Preview R21: Changes vs. Geelong Cats

[Rabish Binney]

I'd actually like us to plan the introduction of our young guys.

It's rare for 1st or 2nd year players to suddenly be able to cope with week-in, week-out matches. Younger bodies need freshen ups. Strategic rests. Build up over time towards playing 23 games.

Because we worship the God of Continuity though, if a younger player does get selected they are expected to play every week. Typically the kids we do pick hit the wall at some stage.

It's the same logic that saw us grind Talia, Walker and Sloane into the ground previously. Just towards the other end of the age spectrum.

Take Curtin.

A couple of 4-5 game stints this year would have been fine. Yes, even including a sub appearance or two.

Build in Season 2 to play the start of the season, have a break in the middle, then play the back end.

Year 3 they're ready to play every week.

It requires over-arching player management rather than reacting to form or the premiership table.

You can't do it for every player and there are obviously plenty of variables during a season but you should be plotting the path for the blue chips on your list.

Doesn't seem to harm some of the other top 10 picks from last year:-

Reid 16 games
McKercher 12 games
Duursma 11 games
Watson 12 games
Windsor 18 games

 

[Rabish Binney]

In: Dawson, Worrell, Murray
Out: Himmelberg, Murphy, Borlase
Sub: Laird

Jones to play small pressure forward and some time up forward for Keane and/or Worrell. All three to have a decent crack up forward before the season is out.

Dreamin if you think Laird will be the sub.....

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Doesn't seem to harm some of the other top 10 picks from last year:-

Reid 16 games
McKercher 12 games
Duursma 11 games
Watson 12 games
Windsor 18 games

Rare, not impossible

And it's Round 21

 

[OccamsRazorRay]

Doesn't seem to harm some of the other top 10 picks from last year:-

Reid 16 games
McKercher 12 games
Duursma 11 games
Watson 12 games
Windsor 18 games

lol, they are all midfielders and a small forward, and were more or less ready to go...

Come on now, time to put the big boy pants on and use the adult brain of yours, you know Curtin is a big lad and they take a little more time to develop. If you've bothered to watch his SANFL games you'd know that he's a touch off the pace of the game at the senior level, but has looked a little more capable the last few weeks being shifted into midfield.

Patience is a virtue.

 

[Scorpus]

Curtin took just a handful of games to adjust to a midfield role in the SANFL, and starred almost immediately at half back

It's revising history to say he wasn't ready to play more AFL than he has. Had he been given those roles earlier in the season he would be cherry ripe to play the entire back half of 2024 in the firsts

 

[davos44]

lol, they are all midfielders and a small forward, and were more or less ready to go...

Come on now, time to put the big boy pants on and use the adult brain of yours, you know Curtin is a big lad and they take a little more time to develop. If you've bothered to watch his SANFL games you'd know that he's a touch off the pace of the game at the senior level, but has looked a little more capable the last few weeks being shifted into midfield.

Patience is a virtue.

100%. He is 19, 197cm (6'5") and looked ridiculously underdone against Brisbane in our draw.

Can't wait to see what a couple more preseasons will do for him.

 

[OccamsRazorRay]

Curtin took just a handful of games to adjust to a midfield role in the SANFL, and starred almost immediately at half back

It's revising history to say he wasn't ready to play more AFL than he has. Had he been given those roles earlier in the season he would be cherry ripe to play the entire back half of 2024 in the firsts

So plays fairly well in the midfield in the SANFL and auto inclusion in the seniors eh?

The shiny new toy mentality, must get to play with Christmas present before Christmas!

Anyone watching the SANFL understood he was being used as a Key Defender for a while, which gave him good contested minutes under his belt, then he was shifted to HB and looked great, was selected for the seniors and looked a bit lost with the pace of the game. He came back to SANFL and IMO was playing through a knee injury, lacked a lot of pace that he was known for in his draft year.

We've shifted him to midfield because no doubt there's some space in there now for him to show some versality, particularly without Dowling and Taylor in the seniors, which has given him the opportunity to shine.

He's then been selected for the seniors again as a sub and brought into midfield.

I think the one issue with posters like you, Scorpus, is that nothing will ever be good enough, you'll find a way to be outraged or disappointed. If he makes way for another player this week then the club isn't developing him, if he plays but underperforms it's the clubs problems with development. It's just a cycle of the same repetitive circular negativity where you'll never be happy, no matter the outcome.

 

[Geoffa32]

If you can't seeing Curtin is a natural midfielder, your analysis of a player is limited to statistics.


He moves like a mid, hunts the ball and uses his body to create space in congestion.

Even statistically was pretty good for his limited time last week.



He is a mid.


Our club ****ed up trying to play him elsewhere. Hopefully not too late and he doesn't ask for a trade.

Especially if WCE lose Reid.

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[1990crow]

So plays fairly well in the midfield in the SANFL and auto inclusion in the seniors eh?

The shiny new toy mentality, must get to play with Christmas present before Christmas!

Anyone watching the SANFL understood he was being used as a Key Defender for a while, which gave him good contested minutes under his belt, then he was shifted to HB and looked great, was selected for the seniors and looked a bit lost with the pace of the game. He came back to SANFL and IMO was playing through a knee injury, lacked a lot of pace that he was known for in his draft year.

We've shifted him to midfield because no doubt there's some space in there now for him to show some versality, particularly without Dowling and Taylor in the seniors, which has given him the opportunity to shine.

He's then been selected for the seniors again as a sub and brought into midfield.

I think the one issue with posters like you, Scorpus, is that nothing will ever be good enough, you'll find a way to be outraged or disappointed. If he makes way for another player this week then the club isn't developing him, if he plays but underperforms it's the clubs problems with development. It's just a cycle of the same repetitive circular negativity where you'll never be happy, no matter the outcome.

We are 15th. I'll back Scorpus Opinion over yours.

 

[OccamsRazorRay]

We are 15th. I'll back Scorpus Opinion over yours.

Fantastic analysis, you'd do well on the debate team

 

[1990crow]

Fantastic analysis, you'd do well on the debate team

No need to be a sore loser.

 

[OccamsRazorRay]

If you can't seeing Curtin is a natural midfielder, your analysis of a player is limited to statistics.


He moves like a mid, hunts the ball and uses his body to create space in congestion.

Even statistically was pretty good for his limited time last week.



He is a mid.


Our club ****ed up trying to play him elsewhere. Hopefully not too late and he doesn't ask for a trade.

Especially if WCE lose Reid.

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

'trying to play him elsewhere..' You mean Defence.....where he was mostly playing in his draft year, whilst drifting through midfield....

I've heard it all.

 

[Geoffa32]

'trying to play him elsewhere..' You mean Defence.....where he was mostly playing in his draft year, whilst drifting through midfield....

I've heard it all.

He played in the backline because of his size compared to others at junior level. And WA needing him there for team balance.

The midfield stints were his real position.


Watch him play, he has no real KPD instinct.


Natural mid. Just very big.

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Scorpus]

So plays fairly well in the midfield in the SANFL and auto inclusion in the seniors eh?

The shiny new toy mentality, must get to play with Christmas present before Christmas!

Anyone watching the SANFL understood he was being used as a Key Defender for a while, which gave him good contested minutes under his belt, then he was shifted to HB and looked great, was selected for the seniors and looked a bit lost with the pace of the game. He came back to SANFL and IMO was playing through a knee injury, lacked a lot of pace that he was known for in his draft year.

We've shifted him to midfield because no doubt there's some space in there now for him to show some versality, particularly without Dowling and Taylor in the seniors, which has given him the opportunity to shine.

He's then been selected for the seniors again as a sub and brought into midfield.

I think the one issue with posters like you, Scorpus, is that nothing will ever be good enough, you'll find a way to be outraged or disappointed. If he makes way for another player this week then the club isn't developing him, if he plays but underperforms it's the clubs problems with development. It's just a cycle of the same repetitive circular negativity where you'll never be happy, no matter the outcome.

Right so he was great at half back in the SANFL, given an opportunity to shine in the midfield in the SANFL, but he wasn't ready to play AFL because talls take time, even though he was performing in the twos.

Maybe if we didn't blow all those games playing Curtin at full back in the SANFL he would have got on a run with his great form in other positions and been more ready to step up when our season crashed and burned.

Plus the bar for being ready to play in a team that's dog shit is pretty low. We're not talking about breaking into the Sydney or Brisbane sides

 

[WheresGroomgone]

I love how everyone is blocking out the realisation that we all know the big inclusion this week, the experienced highly skilled…

Brodie Smith

33

Brodie Smith

Age

33

Ht

194cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.5

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

7.2

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

500.1

5star

D

17.1

4star

K

12.6

5star

HB

4.5

3star

M

3.5

3star

T

2.3

3star

MG

438.9

5star

D

17.2

5star

K

10.8

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

3.6

5star

- we all know it’s going to happen, we all don’t want it to happen but it’s happening.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Fantastic analysis, you'd do well on the debate team

It’s posting like this which is turning off posters, I wish the Mods did their job

 

[ClaudeCurlsCrow]

Right so he was great at half back in the SANFL, given an opportunity to shine in the midfield in the SANFL, but he wasn't ready to play AFL because talls take time, even though he was performing in the twos.

Maybe if we didn't blow all those games playing Curtin at full back in the SANFL he would have got on a run with his great form in other positions and been more ready to step up when our season crashed and burned.

Plus the bar for being ready to play in a team that's dog shit is pretty low. We're not talking about breaking into the Sydney or Brisbane sides

I wouldn't go as far to say the team is Dog Shit....
We have definitely under performed due to a number of reason such as gameplay and selecting out of form players.
Considering we were the no1 scoring team last year (Tex had an outstanding season) we should be closer to the top 8 then bottom 8.
We are definitely missing a few pieces to a premiership such as an elite mid to get us into the top 4 calculations and winning the premiership.

 

[Betts are off]

I love how everyone is blocking out the realisation that we all know the big inclusion this week, the experienced highly skilled…

Brodie Smith - we all know it’s going to happen, we all don’t want it to happen but it’s happening.

Death, Taxes and Brodie Smith's immediate return from his old man injury.

 

[jackster83]

Looking forward to seeing Worrell back in at least. His intercept marking was really coming along nicely before his injury.

 

[rocket18]

I could imagine Curtin wandering off after 2 minutes of the 'midfield craft skills' session.

Nicks: Hey Dan where are you going?

Curtin: I've got it Mathew.

Nicks: But you only practiced our midfield craft for two minutes.

Curtin: Its not that hard Mathew, we all remain stationary, preferably 1m apart.
Handball to each other until it gets to Lairdy and he kicks a high one over his shoulder or we mix it up and handbll to ROB who takes two steps and shanks it forward.

 

[Doctor B]

Top 20 draft picks - games played

Comparing Curtin to his cohort, excluding injuries and over 201cm players, his games played still seems low for a team sitting 15th


1 Reid 16
2 McKercher 12
3 Walter 12
4 Duursma 11
5 Watson 12
6 Sanders 14
7 Windsor 19
8 Curtin 3 subs
9 Read 4 202cm 92kg
10 Caddy 6
11 O'Sullivan 1 breaking in as KPD in Geelong
12 Gothard 0 glandular fever
13 Tholstrup 6
14 Rogers 6
15 Croft 0 201cm 81kg
16 Green 0 204cm 93kg
17 Leake 0 constant quad injuries, played first game VFL late June
18 Wilson 19
19 McCabe 0 stress fractures lower back
20 Goad 0 207cm 97kg

 

[Scorpus]

I wouldn't go as far to say the team is Dog Shit....
We have definitely under performed due to a number of reason such as gameplay and selecting out of form players.
Considering we were the no1 scoring team last year (Tex had an outstanding season) we should be closer to the top 8 then bottom 8.
We are definitely missing a few pieces to a premiership such as an elite mid to get us into the top 4 calculations and winning the premiership.

We're bottom 4 and haven't made finals in years.

We're dog shit

 

[Brett Cummings]

So plays fairly well in the midfield in the SANFL and auto inclusion in the seniors eh?

The shiny new toy mentality, must get to play with Christmas present before Christmas!

Anyone watching the SANFL understood he was being used as a Key Defender for a while, which gave him good contested minutes under his belt, then he was shifted to HB and looked great, was selected for the seniors and looked a bit lost with the pace of the game. He came back to SANFL and IMO was playing through a knee injury, lacked a lot of pace that he was known for in his draft year.

We've shifted him to midfield because no doubt there's some space in there now for him to show some versality, particularly without Dowling and Taylor in the seniors, which has given him the opportunity to shine.

He's then been selected for the seniors again as a sub and brought into midfield.

I think the one issue with posters like you, Scorpus, is that nothing will ever be good enough, you'll find a way to be outraged or disappointed. If he makes way for another player this week then the club isn't developing him, if he plays but underperforms it's the clubs problems with development. It's just a cycle of the same repetitive circular negativity where you'll never be happy, no matter the outcome.

"So plays fairly well in the midfield in the SANFL and auto inclusion in the seniors eh?"

Murphy plays shit every week and is an automatic selection. Stop pretending there's any selection integrity with nicks.

 

[Scorpus]

In any case if we can play the twig that was Michalanney straight away and develop him entirely in the AFL, despite not looking physically ready for AFL at all, we could have done that with Curtin too

 

[jackster83]

In any case if we can play the twig that was Michalanney straight away and develop him entirely in the AFL, despite not looking physically ready for AFL at all, we could have done that with Curtin too

Especially as he was already playing seniors for Claremont last year.