#5 Devon Smith

he had issues with it at gws, and by the way he spoke when leaving, he felt they weren’t managing it well.

we managed it well last season and he played everygame and played the way he did.

this year he seems to be mismanaged with his pre season injury restricting him and his ability to train, then getting into the season playing underdone would suggest he’s aggravated it. granted that’s an uneducated guess based on just watching events unfold.

Hell of a picture you paint, SadBomberSean.

Aaaaand there it is

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May not have been mismanaged… maybe we just pushed him to play a full season to his limits and that’s shortened the number of good games that he has left.

The S’s have been great for us… but I do question, if we’re nowhere near a premiership window, did we make a mistake trading Smith and Shiel in for 1st rounders, if their best games are going to be in the next 2 to 3 years?

Not good news, but would rather this than have us ‘manage’ him. We all know how well that goes.

I’m concerned that his knees are totally shot though. Pre-existing problems, constant soreness in both knees, and now stop-gap surgery does not bode well for the long term.

maybe, just seems odd they could manage it well enough last year for him to play mostly midfield which he wanted, seemingly without pain.

but this year it’s flared up again to the point that he now getting new pain.

maybe you’re right, maybe the knee is being asked to do more than he currently can due to interupted pre season work to which he may need in order to get it right.

who knows, it is a concern though either way. JOM had a similar issue in the sense it was supposedly career ending too, but apart from the back end of his first season there, he seems to be ontop of it, so surely there’s a way to get him back to full flight.

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O’Meara… forgot he had a similar issue. Here’s hoping Smith can do the same

We basically got Smith, Stringer and Saad for picks 11, 30 & 2018 pick 35. (after pick swaps)

I don’t think anybody would questions that trade. Even if Smith sits out half a season.

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That’s no good. Smith is ace.

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His attitude will be missed just as much as his ability. We need mongrel players like him on the park. Something we’re lacking.

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Smith for 11 and Shiel for 2 x 1st rounders are the two with small question marks over them. Sincerely hope I’m being overly negative with that though, and that they both play 150 game for us… and one of them is a GF

We got pick 25 back in the Smith trade which we packaged with 30 to get Stringer.

Agree the Jury is still out on Shiel. I think that will turn out to be a good trade though.

Correct. He’s ace for several reasons. You’d want him back as soon as possible.

Don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that was coming unfortunately. The club can spin it whatever way they want but he will miss 6-8 weeks as a bare minimum IMO

We are beyond farked

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Richmond have a shocking injury list

Collingwood and gws last season had terrible runs to important players

Its no excuse.

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The problem with this is the worse the injury crisis becomes the more the coaches will be excused

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And to compound, ideally you’d give Smith’s games to someone like Mutch, but he’s injured as well.

fck this sht. This club is cursed

As long as he has surgery now and not in February.

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