Delisted Ely Smith (2018-2022)

[dlanod]

Ely Smith continues to make a case for a possible late second round pick with another strong showing in the Wild Card round against the Bendigo Pioneers. While originally missing selection in Vic Country’s original side, Smith later received a call up after Country lost their inside midfielders in Jye Caldwell and Mitch Riordan, and Smith’s continued showing of good form.

In the TAC Cup, Smith leads in clearances, sits third in disposals, third in contested possessions, third in handballs, tenth in inside 50s and twelfth in tackles. This strong bodied midfielder knows how to take a tackle and use his size and strength to gain prominent position. While his inside game is easily his most impressive quality, he by no means lacks an ability on the outside.

https://www.afldraftcentral.com.au/2018/09/06/player-focus-ely-smith/

ELY SMITH

Murray Bushrangers/Yarrawonga/Vic

188cm

87kg

13/9/2000

Medium midfielder who is competitive with repeat speed and strong attack on the ball. A star in one-on-one contests and at stoppages and has excellent vision and clean hands. Burst on to the scene with an impressive game for Vic Country as a late inclusion in the final match of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. Won the Bushrangers best and fairest.

Competitive Advantage: Stoppage star, hard as nails

http://aflnswact.com.au/sheehan-top-40/

 

[chopperduck]

Nickname sure needs to be smiles or happy.

 

[luthor]

Nickname sure needs to be smiles or happy.

Or "Doctor"

^^^^^^^^^^

This Smith didn't smile much either

 

[mish33]

Courtesy of Giantroo.



I think this video really highlights his handballing and decision making as strengths. He is a different type of mid to our last two years' crops - seems to dominate the stoppage space a bit like Kennedy does and reminds me of Voss the way he punches out a handball. If only!

 

[Dalions]

Courtesy of Giantroo.



I think this video really highlights his handballing and decision making as strengths. He is a different type of mid to our last two years' crops - seems to dominate the stoppage space a bit like Kennedy does and reminds me of Voss the way he punches out a handball. If only!

Very good at getting those hands free in the contest.
Exactly the type of player we need, sick of players just putting on the boot.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

Very team oriented on those clips. Gets first hands on it but always looking to dish off.

 

[Davemonkey]

Very team oriented on those clips. Gets first hands on it but always looking to dish off.

We will soon get him banging it on the boot blindly. It is the Brisbane Way.

 

[dlanod]

We will soon get him banging it on the boot blindly. It is the Brisbane Way.

Rischitelli to present his jumper?

 

[Davemonkey]

Rischitelli to present his jumper?

I was thinking getting Rocky up for the occasion.

 

[Tom14]

I was thinking getting Rocky up for the occasion.

Get Beams to do it when he comes up for Easter Thursday

 

[greendiesel]

Reminds me of Clayton Oliver.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Or "Doctor"

^^^^^^^^^^

This Smith didn't smile much either

And his opponents will be screaming "Oh the pain"

 

[a mayes ing]

Reminds me of Clayton Oliver.

Me 2. I am really excited about this guy. Late birthday so got less development than a lot of the other draftees, reckon he has huge potential.

 

[jackess]

Noble said Smith lived in Sydney from 2008-2016 so is expecting a lot of development left in him

 

[dlanod]

Born and bred in Western Sydney, Ely Smith was part of the GIANTS Academy until January 2017 when his family relocated from Kellyville in north-west Sydney to Yarrawonga in country Victoria.

The Brisbane Lions wasted little time in locking away the midfielder, using their first selection to secure him at pick 21.

http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/news/2018-11-24/bumper-academy-crop-again

 

[T Rick]

Born and bred in Western Sydney, Ely Smith was part of the GIANTS Academy until January 2017 when his family relocated from Kellyville in north-west Sydney to Yarrawonga in country Victoria.

The Brisbane Lions wasted little time in locking away the midfielder, using their first selection to secure him at pick 21.

http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/news/2018-11-24/bumper-academy-crop-again

I would be surprised if there is any "go home" nonsense with this young man. No doubt that was one of the appeals for Lions recruiters in their assessment of his character.

 

[Surly Boy]

Hope this link works....

 

[Dylan12]

AFL Draft review: Brisbane (Pete Williams)

Ely Smith – Inside Midfielder

Smith was a late call-up to the National AFL Draft night, and the rumours that Brisbane invited him were true with the Lions selecting him in the first round. Smith has enjoyed a terrific season for the Murray Bushrangers, going from virtually unknown in draft calculations, to a first round pick. He famously missed out on Vic Country selection, then received a late call-up there too, to show off at GMHBA Stadium in the final game. What Smith brings to the table is his terrific hands and vision in close, often winning the ball at the coalface and dishing off to a teammate on the outside with a no-fuss approach to his football. He is ready to go if required, and is a good size as that prototype midfielder.

 

[Dylan12]

Draftees pick jumper numbers (Michael Gosman)

#8 - Ely Smith
The Lions' first pick in the 2018 AFL Draft, Ely Smith (Pick No. 21), will wear the number eight jumper in 2019.

Two-time Lions premiership player Tim Notting (191 games) and legendary Fitzroy Captain and Coach Bill Stephen (162 games) previously wore the jumper. Stephen also coached Yarrawonga, where Smith is from.

Rohan Bewick previously wore the jumper for 75 games.

 

[Quigley]

Not much commentary on Ely on here so I thought I would put in my two cents. I have not looked at the under 18s as closely this year as in previous years but I have to say I really like the pick. I had heard some time ago that we were interested in him and so did pay a bit of attention to vision that I could find on him.

He provides us with another big bodied mid and I like the size that he and Berry can give us through the middle. There are a few less physical types that will run through the midfield for us and having a couple of bigger blokes there to throw their weight around always helps. He is very strong through the hips and weaves through traffic well. He does not avoid tacklers so much as make the players throw an arm out which he can brush through. He is a bit like Robertson in that regard and like Robbo I am expecting that it might take him a little while to adjust to AFL players sticking those tackles more than juniors.

A player he reminds me a lot of is Clayton Oliver from Melb particularly if you watch them both move through traffic. Like Oliver he was largely overlooked for selection through the championships but rose up draft boards through excellent TAC form. He did not rise as far as Clayton did but for me there was not a huge difference in their TAC form. Both are inside mids but I do think Oliver is a much better read of the ball off hands. This is an area where I think Smith needs to improve a bit. He is not the bloke who always seems to be at the drop of the ball and will often be a bit late on the scene and will be snatching the ball off his toes. His hands are very clean though and his vision in tight is excellent. His ability to hit a good target by hand in a clearance situation might be as good as anyone in this draft.

By foot he reasonable although nothing to write home about which is pretty standard for an inside mid. He does have nice penetration by foot though and he can hit a target inside 50 reasonably well. I think his footskills will need some work but I am not seeing it as a weakness per se more that something which should improve with work.

Another thing I really like about Smith is the fact that he does things at pace. He has good (but not elite) speed but makes the absolute most of what he has. He has good burst pace I think for a big bloke and he uses this often particularly in contested situations. He regularly gets a step or two on his opponent and he is not being caught over the 10-20m that he usually holds the ball for. He will do this most times he gets the ball, leads or is near it which I like a lot. Into the future I think combining Smith, Bailey and McCluggage would make our midfield a pretty elusive group to pin down. All move through traffic very well albeit in different ways.

Smith is pretty good overhead and off a half forward flank can present as a decent option going forward. His marking would actually make him a decent option off either flank if they wanted to start him off playing somewhere other than through the middle.

 

[Dylan12]

 

[Dylan12]

 

[Dylan12]

Draftee watch: How are your club's new faces tracking?

Most of the Lions' draftees came to the club under injury clouds and have spent much of their first two months in rehab. First-round pick Ely Smith has been the exception, training strongly and showing improvement against more mature midfielders in match simulation. Academy product Connor McFadyen is in a moon boot and recovering from foot surgery, while Tom Berry (knee) and Tom Joyce (hips) are on modified programs. Half-back Noah Answerth has contracted glandular fever. Of the rookies Ryan Bastinac is doing everything he can to impress, finishing in the top five in the 3km time trial and playing on the 'best' team in match practice, while Oscar McInerney has continued his improvement from 2018. Basketball convert Tom Fullarton has shown he has a future in the game with his strong hands and good mobility in the forward 50.

The standout
For the sheer surprise element, it's Fullarton. After leaving behind his promising basketball career seven months ago, the rangy forward has looked right at home.

On track for round one
Oscar McInerney

 

[Dylan12]

And while he may lack experience on-field, the soon to be 29-year-old has quickly become a veteran voice for a young playing list, having recently lived with young defender Jack Payne and rookie Ely Smith. “It was good living with the young fellas, I got something out of it because I like to help people," Eagles said. "I felt like they were my little brothers, just to help them out. I didn’t have Ely for long, but he’s a good lad, a country lad,” Eagles said.

Little did he know, despite their near 11-year age difference, Eagles had faced his new housemate on-field two years earlier. “Ely actually played a game on ‘The Recruit’ against me," Eagles said. "He was a top up for the GWS team, he played in their academy. I didn’t know that and then when I went to introduce myself he said, ‘Oh we played a game on ‘The Recruit’.”

 

[Dylan12]

Littlejohn: Ely’s best game yet (Kobe Howard)

New recruit Ely Smith made his long-awaited return from injury, with Littlejohn saying he probably had his best game for the Lions.

“Full credit to him, the young man needs to take a lot of credit… his attitude was fantastic and he probably had his best game of footy for our footy club,” he said. “He was clean around the contest, he was strong and I think the commentators even mentioned at one stage that he was even like a bull.”