Player Watch #16 Josh Smillie

[Coach_Required]

Sort of.

There have been a very small number of regular AFL midfielders who are 193cm (6'4'') or taller. Let's say Nat Fyfe, David Mundy, Bont, Cripps and Tom Green in the last 10 years. There have been many more small to medium midfielders in that time.

If Smillie is to make it as an AFL mid then he will need to be equivalent to one of the guys I've mentioned earlier. If he's not at that level, he'll be displaced by a smaller (more common) player.

Of course, Smillie could also play as a key forward or defender.

I think the game has changed though, the reason why there isn't that many successful mids around that height earlier is because there wasn't any playing as mids. Hell, going back a little further 195cm in the 90's was a giant key forward or backman.

It's a sign of the times, players are becoming bigger, taller and more athletic. It's happening in most sports now.

 

[Jammo1111]

We haven’t forgotten. We all could see he was going to be a star, at least I did. Smillie on the hand, I have my doubts. I never saw what some others did with him. To me he looks very vanilla with no major weapons.

He looked lackadaisical. But when he got the pill he was very slick. So hopefully the affect is illusory and the effect will be Pendelbury like

 

[tigerfan1961]

What a wasted pick, could have had Rhys Palmer

Palmer could play though

 

[Tiger1974]

Cool. I saw a kid who could easily be elite. Size, evasive, great skills and goes hard. Has a huge amount of development space as well.

We'll see what happens. Hopefully he's over his injuries and starts to kick butt.

Yeh some of his kicks int he VFL were elite.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Nah only 195cm, too short to play mid i reckon.

199 .

 

[Turka]

Smillie knocked 23 possessions half fit @ 50-60 percent game time in one of his 3 games. He’s a mid because he can find and can use it. It’s still 2025. Plenty of time

He’ll be like Patrick Cripps, because he likes to hold the ball high in a tackle…But he may be 2-3 cm taller than that guy…An athletic freak…I’m happy he’s on our list…

 

[Tigerturbulance]

Knowing what we know now, would we take someone else instead of Josh Smillie at Pick 7?

For me, the answer is still no.

Yes, Smillie hasn’t played yet because of a 'quad issue' but that doesn’t change the fact that he has the highest long‑term upside of anyone taken after him in 2024 draft. The next few picks after him before our next pick (12 Hotton) were Travaglia, Tauru and Lindsay. All solid prospects, but none of them have the same ceiling Smillie was drafted for.

Richmond didn’t pick him to be a round‑one starter. They picked him because he projects as a genuine long‑term midfielder with size, power and growth left in his game. Missing early games doesn’t change that.

If anything, the injury just delays the payoff, it doesn’t reduce it.

I’d still take Smillie every time.

Also how good was it getting Taj at pick 12 and Trainor at 21, still makes me go hard thinking about it!!!!!!!!

 

[sregit]

Knowing what we know now, would we take someone else instead of Josh Smillie at Pick 7?

For me, the answer is still no.

Yes, Smillie hasn’t played yet because of a 'quad issue' but that doesn’t change the fact that he has the highest long‑term upside of anyone taken after him in 2024 draft. The next few picks after him before our next pick (12 Hotton) were Travaglia, Tauru and Lindsay. All solid prospects, but none of them have the same ceiling Smillie was drafted for.

Richmond didn’t pick him to be a round‑one starter. They picked him because he projects as a genuine long‑term midfielder with size, power and growth left in his game. Missing early games doesn’t change that.

If anything, the injury just delays the payoff, it doesn’t reduce it.

I’d still take Smillie every time.

Also how good was it getting Taj at pick 12 and Trainor at 21, still makes me go hard thinking about it!!!!!!!!

Smillie could end up the best player from 2024 draft, however, it is ridiculous to say with hindsight available that you wouldn’t go for a safer option given that Smillie cannot even get on the park. I’d have Murphy Reid in an instant for Smillie right now.

 

[sregit]

Knowing what we know now, would we take someone else instead of Josh Smillie at Pick 7?

For me, the answer is still no.

Yes, Smillie hasn’t played yet because of a 'quad issue' but that doesn’t change the fact that he has the highest long‑term upside of anyone taken after him in 2024 draft. The next few picks after him before our next pick (12 Hotton) were Travaglia, Tauru and Lindsay. All solid prospects, but none of them have the same ceiling Smillie was drafted for.

Richmond didn’t pick him to be a round‑one starter. They picked him because he projects as a genuine long‑term midfielder with size, power and growth left in his game. Missing early games doesn’t change that.

If anything, the injury just delays the payoff, it doesn’t reduce it.

I’d still take Smillie every time.

Also how good was it getting Taj at pick 12 and Trainor at 21, still makes me go hard thinking about it!!!!!!!!

Smillie could end up the best player from 2024 draft, however, it is ridiculous to say with hindsight available that you wouldn’t go for a safer option given that Smillie cannot even get on the park. I’d have Murphy Reid in an instant for Smillie right now.

 

[Tigerturbulance]

Smillie could end up the best player from 2024 draft, however, it is ridiculous to say with hindsight available that you wouldn’t go for a safer option given that Smillie cannot even get on the park. I’d have Murphy Reid in an instant for Smillie right now.

So if we are talking now going into 2026 Reid is certainly the safer short‑term option, but I still wouldn't pass on a +195cm mid with elite upside because he’s delayed a few months. If Smillie's body settles, his ceiling is still higher than Reid’s -that hasn’t changed nor would I swap him for Reid right now.

 

[Coach_Required]

Smillie could end up the best player from 2024 draft, however, it is ridiculous to say with hindsight available that you wouldn’t go for a safer option given that Smillie cannot even get on the park. I’d have Murphy Reid in an instant for Smillie right now.

Agree, but the way our club thinks if we had of taken Reid at 7, then I reckon there is no way we would have picked Hotton and we probably would have ended up with Bone Allan.

 

[sregit]

Agree, but the way our club thinks if we had of taken Reid at 7, then I reckon there is no way we would have picked Hotton and we probably would have ended up with Bone Allan.

I doubt we had interest in Allan but we also could still have gone for Reid but didn’t. Hind sight is a wonderful thing.

I actually wanted Reid but I am glad we’ve got Hotton. So not dissatisfied. I’ll reserve judgment on Smillie until I see him play 5 or 6 games before making an early call.

 

[Dr Tigris]

Knowing what we know now, would we take someone else instead of Josh Smillie at Pick 7?

For me, the answer is still no.

Yes, Smillie hasn’t played yet because of a 'quad issue' but that doesn’t change the fact that he has the highest long‑term upside of anyone taken after him in 2024 draft. The next few picks after him before our next pick (12 Hotton) were Travaglia, Tauru and Lindsay. All solid prospects, but none of them have the same ceiling Smillie was drafted for.

Richmond didn’t pick him to be a round‑one starter. They picked him because he projects as a genuine long‑term midfielder with size, power and growth left in his game. Missing early games doesn’t change that.

If anything, the injury just delays the payoff, it doesn’t reduce it.

I’d still take Smillie every time.

Also how good was it getting Taj at pick 12 and Trainor at 21, still makes me go hard thinking about it!!!!!!!!

I'm comfortable waiting for him to play some serious minutes. Hopefully the setbacks have matured him and made him more professional. He has so much upside and could easily be elite. In 2 years I'll start to get worried if it's all a bust still.

 

[THE_GUN]

Agree, but the way our club thinks if we had of taken Reid at 7, then I reckon there is no way we would have picked Hotton and we probably would have ended up with Bone Allan.

If hindsight was to be used and not selecting Smillie then the correct trade would have been
#7 + pick we traded to the Norf's for pick #2 and select FOS

 

[Infamy]

If hindsight was to be used and not selecting Smillie then the correct trade would have been
#7 + pick we traded to the Norf's for pick #2 and select FOS

That means we would have missed out on Grlj though
I'm happy to have the 2 elite junior players on the list instead of just 1

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Knowing what we know now, would we take someone else instead of Josh Smillie at Pick 7?

For me, the answer is still no.

Yes, Smillie hasn’t played yet because of a 'quad issue' but that doesn’t change the fact that he has the highest long‑term upside of anyone taken after him in 2024 draft. The next few picks after him before our next pick (12 Hotton) were Travaglia, Tauru and Lindsay. All solid prospects, but none of them have the same ceiling Smillie was drafted for.

Richmond didn’t pick him to be a round‑one starter. They picked him because he projects as a genuine long‑term midfielder with size, power and growth left in his game. Missing early games doesn’t change that.

If anything, the injury just delays the payoff, it doesn’t reduce it.

I’d still take Smillie every time.

Also how good was it getting Taj at pick 12 and Trainor at 21, still makes me go hard thinking about it!!!!!!!!

I’ll make that assessment when he is going to make the difference of contending for a flag or not . Until then it doesn’t faze me if he spends his time threatening patrons at restaurants with chop sticks .

 

[Cherki]

Knowing what we know now, would we take someone else instead of Josh Smillie at Pick 7?

For me, the answer is still no.

Yes, Smillie hasn’t played yet because of a 'quad issue' but that doesn’t change the fact that he has the highest long‑term upside of anyone taken after him in 2024 draft. The next few picks after him before our next pick (12 Hotton) were Travaglia, Tauru and Lindsay. All solid prospects, but none of them have the same ceiling Smillie was drafted for.

Richmond didn’t pick him to be a round‑one starter. They picked him because he projects as a genuine long‑term midfielder with size, power and growth left in his game. Missing early games doesn’t change that.

If anything, the injury just delays the payoff, it doesn’t reduce it.

I’d still take Smillie every time.

Also how good was it getting Taj at pick 12 and Trainor at 21, still makes me go hard thinking about it!!!!!!!!

Give me a break.

 

[hammer180]

Knowing what we know now, would we take someone else instead of Josh Smillie at Pick 7?

I think this is a pretty iinteresting question, if we assume it's what we know now post 2025 afl draft, I think it could effect it quite a lot, tauru, travaglia, allen all had the upside (development) at that point to be quality players so based on richmond wanting ceiling players i think theyd be the most likely, reid is definitely the best currently but unsure theyd move off their upside strategy (so probably still rules murphy and lindsay out) if we assume we don't take Smillie I'm pretty sure cumming and sharp (also a higher chance of Robey) would have been at Richmond this yr. If we had have picked tauru I'd be interested to see if we had have taken Trainer (2 defenders in the one draft, does seem unlikely). If we took allen or travaglia I'd be surprised if grlj would be on our radar either this yr.
Personally I think you'd be looking at the tradeoffs its probably smillie and grlj for Sharp and Tauru in this situation, which would be pretty interesting. Effectively a defense moving forward of trainer (id still pick him) tauru gibcus and midfield consisting of sharp instead of smillie and grlj. Ultimately though it would depend on how much of a unicorn Smillie projects to be and how concerned they are about his injuries, im not to fussed about his injuries yet, as i thought he'd be likely to play 3-5 max afl games last year anyway and 5-10 vfl games (thought smillie would do atleast 1 soft tissue injury based on his size).

 

[Rubber Hips]

Nah only 195cm, too short to play mid i reckon.

Yeah….needs to be around

 

[Rubber Hips]

Will be interesting to see which position(s) Smills ends up playing
Certainly a hybrid mid-forward
could be a Richo type winger



Hope to see him on the park in 26 ( seniors or at least vfl)

 

[lizard man]

Will be interesting to see which position(s) Smills ends up playing
Certainly a hybrid mid-forward
could be a Richo type winger



Hope to see him on the park in 26 ( seniors or at least vfl)

I said he could be a winger and it sent the board into meltdown

 

[voorhees]

Will be interesting to see which position(s) Smills ends up playing
Certainly a hybrid mid-forward
could be a Richo type winger



Hope to see him on the park in 26 ( seniors or at least vfl)

kids got to get through training first, before we think about playing.
Hold the faith and trust in the process,
however slow and frustrating that is.

 

[peternorth]

Let the kid grow into his body before risking him

 

[cairo tiger]

did the kid survive xmas lunch

 

[Rubber Hips]

kids got to get through training first, before we think about playing.
Hold the faith and trust in the process,
however slow and frustrating that is.

More than comfortable with how the club is managing Smills…just thinking for his mental state, it would be good if he could get on the park at some stage in 26…