Preview Round 2 - Adelaide v Port Adelaide @ AO Saturday 13/6 @ 7pm

[DangerSloane]

Rat was one of our best in R1.

Always find it amusing how B Smith continues to fly under the radar. He was utterly putrid in R1. No doubt in the next few weeks he’ll kick his 60m running goal and he’ll remain a darling for the season.

Hes another that doesnt have a position because we now have other guys at half back/wing (smith)
He will need to grow into a new role somehow, maybe a bit like Douglas did.

 

[Golumless]

Hes another that doesnt have a position because we now have other guys at half back/wing (smith)
He will need to grow into a new role somehow, maybe a bit like Douglas did.

It's the other way with Smith, he'll always have a position on the half back line just due to the tools he offers, providing there isn't a rapid drop off. We're just exploring if he can be more than that, albeit this is really 4-5 seasons too late as we should have been going ham at this in 2015-2016.

Fingers crossed he does take to the midfield. His first showing wasn't crash hot at all, though hopefully an aberration.

 

[JP Sauce]

It is kinda amazing in hindsight that we decided to replace Dangerfield, our most explosive and damaging midfielder, with... no one?

We didn't draft or trade for a single direct replacement and didn't make any major changes in the team either.

We added all that Danger money to the Tippett warchest. Any day now we'll cash in!

 

[Golumless]

So questioning a BF luvvy is laying bait?

Ok let’s put it another way. Do you think his career has reached full potential, given his 2014?

Career average of 18.7 possessions a game, with probably 3 of those on kick outs.

Footywire has the career average at 19.5 possessions, with an average of 507.85 meters gained (using the 4 seasons where Smith played >15 games and this statistic being available) and 3.6 rebound 50s. For what we've had him doing, which is driving an offensive game, those are pretty solid numbers. Though it is rather odd he was never able to push disposals up to 23-26 in any season seeing you'd assume we were mainly going through him, but that could end up being more due to how much of a capable accumulator Laird is then anything else.

Also in terms of production, Smith actually produced close to equivalent in 2019 then he did when he got an AA guernsey. 22.9 disp/4.6 r50/505.3 meters gained to 22.6 disp/5 r50/??? meters gained (we'll say 520 m just because that's close to career peak). Pretty surprising really seeing how slow we were playing and how dysfunctional we are. Brodie might have come from the Richard Douglas school of performing better the shittier a side is (and to make that comparison as well his performances did skyrocket in the last month).

Has he so far lived up to his potential? No, but that's fully on the club. To live up to his potential, he had to make the switch to the midfield. Not sit his entire career as a career half back. Instead, we got ourselves stuck because he had become too valuable to move in a lesser position in our mind, though mind you concussions and the knee reconstruction certainly didn't help.

 

[hey shorty]

Hes another that doesnt have a position because we now have other guys at half back/wing (smith)
He will need to grow into a new role somehow, maybe a bit like Douglas did.

We threw him into the middle, it has worked in the 3 games this year so far.

 

[Tex200]

Footywire has the career average at 19.5 possessions, with an average of 507.85 meters gained (using the 4 seasons where Smith played >15 games and this statistic being available) and 3.6 rebound 50s. For what we've had him doing, which is driving an offensive game, those are pretty solid numbers. Though it is rather odd he was never able to push disposals up to 23-26 in any season seeing you'd assume we were mainly going through him, but that could end up being more due to how much of a capable accumulator Laird is then anything else.

Also in terms of production, Smith actually produced close to equivalent in 2019 then he did when he got an AA guernsey. 22.9 disp/4.6 r50/505.3 meters gained to 22.6 disp/5 r50/??? meters gained (we'll say 520 m just because that's close to career peak). Pretty surprising really seeing how slow we were playing and how dysfunctional we are. Brodie might have come from the Richard Douglas school of performing better the shittier a side is (and to make that comparison as well his performances did skyrocket in the last month).

Has he so far lived up to his potential? No, but that's fully on the club. To live up to his potential, he had to make the switch to the midfield. Not sit his entire career as a career half back. Instead, we got ourselves stuck because he had become too valuable to move in a lesser position in our mind, though mind you concussions and the knee reconstruction certainly didn't help.

I think that’s pretty right, not much I can disagree with.

I think his sliding doors moment was 2015 R2 v Collingwood. Coming off his AA year he was burning, 29 possessions all over the ground. Then in the last few minutes he gets knocked out. Then a few games later a head clash with Nick Riewoldt - another concussion.

Think he was right in the threshold of being a star at that time - then nah.

 

[Mutineer]

Footywire has the career average at 19.5 possessions, with an average of 507.85 meters gained (using the 4 seasons where Smith played >15 games and this statistic being available) and 3.6 rebound 50s. For what we've had him doing, which is driving an offensive game, those are pretty solid numbers. Though it is rather odd he was never able to push disposals up to 23-26 in any season seeing you'd assume we were mainly going through him, but that could end up being more due to how much of a capable accumulator Laird is then anything else.

Also in terms of production, Smith actually produced close to equivalent in 2019 then he did when he got an AA guernsey. 22.9 disp/4.6 r50/505.3 meters gained to 22.6 disp/5 r50/??? meters gained (we'll say 520 m just because that's close to career peak). Pretty surprising really seeing how slow we were playing and how dysfunctional we are. Brodie might have come from the Richard Douglas school of performing better the shittier a side is (and to make that comparison as well his performances did skyrocket in the last month).

Has he so far lived up to his potential? No, but that's fully on the club. To live up to his potential, he had to make the switch to the midfield. Not sit his entire career as a career half back. Instead, we got ourselves stuck because he had become too valuable to move in a lesser position in our mind, though mind you concussions and the knee reconstruction certainly didn't help.

Playing the running back role Brodie plays is not a "lesser position" it's actually a springboard to attack used successfully by most successful clubs.....i.e. Bachar Houli.

 

[kulak]

If your only tool is a hammer, you see every problem as a nail

Smith has suffered post-knee by shuffling IMO. Milera and at times Mackay have been used in that half back role and we've tried Smith further up the field and even forward alongside his time at half back. Trying to inject some life and speed in our most dormant areas. One of our only players with speed and a penetrating kick. Seriously it's probably a list of one.

It hasn't worked and perhaps we'll need to accept that Smith is a half back flanker only without the variety of skills to pinch hit.

Our inability to utilise Smith and Milera as a back half/wing springboard has shown how tactically bereft our coaching group has become. Sure they aren't great defensively but GWS at times had Williams, Whitfield, Shaw in their back half/across the wing who offer more offensively than defensively. We display slavish devotion to the safe Brown, Laird, Kelly combo instead of exploring ways to make us a more dangerous team.

GWS only moved Whitfield to defence when Williams was out. They have not played both in defence together.

Shaw is a proper defender, just one who could also provide offence too. The type of player we used to have lots of in 1997-98 and none of today.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

GWS only moved Whitfield to defence when Williams was out. They have not played both in defence together.

Shaw is a proper defender, just one who could also provide offence too. The type of player we used to have lots of in 1997-98 and none of today.

I said, half back/wing

Their wingmen sweep like quarterbacks

 

[BrissyCrow]

Rat was one of our best in R1.

Always find it amusing how B Smith continues to fly under the radar. He was utterly putrid in R1. No doubt in the next few weeks he’ll kick his 60m running goal and he’ll remain a darling for the season.

Both you and #heyshorty have said the same thing. But if you cast your mind back to last year there were only the odd game that Atkins performed and then his contributions disappeared. We all were questioning his commitment and whilst he can certainly kick the ball its only on occasions. He just lacks consistency. So BOG against Sydney but his history is questionable. We need more players that are dependable and I am hoping that we have some in our youngsters.

 

[hey shorty]

Both you and #heyshorty have said the same thing. But if you cast your mind back to last year there were only the odd game that Atkins performed and then his contributions disappeared. We all were questioning his commitment and whilst he can certainly kick the ball its only on occasions. He just lacks consistency. So BOG against Sydney but his history is questionable. We need more players that are dependable and I am hoping that we have some in our youngsters.

I haven't ever questioned his commitment, but people who expect him to be a bash and crash type are always going to be disappointed.

I think he's a player who needs the heat put on him

 

[jenny61_99]

Don't wanna take the bait.......

 

[DangerSloane]

It's the other way with Smith, he'll always have a position on the half back line just due to the tools he offers, providing there isn't a rapid drop off. We're just exploring if he can be more than that, albeit this is really 4-5 seasons too late as we should have been going ham at this in 2015-2016.

Fingers crossed he does take to the midfield. His first showing wasn't crash hot at all, though hopefully an aberration.

He will, except they keep trying him other places because we have those places to fill and other guys simply cant do it.
Theoretically our best team has smith at half back.

Its one game. He's not someone we're ever going to throw out quickly. Hopefully he can find a niche.

 

[DangerSloane]

We threw him into the middle, it has worked in the 3 games this year so far.

Well he was pretty poor round 1 so not sure where you're going with that.
And the other two were preseason games?

 

[hey shorty]

Well he was pretty poor round 1 so not sure where you're going with that.
And the other two were preseason games?

Poor ?? He was near on if not best on ground.

 

[DangerSloane]

Poor ?? He was near on if not best on ground.

He had 7 touches dude.
We are talking about Smith here right?

 

[hey shorty]

He had 7 touches dude.

We weren't talking about Smith..... dude.

 

[DangerSloane]

We weren't talking about Smith..... dude.

Well I was, not sure who you're talking about.

Even "we've thrown him into the middle for 3 games so far" fits Smith.

 

[kulak]

I said, half back/wing

Their wingmen sweep like quarterbacks

As do most clubs. As do ours, they just aren’t as good.

I’ve said for ages Milera should be set and forget on the wing.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Atkins was ok in Round 1

6 kicks

14 touches overall

Nothing special but everyone else was so poor that this elevated the status of his game.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

As do most clubs. As do ours, they just aren’t as good.

I’ve said for ages Milera should be set and forget on the wing.

Agree on Milera

We don't engineer ways to get the ball into the hands of our wingmen and free them up behind the ball

Mackay plays the role with a defensive mindset. Atkins provides an extremely wide sideways outlet option. Neither are run/rebound creators

If Smith, Milera, Seedsman filled hb, hb, wing we'd look quite different IMO

 

[DangerSloane]

Atkins was ok in Round 1

6 kicks

14 touches overall

Nothing special but everyone else was so poor that this elevated the status of his game.

I think given his game style he seems first to cop criticism whenever things dont go well.

The guy is best 22 all day every day in our current setup.

 

[jenny61_99]

I think given his game style he seems first to cop criticism whenever things dont go well.

The guy is best 22 all day every day in our current setup.

Maybe thats why all the players WANT DMac to play....because it takes the focus off their crap games?

 

[hey shorty]

Well I was, not sure who you're talking about.

Even "we've thrown him into the middle for 3 games so far" fits Smith.

Pete and I were discussing Atkins actually.

 

[Mutineer]

'We'll be ready': AFL growing in confidence for crowds

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan says the League will be ready if fans are allowed to attend games

www.afc.com.au

McLachlan said fans getting temperature checks before entering a game is "an option" if government restrictions are eased to allow crowds to return to the footy.

"I reckon every day that goes past there's a better chance. This is one where I'm not going to run ahead of the health officials and the government," he said.

"But I do feel that the community's doing an unbelievable job, and our officials and health officials are doing such a good job, that we're heading in a direction where we're getting back to life.

"What that looks like and when that's possible, I don't know, but we'll be ready."

Meanwhile, McLachlan said increasing the interchange bench numbers was unlikely for this year, and all but ruled out reduced 16-minute quarters continuing in 2021.
"I don't think so," he said. "We are looking at things all the time, but the 20 minutes to 16 is for the flexibility we need to get through this season.

"Our broadcasters understand, our supporters, our clubs and others, but it's not something we're contemplating for next year."