Brodie Smith to play a key role for the Crows despite crippling injury, say Adelaide coaches

BRODIE Smith is down but not completely out, with Adelaide’s coaches saying he still has a key role to play in the preliminary final against Geelong.

THE PAIN GAME: Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs consoles Brodie Smith after his season-ending knee injury in the qualifying final win against GWS. Picture: Michael Willson (AFL Media/Getty Images).

BRODIE Smith is down but not completely out.

While the injured defender is heartbroken at missing Adelaide's charge to a first grand final since 1998, a “stoic’’ Smith is still playing a key role in the build-up to Friday’s preliminary final against Geelong, according to the club’s coaches.

Assistant coach James Podsiadly, who marshalls the defence, and senior coach Don Pyke have hailed Smith’s defensive knowledge and revealed he has been working with his fellow backmen on a plan to stifle the Cats forwards, including Brownlow Medallist Patrick Dangerfield, at Adelaide Oval.

Smith, an All-Australian in 2014, will miss the game – and the best part of a year – after shredding the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the six-goal qualifying final win against GWS.

“He sees the game very well, so from a coaching perspective he is imparting some of that knowledge to our other defenders,’’ Podsiadly told The Advertiser.

“He is definitely playing a role for us, with our back six or seven, and for me to lean on, as I have been all year, because his knowledge of opposition players and game trends is so good.’’

Smith attended the Crows defensive meeting yesterday morning and will play a “minor’’ strategic role during tonight’s match.

CROWS RULE OUT McGOVERN

“Brodie has a good understanding of the game and is well regarded by the players and while he’s clearly very disappointed at not being able to play at this time of the year he’s been really stoic,’’ Pyke said. “The fact he's so keen for the team to have success says a lot about him as an individual.’’

Podsiadly described the bond between Adelaide’s defenders as the “tightest’’ at the club. “From my experience in football the backline group is, for some reason, traditionally the tightest,’’ said Podsiadly.

“I can’t actually explain why but maybe it’s because they are the ones who are dealing with the most pressure and have to be tight and on the same page to cope with what’s thrown at them.

“But with our group, Brodie, Rory Laird, Daniel Talia, Kyle Hartigan, Jake Lever, Luke Brown and Jake Kelly, the guys who usually play down there, they have a really strong bond and relationships not only at the footy club but also outside of playing and training.

“And that’s very important to success.’’

The Adelaide backline is a mixed bag.

While Smith, Talia and Lever are first-round draft picks, Laird, who will play his 100th game tonight, Hartigan and Kelly were selected in the rookie draft. Brown was traded to the Crows as a GWS zone incentive selection.

Podsiadly said Smith’s fellow backmen “absolutely feel for him’’ as they zero in a long-awaited grand final berth.

“We are all very disappointed for Brodie,’’ he said.

“He’s really close to all those guys but he still has an important role to play so we are tapping into his knowledge.’’

Podsiadly, who said his strong relationships at Geelong had been put on hold in the build-up to tonight’s game, indicated Brown would take on extra kick-in duties to cover for Smith’s booming right boot after opposition behinds.