First good look at Knights & Smith.

[noddy]

Had a spare couple of hours yesterday so decided to pull up a chair & watch the Sturt/Eagles game on the ABC.

Thought Smith had the better of Watts even though Fergus done some nice things early but the longer the game went the stronger Smith became & he surprised me (due to all the negative reports about him ) with the way he attacked the ball & willingness to provide run from defense, all in all a pretty good solid performance from M Smith.

On to young Knights & what i will say is that once he does get a game with the Crows then i doubt very much if the Eagles will see to much more of him in their colours for future games.

This kid has what it takes to be a real gun AFL mid-fielder of the future, pace, grunt & best of all poise & decision making, very impressive.

 

[outback jack]

yes ppl comment on players like smith when really they have no idea. Not that he has shown anything special yesterday to suggest that he will be able to break into the back 6 imo. But he aint a pile of crap like is suggested. That award should go to begley's effort yesterday. Knights depending on his disposal improvement looks good. There are plenty of other players like bode who get a heap of possession, but dont make it count. Hopefully he isnt in that category. Would be nice if we get him in soon as possible as he cleaned up thomson whos had a run already.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

yes ppl comment on players like smith when really they have no idea. Not that he has shown anything special yesterday to suggest that he will be able to break into the back 6 imo. But he aint a pile of crap like is suggested. That award should go to begley's effort yesterday. Knights depending on his disposal improvement looks good. There are plenty of other players like bode who get a heap of possession, but dont make it count. Hopefully he isnt in that category. Would be nice if we get him in soon as possible as he cleaned up thomson whos had a run already.

Smith if he were to geta game at AFL COULD ONLY ever play a flank - his body on body skills and arial skills are ordinary at best.

He's a tall mobile flanker same as his dad who could not get many games with South Melbourne because of the same factors - came to Westies and because of the abscence of the bigger bodies COULD hold a KP in SANFL .

Same scenario applies to young Mathew.

 

[macca23]

Smith if he were to geta game at AFL COULD ONLY ever play a flank - his body on body skills and arial skills are ordinary at best.

He's a tall mobile flanker same as his dad who could not get many games with South Melbourne because of the same factors - came to Westies and because of the abscence of the bigger bodies COULD hold a KP in SANFL .

Same scenario applies to young Mathew.

Quite correct WW.

Jack has obviously seen very little of Smith to make the comments that he has above. If anybody watching yesterday's game saw an AFL KPP in Smith, then I don't want them doing the drafting for the AFC.

He plays more like a flanker but IMO he's far too slow to play that role at AFL level.

But enough of Smith.

On a positive note Knights is a very exciting young prospect. He has a very good size about him but is a genuine crumber who reads the ball well off hands. If you watched yesterday you would have noticed that like Thompson he keeps his feet all the time rather than going to ground, which always keeps him in the contest.

His kicking needs to be tidied a little but his give by hand is reflex and very good. He's a real ball magnet who could even make his debut after the break if Burton gets rubbed out.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

On a positive note Knights is a very exciting young prospect. He has a very good size about him but is a genuine crumber who reads the ball well off hands. If you watched yesterday you would have noticed that like Thompson he keeps his feet all the time rather than going to ground, which always keeps him in the contest.

His kicking needs to be tidied a little but his give by hand is reflex and very good. He's a real ball magnet who could even make his debut after the break if Burton gets rubbed out.

Hopefully its the SANFL game of the round which I'll see on Foxtel.

I normally discount SANFL form because it is completely different style, pace, and physicality to AFL - however 40+ possessions in first year, at his age, and no real PS is something without seeing him play says " take a look at me"

 

[macca23]

Hopefully its the SANFL game of the round which I'll see on Foxtel.

I normally discount SANFL form because it is completely different style, pace, and physicality to AFL - however 40+ possessions in first year, at his age, and no real PS is something without seeing him play says " take a look at me"

It has to be WW, as it's the only game televised for the week.

Knights is #21 and a dark-haired left-footer around 6'1". Runs a bit like Mattner.

Watts is either #35 or #36 - help anyone?

 

[WaynesWorld19]

It has to be WW, as it's the only game televised for the week.

Knights is #21 and a dark-haired left-footer around 6'1". Runs a bit like Mattner.

Watts is either #35 or #36 - help anyone?

Watched the Centrals/ Sturt game last week - it bored me.

When will Centrals have a Crow player in its league side

I'm really looking forward to seeing WWT play - and Knights and Watts

 

[macca23]

Watched the Centrals/ Sturt game last week - it bored me.

When will Centrals have a Crow player in its league side

I'm really looking forward to seeing WWT play - and Knights and Watts

Have another look at Smith WW, as this was one of his half reasonable games, and tell us if you think he's going to make it at AFL level. (Pigs just might fly )

Plus Begley as well - poor game from Begley.

 

[Jerome]

It has to be WW, as it's the only game televised for the week.

Knights is #21 and a dark-haired left-footer around 6'1". Runs a bit like Mattner.

Watts is either #35 or #36 - help anyone?

Watts is # 36 and I thought he played alot better than Smith yesterday. Smith covered him early but Gus took some good marks and dished out some handballs thru the match and kept leading Smith to the ball. I thought Smith got moved off Watts as well.

Knights is # 21

Griffen is the only Crows player at Centrals and he played seniors two weeks ago,

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Have another look at Smith WW, as this was one of his half reasonable games, and tell us if you think he's going to make it at AFL level. (Pigs just might fly )

Plus Begley as well - poor game from Begley.

I watched his closely last week and last year - he's a clone of his dad - and I followed his das career very closely being a Westie man.

No he's a flanker and there are better ones than Smith particularly these days where they are often rotated as part of the midfield group.

Reilly V Smith at HB

Goodwin V Smith at HB

Tourney V Smith at HB

I'll have to think very long and hard about this one

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

Watched the Centrals/ Sturt game last week - it bored me.

When will Centrals have a Crow player in its league side

I'm really looking forward to seeing WWT play - and Knights and Watts

Griffen has figured in the bests for Centrals for the last coupld of weeks. Has anyone seen him play?

 

[outback jack]

Quite correct WW.

Jack has obviously seen very little of Smith to make the comments that he has above. If anybody watching yesterday's game saw an AFL KPP in Smith, then I don't want them doing the drafting for the AFC.

He plays more like a flanker but IMO he's far too slow to play that role at AFL level.

But enough of Smith.

On a positive note Knights is a very exciting young prospect. He has a very good size about him but is a genuine crumber who reads the ball well off hands. If you watched yesterday you would have noticed that like Thompson he keeps his feet all the time rather than going to ground, which always keeps him in the contest.

His kicking needs to be tidied a little but his give by hand is reflex and very good. He's a real ball magnet who could even make his debut after the break if Burton gets rubbed out.

all that i said was that he was acceptable, definitely not shi te, and i would find it hard to see him breaking in the back 6. Begley for instance was worse yesterday. But nothing was even mentioned about him playing in a kp. Your bias against smith is like waynes against biglands. Oh and you're right ive seen him in a wizzer once that was a couple of yrs ago,for a 1/2 yesterday and a couple games here and there on the tele, thats it. Basically, if hes going to play as the third defender, which i've heard him say in an interview once, he'd have to displace bassett or maybe hart and it aint going to happen

 

[crowie]

Watched the Centrals/ Sturt game last week - it bored me.

When will Centrals have a Crow player in its league side

I'm really looking forward to seeing WWT play - and Knights and Watts

Maybe we can snatch Shannon Hurn in the draft. He's a talented young fella. Also has a contract with the Redbacks.

 

[Easterner]

The cycling coach Charlie Walsh reckons Knights and the Roo would make olympic teams if they went that wayin there careers big call for Knights.

 

[RoosterLad]

Hurn is a very good player.

Why complain that Centrals dont have a Crow in their As? They dont go for players who will go on to play AFL, they recruit long term CDFC players (Gowans twins for example) thats why they have made 5 GF in a row. Don't expect any Centrals players to become Crows.

I hope Begley doesnt play for Adelaide again this year, has been torn to pieces in a few games this year, Clive gave him a belting a while back.

Might be worth giving Knights a run, Van Berlo has had a few games, so give Knights a shot i reckon. He has had more of an impact in the SANFL than Van Berlo, you cant totally discount SANFL form mate...

 

[WaynesWorld19]

The cycling coach Charlie Walsh reckons Knights and the Roo would make olympic teams if they went that wayin there careers big call for Knights.

When and where did he say that?

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Might be worth giving Knights a run, Van Berlo has had a few games, so give Knights a shot i reckon. He has had more of an impact in the SANFL than Van Berlo, you cant totally discount SANFL form mate...

Agreed you can't "totally" but I also you have to take the SANFL in context with the competition level

 

[macca23]

Your bias against smith is like waynes against biglands.

Unashamedly so jack.

Unashamedly so.

 

[Stiffy_18]

When and where did he say that?

David Wildy goes ON and ON about how Charlie Walsh told him at the Tee Tree Gully cricket club that Knights is a gun and he and Roo would make the olympic team if they went down that path.

Good old Charlie is a HUGE rap for Knights and Brian Sando is a HUGE rap for Watts.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Good old Charlie is a HUGE rap for Knights and Brian Sando is a HUGE rap for Watts.

I'll respect Charlies eye for not only an athlete but an elite athletes competitive spirit

BUT

Isn't Brain Sando the club doctor??? - how much credibility should I hold in his opinion on Watts footy ability?

 

[outback jack]

I'll respect Charlies eye for not only an athlete but an elite athletes competitive spirit

BUT

Isn't Brain Sando the club doctor??? - how much credibility should I hold in his opinion on Watts footy ability?

yeah close to zero, its almost comical. I'm not sure how much walsh should be given either, hes looking at things from a purely physical point of view when footy requires more than that. (Your pet hate biglands is a nice example). Walsh wasnt overly successful with the cycling team, which is a misguided belief as well, he also created a lot of conflict, his overall value must be questioned.

and there was a couple of articles that nikkinoo put up on asthecrowsfly.com that has charlies opinion of roo, knights and wayne carey. They werent a bad read.

 

[Crow-mosone]

Walsh wasnt overly successful with the cycling team, which is a misguided belief as well, he also created a lot of conflict, his overall value must be questioned.

Really Jack,

do you have anything to support this view?

 

[drakeyv2]

I would hope that Knights comes in for Burton if he gets rubbed out. He looked bloody good to me & the foot skills didn't seem as bad as I expected.

I thought Watts was ok as well considering it was a bad day for tall forwards.

 

[Alex99]

yes ppl comment on players like smith when really they have no idea. Not that he has shown anything special yesterday to suggest that he will be able to break into the back 6 imo. But he aint a pile of crap like is suggested. That award should go to begley's effort yesterday. Knights depending on his disposal improvement looks good. There are plenty of other players like bode who get a heap of possession, but dont make it count. Hopefully he isnt in that category. Would be nice if we get him in soon as possible as he cleaned up thomson whos had a run already.

See that’s where any good work of your go down the drain jack, last week Vs. Centrals James Begley was BOG for Sturt and yesterday he sure he had a bad game but that doesn’t make him a pile of crap (as you so eloquently put it)

M Smith was rated in the paper as Sturts best but Fergus Watts was still a very influential player and wasn’t beaten by Smith; the dual was pretty much even, M Smith looked good when he was moved on to Passador and when he played as a free man but over all he played 4 good quarter of football.

The only negative thing about F Watts is that his second half are not as influential as his first, he has a tendency to drop out a game for long periods of time, usually just after half time and early into the 4th quarter but a good sine from the weekend was that he finished the game strong with 2 late goals and his kicking was effective as well.

 

[GoSarge]

As far as I can tell, Smith makes a pretty reasonable solid SANFL player. Unfortunately he lacks the 'tricks' to his game that will ever get him an AFL game. He can't hold down a key position, probably a bit slow for a flank or a back pocket, but every time I see him for Sturt, he plays a good servicable game.

Quite correct WW.

Jack has obviously seen very little of Smith to make the comments that he has above. If anybody watching yesterday's game saw an AFL KPP in Smith, then I don't want them doing the drafting for the AFC.

Bit harsh I thought Macca, he just said that he was an acceptable player.