Retired # 5: Devon Smith - Hanging up the boots - Thanks for everything Devon! - 12/8

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2023
Last Game Played: Round 11, 2022 (inj)
Injury Status: Mid-season knee surgery no time frame yet - 15/6

My Boy Draft 2022: Claim here

 

[LB#16]

Boys club medal not given to non-boys club member. Colour me shocked.

 

[Howard Moon]

Better than gray I thought, Edwards too

 

[Old Campaigner]

meh, AA selections are always a crap shoot.

 

[JT_the_Man]

Aside from the fact you could’ve picked nearly anyone to replace Edwards, it’s fairly pleasing to see non-Essendon fans saying they think he was robbed, especially since I thought he was borderline AA at best.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Aside from the fact you could’ve picked nearly anyone to replace Edwards, it’s fairly pleasing to see non-Essendon fans saying they think he was robbed, especially since I thought he was borderline AA at best.

For mine the football public generally likes the AA side to reflect the style of football being played at the time and currently pressure is king so to have the best pressure player in the game missing, is like the selectors saying they know better than the natural evolution of the game.

 

[jmoo wan]

Buddy in the AA sqaud? i thought he had an average season

yeah but it’s Buddy, man! Buddy!

 

[Balony_pony16]

Robbed bigtime

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

yeah but it’s Buddy, man! Buddy!

And made captain which i found odd.

 

[JT_the_Man]

For mine the football public generally likes the AA side to reflect the style of football being played at the time and currently pressure is king so to have the best pressure player in the game missing, is like the selectors saying they know better than the natural evolution of the game.

That’s really the best argument I’d have for Smith.

Best pressure player in a year based around pressure.

 

[Shane Heard]

Absolute joke he’s not in.

Laughable.

 

[Blind Turn]

There were 2 big oversights in the AA team. Smith and Macrae. Smith did what he did better than any player all year, consistently. What more could he possibly do? He wasn’t simply a defensive, pressure act player, he was also incisive in his attacking play and occasionally mercurial.

Macrae became truly elite this year and was so far ahead of Sidebum and Gaff it isn’t funny (and they both had great years, no doubt).

 

[Mercurial89]

There were 2 big oversights in the AA team. Smith and Macrae. Smith did what he did better than any player all year, consistently. What more could he possibly do? He wasn’t simply a defensive, pressure act player, he was also incisive in his attacking play and occasionally mercurial.

Macrae became truly elite this year and was so far ahead of Sidebum and Gaff it isn’t funny (and they both had great years, no doubt).

I think smith was solid and its good he made the squad. Im not upset he isnt in final team.
Macrae probably missed a bit too much footy and i dont have too many issues with Sidebottom in the team. Couldnt believe he had never earnt one before.

The calls for Edwards to be not there are ridiculous, he has had an amazing year.

Only questionable one for me is Buddy as captain, i would have given Hurn captain with Riewoldt as Vice.

 

[raskolnikov]

AA is a reputation team. Robbie Gray? Lol.

 

[Blind Turn]

I think smith was solid and its good he made the squad. Im not upset he isnt in final team.
Macrae probably missed a bit too much footy and i dont have too many issues with Sidebottom in the team. Couldnt believe he had never earnt one before.

The calls for Edwards to be not there are ridiculous, he has had an amazing year.

Only questionable one for me is Buddy as captain, i would have given Hurn captain with Riewoldt as Vice.

I certainly don’t begrudge Sidebum his spot in the team. But Macrae was so much better. I was mightily impressed with how he became that dominant A grade mid in the Doggies team.

And it’s a smear on the integrity of the team that the guy who broke the season’s record for tackles, did the most pressure acts for the season, and didn’t do much wrong in his attacking play either, missed out. Smith was clearly our best over the duration of the season in a team that did manage to win 10 of its last 14 games, setting the example in the style of play required to win those games even when we were losing early. What it shows is that the AA team is not based on the balance of players who were best at all facets of the game during the year selected. Smith was best at some very important facets of winning modern football games.

 

[Vindicater]

Only guy more unlucky than Smith to not be in the team is Ben Stratton.

Unbelievable that he did not make the squad.

 

[Kong]

I'm at a point where I don't even know some of the players named in the league's All Australian side.

Who the heck is Tom Stewart?

 

[GUMBLETRON]

I'm at a point where I don't even know some of the players named in the league's All Australian side.

Who the heck is Tom Stewart?

Young rapscallion down the highway, a very handy medium defender. Watch more footy Kwhong.

 

[JDavey]

Tom Stewart is an awesome footballer, pretty underrated outside of the Cats and Lingy

 

[Stopher]

Expected that he wouldn't make it. Not flashy enough. Tackles schmackles.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

apparently being the best pressure player in the league, who is a goal kicking midfielder that broke the all time season tackle record, is just not enough to get you into the AA team

 

[Stopher]

apparently being the best pressure player in the league, who is a goal kicking midfielder that broke the all time season tackle record, is just not enough to get you into the AA team

In an era when pressure is king, no less.

 

[Eleven 38]

He made the top 40. Means he had a good season. If he had a few mates maybe we'd be talking about a final next week instead of him missing out on the 22.

 

[Stopher]

He made the top 40. Means he had a good season. If he had a few mates maybe we'd be talking about a final next week instead of him missing out on the 22.

Like Cripps, I guess. It's an individual award.

 

[Zach Package]

Both are players whose influence goes beyond their numbers on the stats sheet though — Smith with his pressure and defensive work, Edwards with his skill and subtle efforts.

‘Subtle efforts’ is Foxfooty’s way of saying ‘his numbers are objectively worse but we have to justify it somehow’

 

[Eleven 38]

Like Cripps, I guess. It's an individual award.

Sure is. As a fan there's only one thing I want.