2014, 15 of them finished with a negative kick rating. Varcoe said Nathan Buckley and his coaching staff, which includes new skills acquisition specialist Jamie Cassidy-McNamara, had placed a heavy emphasis on improving the team’s field kicking during the pre-season. “It’s just practice. We’ve just got to keep working at it. It’s not just going to happen,” Varcoe said. “Just from being out on the track here, it’s increased significantly just from the (statistics) we’re pulling from training. “We record a lot of our data and get a lot of those statistics on the board so we can hold ourselves accountable to what we’re trying to achieve.” Varcoe and his new teammates took part in a near three-hour open training session on Friday in front of a strong contingent of fans at Olympic Park. The squad was put through its paces in a practice match that consisted of four 10-minute quarters. There was a scare for Pies fans when defenders Nathan Brown and Tom Langdon were involved in a nasty clash. Both rose slowly to their feet but left the field as a precaution. Brownlow medallist Dane Swan moved freely but didn’t take part in all match simulation, finishing the session by running laps around the oval as he continued his recovery from hip surgery. “Swanny’s stepping it up a bit,” Varcoe said. “He’s on his own program, he knows where he’s at and he knows what he needs to do and that’s all we can ask from him.” Varcoe, who joined Collingwood during last year’s exchange period as part of a three-way trade, said he had been focusing on improving his fitness to become a midfield rotation option for the Pies. “My running capacity has increased a little bit, so I think I’ve put myself in a good spot to stick my hand up for that role,” Varcoe said. “We’ve got a pretty elite midfield here, but I think I can add something to them.” The 26-year-old said it was Collingwood’s longest and one of the most intense training sessions of the pre-season so far. “I’m really rapt with how we’re going, all the boys are chipping in, so it makes it a lot more enjoyable,” he said. “The running sessions have been great, the footy sessions have been awesome. We’re just building.” Varcoe said young midfielder Taylor Adams impressed him the most during Friday’s gruelling session. “He is a young kid that’s got a lot of enthusiasm,” Varcoe said. “He’s hard at it, he drags a lot of players with him. “He’s only a young fella, but I’m finding myself trying to keep up with him.” Evan #letsbackbucks #gopies Travis Varcoe says Collingwood is keen to improve its kicking efficiency. Source: Michael Dodge / Getty Images Nathan Brown gets up slowly after a heavy head clash. Picture Norm Oorloff Source: News Corp Australia Ben Reid joins training in a welcome sight for Pie fans. Picture Norm Oorloff Source: News Corp Australia Dane Swan keeps his eye on the ball. Source: Getty Images Scott Pendlebury leaves the track after a gruelling training session: Picture Norm Oorloff Source: News Corp Australia
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 08:50:17 +0000
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