AFL Player #31: Zach Reid

Lore · Dec 9, 2020

Contract Status: Out of contract 2025
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 5, Happyskeret

Mercurial89 · Sep 19, 2024

Bunk Moreland said:
Would any of Reid’s injuries not occurred in the VFL?

Being on the same heavy training / weight gain load and playing VFL… not sure how different playing AFL is.

faible said:
Load management is much easier in the VFL, playing intensity is also somewhat lower given the skill, size, speed and strength of many of the VFL listed guys is a level below the AFL (thus why the step up is so massive).

You can't really manage minutes at AFL level as effectively, and you're playing on opponents that are going to push you to the limits of your capabilities much more.

Plus, there's also the option of simply not playing him at all and just building the body up with blocks of games at VFL level (for example) followed by blocks not playing.

Our management of extremely tall players AFL wide is far from an exact science IMO.

I think just to dive into the weeds a little bit more about what I was getting at with the build up of athletes, I don't think we build up properly.

I'm happy to stand corrected, but the evidence of how we deal with more unique body types -and if we are projecting probably just the limitations in reality of a team sport with finite time - it would seem we probably have a standard plan for development per athlete, "hit these metrics please"

Would it surprise anyone if the goals are purely results based rather than execution? Focused on the big picture (let's stack on some weight and size) instead of the HOW of their bodies moving in space.

It's not as simple as, oh he can develop in the vfl as he gets stronger and bigger.
If we are sticking him under a bar are we watching the scale and the number on the plates rather than the how he is actually lifting?
Do we watch out for compensations much? How closely are these monitored?

It's my belief that a lot of the issues with the talls we have is we don't take the specific focus on the how, purely the result. That kinetic chain is much more prone to compensations in taller individuals.
I'm a sport with this much running, the strength required, the one sided kicking loads, it's highly likely bodies are adapting poorly, especially with how young we train our players.

The answer to our injury issues is in that aspect, not "oh we aren't playing them enough in the lower leagues before the seniors" in my opinion.

Rick Ross · 2024-10-05T14:27:44+1000

How good would it be to have a fit Reid?

sure, good for team / performance
imagine not having to read about how terrible Lav / Weid are…

“THE GREAT WHITE HOPE” WHO ESSENDON MUST GET THE MOST OUT OF IN 2025

BY NOAH DESTA 4 DAYS AGO

As Essendon fans look to next year after another failed season, a defensive void has opened up after the departures of retired duo Jake Kelly and Dyson Heppell.

Former Essendon player Adam Cooney spoke about a defender of the future that Essendon needs to get right moving forward.

“I think the great white hope in Essendon's backline is that they can get Zach Reid right,” he said on AFL Trade Radio.
“He can play, he's got some talent, but he’s just had so many injuries, if they can get his body right he holds the keys to Essendon’s backline.”
On the opposite side of the field, Essendon’s forward line is struggling as they ranked 13th for points scored in 2024, and Essendon is preparing to play hardball for Jake Stringer and the star forward's contract.
Cooney provided his solution to help motivate and get the most out of Stringer in his future contracts.
“I would heavily incentivize his deal in the first year that triggers a second, Jake is a player that needs that motivation, he’s a Premiership player and knows what it’s like to win a grand final, but some players are motivated by the financial side of things as well," he said.
“I would put a 40+ goal clause in his contract, I would put an All Australian 44 selection In his contract, I would put a top 10 in the best and fairest clause in his contract, and maybe something else, and if he hits two or three out of the four, that triggers the second year.”
Cooney also spoke about Essendon coach Brad Scott, who hasn’t been able to make the most out of developing his players as he is set to enter his third year of coaching.
“It’s a big year for Brad Scott, he’s been at the club long enough, he knows what makes his players tick, so it has to be a career best year for Harrison Jones, it has to be a career best year for Archie Perkins, I think Langford was reasonable but I think he can go to another level, it’s got to be a career best season for Parish,” he said.
Cooney, who played for the Bombers at the end of his career, then went on to speak about Essendon’s draft decisions that have angered their fans.
“If you speak to most Essendon supporters they are frustrated and disgruntled with what has happened," he said.
“Missing a few picks over the journey hurts a little bit, Aaron Francis, Darcy Parish you can probably say that’s not too bad, Andy McGrath in hindsight isn’t the best player in the draft at Pick 1 when they got that in 2016.”
Essendon will hope to have a successful upcoming trade period in order to set them up for a big 2025 season.

“The great white hope” who Essendon must get the most out of in 2025

Former Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney on Essendon’s future defensive “great white hope”

www.sen.com.au

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AFL Player #31: Zach Reid

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Lore

Moderator ❀

Mercurial89

Brownlow Medallist

Rick Ross

Yeah, nah…

“THE GREAT WHITE HOPE” WHO ESSENDON MUST GET THE MOST OUT OF IN 2025

“The great white hope” who Essendon must get the most out of in 2025

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