Under Pressure - Billie Smedts

[Sttew]

If Scott and the club took a sober and harsh view - we're no hope for the flag - then I'd be happy with some fasttracking. Bews plays every game. Smedts plays every game. Even Blicavs plays every game as a third tall defender. There will be pain. But we might look a lot better by August.

Think you're right. It will require a mindset change by the club and supporters.

There's no gain without pain....

 

[catman2006]

Only pressure is coming from supporters who expect him to be up to Selwoods level, I thought he was seviceable yesterday and a big improvement on previous years, if he can maintain development pace then I see no issue, perception bit like how supporters rave about Nakiaa sure has done a couple things for highlight reel, but has been overawed in first 2 games so far and probably needs a stint in the magoos

 

[Footy Smarts]

If Scott and the club took a sober and harsh view - we're no hope for the flag - then I'd be happy with some fasttracking. Bews plays every game. Smedts plays every game. Even Blicavs plays every game as a third tall defender. There will be pain. But we might look a lot better by August.

Think you're right. It will require a mindset change by the club and supporters.

There's no gain without pain....

Why do we have to completely change our mindset to do those things? Right now I doubt any of Bews, Smedts or Blicavs would be considered candidates to drop this week (Smedts might be suspended). Scott also said that none of the inexperienced guys were likely to go out of the team either. Isn't it better that these guys play with the expectation that they will perform rather than going out for a glorified training drill?

 

[Sttew]

Why do we have to completely change our mindset to do those things? Right now I doubt any of Bews, Smedts or Blicavs would be considered candidates to drop this week (Smedts might be suspended). Scott also said that none of the inexperienced guys were likely to go out of the team either. Isn't it better that these guys play with the expectation that they will perform rather than going out for a glorified training drill?

Because it may mean favourite sons like Enright, Kelly, Bartel, and Stokes may NOT get a game if their form drops off. It will almost certainly mean losing more games than we win; that is a different mindset.

It could also hurt the club's membership drive.

 

[TheJimmyCartel]

Because it may mean favourite sons like Enright, Kelly, Bartel, and Stokes may NOT get a game if their form drops off. It will almost certainly mean losing more games than we win; that is a different mindset.

It could also hurt the club's membership drive.

I was quite staggered by the number of empty seats there yesterday for a season opener against a top team that we have a strong rivalry with. A few already jumping off the glory era bandwagon?

 

[dazbroncos]

Agree 100%. I wouldn't be surprised if Bews played every game this year, I think he's going to be a star for us long term - tough, fast, strong and super competitive. As he develops his offensive side a bit more in the seniors, he'll start providing us with more run also. He's had a few games in the VFL where he's really racked up the pill, he is capable just needs experience and keep building the tank. If we had have said he'd keep Frodo to 12 touches and a goal yesterday, after what small forwards have done to us over recent time, you'd take it every day. Twice now he's kept one of the best small forwards in the AFL quiet in his first 10 games and he's only 21 years old. I think he's one of our brightest prospects.

We desperately need games into Smedts, Kolo and Thurlow this year, I just hope they lean toward rotating the older guys out as opposed to rotating between the young guys themselves. Mackie/Thurlow, Rivers/Kolo with Bews & Smedts in every week unless they are woeful for 4+ games.

I can see Gore forcing his way in too in the next month or two.

This. ill take that all day, every day, every week. I don't think SOR can play every game this year but he should go very close. And that return is fine by me.

As for the attacking part, ill take little to nothing going forward from him at this time. Just keep the little guys under control. Running off them offensively is one thing - doing it at the right times is completely another. I'll take better defense and less attack. The attack will come with time and confidence. And it will come.

Go Catters

 

[Sttew]

I was quite staggered by the number of empty seats there yesterday for a season opener against a top team that we have a strong rivalry with. A few already jumping off the glory era bandwagon?

23,000. Doesn't the ground comfortably hold 28,000? The Foxtel commentators were saying the atmosphere was deathly even when we were still in the game

 

[dazbroncos]

23,000. Doesn't the ground comfortably hold 28,000? The Foxtel commentators were saying the atmosphere was deathly even when we were still in the game

Listening on KROCK it was like funeral - except when Freo scored. It was quiet IMO. Not sure of the issues other than apathy and age perhaps?

And that is not a criticism. AO gets rocking with 45k PA fans. Why can't we.

You don't have to be a drunk blithering disrespectful moron to support your team - nor do you need facepaint and cats ears.

IMO people have grow accustomed to the winning of the last 8 years and and kind of expect it just happen. Much like the team is finding out - don't work like that.

Go Catters

 

[fpm84]

I was there yesterday and confirm the crowd was extremely quiet even when we were competitive in the first half. The only bits of play that got the people around me excited were the run through the middle leading to Stanley's first goal and GHS's mark in the goal square. Aside from that it was deathly silent.

 

[Partridge]

I was there yesterday and confirm the crowd was extremely quiet even when we were competitive in the first half. The only bits of play that got the people around me excited were the run through the middle leading to Stanley's first goal and GHS's mark in the goal square. Aside from that it was deathly silent.

They're saving their voices for September.

 

[Sttew]

Listening on KROCK it was like funeral - except when Freo scored. It was quiet IMO. Not sure of the issues other than apathy and age perhaps?

And that is not a criticism. AO gets rocking with 45k PA fans. Why can't we.

You don't have to be a drunk blithering disrespectful moron to support your team - nor do you need facepaint and cats ears.

IMO people have grow accustomed to the winning of the last 8 years and and kind of expect it just happen. Much like the team is finding out - don't work like that.

Go Catters

This was discussed in another thread a few weeks back. The discussion was about Geelong having its own "anthem". My suggestion was Highway to Hell, but on yesterday's performance Simonds Stadium may be anything but hell for many clubs. But I still think the club needs to crank up the noise because the docile Geelong crowds need prompting in my opinion. I'm not talking about fake crowd noises.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Because it may mean favourite sons like Enright, Kelly, Bartel, and Stokes may NOT get a game if their form drops off. It will almost certainly mean losing more games than we win; that is a different mindset.

It could also hurt the club's membership drive.

I don't think we disagree much on the approach the club needs to take but I simply can't agree with this defeatist mentality. We were always going to ensure that young players got plenty of time just as we have for the past 4 years under Scott. Chances are Smedts, Bews and Blicavs will play the vast majority of games. Same with Thurlow, Lang and any other youngster that shows real promise. There's no danger of Gregson being left out in the next few weeks either and of course Caddy, Guthrie and Duncan are a big part of our midfield.

Chances are a mature player or two will be sore, injured, rested or dropped this week too. But why does that mean we're almost certain to lose more than we win this year? Take the next 4 games. We've got Gold Coast and North Melbourne at home followed by Richmond and Collingwood at the G. None of those are terrible sides (I doubt there is such a thing at the moment) but even allowing for giving youngsters plenty of exposure the expectation should be 4 wins. We just have too many high quality footballers to roll over for the season and not put any expectation on performances. It also doesn't help the development of young players to send them out on to the field thinking they're not good enough to win because as soon as you remove expectations you allow excuses to develop. That's what breeds teams like Richmond and North Melbourne who have some talent but roll over as soon as the going gets tough.

 

[Damon_3388]

David Parkin said on League Teams on FOX Footy this week that he thinks Smedts "has the potential to be an A-grader". Based on what? He's done nothing in his five years at Geelong. He'd need to become at least a consistently average AFL footballer before becoming anything close to a star. Would have thought he was closer to being delisted than breaking out as a quality player.

 

[dazbroncos]

Billie has been the turtle in this race. That one that flipped on its back too.
He's needed a kick in the arse and some luck in the injury front but he has talent to burn.
IMO the opinion and assessment is not misguided provided Billie plays to his ability and stays healthy.

He's been working harder this year than before IMO, playing better earlier in the year before he got hurt and spending his own time at the club with Scarlo. All things he needed to do.

I'm not expecting it to happen this year even but if he plays like he did earlier this year and continues to develop - I'll be happy.
Your skepticism is not misplaced but the bloke has talent. Now he realises what is required, hopefully the proof is in his work.

Go Catters

 

[Damon_3388]

Billie has been the turtle in this race. That one that flipped on its back too.
He's needed a kick in the arse and some luck in the injury front but he has talent to burn.
IMO the opinion and assessment is not misguided provided Billie plays to his ability and stays healthy.

He's been working harder this year than before IMO, playing better earlier in the year before he got hurt and spending his own time at the club with Scarlo. All things he needed to do.

I'm not expecting it to happen this year even but if he plays like he did earlier this year and continues to develop - I'll be happy.
Your skepticism is not misplaced but the bloke has talent. Now he realises what is required, hopefully the proof is in his work.

Go Catters

Fair enough.

I'm not willing the bloke to fail at all, and I understand player development is not just a steady upward curve, but you'd expect a bloke in his 5th year to be much further along if he was going to eventually make the jump up to being an A-grade footballer. Will need a lot of faith shown in him and some monumental progression over the next 12-18 months to get there IMO.

What sort of footballer do people see him becoming, in terms of comparing him to a current or former player? Does he have what it takes to eventually suceed a Mackie or Enright across half back, or does his future lie elsewhere on the ground?

 

[dazbroncos]

His first 15 months at the club were written off with his hip issues. He has also had a lower leg fracture that took out 11 weeks and the. Popped his shoulder this year that took out another 8.

So while it is 5 years list time it really is only about 3 years of available time.

That said, I see him more as a medium forward. He's very quick and a good kick for goal. Scott seems hell bent with him as a defender and while he wasn't very good at it early this year he has gotten much better. Still not great but better.

As to where he finally ends up not sure but for mine, his value is in the f 50.
Go Catters

 

[Catatonic Shock]

IMO putting him down back was more about development.
Making him realise hard work and commitment, teach him about accountability and when to go and when to stay back etc
He has the tools to be an a grader if he improves his field kicking, can we woeful at times then perfect the next.

 

[cynical]

he just needs a few more years to develop his body

some people are just very impatient

 

[David the Cat]

Smedts will play 150 games for the Cats….he just needs a sustained run injury free.

Scarlo wouldn't waste his time on a spud.

 

[TomsBulgingDisc]

Will play in defense
Will get flogged
Will lose any modicum of confidence
Will play out the year in the VFL
Will be given further contract extension

Billie has jumped the shark!

 

[sauron256]

Billie has been the turtle in this race. That one that flipped on its back too.
He's needed a kick in the arse and some luck in the injury front but he has talent to burn.
IMO the opinion and assessment is not misguided provided Billie plays to his ability and stays healthy.

He's been working harder this year than before IMO, playing better earlier in the year before he got hurt and spending his own time at the club with Scarlo. All things he needed to do.

I'm not expecting it to happen this year even but if he plays like he did earlier this year and continues to develop - I'll be happy.
Your skepticism is not misplaced but the bloke has talent. Now he realises what is required, hopefully the proof is in his work.

Go Catters

He was excellent at the start of this year while the team around him was struggling. Definitely deserves to come back in, and I'm hopeful he makes a good fist of it too.

 

[FredLeDeux]

He was excellent at the start of this year while the team around him was struggling. Definitely deserves to come back in, and I'm hopeful he makes a good fist of it too.

He wasn't excellent, he was passable, and not as poor as some others.
We have to play him now, though.
We'll be going with virtually all the young ones on the list, so we have to play them if they're ever to improve enough to be good enough.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Parkin is an astute judge - as others have posted he has many positive attributes and like all young players a few improvement areas.
He does have a bit of X factor though and if he can produce regularly he will be an assest - much like Murdoch is starting to become.
His style does suit our game style , have high hopes for him.

 

[Partridge]

I'm not willing the bloke to fail at all, and I understand player development is not just a steady upward curve, but you'd expect a bloke in his 5th year to be much further along if he was going to eventually make the jump up to being an A-grade footballer. Will need a lot of faith shown in him and some monumental progression over the next 12-18 months to get there IMO.

Not really. Smedts has played good football at senior level before. He's had pretty poor injury interruptions the last two seasons. He was flagged for the identical running defender role early last year then hurt his foot (I think) in the pre-season. He openly stated he was 3-4 weeks away from being ready, then was immediately selected against Sydney and struggled (so did everyone - we lost by 110 points). Then after 2 solid games this year he got suspended then busted his collarbone. His last couple of VFL games have been very good and on Sunday he was excellent. He's more than earned his selection.

There are plenty of players who need to show more than Smedts to 'get there'; Vardy, Cowan, McCarthy and Kersten are four that come immediately to mind. None have shown as much at senior level as Smedts has.

What sort of footballer do people see him becoming, in terms of comparing him to a current or former player? Does he have what it takes to eventually suceed a Mackie or Enright across half back, or does his future lie elsewhere on the ground?

To me, I'll settle for 'good senior footballer'. I personally think we are far too keen to compare young players to established ones. I'm happy for him to just be himself. I would prefer him to be a half forward/winger, but if he can make a decent fist of being a rebounding defender, that's fine too.

 

[OzeSparky]

Not really. Smedts has played good football at senior level before. He's had pretty poor injury interruptions the last two seasons. He was flagged for the identical running defender role early last year then hurt his foot (I think) in the pre-season. He openly stated he was 3-4 weeks away from being ready, then was immediately selected against Sydney and struggled (so did everyone - we lost by 110 points). Then after 2 solid games this year he got suspended then busted his collarbone. His last couple of VFL games have been very good and on Sunday he was excellent. He's more than earned his selection.

There are plenty of players who need to show more than Smedts to 'get there'; Vardy, Cowan, McCarthy and Kersten are four that come immediately to mind. None have shown as much at senior level as Smedts has.



To me, I'll settle for 'good senior footballer'. I personally think we are far too keen to compare young players to established ones. I'm happy for him to just be himself. I would prefer him to be a half forward/winger, but if he can make a decent fist of being a rebounding defender, that's fine too.

I totally agree on everything you said, Some players seem to get a easy run on here, where as others don't.