Mark Robinson analyses Bailey Smith and Western Bulldogs’ off-season of change
Are they coming or going? As MARK ROBINSON writes, Western Bulldogs are the AFL’s greatest enigma and facing a crucial summer of reflection.
Who was the better prospect two years ago – Josh Daicos or Bailey Smith?
Since then, one of them is an All-Australian wingman and a best-and-fairest winner in a premiership year.
The other is a wannabe-rock star wingman who wants to play midfield and who is probably, at the moment, more renowned for his rig, his hair and his bulging Instagram account.
Daicos is 24 and Smith is 22, but this isn’t about age.
Just as it wasn’t about age in 2021. Smith was 20 then and compiled an outstanding 617 disposals and 17 goals from 26 games, which included a slashing three finals.
In the same season, Daicos, then 22, collected 322 disposals and nine goals from 17 matches, with injuries at the start of the season (hip) and at the back (finger) an interruption.
Smith was clearly the better prospect, yet Daicos is comfortably the better player now.
Smith’s career, like his team at the Western Bulldogs, is a peculiar fascination this off-season.
Off contract at the end of next season – and popular opinion suggests it will be his last at The Kennel – Smith has decisions to make. Not only about his future, but about what he wants to be as a footballer.
In late August, four-time Hawthorn premiership player Jordan Lewis had advice for Smith.
“There comes a time in a player’s career when they need to assess all parts of their life,’’ Lewis said on Fox Footy’s AFL360.
“It’s tough for Bailey Smith to do that because his stuff off the field is so lucrative.
“So what do you want to be remembered as?
“Do you want to put your football first or do you want to put your outside life and commitments first?”
Clubs are quick to defend their players both publicly and privately, but Lewis didn’t get a phone call from anyone at the Bulldogs.
This week, Lewis, who spent time with Smith when he was coach at Xavier College, maintained Smith had to “find the balance’’ between off-field and on-field.
“(In August) I made the reference about Christian Petracca,’’ Lewis said. “Petracca’s footy was just going, he was on social media, he was doing some stuff, and he said he was really struggling with all the feedback he was getting online.
“So, I said get off it. He got off it and his footy went through the roof. And once that happened, the confidence within his playing ability grew and then he was able to produce the off-field stuff.
“And because he was more mature the balance was right.
“What’s Bailey? 22 or 23? He’s young. He just needs to find the right balance.
“The other one is the acceptance of role.’’
In recent interviews, Smith has maintained he wants to play midfield. In a team game, which requires players to play roles, it’s a demand that has raised eyebrows.
“The penny drops when players say, ‘I’m giving myself over to the team’ and doing whatever the team needs,’’ Lewis said.
“Petracca is a rock star and we watch from the outside and say he’s just doing his own thing. But he’s not. He plays in a system and he’s rewarded because he plays in that system.
“With Bailey, this next season we watch with interest. I hope he goes really well.’’
Smith is the headliner at an organisation that is adopting change.
The lacklustre end to the 2023 season, which saw the Bulldogs drop five of their last eight games and miss the finals, prompted a review of all footy operations.
In a momentary power struggle, football boss Chris Grant and chief executive Ameet Bains put on the hard hats.
Tensions have certainly cooled since long-time Luke Beveridge assistant coach Rohan Smith was sacked in a major overhaul of the coaching staff.
Beveridge, who is as loyal as they come, wasn’t thrilled with the Smith decision enforced by Grant and which was supported by Bains.
“Rohan and I’ve been together from the start. We love him to death,” an emotional Beveridge said at the time.
While the review continues, already gone are Smith who was the defensive coach, Mark Webb (midfield and stoppages coach), Travis Varcoe (development coach who worked mainly with the VFL team) and long-time high performance manager Mathew Inness, who was poached by West Coast.
Matt Spangher remains as forwards coach and Brendon Lade expands his role as midfield coach
The highly-respected Matthew Egan was secured from Geelong as coaching and performance manager, a role similar to the one Alan Richardson has at Melbourne.
Also new are Daniel Pratt (defensive coach) and this week former St Kilda captain Jarryn Geary joined the Dogs as development and player leadership coach.
The Dogs also tried to leverage Justin Leppitsch out of Collingwood but “Leppa” stayed put.
A high-performance manager will be named shortly, as will a part-time goal kicking coach.
SO CLOSE TO FINALS
The margins are small in football. The Bulldogs missed the finals by half a game. They lost five matches by fewer than 10 points each and, in comparison, premier Collingwood won eight games by fewer than 10 points.
Defensively, the Dogs continued to cough up multiple runs of goals, while all the major components in scoring and ball movement had them ranked about mid-table or worse.
The Bulldogs fully backed Beveridge, who has two years to run on his contract, but at the same time, such a performance profile demanded change.
The recalibration of the coaching department, the club hopes, will bring energy and ideas to a playing list which many observers believe underperformed in 2023.
“Genuinely, I don’t know where their list sits,’’ Lewis said.
“You can look at a side, their age demographic, the talent on their list, they’re stacked in every part of the ground, they are challenging for a premiership.
“Hawthorn for example, is young, they have some high draft picks, they will need players to fill certain positions to become that premiership contender.
“And then there’s always teams that are in the middle, neither here nor there. That’s the Dogs, Essendon, Richmond now, I think the Suns are progressing up, Adelaide is progressing.
“The Dogs may play finals, they may win a final, but when you talk about the genuine top four sides, they are not in that calibre. I think they lack depth.’’
Smith aside, the Bulldogs have major contract pieces to navigate.
Ruckman Tim English is out of contract at the end of next season, as is emerging young gun Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
Both players will be nicely rewarded, but suggestions that English is a million-dollar player seem ridiculous. Ugle-Hagan’s signature is the one.
The Dogs are confident he will re-sign, but it will cost them, because it’s already been suggested he’ll be one of the highest-paid players in the competition within five years.
Despite it still being October, the 2024 season looms large at the Whitten Oval.
While the review continues, Lewis says he likes what the Bulldogs have undertaken. “Change can bring tension but that’s good,’’ he said. “You’re uncomfortable, it’s a good space, but sometimes not a nice space, but, hey, it gets you off your backside.’’
More Coverage
Injury-hit Demons stun Crows in Norwood thriller
Struck down by a host of injuries across their team, the Dees have managed to keep their AFLW season alive by pulling off a thrilling victory over the Crows.
Make me a Giant: The deal that will make Stringer’s wish a reality
Jake Stringer wants to play for GWS next season, but how can the Bombers and Giants get a deal done? One young gun at GWS could be the key. Recap day three of the trade period here.