Strategy Curtin's role in 2025?

[triggyscrewedus]

He's played 7 games ffs and in those 7 games his performances got steadily better.

Theres absolutely nowhere near enough sample size to say he struggles at AFL level.

Mate! ... don't let the truth get in the way of a good story.

 

[Fuddnuddler]

When we got Curtin, no doubt Nicks got it in his head to use him as a tall KP defender to add extra depth in that department.

Nah, I know for a fact Nicks never rated Curtin as a defender. And was quickly proven correct.
A more pertinent question is, did Nicks play him in defence to prove his point to others in the football dept?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Nah, I know for a fact Nicks never rated Curtin as a defender. And was quickly proven correct.
A more pertinent question is, did Nicks play him in defence to prove his point to others in the football dept?

Well if Nicks doesn't rate Curtin as a defender, that's a stupid point to prove.

... but then again he just sat him on the bench most of the time which didn't help anyone.

 

[Fuddnuddler]

Well if Nicks doesn't rate Curtin as a defender, that's a stupid point to prove.

Exactly...

 

[Scorpus]

No.

We bought an expensive race car that needs to be set up to maximise its speed, braking and handling. That’s what the coaches have to find.

We might not attempt to dial in the tune though. If he doesn't play round 1 it's like us not taking our expensive race car to the track and leaving it in the garage so we can race our Volvo round the track instead

 

[Brenton Davy]

We might not attempt to dial in the tune though. If he doesn't play round 1 it's like us not taking our expensive race car to the track and leaving it in the garage so we can race our Volvo round the track instead

That’s a “might”.

They also “might” dial it in at a test session (Magoos)…

 

[Scorpus]

That’s a “might”.

They also “might” dial it in at a test session (Magoos)…

The Magoos is equivalent to a dyno.

Not representative of the final track day experience

 

[Peter Doherty]

We might not attempt to dial in the tune though. If he doesn't play round 1 it's like us not taking our expensive race car to the track and leaving it in the garage so we can race our Volvo round the track instead

Do you think they'll pick him for the first game?

 

[Scorpus]

Do you think they'll pick him for the first game?

Yes.

Bizarrely some people want him as the sub, dropped or even traded

 

[The Rocks]

Lots of star midfielders have started up forward. Dusty, Rozee, De Goey, Dayne Beams, Petracca.

But they had natural forward ability.

Dan up forward coming off the bench, and stints on wing and definitely on-ball is a start.

But how much more time would be beneficial to start on-ball in the SANFL?

Maybe a stints at some point during the year, so he gets that good run in that position, where he can actually dominate? Like 3-5 games midyear?

He needs at least 15 AFL games though, minimum!

And he's a fine half back, if they can make that work!

On SM-S711B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[n4sir]

Do you think they'll pick him for the first game?

They f*cking better pick him first game.

 

[FR0GGY]

Good interview with Dawson on SEN this morning. He sees him as a midfielder like himself long term. Seemed to think he would play that half forward / wing role this year. I got the impression he will play Round 1.

You’d hope Dawson is penciled in for rd 1

 

[adelaidecrows]

Nah, I know for a fact Nicks never rated Curtin as a defender. And was quickly proven correct.
A more pertinent question is, did Nicks play him in defence to prove his point to others in the football dept?

then he isnt a coach

 

[Interloperer]

I wasn't blown away by Curtin, but in hindsight they could have safely played him as the 6th/7th forward (the "Brayden Cook role") all/most of last season with little harm done to his or the Crows game.

I suspect he'll mostly operate there this year.

 

[NSolis]

I wasn't blown away by Curtin, but in hindsight they could have safely played him as the 6th/7th forward (the "Brayden Cook role") all/most of last season with little harm done to his or the Crows game.

I suspect he'll mostly operate there this year.

Yeah, the Cook games certainly would have been better going to Curtin, knowing what we know now.

The issue is that this year there's far fewer vulnerable spots in the best 22 given the off-season additions and lack of injuries, but usually spots will open up throughout the year for various reasons. Curtin can probably soak up a lot of the games that went to the last-picked player last year.

 

[Cleric]

Getthesekidsto50gamesofAFL

I totally agree, however Nicks is in the last year of his contract and needs to win games of football if he is to get an extension.
He is going to prioritise using a proven player over developing a player for the next few seasons.

 

[1990crow]

I am worried about Curtin. Most gun players don't sit on the fringes of the team in their second year unless they are kpp.

And Curtin obviously isn't a kpp.

 

[Scorpus]

I totally agree, however Nicks is in the last year of his contract and needs to win games of football if he is to get an extension.
He is going to prioritise using a proven player over developing a player for the next few seasons.

This may be hard to hear, but Nicks is contracted for 2026.

This is the first year of his latest contract

 

[1990crow]

I'd rather keep him and get Sharp somehow anyway.

I think we are going to find ourselves with quite a few fairly handy footballers who are outside our 22 after this season. There may well be some agitation.

Yeh, and I'd like to win the lottery.

 

[1990crow]

This may be hard to hear, but Nicks is contracted for 2026.

This is the first year of his latest contract

Surely there's a clause for performance in there.
Or 6 month payout only.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Surely there's a clause for performance in there.
Or 6 month payout only.

Welcome back Sanders.

 

[NSolis]

I am worried about Curtin. Most gun players don't sit on the fringes of the team in their second year unless they are kpp.

And Curtin obviously isn't a kpp.

There really aren't a lot of examples of players with a similar physical profile to Curtin you can use as a comparison. Just Cripps and Bont really. Players his size mostly play key position roles and take a while to develop, and you can look through recent drafts at guys his height who went as high picks and see mostly they don't have a big impact for a couple of years.

For taller guys who do play midfield you've got some lower picks like Dawson who only played 5 games in his first 3 seasons. Curtin being a high draft pick is a somewhat different case but again, he's 197cm, and played his pre-draft football as a KPD.

 

[119others]

BUT...i want us to make locking him away long term priority number 1. Then we can afford the luxury of him taking another 2 or 3 years as he will be on our list in our side, not back in Perth doing it.

what do you think we will need to offer him to extend beyond 2026? i suppose the key variables may be when he would look to re-sign (end of this year or next pre-season most likely IMO) and his exposed form - and projections - at that point.

I had thought last year he may get a (what I deemed high then) 600-700k/year for a 2-3 year extension but some of the numbers coming out now are just next level (Gulden 15m for 10 years offered by us, Saints offering various players De Koning and Callaghan 1.5/year and talk of Reid 20m for 10 years. Whatever Reid signs after his initial 3 seems to clearly be well over 1m per year based on all the media chat).

Wouldnt be a bad time to be alive as a 20 something good looking, fit bloke that can kick the pig skin

 

[119others]

This may be hard to hear, but Nicks is contracted for 2026.

This is the first year of his latest contract

99.9999% chance he gets sacked with normal 6 month payout if we miss finals - cant imagine you disagree?

 

[1970crow]

99.9999% chance he gets sacked with normal 6 month payout if we miss finals - cant imagine you disagree?

6 months is for assistant coaches, the payout is now 12 months. And that’s assuming we’re an AFL subsidised club.