HIGH-PROFILE Essendon recruit Dylan Shiel says "taking a bit more care" with his kicking would help iron out the flaw in his game that has been brought under the spotlight – his turnovers.
Figures revealed by AFL.com.au on Tuesday highlighted Shiel's struggles with ball in hand.
He hass conceded more points from turnovers this season than anyone else in the competition.
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Having said that, the 26-year-old's form has been a key reason for Essendon's stunning form reversal after the Bombers' deplorable start to the season.
He's averaging 30 disposals, seven inside-50s, six clearances and a goal assist per game.
STATS FILES Is new Don the AFL's turnover king?
The sight of Shiel bursting through the midfield has been common, and he's averaging 518m gained a match, but he told RSN being more considered with his disposal was key.
"Kicking while running at high speeds is probably one of the hardest skills in footy to do effectively. I haven't been kicking in an effective manner in the last few weeks," Shiel said.
"It's certainly been brought to my attention by some people in the media that it's not up to scratch.
"I'm focusing on what I need to focus on in my game, and I feel like I'm playing some really good footy.
"Maybe it's just that last second or half a second with ball in hand that I just need to take a little bit more care with the footy."
Shiel believes getting his mind right in the moment will help fix the issue.
"I haven't forgotten how to kick. I've certainly done enough repetitions as a kid and growing up and through my career to know how to kick correctly," Shiel said.
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"It's not a matter of, I think I need to be in (Essendon's training base) The Hangar doing 1000 kicks this week, because I don't think that's going to be beneficial to the game this weekend.
"It's just something that needs to be acknowledged.
"It's probably more of a mental thing, just taking a little bit more care and acknowledging the pressure in the game and trying to be a little bit more calm with the disposal."
