Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

[AshMac]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

Also if gold coast were going to take him in PSD and Baz was okay with that we would just trade him there.

Drives me nuts how much say the player has in where they go. Goes against the entire principle of supply and demand and ALWAYS disadvantages the smaller clubs

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

I read somewhere that Baz and I think Ellie Blackburn will be in Ballarat signing autographs or whatever.

That is something, I guess.

[jeemak]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

Drives me nuts how much say the player has in where they go. Goes against the entire principle of supply and demand and ALWAYS disadvantages the smaller clubs

Dunno mate, good or elite footballers are in relatively short supply and demand for them is off the charts. And the sundry reasons for joining a big club are also significant.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

Well shame upon we woofers if Bailey stays.
What if he's been reading us and is faithful?
Win win I say.

[Mantis]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

Well shame upon we woofers if Bailey stays.
What if he's been reading us and is faithful?
Win win I say.

Like he's only had all season to re-sign, why would he wait until now?

He's gone and I think we're all fine with that... we couldn't keep everyone and he's the one who is probably most expendable.

[hujsh]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

Well shame upon we woofers if Bailey stays.
What if he's been reading us and is faithful?
Win win I say.

Said the 1950s housewife

[MrMahatma]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

Well shame upon we woofers if Bailey stays.
What if he's been reading us and is faithful?
Win win I say.

Staying or not, it's pretty odd he hasn't been training at the club - and seems like a dick move from someone who doesn't really want to be part of the group. So if he stays, it's still a dick move and he'd need to get over his own self absorbed approach to a team game.

IMO that is.

I'm sure he's not reading footy forums. He'll be reading comments on insta about his abs.

[Bullies]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

Staying or not, it's pretty odd he hasn't been training at the club - and seems like a dick move from someone who doesn't really want to be part of the group. So if he stays, it's still a dick move and he'd need to get over his own self absorbed approach to a team game.

IMO that is.

I'm sure he's not reading footy forums. He'll be reading comments on insta about his abs.

And i also see Sam Docherty is trying to play in the finals. He did his ACL in Round 1. Smith made zero effort as his Management advised it to be to big a risk in regards to his upcoming contract.

Had he any intention of staying he would have jumped on a 2 year deal that was offered and attempted to play finals knowing he would be covered for the next 2 years.

[Sedat]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

And i also see Sam Docherty is trying to play in the finals. He did his ACL in Round 1. Smith made zero effort as his Management advised it to be to big a risk in regards to his upcoming contract.

Had he any intention of staying he would have jumped on a 2 year deal that was offered and attempted to play finals knowing he would be covered for the next 2 years.

To be fair to Smith, it suits both he and the club equally to not rush back and play this season. Docherty is older, under contract and not going anywhere - he would be desperate to play finals as there may not be many opportunities to do so in the future.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

The tea leaves say Smith is going.
Yet we never know for sure until he walks.
He would show up even if he's leaving.
As Mantis says, we're reconciled to it, most expendable given Richards and Sanders season and the compensation we receive.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

We don't need Smith any more despite his potential and training ethic.

[Boots]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

We don't need Smith any more despite his potential and training ethic.

As I understand it, he's got a reputation for over-training, especially in response to perceived personal failure. There was a story about him doing waaaay too many laps of the oval immediately after a bad game a few years back, wasn't there? That plus the mental health issues plus the endless drive for attention through side projects and social media stuff suggests pretty low self-esteem, which isn't a problem that goes away just because you change clubs. It needs serious psychological management, and isn't really fixable.

He had some amazing games for us but his form was always wildly inconsistent. I've got over the notion of losing him because as you say, we don't need him anymore.

If I'm right and he isn't going to get over these issues just from a seachange, then I think we might even get a vengeful giggle or two at the Cats' expense over the next few years.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

As I understand it, he's got a reputation for over-training, especially in response to perceived personal failure. There was a story about him doing waaaay too many laps of the oval immediately after a bad game a few years back, wasn't there? That plus the mental health issues plus the endless drive for attention through side projects and social media stuff suggests pretty low self-esteem, which isn't a problem that goes away just because you change clubs. It needs serious psychological management, and isn't really fixable.

He had some amazing games for us but his form was always wildly inconsistent. I've got over the notion of losing him because as you say, we don't need him anymore.
Well read, agree.

If I'm right and he isn't going to get over these issues just from a seachange, then I think we might even get a vengeful giggle or two at the Cats' expense over the next few years.

Well read, agree.
He's young and fanatical, immature.
When he matures he'll fulfill his promise.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

Bailey Smith says he’s focused on injury rehab, not his future, amid trade speculation and links to Geelong

Bailey Smith has spoken publicly for the first time on his football future as speculation ramps up he will ask Western Bulldogs to be traded at season’s end.

Injured Bulldogs star Bailey Smith claims he hasn’t considered his future at the club amid rampant speculation he will ask to be traded.

Speaking publicly for the first time about his plans beyond this year, Smith said he would not risk his health by trying to return to be part of a possible finals campaign.

The 23-year-old has been strongly linked with Geelong after Collingwood and Hawthorn were earlier touted as possible suitors.

Smith tore his ACL in mid-December last year, all but ending his hopes of playing this season and sparking rumours he had played his last game for the Bulldogs.

“I haven’t paid any attention to anything other than my health at the minute and then supporting the boys – just focusing on the short-term, (the) here and now, which is GWS on Sunday and hopefully we get up,” Smith said.

“I don’t know when those (trade) conversations happen or if they do happen.”

The midfielder met Bulldogs fans in Ballarat on Friday, alongside the club’s AFLW star and former captain Ellie Blackburn.

Hundreds of supporters lined up in club gear to greet the pair, with the line stretching outside the shopping centre doors.

Following his knee injury, Smith said he was“feeling really good” and “fully fit” and that he was had started contact exercises as part of his rehab.

He said he had decided in conjuction with the Bulldogs that he would focus on his recovery rather than risk possible injury by returning this season.

“There were (discussions about playing again in 2024) early days, but then it’s more the risk versus reward of chasing a couple of games versus playing for another 10, 12 years,” he said.

“Initially I was really chasing to come back, but it’s just not worth the risk.”

Smith also spent time in Europe earlier in the year, which he said was “awesome, just mentally more than physically”.

“I still trained every day over there,” he said.

Last week, Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge conceded that his confidence Smith would stay at the club had started to “wane” as he was yet to indicate he would sign a new contract.

But he added he wasn’t “resigned” to Smith’s future being elsewhere.

“There are always things you can do. I mean, there’s the negotiation around contracts. It’s obviously the byplay between managers, and that happens behind the scenes,” he said.

“And I’ve got a great relationship with Bailey, so that’s not a concern of mine that I need to somehow fix something that isn’t an issue.

“But there are some levers that you can grab onto and drag it down. The intentions and what the possibilities might be for the individual, they could never be black and white for the club that they play at, because it’s too much conversation that we’re not privy to.”

Smith, a first-round draft pick in 2018, grew up barracking for Hawthorn and has collaborated with Cotton On, which is a patron of the Cats.

Both Hawthorn and Geelong have the salary cap room to fit Smith in.

The Bulldogs will play GWS in Ballarat on Sunday.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Welcome to the Bulldogs: Bailey Smith

**** off already.