Preview R16: Changes vs. GWS Giants

[tinman]

Captain Furious and Firewalker, I found a really interesting article about player ages, especially:
"It turns out that, on average, players hit their peak output the year they turn 27 and more or less hold it it until age 30 or 31.
It also seems that old players don’t get much worse. The 31, 32, 33 and 34+ cohorts don’t drop off very much, with the average 33 year old player still producing more than a typical 25-year-old."
(Tumblr I can send you the whole article but if I post the URL it just copies the whole thing, pages of it)

Smith's age is not the problem. It's the poor, low-impact output that he's been producing.
I can see why he'd wanna play on, just like Sloane and others before them, but it's the Club who has to make the call --- is his time up?
Most of us think so; just not Smith.

Maybe that s because the players still going around in the AFL system at 33-35 years of age are guys who have been stars of the game?

 

[BACCS]

Well I’m just actually floored by that.

That is entitlement right there with a capital “E”.

It’s called planning, actually. If he’s been told he’s best 22 in pre season, then why wouldn’t you plan for a major milestone in another state?

 

[BACCS]

Entitlement and stupidity. What if he'd been injured?

Then they cancel the trip and get flight credits, not super hard

 

[George Kramer]

Say what. Is this accurate?

Yes, way before the season began Smith organised for a substantial group of his friends and family to all go to Perth to be involved in a celebration for his 250th game which involved booking/organising flights, game tickets all in the ‘members area’ at Optus Stadium and a private function at a bar in Perth after the game was organised where teammates and coaches also attended.

You missed this one BACCS

 

[kirky]

It’s called planning, actually. If he’s been told he’s best 22 in pre season, then why wouldn’t you plan for a major milestone in another state?

Don’t tell me all about planning, I know all about planning for major milestones.

Why wouldn’t you decide to have your 250th in Adelaide, like most AFC players have had their 250th and 300th games in front of the fans?

Seems logical.

Entitled and then having a whinge on social media.

 

[Firewalker]

So what? That was round 3, of course he needs to plan for something like that. Getting that many people over to Perth isn’t easy.

It’s not even that it was organised without seemingly taking into account form/injury which was very presumptuous at the very least the main issue was it was used as a reason why he should be selected despite his form not warranting it, Smith specifically mentioned it twice in the media that week leading up to the Freo game, once on his spot on channel 10 on the Monday where he apologised for his form and said he would hopefully play better in his 250th with all his friends and family flying over to Perth, he then mentioned it in the presser the next day that he planed for something over in Perth & all these people were going over and then to top it off Nicks came out that same day on the NEWS and mentioned how great it will be to celebrate Brodie’s 250th with him bringing a group of people over.

It was a horrible sign to start the year it just showed there was/is no selection integrity under Nicks whatsoever.

 

[GameofSloanes]

Nobody with a clue about football projected Daniel Curtin as an AFL key defender. Nobody. Including Daniel Curtin. It is quite simply not where he will play, for us, or for whoever else he ends up playing for once he’s finished at our dumpster fire of a club.

RookieMe:
Despite his towering 195cm frame, Curtin’s midfield play does not generally involve him bulldozing his smaller opponents. Rather, he moves like a natural on-baller and is often used as a receiver who can gather the ball on the run and send it forward by foot. His game against Vic Metro, where he gathered 28 disposals and 10 clearances provided an insight into his potential future as a big-bodied midfielder. In fact, it's where he sees himself fitting in at AFL level.


Now, I’m not suggesting that Curtin is ready for a full time, or even part time stoppage mid role yet. Nobody is really suggesting that. But playing him as a key defender, or hidden in a back pocket where his strengths can’t be utilised is just lunacy. Relentlessly rolling him out in the SANFL playing alongside up to a dozen top-up hacks and then wondering why he doesn’t dominate is moronic.

Put him in the AFL side. Play him on a half back flank (Smith and Milera are both out, Laird is cooked beyond belief), or a wing (Jones is a joke, Sholl is not a long-term answer). Utilise his left foot. Utilise his sidestep. Give him a license to float back and be an interceptor. It’s really not hard to work out.

This is a really good point, and illustrates further that we have no fkin idea what we are doing.
We either:
1. Drafted him as a kpd. Which makes no sense as we actually have some depth in this area and as you have pointed out was not what he excels at (which can further be seen by his performances in that role)
2. Drafted him as a rebounding hb or midfielder. Which makes no sense as we are not playing him in either of those roles but does appear to be what he is best at and what we need
Of all the things that have happened this year Curtin's treatment may be the thing that annoys me most

 

[1970crow]

Taylor is the one who has been injured and unfit, not Curtin. And he's the one who will debut next as his form is demanding it.

Curtin's form should be rewarded with AFL, not his scouting notes and draft order. Don't get me wrong, I want Curtin in the team, I think he will play more this year too. Hopefully locks down his spot too.

Edwards doesn't seem ready, give Ryan a game? Yep, why not.

Without deflecting in numerous directions, what's your view on Curtin's performance when played up the ground in the SANFL compared to as a deep KPD?

 

[1970crow]

Before the season began?

So he was not only expecting to play, but expecting not to get injured

Wild stuff

What was interesting in that interview was how he spoke about the preseason and playing round 1. Almost like he knows that our coaches forget everything that happened throughout the previous season and revert to experience come round 1.

 

[Southerntakeover]

We're pretty unlucky really. Imagine every year just happening to draft the only 3 or four players in the draft that have some impediment that makes it impossible to play AFL football.

 

[1970crow]

Entitlement and stupidity. What if he'd been injured?

He'd still play, he knows the coaches leave it up to the senior players to make the call. The 'fitness test' is just a few run throughs with a kick and a catch thrown in. They're designed to be passed, not like the fabled Leigh Matthew's pre GF tests.

 

[Crow_68]

Taylor is in, Jones out

 

[Crow_68]

 

[Southerntakeover]

Taylor in, thank ****.

 

[The Red Menace]

Grab it with both hands and don't let go Zac. Otherwise the dimwit selectors will have you back in the SANFL.

 

[I Lost My Keays]

Miracles do happen

 

[Anzacpaul]

I see Nicks has finally caught up on the changes thread on BF

 

[FR0GGY]

Taylor in Nicks out?

 

[Crow_68]

Will probably start as sub…..

 

[MRB37]

They'll probably start Taylor as sub.

 

[FR0GGY]

They'll probably start Taylor as sub.

Or sub him

 

[MRB37]

Also probably means you can expect to see Murphy spend a lot of time on the wing and Dowling forward.

 

[FR0GGY]

lol forced change

 

[El Doederino]

Is his nickname Milk because Nicks is lactose intolerant?

 

[Geoffa32]

If we didn't have injuries none of our kids would ever debut.

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