Under Pressure - Billie Smedts

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His first quarter was a bit of a shocker - bunny in the headlights. Playing like a man that is feeling the pressure. I reckon Scott just told him to settle down and keep it simple. I thought he was quite good for the most part - seemed to be a link in a lot of the plays and was working hard to get into contests and follow up. Just gotta let him settle in and build now IMO.
 

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Geez get off his back. Give him a chance at a decent crack at it like others have had.

When does it stop. Murdoch is no good, Caddy is no good, Guthrie is no good, Kerstans no good. They all have real talent but can frustrate. They need experience, confidence and games of footy. 30 games is nothing. I'm not saying we will be as lucky as the late 2000's but I was around when Kelly, Chapman, Ablett, Johnson and Bartel were all no good after 3-4 seasons at the club.

Make your calls after Billie's played 10 in a row.
 
I watched Freo's first coach say that AFL is a really tough gig as the players start so young and it can take many to get 22 before they really mature.

Yes Billie keeps making mistakes and some bad ones but perhaps he will grow as a footballer as he matures. The club obviously think so as they are playing him ahead of a few. He obviously has talent and just needs to get his decision making in order. It may well be he is doing his best and his best is not good enough yet. I suspect he knows that he should be performing better and he does not handle the pressure well and this effects his performances.

Not sure he will make it but I hope so.
 
BigCat1 said:
Geez get off his back. Give him a chance at a decent crack at it like others have had.

When does it stop. Murdoch is no good, Caddy is no good, Guthrie is no good, Kerstans no good. They all have real talent but can frustrate. They need experience, confidence and games of footy. 30 games is nothing. I'm not saying we will be as lucky as the late 2000's but I was around when Kelly, Chapman, Ablett, Johnson and Bartel were all no good after 3-4 seasons at the club.

Make your calls after Billie's played 10 in a row.
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I'm all for giving Billy a chance but we have to name our best side for the next few games and he's not in there. Looking at the players who are borderline. Rivers, Bews and Thurlow are better defenders. Stokes, GHS and Menzel are better midfielders. Menzel, Gregson, Kersten and Cockatoo are better forwards.
 
Billie had about 3 clangers in a row in the first 1/4. Enough to sap the confidence of any player - let alone one having his first full game back in about 3 months.

WAY too early to reach for the axe - Give him 8 games in a row and then see how he fares but off the back of one game….

Impulsive much?

GO Catters
 
It's a game of pressure and how well a player can withstand that pressure. Billie crumbles and falls apart under that pressure, and doesn't have the smarts to work into space to relieve it.
He fills his tweeds at the sound of footsteps.
If he was an opposition player we would be rubbing our hands together at the prospect of having him play against us. He is the week link in a somewhat fragile but improving chain. His team mates can't trust him to a) win the ball when in dispute b) retain the ball when someone gives it to him c) use the ball to advantage.
I would expect the only reason he is played is to showcase him to other teams in hope of him having some value at trade time.
 
TomsBulgingDisc said:
It's a game of pressure and how well a player can withstand that pressure. Billie crumbles and falls apart under that pressure, and doesn't have the smarts to work into space to relieve it.
He fills his tweeds at the sound of footsteps.
If he was an opposition player we would be rubbing our hands together at the prospect of having him play against us. He is the week link in a somewhat fragile but improving chain. His team mates can't trust him to a) win the ball when in dispute b) retain the ball when someone gives it to him c) use the ball to advantage.
I would expect the only reason he is played is to showcase him to other teams in hope of him having some value at trade time.
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Totally disagree with this.

Seen him get crunched and put his head over it many times at VFL level against bigger opponents and with less protection from a lower quality of umpiring.
He;s under the pump and thinking of doing the right thing. He need site confidence and time to work his way back in. It was not a good game from him and yes he can do much better, but don't question his guts.

Go Catters
 
dazbroncos said:
Totally disagree with this.

Seen him get crunched and put his head over it many times at VFL level against bigger opponents and with less protection from a lower quality of umpiring.
He;s under the pump and thinking of doing the right thing. He need site confidence and time to work his way back in. It was not a good game from him and yes he can do much better, but don't question his guts.

Go Catters
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That's correct, daz, that's one criticism that's completely unjustified, as we saw a couple of times yesterday. He does show lack of composure under pressure, but it's a mental issue, combined with lack of experience.
And on the lack of experience, the 38 games is a little misleading, because he's only once played 8 in a row (and injured early in the last one), and only 6 in a row once.
 
Firstly, you need to stop comparing his vfl form to his ability at the top level, the two standards are light years apart in terms of intensity and pressure.
He gets crunched because he lacks awareness, not because he's going hard at it.
If had shown improvement in those 38 games then he might be worth maintaining on the list, but he's done the opposite. There are already improving players occupying any position he might fit that deserve to play ahead of him, I can't see that changing any time soon.
He's handy at VFL level, and less than ordinary at AFL level. 38 games has given him ample time to show what he has, and it ain't much...
 
Lester Burnham said:
I'm all for giving Billy a chance but we have to name our best side for the next few games and he's not in there. Looking at the players who are borderline. Rivers, Bews and Thurlow are better defenders. Stokes, GHS and Menzel are better midfielders. Menzel, Gregson, Kersten and Cockatoo are better forwards.
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Smedts had 15 touches and 6 marks yesterday at 80% DE. That's well ahead of the average output of Kersten and Cockatoo this season and marginally ahead of that of Gregson.
 

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cynical said:
he was fine after quarter time, had quite a few nice link up handballs

play him until the end of the year and see how he goes
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Hate the hysteria after a couple of clangers in the first qtr. He's been the best VFL player for a number of weeks, got stuck in the headlights in the first quarter quite clearly but was pretty decent after that. It'd be great to see a solid run at it for the rest of the season if he can improve on this. He's hopefully only a 'breakout game' away from feeling he belongs at the level.

I remember Chappy had been in and out of the 2's and struggling at Senior level and then had 'that game' against the Bulldogs. Never looked back.
 
forward line or midfield only unfortunately. Has not developed at all which is a shame
 
Have only watched some of the replay-had to work so didn't se the game live- but Smedts had a hand in the first goal and seemed ok. Remember he had a hand in the second last goal against Hawthorn in the win after the siren game. Perhaps his best place is in the forward 50 perhaps on the wing. Give him a go. He is no worse than for example Kersten who doesn't seem to have had much off an impact across many games.
 
TomsBulgingDisc said:
Firstly, you need to stop comparing his vfl form to his ability at the top level, the two standards are light years apart in terms of intensity and pressure.
He gets crunched because he lacks awareness, not because he's going hard at it.
If had shown improvement in those 38 games then he might be worth maintaining on the list, but he's done the opposite. There are already improving players occupying any position he might fit that deserve to play ahead of him, I can't see that changing any time soon.
He's handy at VFL level, and less than ordinary at AFL level. 38 games has given him ample time to show what he has, and it ain't much...
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Putting your head over it and getting whacked by 100kgs at VFL feels the same as at AFL level. There is no question of his toughness.

Size and momentum does not change in the VFL vs AFL - and 1/2 of the VFL is AFL listed players so I don't get your point. And you are basing his performance on 1 game back.

On that basis, im sure you'd have gotten rid of Kelly, Bartel, Ablett, Ling, Harley, Scarlett and Chapman as well.

GO Catters
 
dazbroncos said:
Putting your head over it and getting whacked by 100kgs at VFL feels the same as at AFL level. There is no question of his toughness.

Size and momentum does not change in the VFL vs AFL - and 1/2 of the VFL is AFL listed players so I don't get your point. And you are basing his performance on 1 game back.

On that basis, im sure you'd have gotten rid of Kelly, Bartel, Ablett, Ling, Harley, Scarlett and Chapman as well.

GO Catters
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I know some have written him off as gone at end of year, but going by yesterday he going nowhere.
 
dazbroncos said:
Putting your head over it and getting whacked by 100kgs at VFL feels the same as at AFL level. There is no question of his toughness.

Size and momentum does not change in the VFL vs AFL - and 1/2 of the VFL is AFL listed players so I don't get your point. And you are basing his performance on 1 game back.

On that basis, im sure you'd have gotten rid of Kelly, Bartel, Ablett, Ling, Harley, Scarlett and Chapman as well.

GO Catters
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Bulldust Daz.
All of those you mentioned above showed improvement and some poise from the get go in a pretty ordinary era to begin with.
Smedts has been rubbish for a long time while surrounded by arguably the best back line in decades, continually putting hands into a contest that requires his full body commitment.
You need to ask yourself, would he have gotten a game for Brisbane yesterday? Probably not. They are insipid and he would struggle to show the intensity required to get a gig with them.
I think people are too blinded by his draft position to admit that he just isn't that good. If he was a late pick then he would have been cut a few years ago.
 
I'm curious to know Billie seems to be the only player being critised over his performance yesterday (and I did write a bit about him in the game review thread saying it wasn't his best game), because reading the game review thread and this thread one would think his performance was so sub-par he should be delisted on the spot.

Where is the question marks of Taylor's performance yesterday? In the second quarter he kicked the ball from the back pocket straight to a Lions player for their only goal for the term, he kicked the ball into the stands during the 3rd term when we were taking it down the wing, and again in the 3rd term he had a soft kick to Smedts who was breaking to the boundary line where there was space but instead he kicked it inside and straight to the Lions player - but I guess that last one would also be Smedts fault for not reading the poor kick from Taylor; plus Taylor seemed fumble across the match.

Yes Smedts had 6 clangers, but Taylor & Murdoch each had 4 with some of those also leading directly to goals, but on this board it seems we allow errors and off games from those settled in the best 18/22 but when a youngster is trying to breakthrough that we jump all over him for any mistake. 2 months ago we jumped all over Murdoch for his mistakes, and I'm quite sure some even saw him as trade bait but with him settling into a role and showing consistency since the Essendon game, we almost ignore the mistakes because of the good he does.

Yesterday may not be Billie's best game, but if you said when he came back into the side he would have 15 disposals at 80% I dare say most would have accepted it. So how about we give the kid a chance to learn from yesterday and grow in the AFL side, especially considering the number of chances with consecutive games other youngsters are and have been given to fast track their development.
 
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cats_09 said:
I'm curious to know Billie seems to be the only player being critised over his performance yesterday (and I did write a bit about him in the game review thread saying it wasn't his best game), because reading the game review thread and this thread one would think his performance was so sub-par he should be delisted on the spot.

Where is the question marks of Taylor's performance yesterday? In the second quarter he kicked the ball from the back pocket straight to a Lions player for their only goal for the term, he kicked the ball into the stands during the 3rd term when we were taking it down the wing, and again in the 3rd term he had a soft kick to Smedts who was breaking to the boundary line where there was space but instead he kicked it inside and straight to the Lions player - but I guess that last one would also be Smedts fault for not really the poor kick from Taylor; plus Taylor seemed fumble across the match.

Yes Smedts had 6 clangers, but Taylor & Murdoch each had 4 with some of those also leading directly to goals, but on this board it seems we allow errors and off games from those settled in the best 18/22 but when a youngster is trying to breakthrough that we jump all over him for any mistake. 2 months ago we jumped all over Murdoch for his mistakes, and I'm quite sure some even saw him as trade bait but with him settling into a role and showing consistency since the Essendon game, we almost ignore the mistakes because of the good he does.

Yesterday may not be Billie's best game, but if you said when he came back into the side he would have 15 disposals at 80% I dare say most would have accepted it. So how about we give the kid a chance to learn from yesterday and grow in the AFL side, especially considering the number of chances with consecutive games other youngsters are and have been given to fast track their development.
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Outstanding post! :thumbsu:
 
jnrburger said:
Sorry, but think that if we needed some cannon fodder to throw into a trade, Mr smedts might be near the top of the list - position him as a versatile former 1st round pick, notwithstanding he's had a few seasons on the list, some injury interrupted, but still hasn't found his place in the world. At this point, whatever position he is picked for, there is somebody better - eg. Small defender: Bews, medium defender: Thurlow, small forward: Gregson, Motlop and others, Medium forward: still Johnson, Bartel, Menzel (fingers crossed), and any of the resting midfielders like Murdoch, Caddy, etc.

Whilst I can see him hanging on for a year or so yet, don't see him becoming the A grade player that got him into the the early picks of the 2010 draft, so would rather see if there is some value to be extracted from a 'fresh start' somewhere else - eg. Giving us the ability to trade him and a later draft pick (or 2) for a KPD or a half-way durable ruckman, instead of sacrificing our 1st round pick for say Henderson.
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You sir, are 100% correct.
 
thejester said:
Smedts had 15 touches and 6 marks yesterday at 80% DE. That's well ahead of the average output of Kersten and Cockatoo this season and marginally ahead of that of Gregson.
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How did his 6 clangers stack up against those players?

Let's just accept that Wells got this one wrong. He should not play another game for Geelong.
 
good post cats_09, agree %100; I thought both Taylor and Murdoch played ok, but you're spot on, they each coughed up goals under little-to-no pressure with loose disposal. Not a mention about it until you brought it up; both players are far more experienced than Smedts.

Billie was obviously shaky early on, but I think he recovered well and had a good 2nd half linking up through the middle.
Needs some continuity at AFL level so we can get a really good read on where he's at.
 
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