#22 Steele Sidebottom

[Mr Miyagi]

As long as he doesn’t smile on his 300th, because that one practice match will always tarnish his career.

Jokes aside, he’s thriving not being a midfield grunt, and playing half-forward/wing. You can see he’s loving the game this year. Nothing on Bucks, Sidey played out of his natural role out of necessity. We’re starting to get mid depth now, and that frees him up. Plus he didn’t cope well with lockdowns, fatherhood (never easy the first year) and the Bucks pressure/gameplan. I reckon Fly has put his trust in Sidey’s experience and just told him to go out and enjoy his footy.

[RudeBoy]

Well said Mr Miyagi.

I'd also remind people that Sidey played much of last season suffering with a groin injury. He seems fit and refreshed this year.

[swoop42]

His current disposal average of 16.50 is his lowest since his debut 2009 season.

It's the first time he's dropped below 20 since 2011 and way down on his career best of 29.38 in 2018.

He's had a very good career but at 31 the end looks to be coming quickly just like it did for Didak in 2013 at age 30 and there is no disgrace in that.

You get the feeling he simply can't get up and down the ground as fast as he once could and with that it's harder for him to find space to receive the ball or out work an opponent to win the ball.

His best hope now would seem a transition to the role of a creative small crumbing forward and I feel McRae needs to make this change sooner rather than later if he wishes to extend his career.

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]

I thought he played a valuable linking role the last couple of games, along the wings. Possession volume, who cares if they’re valuable. Didn’t see anyone complaining about Ginnivan’s 5 possessions

[Presti35]

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/alltime ... gwood.html

28 games to go.

If not for a couple of silly suspensions along the way and the incident in 2020, He could be 15 games closer and within reach this year.

[swoop42]

I thought he played a valuable linking role the last couple of games, along the wings. Possession volume, who cares if they’re valuable. Didn’t see anyone complaining about Ginnivan’s 5 possessions

Perhaps that's because he's a forward and in kicking 3 goals from his limited disposals he did his job.

He's also 19 and played 12 games.

For mine the bang for buck value in Sidebottom has been in gradual decline over the last couple of years already and with him now seemingly going from a player capable of winning 25-30 touches to 15-20 his influence is less again IMO.

Personally I'd rather him be getting 10 touches as a forward so we can extract maximum value from his football smarts rather than 15 operating between half back / forward with a body slowing down.

Time to retire to the F50 Sidey and let one of the kids do the hard yards up and down the wing I say.

[Ronnie McKeowns boots]

Aside from occasional glimpses, he has never come back from the shellacking he got in the 2018 GF, a gradual descent from there

[Mr Miyagi]

Until we get depth and the young guns can gut run, we need Sidey on the wing and on the ball simply because he can cover the whole ground whereas our other options can’t. I want him forward but we don’t have the depth in the mid and up the ground yet. He can play on the ball, but we don’t have the depth to cover his lack of speed. He won’t make it to 300 in this team currently.

[masoncox]

Sidebottom is finished
Should have delisted him last year

[SteveH67]

Sidebottom is finished
Should have delisted him last year

Certainly should not be given another year in 2023.

Bye Sidey thanks for the 2010 flag.

[think positive]

I thought he played a valuable linking role the last couple of games, along the wings. Possession volume, who cares if they’re valuable. Didn’t see anyone complaining about Ginnivan’s 5 possessions

both junior and I said the same, he was in everything

I don’t get the vitriol

[piedys]

I thought he played a valuable linking role the last couple of games, along the wings. Possession volume, who cares if they’re valuable.

Personally I'd rather him be getting 10 touches as a forward so we can extract maximum value from his football smarts rather than 15 operating between half back / forward with a body slowing down.

Time to retire to the F50 Sidey and let one of the kids do the hard yards up and down the wing I say.

Totally; however this midfield is so depleted and undersized at present, he's still in there having a go for us, by circumstance rather than design.

So yes, base him forward in 2023 where he can do some damage.
But only after we can get some stronger bodies brought onto the list in the coming FA/trade period.

[Mr Miyagi]

I thought he played a valuable linking role the last couple of games, along the wings. Possession volume, who cares if they’re valuable. Didn’t see anyone complaining about Ginnivan’s 5 possessions

both junior and I said the same, he was in everything

I don’t get the vitriol

Exactly, it’s bs. Sidey played a link man game today thanks to his ability to cover the whole ground. We saw how good he still is when we had a fit squad earlier in the year. A player is only as good as the team, he’ll be fine.

[Big T]

He's finished.

[pieboy]

He has been in decline since 2020 and looks finished. Unless he can reinvent himself as a small forward he won't be at Collingwood next year