Triple premiership forward Cam Mooney believes uncontested possessions are the key to unlocking the game of Aaron Naughton.
Naughton has been on the verge of establishing himself as one of the best forwards in the game since his 2021 breakout campaign, having booted 40+ goals in the last three seasons.
The big Bulldog made his name through his contested marking prowess, an area in which Mooney rates Naughton incredibly highly.
“He is crash and bash, he’s arguably the best contested mark in the game from a forward’s point of view,” Mooney told SEN’s The Run Home.
“Running and jumping into a pack the way that he does, it’s fearless, it’s outstanding to watch, it’s something that I couldn’t do, his were just unbelievable.”
However, Mooney believes Naughton may have become too reliant on his aerial talents.
“He doesn’t get enough easy ball,” he said.
“We were talking off-air about leading patterns and your first five steps, getting away from your opponent and just getting easy marks, uncontested marks.
“I want to see him get more uncontested marks. Yes it’s great that he takes three to four contested marks and we love that, but he’s only getting five or six marks a game.
“I want to see him getting eight to ten marks a game and only have two contested marks.”
Naughton’s goalkicking has been one of the more maligned aspects of his game during his ascension, and Mooney believes this adjusted approach will go a long way in improving the Dog’s efficiency.
“He’s getting easier balls, so he’s not crashing and bashing the whole time, and I think that will be a hell of a lot better for him,” Mooney said.
“When you do go back and you’ve just taken this big mark and you’ve hit the ground, you’re sore, you line up, you do miss, that all adds in.
“But if you’ve just taken a nice mark on the chest and lead up, you turn, you get your breath back, line it up, take your time.”
Naughton kicked 44 goals and 33 behinds in 2023, finishing as the leading goalkicker at the Bulldogs and equal 12th in the Coleman.
