It’s pretty unusual.
I know that he has some unique dietary concerns stemming from foetal alcohol syndrome but I’d have expected that with the club laying out a tailored program for him in terms of exercise and diet that we would have seen obvious and positive change. But it just hasn’t come. If anything it’s gone the other way.
Is he just having a run around in the 2’s for the love of the game but he’s just seeing out his time with us until his contract runs out?
I think he’s done, mate.
It’s really sad. But, I think it’s reality.
I really hope not but his conditioning doesn’t look to have improved much at all.
We’ll see, still plenty of footy left in the year.
Can still football
Probably the most gifted and skilful player we’ve had for the last 15 years. That’s not in question. But he’s still looking like a park footballer and as a result he’s having single digit possession games in the 2’s. It’s sad.
I still hope he can get it together and at least get back for a few games at the tail end of the year.
Should be playing on the back flank . Would be forced to run more find more of the footy and increase his fitness.
I get what you’re saying and there’s probably some merit in it but it seems bigger than just the k’s he’s covering within games. Seems likely that it’s more about what is happening in between games.
It has a real Mozzie feel about it.
Dont think hes got any interest in getting back.
I don’t see much point playing him up forward in the 2s. Put in the guts, or half back (which from whence he came)
He won’t play seniors again
He’s still as big as he was 5 months ago
he’s clearly bigger now, than what he was about a month ago. he was starting to look on track, and then something changed again, and he went backwards in terms of playing weight
i dont think we’ll see him again to be honest. it truly sucks. my boy loves him. any essendon person loves him. He’s gone from looking like a AA footballer to this
I just wish we could see it for a few more years
Yes please
This is how I see it too. He looks just as bad as he did earlier in the season ( size wise). I don’t think he has the hunger to get back to AFL fitness, I think he is just going through the motions until the end of the year, and then will pull the pin
It’s pretty sad to think this is how his career is going to end
Better to let him go now and pull the pin, no point in holding him until the end of the year. The question is what happens to our salary cap if he retires mid year, since he has a contract till next year?
Delicate issue but what are we getting from this situation and does a tough decision need to be made soon?
He’s been back at the club for 3 months and looks no closer to playing senior footy. 3 months is an entire preseason. Smith was on a few week mini preseason program in hopes to recapture his career.
Where’s the standards? You can’t have one foot in the door. Am I wrong in thinking there’s 3 options; retire, take leave to reassess or get fit and in a position to play senior footy.
There’s the 4th option, which is to stay in the vfl until his contract runs out.
Sadly this is becoming the most likely play from here. Which sucks so very very much.
What are you guys basing this on? Just his size?
Dean Rioli never had a football players body
Players like Dean Rioli dont need a football players body
Whatever he’s like now, he’s 10000x better option than Ham
I loved Dean Rioli, but he played in a different era. The fitness demands are far greater in today’s game. It’s much more difficult for unfit players to have an impact, and their deficiencies are much more glaring and easily exploited by opposition teams.