Sam Reid - What's going on?

[ScottH]

Sam Reid plays his role IMO. He was crucial as an extra down back in the final qtr on Saturday. He is the new LRT.

Agree.
No matter what he does or doesn't do up forward, he is playing the loose man in defence really well.
Has taken most of his marks down back this year I'd say.

[Meg]

Sam Reid plays his role IMO. He was crucial as an extra down back in the final qtr on Saturday. He is the new LRT.

I also agree. Longmire is very strategic with his use of Reid and I suspect values him highly.

[Untamed Snark]

I also agree. Longmire is very strategic with his use of Reid and I suspect values him highly.

I'm sure he does, I miss the spectacular marks he takes with so much ease but there is no doubt Sammy is doing what the club is asking from him.
He's young, talented and will just keep getting better

[SA Swan]

He is also very young. By the time he is 26-28 he could be one of the best KPP's in the comp.

[Conor_Dillon]

Agree with the sentiment about him playing his role but I still think he is really low on confidence. His position in the team is in no danger but I'd love to see him have a break out game in the prelim. If the cats or roos employ a spare man or two to drop back on Buddy i'd like to see Horse push him up to a wing again and try and engineer having Sam one-out in the forward 50, with big Tip playing CHF. There's not many players that would be capable of matching him both on the lead and in the air, particularly if he has the number 2 or 3 defender.

[mcs]

He is also very young. By the time he is 26-28 he could be one of the best KPP's in the comp.

I think hawkins is a good example of how it can just 'click' for big KPP players as well. He was servicable, but nothing special for quite a few seasons, and then all of a sudden it just clicked.

I do agree with Conor that he seems to be lacking confidence, but hopefully one day it'll click for him and that'll be it.

[Danzar]

I think hawkins is a good example of how it can just 'click' for big KPP players as well. He was servicable, but nothing special for quite a few seasons, and then all of a sudden it just clicked.

I do agree with Conor that he seems to be lacking confidence, but hopefully one day it'll click for him and that'll be it.

Very true about Hawkins. He's 26 or 27 now and has had his best season. It took him years to hit stride, despite all the promise. The Cats stuck it out though and kept playing him week in week out.

I also agree with what's been said so far. My only concern is the significant drop in Sammy's marking ability. Take a look at the stats: AFL Tables - Sam Reid - Stats - Statistics What happened there?

Also, his marking ability was in decline well before Horse began to move him about in different roles. Fitness, confidence maybe?

But, five years from now when Sammy is a ripe 27 years of age, both Buddy and Tippett will be 33 and Goodes will be retired. Who knows what will be the case then

[graemed]

The role that Sam is playing for the team must be galling for him as he had such a high profile in our win in 2012.

That said he has been manful in his execution of said roles, some which have already been mentioned in this thread. His running off the ball to create space behind for both Tippett and Franklin to run into, playing the high forward/wing to allow the quick exit kick from defence, relieving ruckman, extra defender, blocking defenders and third in jumpers in the forward 50, shepherding, foxing ground balls, laying tackles, he does all the 1%ers that coaches love and we miss.

Just watch how he defends off the forward 50 for centre clearances, he always making space for the likes of Hanneberry, McGlynn, McVeigh, Jetta and Parker to run into clear air. None of this gets shown on the tunnel vision of the box in the corner but its there and visible to anyone watching at the game.

Not to relive the past but last year he was missing and Jesse White failed to do this role, we all witnessed the difference and difficulty we had at centre bounces.