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Thread: Sam Reid - What's going on?

  1. #1

    Sam Reid - What's going on?

    A lot of fantastic performances from last weekend's game and this has been an exciting year for the emergence of new talent, but I just can't help but feel really disappointed by Sam Reid's performance, both in the QF and over the last few weeks (although he performed ok late in the Richmond game).

    He finished the QF with only 8 disposals (only 5 more than Malceski) and no scoring contributions. Even Goodesy, who is probably a couple of games from retirement, performed better and kicked an important goal. While Reid did the occasional 1%er, I feel like those moments were few and far between.

    Generally speaking, I often feel like it's been "one step forward, two steps back" with Reid's career. He sometimes puts in a fantastic performance and then goes missing for weeks at a time. I understand that his season last year was badly interrupted by injury, and this year he is adjusting to the swingman role, but regardless of the circumstances I feel that he has been generally inconsistent with impressive flashes of brilliance.

    He's still young and extremely athletic, but I feel that, unlike Parker or even Lloyd, he has yet to grab his game by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shake. I'd like to hear people's thoughts on his career trajectory and where you see a role for him next year.

  2. #2
    pr. dim-melb; m not f
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    I think Reid's development has been made more difficult by his emergence as the default second ruckman. I don't know what his instructions are, but I can perhaps imagine how hard it becomes when not only are you playing the swing role, forward to be a target, back to cut off the supply, but filling in as ruck from time to time.

    His marking this season is not what it has been and I have no idea why that is so. He can still dominate in a pack - we've seen it this year, if not as often as it used to happen - but perhaps other teams have woken up to his potential and are making life harder for him. If so it will be one more step he needs to take in his development. His staying power seems OK and he can still be a decent kick, and I get the impression that Horse has faith in him and that his teammates want him around.

    Perhaps the answer is time, patience and continued hard work. I think we have already seen enough potential to want him to stay and keep working at his trade. I can't believe that he will emulate, say, Jesse White.
    He reminds him of the guys, close-set, slow, and never rattled, who were play-makers on the team. (John Updike, seeing Josh Kennedy in a crystal ball)

  3. #3
    Sam Reid has one of the trickier roles in the team

    I dont know about you Ampersand but playing striker in soccer and then sweeper several times a game would confuse most athletes and I have not seen this happen in soccer given its difficulty but it has become more an more popular in AFL over the years.........I havent seen many fullbacks in Union also play Prop all in the one game...........

    ........that being said not many are good at the swingman role in AFL and I havent seen many be able to play on the wing or midfield as well as a tall forward and or tall back like Reid can do and all in the one game!

    So for me Reid has a role in the team that the coaches of the Swans feel is crucial in matchups and required pressure up front or down back ! Reid also takes away an opposition player from their key role which appears to have been a greater disruption for the opposition !

    I for one have really enjoyed watching our constant matchup changes and creating havoc for the other team

    If it is not Rohan, Goodes, Buddy well its Reid etc moving around the field positions and creating a real matchup issue for the opposition...........the opposition is having to think about us and not about themselves........we are setting the tactical pace

    I really enjoy Reid being in our best 22 and his utility is high quality and highly effective i feel
    "be tough, only when it gets tough"


  4. #4
    I meant to add that Reid creates an incredible headache for the opposition entries when he stands back with our backs and same again he is such a challenge when running in our 50m attacking arc especially when he is one on one.........he creates a headache for the opposition to find a solution to match up
    "be tough, only when it gets tough"


  5. #5
    Senior Player ernie koala's Avatar
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    I agree Auntie, he gives Horse both flexibility and cover during the course of a game.

    He gets multiple roles in the one game.

    Part of his role is to take a defender away from Buddy and Tippo's area, which is why he appears to be out of the play a fair bit.

    He is often used for the outlet kick down the line, and although he doesn't always clunk it, he generally doesn't give possession back to the opposition,

    and his work in tight is pretty good and often creative at getting the ball to a free player.

    He's done some vital defensive acts during the season, as well as kick the odd goal and be a target up forward occasionally.

    He does his role, which is multifaceted, plus he's good insurance if a key position player goes down.
    Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect... MT

  6. #6
    Fair responses. I just think I'd like him to do more than just "be there". If he's supposed to be drawing defenders away, then I'd suggest he did a pretty poor job on Saturday. Watching him up close in the forward line I noticed he spent a lot of time motionless in the forward 50 and signalling players to put the ball on top of his head for a contested mark rather than creating space by leading away from Buddy and Tippett. Reid's defender would often just peal away from him and be the extra man in the contest.

    I think he generally looks far more at home as the extra man in defence.

  7. #7
    I watched him quite regularly during the game on the weekend and thought he played well in the role(s) he has clearly been assigned.
    Today's a draft of your epitaph

  8. #8
    Warming the Bench Cant turn right's Avatar
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    I think Reid plays the new LRT swingman role. Its very hard to be a master of all the roles he plays. He's vitally important to the structure of the team and his development is just fine.

  9. #9
    If he could mark hed be an exceptional player

  10. #10
    Suspended by the MRP
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    Sam Reid is a player of key moments. They often happen when we need them. That mark in the 2012 GF off half back late in the game was vital to repelling the Hawks attack. We forced that ball forward after that towering mark.

    Last season against Fremantle he secured the Swans a draw with that towering mark on the goal line.

    Against Port it was that towering fist. We may have lost all three of those games without his interventions late in those games.

    He won't get 10 marks, five goals and 20 possessions in either of the next two potential games, but I would not be surprised if it's a smother, a tackle, a towering mark or a spoil from Reid that proves vital in one of the next two potential games.

  11. #11
    Warming the Bench
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    I agree with a lot of the above posters.

    The flexibility that Sam gives the coaches box makes him a lock in the 22. Longmire has repeatedly spoken about his coachability and his game smarts.

    He is the perfect key position size, great speed, tacking pressure, has a football brain and follows the coaches orders. I think the real upside to Sam when he gets his confidence in his own game. From the stands, he seems to lose confidence when he drops an easy mark or a goal.

    Time is on his side, and if he can pull it together, he will be one of the elite players in the comp.

  12. #12
    Veterans List Ludwig's Avatar
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    Don't forget that Reid is still only 22 years old. That's still very young for a KPP. I feel he's ready to have a breakout season next year. We know he can take a strong mark. He drops some easy ones, but that's just a concentration problem that he should work out. He now seems to have worked out his goal kicking. I think physically he's the perfect KPP that can play at both ends. He's got good speed and plays a strong defensive game.

    If we take the whole year in context, we really needed Sam to fill in as that 2nd ruckman during the year. As mentioned, he's played all over the ground. It's a lot to ask for such a young player and he's done a fine job. Some say that he doesn't have a real role in the side, but I think that flexible KPP is real role in the modern game. It's useful to have someone you can drop back in defence when you want to ice the game. It's also good to have that extra tall if you can create a height advantage through isolation.

    I mentioned in another thread that I prefer Reid back and Rohan forward, but no big deal. Once Goodes retires, he will have a greater presence as the third tall forward and should have a chance to settle in to that position. It's also good to know that if AJ doesn't come good we have Reid who can fill a role in defence if Ted or Reg are injured.

    Reid's importance to the team is far greater that what is indicated by his possession stats.

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