Preview R1: Changes for 2025

[AFC979810]

If you're predicting both an imminent dropping and a spectacular career revival does the conversation really need anyone else?

All Australian is a little out there, but in fairness - I don't think anyone had 35 year old Zorko coming 2nd in the Lions B&F in a premiership year whilst being an All Australian after the year he had in 2023.

As a player - Laird has a pretty high ceiling and it feels like in 2025 a pretty low floor.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Those calling for Bond would turn pretty quick when his man kicks 4 (happens sometimes no matter how good a stopper is), and they realise Bond hasn't really done anything useful all game.

Maxy is already offensively lower than your ideal small defender, but he gets more ball than Bond, is courageous, tough, takes marks, AND stops his man.

We can't afford Bond except to fill in for Max.

Max started the trial pushing further up the ground and being more attacking before being injured.

You can’t compare his output when playing as a 18 year old skinny shutdown defender as to what he could be now. Tallish, good mark, speed, good disposal. Playing him in the dour shutdown small defender role would be a waste of his talents.

 

[AFC979810]

We were a pretty shit side in 2019.

Yeah - slightly more shit than 2018 when he was All Australian. Happy to acknowledge that the 6-6-6 affected his form as his performance wasn't as good in 2019, but he was still a very good player that year.

Look he can cleary still play AFL but I don’t think he fits our defence. With Keane replacing Butts our defence overall is more attacking. We don’t need the ball in Laird hands and the issue is he demands it.

We struggle against the opposition best small forwards and Bond has shown an ability to shut them down. He frees up Max to be more than just a stopper. With Max’s height, speed and disposal we should be using those weapons.

But my post was in relation to a 31 year old Laird making the AA squad as a defender and given the level of competition for spots, I believe those days are gone.

Not unreasonable at all. Just don't think it's unreasonable that he could also have a sneaky good season back there if he embraces his role. He is a smart footballer and if he can be the nuggety small defender that releases Hinge, Cumming, Max, Nank, Worrell to move the ball up the field he could be very valuable (more so than Bond that IMO is limited to just being a -dare I say it -

 

[George CantStandYa]

All Australian is a little out there, but in fairness - I don't think anyone had 35 year old Zorko coming 2nd in the Lions B&F in a premiership year whilst being an All Australian after the year he had in 2023.

As a player - Laird has a pretty high ceiling and it feels like in 2025 a pretty low floor.

That’s a rare occurrence from Zorko but his kick is far superior to Laird.

 

[AFC979810]

Max started the trial pushing further up the ground and being more attacking before being injured.

You can’t compare his output when playing as a 18 year old skinny shutdown defender as to what he could be now. Tallish, good mark, speed, good disposal. Playing him in the dour shutdown small defender role would be a waste of his talents.

IMO - I think he can be both. He can go onto the most dangerous forward and provide some run. He was just as good defensively in 2024 as he was in 2023, but really improved with the ball in his hands. Hopefully that continues.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Yeah - slightly more shit than 2018 when he was All Australian. Happy to acknowledge that the 6-6-6 affected his form as his performance wasn't as good in 2019, but he was still a very good player that year.



Not unreasonable at all. Just don't think it's unreasonable that he could also have a sneaky good season back there if he embraces his role. He is a smart footballer and if he can be the nuggety small defender that releases Hinge, Cumming, Max, Nank, Worrell to move the ball up the field he could be very valuable (more so than Bond that IMO is limited to just being a -dare I say it -

The thing is he won’t play that nuggety small defender that sacrifices his game to shut down the dangerous small forwards. He will ball chase. Bond in a qtr of a season has shown he can.

 

[AFC979810]

The thing is he won’t play that nuggety small defender that sacrifices his game to shut down the dangerous small forwards. He will ball chase. Bond in a qtr of a season has shown he can.

We will find out in the first month.

 

[George CantStandYa]

We will find out in the first month.

Yep and if it doesn’t work, will Nicks make the change and drop Laird? Doubt it

 

[AFC979810]

Yep and if it doesn’t work, will Nicks make the change and drop Laird? Doubt it

That is the worry.

 

[Southerntakeover]

All Australian is a little out there, but in fairness - I don't think anyone had 35 year old Zorko coming 2nd in the Lions B&F in a premiership year whilst being an All Australian after the year he had in 2023.

As a player - Laird has a pretty high ceiling and it feels like in 2025 a pretty low floor.

Don't agree there's a low floor. If he replicates last year's efforts teams will score off the back of his non-defensive efforts.

I have the image of him slowly walking across to cover a Hawthorn team racing to switch last year burned into my retinas.

The existence of outliers doesn't make outliers probable.

Anyway, we both know what our mate is doing and it has nothing to do with actually predicting, he just wants to try to be able to gloat under either outcome.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Don't agree there's a low floor. If he replicates last year's efforts teams will score off the back of his non-defensive efforts.

I have the image of him slowly walking across to cover a Hawthorn team racing to switch last year burned into my retinas.

The existence of outliers doesn't make outliers probable.

Anyway, we both know what our mate is doing and it has nothing to do with actually predicting, he just wants to try to be able to gloat under either outcome.

View attachment 2242210

There were other instances of it too. Which was the game that he basically stood there and jogged whilst the opposition went towards goal?

 

[Southerntakeover]

There were other instances of it too. Which was the game that he basically stood there and jogged whilst the opposition went towards goal?

Calls out a young player for not putting in (unjustly), then squibs a contest the very next week.

The things that Balme is talking about in his video, players actually having to show by action and not just word that they buy into doing the things that make their team mates better. It's the opposite of the habits Laird has been allowed to develop at our club for a very long time.

A guy who's first thought is can I run behind this for a handball and get a stat, and who absolutely does not put in defensively seems like the culture we need to break, not our candidate for rebound.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Don't agree there's a low floor. If he replicates last year's efforts teams will score off the back of his non-defensive efforts.

I have the image of him slowly walking across to cover a Hawthorn team racing to switch last year burned into my retinas.

The existence of outliers doesn't make outliers probable.

Anyway, we both know what our mate is doing and it has nothing to do with actually predicting, he just wants to try to be able to gloat under either outcome.

View attachment 2242210

If he plays like last year his career is done

Reckon that’s the reason to expect him to improve , but it’s up to him and his attitude

Bring back the rookie listed playing for career desperate team first attitude of his early days and he will go ok as he reads the game well and always has

 

[adelaidecrows]

If he plays like last year his career is done

Reckon that’s the reason to expect him to improve , but it’s up to him and his attitude

Bring back the rookie listed playing for career desperate team first attitude of his early days and he will go ok as he reads the game well and always has

Its not done as the crows are never that ruthless but he will likely be playing more Sanfl than he likes.

 

[AFC979810]

Don't agree there's a low floor. If he replicates last year's efforts teams will score off the back of his non-defensive efforts.

Huh? I think ya do agree.

A low floor means that his worst is really bad. A high floor means even at his worst he still has a reasonable standard.

High Floor / High Ceiling good.

Low Floro / Low Ceiling Bad.

 

[Grooster24]

This is the very interesting part.

The first month will be extremely telling. He had an absolute nightmare end to 2024. Dropped from the midfield for the prior month, called out a youngster and was blasted for it. Then the week after that he had two very very bad efforts that were called out by the national media.

How pissed off is he that he has been booted from the midfield? Are we over reacting because he has resting bitch face and had a horror end to the season?

Not sure if it's been posted elsewhere, but interesting conversation - here. Fantasy related, but go to 24 minutes for a chat with Laird and he discusses a few different players and where he thinks they will play. Comparison to Zorko was interesting.

LISTEN: Midfield strategy, Crow on Adelaide's stacked engine room

The Traders chat through AFL Fantasy midfielders and speak to Rory Laird about the Crows

www.afl.com.au

Zorko has a lot better disposal by foot. He can dart passes and long kicks for goal. Laird is nothing like that.

 

[Grooster24]

That’s a rare occurrence from Zorko but his kick is far superior to Laird.

Snap

 

[Southerntakeover]

Huh? I think ya do agree.

A low floor means that his worst is really bad. A high floor means even at his worst he still has a reasonable standard.

High Floor / High Ceiling good.

Low Floro / Low Ceiling Bad.

Oops, got me. Big brain takes longer to start up or something.

 

[skam85]

I think Laird deserves first crack in 2025. The bloke has finished top 3 in our B&F for 7 of the last 8 years and just turned 31.

The 6-6-6 is interesting. Yes he acknowledged it made his role tougher, but let's not act like he completely fell off a cliff in 2019. He still finished top 3 in our clubs B&F and then moved to the midfield in 2020.

Sure Bond is really good defensively, but with the ball in hand is the worry. Just feels limited with the ball in hand.

B&F 7 out of the last 8 years but 0 out of the last 1 year is the most relevant stat.

And Laird isn't a worry with ball in hand?
Majority of his kicks are just throw it on the boot and hope Granted sometimes it works

 

[skam85]

Huh? I think ya do agree.

A low floor means that his worst is really bad. A high floor means even at his worst he still has a reasonable standard.

High Floor / High Ceiling good.

Low Floro / Low Ceiling Bad.

Laird's build would suit a high floor/low ceiling arrangement

 

[AFC979810]

B&F 7 out of the last 8 years but 0 out of the last 1 year is the most relevant stat.

Players can re-invent themselves. Happy to give him the chance.

And Laird isn't a worry with ball in hand?
Majority of his kicks are just throw it on the boot and hope Granted sometimes it works

At his worst he is a worry with the ball in his hand. But he can also be a good user of the footy. If he plays a selfless role where he releases our other defenders then he can be an asset.

 

[skam85]

Players can re-invent themselves. Happy to give him the chance.



At his worst he is a worry with the ball in his hand. But he can also be a good user of the footy. If he plays a selfless role where he releases our other defenders then he can be an asset.

Yep, if Laird can play a Crouch but in the back half role where he feeds it off to better users, than that is a decent result. Hopefully he does but nothing I've seen indicates he'll do anything except his hail mary get it out of there kicks. Happy to be wrong.

 

[AFC979810]

Zorko has a lot better disposal by foot. He can dart passes and long kicks for goal. Laird is nothing like that.

The comparison was more based around how Zorko went from many thinking he should retire and his career was finished after 2023 - to having a really good season in 2024.

Laird is a 3 time B&F player and a 2 time All Australian and is still only 31. Should be given the chance to see if he can re-invent himself across Half back and IMO has the weapons to do so.

 

[Grooster24]

The comparison was more based around how Zorko went from many thinking he should retire and his career was finished after 2023 - to having a really good season in 2024.

Laird is a 3 time B&F player and a 2 time All Australian and is still only 31. Should be given the chance to see if he can re-invent himself across Half back and IMO has the weapons to do so.

Serious question, what are his weapons suited for HB role?

 

[Cromulant]

Serious question, what are his weapons suited for HB role?

He's a very good reader of the ball, which you need to be to play back there.

Thats about it