Player Watch #16 Josh Smillie - Updated TBC

[SleepingGiant]

Cotton wool until 2026 bye now. Gotta be patient and look after him cotton wool wrap him up conservative slow approach no rush.

 

[Bojangles17]

Dude how come so many of our young players do hamstrings? Gibcus, Smillie & Armstrong? how come it's not happening to other clubs usually is older players with a history.

Not only that they seem to always be on the more serious side.

No ess just had three teenagers with broken backs , it happens chicken little , catcher dear too bw seasons

 

[Grrr]

Dude how come so many of our young players do hamstrings? Gibcus, Smillie & Armstrong? how come it's not happening to other clubs usually is older players with a history.

Not only that they seem to always be on the more serious side

All young mobile talls who through weights and fitness programs put on a lot of muscle mass when their bodies are still growing is my hunch. A lot of running involved in getting up to AFL standard, carrying 90+kg's and doing midfield running.

I have another theory from an old timer. We played on bog heaps, I grew up on the beach running in sand, never sat around much, always on bikes etc, builds up stronger legs. These days they are like athletic runners who only ever run on perfect surfaces, over step, strange twist and there goes the hammy. Need to spend summers with Percy Cerutty.

 

[wegetpumped]

Wtf are you talking about? Smillie played every week last year?

I know lol not according to AI No, Smillie did not play in every Coates Talent League game in 2024. He played in 12 of his team's 12 games, indicating he missed some games
He was injured when he came though that's why he missed early games. So why everyone saying not fit so on wait I'll aks AI

 

[wegetpumped]

Langford was gone before both the Smillie and Hotton picks

Yeah I know was just referring to how ready young players are now days. He was my pick for first but after the one game for us in the VFL it turned me of.

 

[wegetpumped]

Because they play too much football too early for tall guys.
Smilie should be given a year off to go and travel. He's too young and too tall to be playing AFL standard . Talls, especially tall mids, need to be eased into it until they grow into their body.
Players like Brereton played 3 years in the VFL before getting a game.

Hummm not really look at bont. Cripps. Did you see the team Brereton had to break into he wasn't good enough till he was. That Thompson for them played the same in the reserves till he got a crack and turned out ok for them and norf. Look at us JAcko Taylor and some others couldn't get in our team. Taylor when he did packed his bags. They are either ready or not. Look at Reid hasn't missed a game not sure if they gave him a week of last season for a rest.

 

[wegetpumped]

Lot of pearl clutching happening in here, because an 18yo isn't leading the brownlow medal count.

No but his miles ahead in the

J. J. Liston Trophy​

 

[wegetpumped]

Seriously can the mods perm ban the next campaigner who mentions Langford as if we made some sort of mistake in relation to Smillie or anyone. If we don’t pick him then we don’t have our next Finals MVP Sam Lalor. We clearly rated him as he played for our VFL team. We rated Lalor higher. He looks like a good player, good luck to him. He wasn’t there at our next pick. Smillie was. And he’ll be a good player too. FFS.

touched a sore spot relax dude fos goes ok also lol

 

[Stylo]

I know lol not according to AI No, Smillie did not play in every Coates Talent League game in 2024. He played in 12 of his team's 12 games, indicating he missed some games
He was injured when he came though that's why he missed early games. So why everyone saying not fit so on wait I'll aks AI

 

[Aristotle Pickett the3rd]

Hummm not really look at bont. Cripps. Did you see the team Brereton had to break into he wasn't good enough till he was. That Thompson for them played the same in the reserves till he got a crack and turned out ok for them and norf. Look at us JAcko Taylor and some others couldn't get in our team. Taylor when he did packed his bags. They are either ready or not. Look at Reid hasn't missed a game not sure if they gave him a week of last season for a rest.

Cripps was injured a lot in his first year and we have Gibcus, Armstrong and Smillie all injured.

 

[richolovesgoal]

It’s a shame — this year would’ve been ideal to get 15–20 games into him and really fast-track his development. But based on the injuries he’s had so far, it’s clear he’s either not fit enough yet or his body just isn’t ready for AFL footy — which is fair enough, given how big he is and how quickly he grew.

Still think he will be a star, but will just be a year behind some of the others, which is annoying.

 

[Danog]

I'd be happy with him playing 5 games this year. Give him a taste.

 

[tigs2010]

The one that looks like a bad miss at this pick is Trainor

 

[Grrr]

Are we jumping at shadows. Serpell said the strain was so minor 'we don't even know when it occurred.'

It's pretty normal when coming off a hammy to still have hamstring awareness or feel you are going to do one, so given he has done a lot of work to get back to playing, he may have done a bit of damage, but it's nothing you wouldn't half expect.

Another couple of weeks in rehab is possibly all it is and a good week or two on the track, perhaps.

 

[SouthernStripes]

 

[tunksy]

Are we jumping at shadows. Serpell said the strain was so minor 'we don't even know when it occurred.'

It's pretty normal when coming off a hammy to still have hamstring awareness or feel you are going to do one, so given he has done a lot of work to get back to playing, he may have done a bit of damage, but it's nothing you wouldn't half expect.

Another couple of weeks in rehab is possibly all it is and a good week or two on the track, perhaps.

they're being cautious and I'm all for that.


slow and steady, his body is still growing and changing.

 

[RichoRichoRicho]

Sooooo - remember that thread where Hopper and Taranto were useless, poor role model list cloggers etc etc.

Then suddenly they both played a couple really good games (Hopper in particular - and still is), the positive cultural attitude (which they clearly have bought into big time) seemed evident through various media sources and games back to back and also critics here came to the realisation that plodders get $750k per year (let alone half decent players)......so the thread died and it was clear people were over reacting?

Well, inferring Smillie is at all a failed pick, clearly not gonna make it, should be traded or that supporters should be in ANY way concerned by current events (re: hammy and cautious club approach) is A MILLION times more reactive-jump-at-shadows-bigfooty'eque than the JH-TT are 'sooooo overpaid and aren't providing value to the team' narrative

 

[THE_GUN]

Some really great melts on this thread

 

[Coach_Required]

Lord of the wings would have been giddy at this news last night.

Anyone seen him today or still on cloud 9?

 

[Mr Unbelievable]

The one that looks like a bad miss at this pick is Trainor

 

[LC_15]

Hamstring awareness and the over reactions are bit much. Grimes spent most of his initial years taped together before he understood how to manage his body.

 

[Cdog71]

He might still be growing and the body hasn’t gotten used to it yet
Plus extra load and extra speed of game with only half a pre-season.

This isn’t like Grimes tearing the bejesus outve it and then trying to repair tendons

 

[tiger_tough]

Add him to Harley Reid/Two top 5 mids in 2026 and we'll be stacked for mids.

 

[tiger_tough]

That was Hicksy (Morro). Disregard, he has NFI.

BUMP Morro

 

[Lord of the Wings]

Lord of the wings would have been giddy at this news last night.

Anyone seen him today or still on cloud 9?