Brent Reilly - where is he at?

[Campbell's Chunky]

Usually this is the type of thread we make when we lose, and I'm sure if we lost yesterday people would've called for his (amongst others) heads. The result probably just glossed over a couple of small issues we have, and they will be exposed in due course.

Whilst he probably wasn't our worst yesterday, it really is about time he stepped up and played to the level he should be playing at.

For a guy who is rated as one of our very best kicks, he makes far too many errors...not only with field kicking/delivery, but with his work in close. He either gets caught too easily, or coughs it up too easily.

I'm also one who is indifferent to the idea of him being traded. I know everyone will be very much on my back here saying 'Oh but he keeps the Vic kids here', well that's an added bonus...but only if he can actually perform himself! Bernie Vince really has taken over and sown Reilly exactly how to play the role he is meant to (2nd fiddle to Thommo with the inside/outside attack/defense combination really).

What are people's thoughts? Where does he stand? He spent time at Sturt last year, is this a possibility to occur again?

 

[jackster83]

IMO he has taken over from Jericho as the most disappointing player on our list. Has gone backwards in the past 2 years. His kicking is still above average but his pace, decision making and lack of physicality is a real worry. He could just be out of form but it seems to me that he is turning into another Ryan Lonie.

 

[magtrev]

I think he was close to BoG up till the point he got injured against the Bulldogs last year, and was looking really good throughout last years preseason. Unfortunately he never really got back in to form after his wrist recovered, i was hoping he'd get back there through this pre-season but hes continued to be dissapointing.

Yeah, I dunno. I think hes a big chance of going back to Sturt shortly if he doesnt get some form quickly, it's dissapointing :/

 

[cmndstab]

I don't agree that he has gone backwards, but the thing that is stark with Reilly is that he just doesn't seem to have a real weapon anymore. Yeah, his kicking is good, but he doesn't really use it to his advantage enough. He can be classy around the ball but doesn't seem to into the thick of things enough. He's got some pace but not enough to make a show out of it.


He's not embarassing himself out there and definitely is not the most disappointing player on our list, but it's time to accept that he's only ever going to be a solid midfielder and stop expecting him to suddenly turn it all on one year.


Edit: In terms of trading him, I dunno. If the right price came up I would go for it but who is going to give a decent pick or player for a kid who really hasn't come on and doesn't have a real weapon? Players like Hudson, Mattner, Welsh, etc all had weapons (Hudson's clearance work, Mattner's pace, Welsh's goalkicking and tackling) and still only netted us very average picks. I'd like to keep Reilly around but eventually youngsters are going to earn his spot unless he stays on his game.


On his current form I would expect him to remain in our best 22 for the forseeable future.

 

[Thylacinus]

Reilly's certainly no Jericho. As for trading him, I think we need to see how the season unfolds. Come end of season, we will need, one would think, to reduce our list by four, which would enable us to upgrade one rookie and have 3 selections (Schmidt would be in the early running for the upgrade with Henderson at least being offered another year as rookie). Now it is by no means certain that Goodwin will retire as we all thought a few months ago, but assuming he does, then one other could be elevated to veteran status. This would leave Shirley, Gill and Gallman as the early favorites IMO to be desisted/retire (Shirley being encouraged to follow in McGregor's footsteps and step down despite having a year to run on his contract. Don't they offer guys who do this some cushy job in the club as reward?). Sellar will also come under close scrutiny. IMO he really does have to really show something at SANFL level to stay, or convince that he can develop into the understudy or backup for Rutten...which may prove to be his best hope!

Now all of the above can change very quickly. We need to see how our older players run out the seaon...how Burton performs when he returns etc. While it is fun to speculate I think we need to take the same cautious approach with Reilly. He is a good depth player. While he is no Dangerfield, he is far from slow. What a luxury it is to have guys like him to put pressure on everyone for spots. It shows the depth we now have. We can have 3 midfield/utility injuries and still match it with those close to the best (eg this week we were without Thompson, Johncock and Symes and still were right up there with Collingwood on their turf!) We need to thank Rendell amongst others for putting our selectors in this delightful situation!

Reilly's game Saturday, I thought, was more than serviceable. However, that does not mean he automatically should hold his position. It probably places him on the pecking order somewhere near Symes, possibly just above due to his extra pace and more precise disposal.

 

[Damp Squarie]

I think Reilly must approach his season as a newbie. Lets face it, he hasnt been around long

He should take a leaf out of Petrenkos book and show some real scrapping desperation when the ball is in dispute; he doesnt do this enough.

His game was OK on Saturday where we didnt have any passengers,can he show some leadership when we need him most?...Im not sure.

 

[Dandy_GO]

I noticed two things about Reilly on Saturday.
Firstly, he looked massive. He's become really, really huge. At one point, I almost mistook him for Rutten. He's put on an awful lot of muscle.
Secondly, he looked very slow. A lot slower than in previous seasons.
Could the two be related?

 

[Geoffa32]

I dont think he has gone backwards at all. I have always thought of him as one of those guys who does a job and that is it. Like a "stock bowler". It is not necesarily a bad thing, as that is what Tyson Edwards is too. And like Edwards, Reilly may get better with age. He is not in Jericho's league, and wont be. But the expectation some have of him is not what he will be.

 

[King Elvis]

Probably can do with a couple of weeks in the SANFL to get some match fitness and form.

I'd probably have him out for Thommo, but fully expecting him to be back in the side in 3-4 weeks.

 

[Geoffa32]

Probably can do with a couple of weeks in the SANFL to get some match fitness and form.

I'd probably have him out for Thommo, but fully expecting him to be back in the side in 3-4 weeks.

Couldnt disagree with that, ans said as much on the ins and outs thread.

Would be the only change I would make.

 

[Crowman32]

I would definately keep Radar in the side. Sure he didnt have his best game on the weekend but he will come good. I think he is one of our best clearance players but unfortunately he is very injury prone. On Saturday I dont think he played in the middle at all from memory. I think if we stick him back in the middle you will see the best from Radar again. For me sending him back to Sturt is not going to do anything.

In saying this I think unfortunately Cook will end up out of the side for Thompson.

 

[crowman_23]

As many have said, while being servicable he has been pretty disappointing at the end of last season and in round 1. He's a plyer that I saw at the start of last season, and again this pre season, to really step up and be in our top couple of midfielders. Obviously it's only round 1, and he might of just had a slightly off day, but the signs aren't great. I remember one time when Andrew Jarman gave him a big rev up on ten news about being soft and what not, and after that he played some of his best footy. Maybe someone needs to get at him and really rev him up, as he sort of looks a bit like it's all going to happen for him.

Personally I'd keep him in the side none the less. He is a very classy player who you can be confident with when he has the footy. Just needs to find some form and I still think he can come good.

 

[SAAndy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mj9eVgvv9Q
Just thought you guys might wanna see that

 

[ok.crows]

I thought Reilly was particularly unlucky on Saturday. Twice he got tackled over his shoulder, within a half-second of his getting the ball himself (no prior), and once after getting a decent shove in the back as he got to the ball ... and he was pinged each time for htb.

Instead of getting a couple of extra kicks and frees for on his stats sheet, as in all fairness it should have been, it reads instead as frees against and turnovers.

http://finalsiren.com/MatchDetails.asp?GameID=4875&Code=76f2ec3b83826bae836051c849706553

Give Reilly those extra stats and subtract the frees against, and his game rating would have climbed maybe five spots, and he would have been in the top ten players for the Crows.

Even without that consideration, Reilly played statistically as good a game as MacKay, yet there is no thread about where MacKay is at.

 

[Mismatched]

Whilst I certainly agree that Reilly is at the cross-roads of his career, ie this is his last chance to prove why he was a #13 pick in the superdraft, but comparisons to Lonie and Jericho are completely unwarranted. Reilly has not shirked a contest in many years now and is quite often the last to get up out of a pack situation and I saw him numerous times on the weekend getting his hands dirty at the bottom of packs.

However he has certainly failed to progress his game in the past couple of years and I would say may have gone backwards when compared to what he showed at the start of both the '07 and '08 seasons. Whether this is more do with how he's being used as a player or not I'm not sure. Personally I'd love to see him out on a wing or even as a hff'er, the opposite one to Mackay, where both can be used as linkmen between defence and attack, where they can find space and use their precise disposal to hit up blokes on a lead in the forward 50. This is where Reilly can really hurt opposition, when he's given a bit of space to work with, rather in the confines of pack situations or in defence.

I feel Reilly will be given another chance and won't be the one making way for Thommo, however it wouldn't surprise me either if he was the one to make way. At the moment, to me he seems like a man in no man's land, trying to find his place in our side and if he can't find his place by the end of the year, it may be time for him to look at other options.

 

[Mismatched]

I thought Reilly was particularly unlucky on Saturday. Twice he got tackled over his shoulder, within a half-second of his getting the ball himself (no prior), and once after getting a decent shove in the back as he got to the ball ... and he was pinged each time for htb.

Instead of getting a couple of extra kicks and frees for on his stats sheet, as in all fairness it should have been, it reads instead as frees against and turnovers.

http://finalsiren.com/MatchDetails.asp?GameID=4875&Code=76f2ec3b83826bae836051c849706553

Give Reilly those extra stats and subtract the frees against, and his game rating would have climbed maybe five spots, and he would have been in the top ten players for the Crows.

Even without that consideration, Reilly played statistically as good a game as MacKay, yet there is no thread about where MacKay is at.

Yes, but Mackay is what? 20 years old, in his 2nd year of AFL, whereas Reilly is 25ish in his 6th or 7th and should be entering the prime of his career.

 

[cmndstab]

Without knowing for sure I'd also wager that Mackay had less TOG than Reilly.

 

[-CG-]

Without knowing for sure I'd also wager that Mackay had less TOG than Reilly.

I barely remember Reilly coming off, if at all. I'm sure he did, he must have, but it wasn't as much as some of the younger guys.

 

[spexau]

Without knowing for sure I'd also wager that Mackay had less TOG than Reilly.

Advertiser had Mackay on the field for 86% of the match. Otten was 97% which was a surprise.

Not sure what Reilly was, I'm sure he was on for a little longer.

 

[NikkiNoo]

I barely remember Reilly coming off, if at all. I'm sure he did, he must have, but it wasn't as much as some of the younger guys.

Reilly spent a lot of time playing in defence as well, from my memory of the game.

 

[cmndstab]

Advertiser had Mackay on the field for 86% of the match. Otten was 97% which was a surprise.

Not sure what Reilly was, I'm sure he was on for a little longer.

Are you sure it was % and not minutes?

 

[spexau]

Are you sure it was % and not minutes?

Okay just checked, it is percentage. Mackay had 85%, Reilly had 84%. Both had 6 kicks 11 handballs, 82% efficiency for Mackay, 88% for Radar.
And I'm pretty sure Reilly was playing across Halfback where as Mackay was on a wing.

And Otten played 94% of the match.

 

[Cap]

This thread is only here because Adelaide had a win, the younger guys did alright and this board needs a fall guy.

From the minimal stuff I have seen so far there is no reason to pick on Reilly.

A bit of perspective is needed from everyone. It was Rd 1, we got over the line but that not going to mean we are going to beat St Kilda or even another match for the rest of the season.
I’m not looking forward to the first week that some of our newbie’s have a bad game or we have an extended losing streak because clearly people are looking for a reason to drag players down and by the end of the season we will have delisted everyone and be wanting players picked up the rookie draft because they are “hidden gems”.

 

[Sekaj]

He wasn't bad but I guess he wasn't outstanding like everyone expects him to be. May have just had a quiet game but then again, he tends to have too many of those all to often. I say give him a few more weeks before aiming the knives.

 

[crowsarethebest]

Give him a few more games. He needs time to adjust to AFL standard again because he's been injured so many times in the past few years. Would be the worst possible time to trade him this year (if he keeps on having a sub-standard year) as his trade value is really low but he's going into his prime.