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AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Trade period / National Draft 2024
- Thread starter GoTigers2015
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- Jul 15, 2014
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OK I see, that looks promising. Speed and agility is usually the first thing I’m concerned about when I hear “tall mid”, so it sounds like he doesn’t have a problem with this.
I have a couple of questions. How is he in the air? Is he a good mark?
Also, is he a good kick? I read that there are questions on his inside ability, so I feel like his kicking ability will become more important if that’s the case.
tigs2010
Pick 1...
He's not good on the air. He's a very good kick
He's not Bontempelli in terms of marking, but he's improving. He takes a lot of marks on his chest after bodying, rather than pack marks like most recruiters would like to see. It's a query and one of his areas of improvement that has been put to him given his height.
He's not Bontempelli in terms of kicking. Cripps and Green would be comparable in this regard, but given he gets the ball in space and has a higher kick to handball ratio vs these two, his kicking errors can stand out more.
He's a very very penetrating kick though. So there's some consideration that needs to be made here, as he's a player that if he gets separation at a center bounce has the ability to send it 60m+ for a forward entry. This is not normal. There's some value that has to be placed on this given the importance of territory and forward half ball retention.
I'd rate his kicking a 7/10.
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noobermensch
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This week Allan added a few moments of sublime skill to his typical physical and scrappy play round the footy. He's a raw talent, not the finished product at this stage as an onballer, but he creates chaos at stoppage with his size and competitive intensity leading to a high volume of pressure acts. He underlined his potential by kicking two goals in quick succession early in the third quarter, first swooping on a loose ball and snapping truly, and then finishing off a chain of linking, running play for WA with a long straight bomb from outside 50.
- Jul 15, 2014
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Hmmmmm. I see, thanks for that.
For our list, I think drafting a player with excellent ability in the air with our top 2 pick is really important. We’re statistically the worst team in the air right now, so our top pick needs to be good at it IMO. Watching North Melbourne play this year, I don’t think they’re as bad in the air as we are. So he could be a better fit for them based on that alone.
Having said that, Smillie’s ability to get separation at centre bounces and kick it far is very attractive. His combine results are also appealing for his height too it seems. If he can improve his overheard marking, then he’d be a good prospect for us too. I just want our first pick to be fast and good overhead that’s all.
You have to stop with this 'for his size' stuff when assessing Smillie. His numbers and play need to be assessed 'for a midfielder'. For a midfielder, those aren't great numbers, especially for one as you say is not the inside brute of a Cripps.
You told me in the draft board thread that he is exceptional below his knees 'for his szie'. First off, no, he's not. Noah Balta, a bigger man, shits all over him for bootlace gather and never has to go to his knees to pick up the ball, which Smillie does way, way too much. 'For a midfielder' he is poor below his knees.
"For his size' he is terrible overhead. 'For the role he plays' he is not quick or explosive. FOS is more inside and better outside and much better overhead.
Smillie is a good, long, kick and has plenty of good traits as well as areas that if he improves - like marking, power, keeping his feet, ball handling - he could be anything, but I want my mids coming in being one-touch and on their feet, not having to try to get there, especially not for a top pick.
Morro
Brownlow Medallist
Appreciate the response and quick education.
Cam Payner
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Any love for Harley Reid's brother Murphy?* If the comparisons to Gulden are accurate then we'd be mad not to consider him...
*not actually his brother
*not actually his brother
They're not. I like him but his kicking is nowhere near Gulden's level.
It's relevant when trying to compare his role and game style at the next level.
Im also basing my opinion on more than one game last week when he fumbled a bit.
Smillie is very clean below his knees, he's got very clean hands in general.
I think I provided enough evidence in his testing, to show, with his athletic testing and his size (which is extremely relevant), he is powerful.
Would you consider Patrick Cripps or Tom Green powerful? Of course you would, lol. Well he's faster and more agile than both of them.
Size is important when looking at the athletic testing. Is 3.00 sec the same for a 180cm midfielder? No. Because they generally wont have an additional 15kg attached to their body when moving at this speed. It's the same with rucks and any position really.
It's the same as agility, he might change direction a fraction slower than a 184cm midfielder with 8.45 second agility return, but he's doing it with 93kg's currently, which is a harder force to slow down, to stop, than what is required for Finn O'Sullivan's 73kg.
It's relevant.
Smillies athletic testing stacks up with most midfielders, regardless of height and size. When you factor in his size, it's borderline elite, because he's going to have a lot more weight/mass attached to it than your average midfielder.
We aren't talking about speed in this scenario, we are talking about power.
Noah Balta has/had nowhere near the same ability up the ground. Im sorry. What a ridiculous comparison.
Not bad for a damp day in May in Box Hill for a guy with supposedly slippery hands and no redeeming features:
5:43 particularly terrible hands below his knees with no athletic qualities
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The only thing ridiculous here is your smarmy arrogance.
The comparison with Balta was to do with their ability to pick the ball up at lawn level. Balta's is better. He routinely sweeps the ball off the deck at full pace. Smillie goes to his knees multiple times per game.
Balta's best football is arguably on-ball, as a ruckman. If allowed to play there more who knows what he could be. Have a look at his game against Essendon in 2019 - his ninth ever game, aged 19. Sharing the ruck with Callum Coleman-Jones he had 16 contested possessions and 7 clearances.
Smillie goes to ground. I've watched him a stack of times, not just once.
In the game you show (sunny from the 20 min mark of the first quarter btw - see the shadows?. No water on the ground, maybe a little damp to start with):
Clean pick-ups below the knees: 9, 1 of which he had to go to his knees to collect, 1 after the whistle (no pressure), took advantage
Fumbles below the knees: 5
Fumbles with the ball in his bread basket: 1
Fumbles /2-grabs loose ball in the air: 3
Goes to ground: 6
Handball receives: 6
Uncontested marks: 4
He was awesome in the game, probably his best. I'm not saying he can't play, far from it. You can see he has the potential to be a beast. If we miss out on FOS and Lalor I'd be happy to have him and would hope he'd grow into that beast. But you prefer FOS too, don't you?
Yes he's faster than Cripps and Green. They are slow. But they're more inside than him.
You keep using qualifiers when describing Smillie. That should tell you something.
Smilie reminds me of Jobe Watson, good player who had a very good career and numbers you could compare to the very best at that time but put him against the very best and there class would stand out and his flaws were more apparent. Would happily look at him with pick 3 onwards but I want players who can stand out against the best. FOS has that ability and Im looking forward to Lalor proving that this weekend.
- Jul 22, 2016
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Dude IF there was a Harley Reid in this draft North would surely snap him up (if they finish spoon) ! They wouldn't do anything to jeopardise a generational talent ! Do you think they're crazy ?!
Oh wait...
Good analogy’
The list and pick up in the rookie draft
Cam Payner
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Smillie highly rated has lots of talent but can't keep his feet or take contested marks so inb4 he slides like Rance and we get him at pick 20...
Hasn't FOS missed most of the champs games? That always adds a layer of uncertainty.
He's missed all one of them so far (so has Lalor). He (FOS) played all of them last year and was All-Australian.
Scouting Notes: 2024 Coates Talent League - Round 12
Country regions took centre stage in Round 12 of the Coates Talent League, with three fixtures making up the weekend's action.
central.rookieme.com
#44 Zaydyn Lockwood
Key Defender/Ruck | 198cm | 25/01/2006
Stats: 13 disposals, 12 hitouts, 1 goal
On of the catalysts for Bendigo’s late charge, Lockwood booted his first goal for the side at an ideal time. The usual key defender, who also rotated through the ruck, snuck inside 50 to level the scores with four minutes left to play via a long-range set shot. Down back, he shut down Tairon Ah-Mu with strong one-on-one craft, splitting contests through a blend of physicality and athleticism. His leap and aerial presnce translated well to the ruck in an overall competitive outing.
Hmmmmmmm
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