Player Watch Wayne Milera

[Geoffa32]

Also first time I have noticed this year how strong his body is.

The guy will be a decent unit when he matures.

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Not mature yet. Is getting there.

He showed signs Thursday night that he knows he has a strong body.

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[ltdamn]

Not mature yet. Is getting there.

He showed signs Thursday night that he knows he has a strong body.

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Started using it a bit and you could see his confidence grow after he picked that one up off the back of the square and bulldozed through, kept putting his body through the line after that instead of waiting outside like he did last year. We need him to start learning how to stick a tackle as well now.

 

[Crow_Magnon]

His second half was excellent. Could be we've found a good role for him in Brodie Smith's absence.

 

[Bazz_27]

I've been critical of him in the past but I was very impressed with him on Thursday, a bit of x factor that we are lacking in our best 22! he has always had the speed and the skills but now he looks a lot stronger!

 

[beartoo]

I've been critical of him in the past but I was very impressed with him on Thursday, a bit of x factor that we are lacking in our best 22! he has always had the speed and the skills but now he looks a lot stronger!

Me too, and same as you, impressed with how he went about it on Thursday. I thought maybe he didn't want it enough although I knew he had the skills. Happy to be proven wrong and hope he can build on this.

 

[Jarman3]

I've been critical of him in the past but I was very impressed with him on Thursday, a bit of x factor that we are lacking in our best 22! he has always had the speed and the skills but now he looks a lot stronger!

Same here. Still got a way to go, but on Thursday night I saw signs of definite improvement from what he showed last year. Looking forward to seeing a few more games from him this year. Probably needs 1 more preseason to get his body fully up to AFL condition, but I'm more optimistic about him now than I have been since his first couple of games.

 

[Redleg Crow]

Thread title has gone from "Where is he at?" to "Rising star nominee" to now "Developing nicely"

Very good game last night. The defence aspect still needs work, but let's be honest he's there to take the game on, create and start attacks and he did that and was tough at the ball as well.

Very heartening to see.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Did anyone else notice he was more than competitive in the air and was trying to intercept mark in front of packs

Big change in his confidence levels to be doing that sort of stuff and will add another layer to his game

So when Smith comes back what do we do ? We need to keep Milera in that role and drop Kelly or Cheney ?

 

[Elite Crow]

Did anyone else notice he was more than competitive in the air and was trying to intercept mark in front of packs

Big change in his confidence levels to be doing that sort of stuff and will add another layer to his game

So when Smith comes back what do we do ? We need to keep Milera in that role and drop Kelly or Cheney ?

Milera was playing a lot on the wing in the second half

 

[1990crow]

Did anyone else notice he was more than competitive in the air and was trying to intercept mark in front of packs

Big change in his confidence levels to be doing that sort of stuff and will add another layer to his game

So when Smith comes back what do we do ? We need to keep Milera in that role and drop Kelly or Cheney ?

The right answer is drop Kelly. Spud.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Did anyone else notice he was more than competitive in the air and was trying to intercept mark in front of packs

Big change in his confidence levels to be doing that sort of stuff and will add another layer to his game

So when Smith comes back what do we do ? We need to keep Milera in that role and drop Kelly or Cheney ?

It's actually harder than that because Kelly is no longer playing in the backline.

Too many defenders.

Ideally Doedee will step up Rampe style and be able to handle the 2nd tall. Then Hartigan/Keath gets squeezed out against all but the tallest forward lines. We become extremely mobile then with heaps of rebound.

I don't have any faith that this will happen though. We'll just move Smith/Milera somewhere else.

 

[Golumless]

Did anyone else notice he was more than competitive in the air and was trying to intercept mark in front of packs

Big change in his confidence levels to be doing that sort of stuff and will add another layer to his game

So when Smith comes back what do we do ? We need to keep Milera in that role and drop Kelly or Cheney ?

Should just be as simple as drop Kelly right now.

 

[1990crow]

It's actually harder than that because Kelly is no longer playing in the backline.

Too many defenders.

Ideally Doedee will step up Rampe style and be able to handle the 2nd tall. Then Hartigan/Keath gets squeezed out against all but the tallest forward lines. We become extremely mobile then with heaps of rebound.

I don't have any faith that this will happen though. We'll just move Smith/Milera somewhere else.

Plus we have to make room for DMac when he returns.

 

[mattymac]

Did anyone else notice he was more than competitive in the air and was trying to intercept mark in front of packs

Big change in his confidence levels to be doing that sort of stuff and will add another layer to his game

So when Smith comes back what do we do ? We need to keep Milera in that role and drop Kelly or Cheney ?

Smith to the mids? Its long been a dream and would really add some class footskills and break away speed to the midfield mix. His apprenticeship on the HBF may have run its course?

 

[Redleg Crow]

Did anyone else notice he was more than competitive in the air and was trying to intercept mark in front of packs

Big change in his confidence levels to be doing that sort of stuff and will add another layer to his game

So when Smith comes back what do we do ? We need to keep Milera in that role and drop Kelly or Cheney ?

And throw in a fit McPherson...

Good problem to have

 

[Golumless]

Smith to the mids? Its long been a dream and would really add some class footskills and break away speed to the midfield mix. His apprenticeship on the HBF may have run its course?

I have my doubts he'll ever make that switch, seeing he's our best outside midfielder currently.

Providing all stay fit (no mean feat right now), an outside battery of Smith, Milera, Seedsman and Atkins is a pretty salivating thought.

 

[azza77]

Did anyone else notice he was more than competitive in the air and was trying to intercept mark in front of packs

Big change in his confidence levels to be doing that sort of stuff and will add another layer to his game

So when Smith comes back what do we do ? We need to keep Milera in that role and drop Kelly or Cheney ?

He was tough all night. Attacked the contest, put his body on the line and like you said, actually tried to impact contests in the air. Definitely a string he needed to add to his bow and last night was great to see he stepped it up a notch again, after building nicely this season.

Kid is going to be an out and out star if he continues along this path.

 

[Geoffa32]

He is starting to grow into his size.

His height and weight don't seem to indicate he is "big". But look at his shoulders quads and torso he is a mini tank.

As a junior he was always light on his feet and he is getting back to that agility in traffic at AFL level.

Imagine him Seed, Smithers and Laird working as a HB/wing quartet.

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[Geoffa32]

Smith to the mids? Its long been a dream and would really add some class footskills and break away speed to the midfield mix. His apprenticeship on the HBF may have run its course?

I think Milera could be better suited to a midfield role. He works better in traffic than Smith and is starting to apply the defensive pressure.

Milera for Dougie in the midfield rotation could be the move eventually.

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[hey shorty]

Plus we have to make room for DMac when he returns.

He won't be returning to the senior side.

Kelly was good last night, but he doesn't need to play when Cheney is fit as he is inferior.

As for Milera, he looked soooooo smooth last night. Half back, wing, it doesn't matter..... he is crucial to us moving forward

 

[Scorpus]

He won't be returning to the senior side.

Of course he will

 

[hey shorty]

Of course he will

Don't bet on it.

He wouldn't have been best 22 with a fit squad this year, by the time he returns so will Smith.

 

[Golumless]

He won't be returning to the senior side.

I wouldn't bet on that. Someone high up in our selection team has a massive hard on for Dmack, even if it meant us not being as good.

We are a long way beyond this being an issue of "well there aren't better players".

 

[hey shorty]

I wouldn't bet on that. Someone high up in our selection team has a massive hard on for Dmack, even if it meant us not being as good.

We are a long way beyond this being an issue of "well there aren't better players".

IMO he will leave at the end of the year. We have Milera, Seedsman, Smith and even McPherson in the future who all play his role better.

He just can't fit in, especially when you bear in mind the number of ACTUAL best 22 players we had out last night

 

[Scorpus]

Don't bet on it.

He wouldn't have been best 22 with a fit squad this year, by the time he returns so will Smith.

Whenever there is any doubt over Mackay's best 22 status, all you have to do is remember this is the Crows, where Mackay is always best 22