A better game plan and probably wardlaw if he stays fit
-
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Opinion Commentary & Media VIII
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gerry101101
Out we come to play
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If he hasn’t broken into the midfield by this stage of his career, he never will.
FOS could be a candidate if he manages to put on a bit of size.
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There is an element of "its never our own fault" amongst some supporters.
We've had some bad luck and some unfair treatment but crikey we haven't minded whacking ourselves in the crotch too in recent years just to finish it off.
The club or supporters? I take it this isn't a club sanctioned piece.
I just realised I am in that video. LOL. I am in the crowd when James Brayshaw announces we have rejected the Gold Coast move at DBH.
Bad take for mine. True underdogs more like it. Fought and scrapped for everything and never given a leg up. Even after our recent so called “assistance package” we can still say that.
We just need to overcome our biggest hurdle yet and start winning again.
Keeps the traffic ticking over on here.
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Most sensible posters realise we've made it much harder than needed in the last 6 years, but the 45 years before that were pretty damn good for those old enough to remember.
So as much as the "never our own fault" crew can be annoying, the "never happy, sook it up and have a crack at the Club at every opportunity" crew have long worn thin too.
Last edited:
Before too long there won't be many left who are old enough to remember.
It's far from a given that we reach the mountaintop again any time soon, just ask Saints fans.
LuvtheKangas
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Sure, but this still doesn't justify the "blame the club for every bad moment" crew.
Chip Scab1
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A bit of balance is required though... in order to have a Bigfooty account, you probably love the club - and after how many years of abject misery, you're still 'ere... you're entitled to ask the odd question.
For example, how are the locals with the All Blacks, given you're basically the 2nd best team in it now? And Australia, though a bit fraudulent, is getting its shit together in time for the next World Cup?
There's a small chance (real small) that by end of the next World Cup you could be equal on WCs with a Country who flat out, doesn't care about the sport. I'd imagine there's cause for some minor alarm.
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Dylan Smith feels awkward about being interviewed by Code Sports for this series.
2000s number six draft pick is worried that his footy story isn’t interesting enough to warrant being told.
“I’m just someone who had a go at footy, didn’t quite make it and got on with their life,” he says.
“Is this a bit self-centred to be thinking about it so much and to be going over it?”
Smith is speaking a quarter of a century removed from his own joyful draft experience and 20 years after his career petered out at 21 games for two clubs.
You have entered page 1
6
Draft Pick
2000
21
Draft Year
Games
2001-2003
2004-2005
GAMES BREAKDOWN
DYLAN SMITH'S ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE DRAFTEES
Grow yourself, your interests and your career pathways outside of football.
1
Value and appreciate the people you meet along the way, they remain important well after your playing days.
2
Stay true to yourself - Remember it’s a game, stay playful and try to have fun amidst the pressures of the industry.
3
When he was drafted to the Kangaroos in the top 10, it was a happy time for his whole family.
“It was a really lovely time really,” Smith remembers.
“There was lots of hope and lots of expectation for the future and it was really nice … It was everything I’d dreamt of, really, just from day one.”
From his time as a kid in Woodend in Melbourne’s north, Smith always believed he would play in the AFL.
“From 12 or 13 I had an inner confidence that … it’s going to happen for me and be drafted.” Smith says.
Dylan Smith at 16 – from the age of 12 he knew he would be drafted.
“There was really no question in my mind that it would happen, and that’s the way it panned out.”
A best on ground performance in the 1999 Under 18 grand final didn’t hurt, neither did being named in the 2000 Under 18 All Australian team.
But with Smith’s high draft status and reputation as a junior star came the weight of expectation, mainly from himself.
“I certainly had a very high level of expectation, which didn’t always help me, because there was the weight of that through the journey as well,” he says.
“And it wasn’t a lightness or a playfulness or even appreciation to be honest, it was a heaviness at times.”
Dylan Smith after being the Kangaroos’ first pick in the 2000 draft, taken at pick six.
Smith played in round one of his debut season alongside legendary Kangaroos names of Glenn Archer, Anthony Stevens and Adam Simpson.
He managed to string together the first three games but then was in and out of the side for the rest of the season as well as the following year.
And then, Denis Pagan defected to Carlton and Danielle Laidley took the reins as coach and Smith didn’t fit into the club’s plans.
“The game style shifted and went to more skills-based and accuracy based and I just didn’t necessarily take that shift well enough … I didn’t quite adjust.”
So at the end of 2003, the former number 6 draft pick was shown the door, but a call from his former mentor Pagan kept his AFL dream alive.
Dylan with his sister Clea Smith in 2001. Clea played cricket for Australia 62 times across all three formats and currently sits on the Cricket Australia board.
“Denis invited me to train with Carlton, and he … mentioned that his mail was that there was a few people that were looking at me at that time,” Smith recalls.
“So that was a lovely little moment … he was looking out for me at that time.”
Fremantle gave Smith a chance and extended his AFL career by 10 games over two years.
But five years of never being about to cement a spot and have a good clear run of games became a burden.
Dylan Smith kicks a goal for the Dockers
“Being on the edge of the team is draining,” he says.
“So it was a bit of relief at the end, to be honest, when that wasn’t sort of a day-to-day experience.”
After a brief period coming to terms with the end of his AFL dream, Smith had a revelation.
“I came into a feeling of, ‘Well, I’ve got back 10 years of my life that I probably didn’t have [in the AFL system]’.”
“So the world suddenly opened up and there was – not relief that I didn’t have to do football because that was the disappointing side – but relief that the stressful situation was over and I now had opportunities at 23 to think about what I wanted to do and what I want to explore.”
Smith in Fremantle’s heritage colours in 2004 celebrating a goal. Picture: AAP Image/ Stuart McEvoy
Smith left footy behind for a number of years, travelling the world and studying.
“Immediately after and I think it was five or six years before I played again and certainly there was, I don’t know if you call it a falling out, if I fell out of love, but certainly needed some distance from the game.”
And yet, despite the disappointment, Smith’s love of the game remains.
“I do love footy,” Smith says.
“The disappointment has softened … and it just feels like, ‘oh well, that didn’t work out, other things in life came up.’”
On top of his 10 senior games, Smith’s two years at Fremantle proved personally fruitful as it was during that time he met his now-wife Julia and where they have built a life for the past 20 years and raised their three kids.
And it also gave him the direction for his future career in philanthropy which started with the Fremantle Football Club Foundation and is now a Director at Community Foundations Australia.
“I can make a contribution to communities around Australia who are looking at starting their own community foundation,” Smith says.
Smith (pictured in 2000 as the captain of the Sandringham Dragons) believes the opportunities presented to him by football led him to his current calling making a difference to communities around Australia. Picture: Stuart Milligan
“There’s a through line there to the opportunity that football opened up for me.”
Dylan Smith has the sort of perspective about his footy career that only two decades of ‘normal life’ can bring.
“Perhaps my biggest reflection is sure there’s a personal disappointment but actually afterwards what was missing in that AFL life for me was making a decent contribution to the team or to others, feeling like I was playing a meaningful role.
“This wasn’t what I imagined I would be doing, but football has opened up a lot of experiences and opportunities that have come from that.”
Smith’s relationship with footy is as a true fan these days: “jumping up with every tackle, I don’t have too much of a filter”.
And just recently, Smith found himself able to get some closure to the abrupt end of his three years at the Kangaroos.
“I managed to connect with Danielle Laidley over here in WA and we caught up for a coffee,” he says.
“After all this time it was lovely to share some memories of that time.
“It felt very soothing to me and she was lovely in terms of how she remembered that time and had some very nice things to say”
well Mr Chup Scib1
Plenty of misery gut people supporting the AB's too !
Theres no way NZ rugby can stay at the same level we've enjoyed for 120 years. Its declining fast.
There's just no one playing it anymore. It would be probably the 3rd biggest sport in NZ after football and basketball and falling fast.
A lot of the schools don't even field a first XV let alone any other teams.. (and that was what created the dynasty of NZ rugby. Our schools system was just brilliant).
Hard to totally pin point the reason for the decline but to me they destroyed the old provincial system in NZ by bringing in super rugby, They changed the rules to turn it into a quasi game of league/rugby with hardly any backline moves.
Plus the danger from head injuries has just stopped parents wanting their kids to play
and to be honest.. the NZ public don't care as much about the sport as they used to
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Follow
Dylan Smith feels awkward about being interviewed by Code Sports for this series.
2000s number six draft pick is worried that his footy story isn’t interesting enough to warrant being told.
“I’m just someone who had a go at footy, didn’t quite make it and got on with their life,” he says.
“Is this a bit self-centred to be thinking about it so much and to be going over it?”
Smith is speaking a quarter of a century removed from his own joyful draft experience and 20 years after his career petered out at 21 games for two clubs.
You have entered page 1
6
Draft Pick
2000
21
Draft Year
Games
2001-2003
2004-2005
GAMES BREAKDOWN
DYLAN SMITH'S ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE DRAFTEES
Grow yourself, your interests and your career pathways outside of football.
1
Value and appreciate the people you meet along the way, they remain important well after your playing days.
2
Stay true to yourself - Remember it’s a game, stay playful and try to have fun amidst the pressures of the industry.
3
When he was drafted to the Kangaroos in the top 10, it was a happy time for his whole family.
“It was a really lovely time really,” Smith remembers.
“There was lots of hope and lots of expectation for the future and it was really nice … It was everything I’d dreamt of, really, just from day one.”
From his time as a kid in Woodend in Melbourne’s north, Smith always believed he would play in the AFL.
“From 12 or 13 I had an inner confidence that … it’s going to happen for me and be drafted.” Smith says.
Dylan Smith at 16 – from the age of 12 he knew he would be drafted.
“There was really no question in my mind that it would happen, and that’s the way it panned out.”
A best on ground performance in the 1999 Under 18 grand final didn’t hurt, neither did being named in the 2000 Under 18 All Australian team.
But with Smith’s high draft status and reputation as a junior star came the weight of expectation, mainly from himself.
“I certainly had a very high level of expectation, which didn’t always help me, because there was the weight of that through the journey as well,” he says.
“And it wasn’t a lightness or a playfulness or even appreciation to be honest, it was a heaviness at times.”
Dylan Smith after being the Kangaroos’ first pick in the 2000 draft, taken at pick six.
Smith played in round one of his debut season alongside legendary Kangaroos names of Glenn Archer, Anthony Stevens and Adam Simpson.
He managed to string together the first three games but then was in and out of the side for the rest of the season as well as the following year.
And then, Denis Pagan defected to Carlton and Danielle Laidley took the reins as coach and Smith didn’t fit into the club’s plans.
“The game style shifted and went to more skills-based and accuracy based and I just didn’t necessarily take that shift well enough … I didn’t quite adjust.”
So at the end of 2003, the former number 6 draft pick was shown the door, but a call from his former mentor Pagan kept his AFL dream alive.
Dylan with his sister Clea Smith in 2001. Clea played cricket for Australia 62 times across all three formats and currently sits on the Cricket Australia board.
“Denis invited me to train with Carlton, and he … mentioned that his mail was that there was a few people that were looking at me at that time,” Smith recalls.
“So that was a lovely little moment … he was looking out for me at that time.”
Fremantle gave Smith a chance and extended his AFL career by 10 games over two years.
But five years of never being about to cement a spot and have a good clear run of games became a burden.
Dylan Smith kicks a goal for the Dockers
“Being on the edge of the team is draining,” he says.
“So it was a bit of relief at the end, to be honest, when that wasn’t sort of a day-to-day experience.”
After a brief period coming to terms with the end of his AFL dream, Smith had a revelation.
“I came into a feeling of, ‘Well, I’ve got back 10 years of my life that I probably didn’t have [in the AFL system]’.”
“So the world suddenly opened up and there was – not relief that I didn’t have to do football because that was the disappointing side – but relief that the stressful situation was over and I now had opportunities at 23 to think about what I wanted to do and what I want to explore.”
Smith in Fremantle’s heritage colours in 2004 celebrating a goal. Picture: AAP Image/ Stuart McEvoy
Smith left footy behind for a number of years, travelling the world and studying.
“Immediately after and I think it was five or six years before I played again and certainly there was, I don’t know if you call it a falling out, if I fell out of love, but certainly needed some distance from the game.”
And yet, despite the disappointment, Smith’s love of the game remains.
“I do love footy,” Smith says.
“The disappointment has softened … and it just feels like, ‘oh well, that didn’t work out, other things in life came up.’”
On top of his 10 senior games, Smith’s two years at Fremantle proved personally fruitful as it was during that time he met his now-wife Julia and where they have built a life for the past 20 years and raised their three kids.
And it also gave him the direction for his future career in philanthropy which started with the Fremantle Football Club Foundation and is now a Director at Community Foundations Australia.
“I can make a contribution to communities around Australia who are looking at starting their own community foundation,” Smith says.
Smith (pictured in 2000 as the captain of the Sandringham Dragons) believes the opportunities presented to him by football led him to his current calling making a difference to communities around Australia. Picture: Stuart Milligan
“There’s a through line there to the opportunity that football opened up for me.”
Dylan Smith has the sort of perspective about his footy career that only two decades of ‘normal life’ can bring.
“Perhaps my biggest reflection is sure there’s a personal disappointment but actually afterwards what was missing in that AFL life for me was making a decent contribution to the team or to others, feeling like I was playing a meaningful role.
“This wasn’t what I imagined I would be doing, but football has opened up a lot of experiences and opportunities that have come from that.”
Smith’s relationship with footy is as a true fan these days: “jumping up with every tackle, I don’t have too much of a filter”.
And just recently, Smith found himself able to get some closure to the abrupt end of his three years at the Kangaroos.
“I managed to connect with Danielle Laidley over here in WA and we caught up for a coffee,” he says.
“After all this time it was lovely to share some memories of that time.
“It felt very soothing to me and she was lovely in terms of how she remembered that time and had some very nice things to say”
Good read. Glad it has worked out for him post-footy.
giantroo
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tazaa
Hall of Famer
There goes X's point of difference.
He gonna get pinned hard for blocking space now.
Just go and find a 7 foot ruck who can jump in the state leagues and play them as the 23rd man.
Also as a team that has one of the worst skills in the comp - we will definitely concede more than the average number of free kicks.
Funny how Geelong's home ground with the narrow wings benefits the most from the last touch free kick rule too.