{"id":579370,"date":"2026-04-01T21:50:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T21:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/579370\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T21:50:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T21:50:57","slug":"how-all-blacks-legend-dan-carter-changed-how-the-sydney-swans-kick-for-goal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/579370\/","title":{"rendered":"How All Blacks legend Dan Carter changed how the Sydney Swans kick for goal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jonathan<\/p>\n

April 1, 2026 \u2014 12:30pm<\/p>\n

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Tom Papley is well rehearsed<\/a> in telling his Australian rules football origin story: the former plumber from Bunyip in country Victoria who found out the Swans had drafted him during his smoko break and is still desperate to repay the club for taking a chance on him.<\/p>\n

A tale that is far less told is how Papley turned to All Blacks legend Dan Carter last year to help the Swans improve their goal kicking. The forward is far more enthusiastic about telling it ahead of his 200th game for the Swans, when Sydney face West Coast in Perth on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\"TomTom Papley (left) ahead of his 200th AFL game, against the West Coast Eagles this Saturday in Perth.Sam Mooy<\/p>\n

Carter is the highest points scorer in Test rugby history after playing 112 times for New Zealand. Papley did not want advice from the retired New Zealand playmaker on kicking mechanics; he was far more interested in how Carter dealt with pressure when the game was on the line.<\/p>\n

The advice has clearly worked. According to Champion Data, last year the Swans\u2019 set shot accuracy was 45 per cent, ranking them 15th of the 18 teams in the AFL. Now they are kicking at 52 per cent, the fifth best success rate in the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe [Carter] came in last year on a Zoom, and we were struggling with our set shots, and we were missing a fair few,\u201d Papley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of it is mental, and he explained that \u2013 it\u2019s 90 per cent upstairs. As long as you get your technique right, the rest of it\u2019s upstairs.<\/p>\n

\"AllAll Blacks legend and World Cup winner Dan Carter helped the Swans with their kicking in 2025.Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just talked about having a mental trigger, and his trigger was screwing his toes in before he kicks the ball … it\u2019s definitely worked for me personally. I\u2019ve kicked a lot better doing that … all the other forwards have taken that into account. I think we\u2019re kicking a lot better this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

After fully recovering from a calf injury and being gradually eased back into action, Papley is looking forward to more minutes playing alongside Charlie Curnow against the Eagles.<\/p>\n

Despite kicking two goals in the round two loss to Hawthorn at the MCG, former Essendon great Matthew Lloyd called Curnow\u2019s early performances for the Swans \u201cdisappointing\u201d on 3AW radio.<\/p>\n

Papley believes there is more to come from Curnow, who has taken pressure off his fellow forwards by occupying the opposition\u2019s best defender and urged patience with the former Carlton player as he finds his rhythm with the Swans.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s always training elite and that\u2019s what the best players do,\u201d Papley said. \u201cIt will come for him. It\u2019s always hard coming to a new club.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you look over the years and not many players come in straight away and dominate straight away. I reckon you look at \u201cBud\u201d [Lance Franklin] and he took a bit to get going.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just about marks, kicks and handballs, as long as he can compete and bring the ball to ground, and the goals, that will come eventually. He\u2019s working hard, doing everything he can. If people keep writing him off, I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll prove them wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

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