source : the age
AFL great Leigh Matthews reckons Fremantle star Murphy Reid should watch replays of himself every day this week in the lead-up to Saturday’s grand final against Brisbane.
Reid is already one of the biggest stars of the competition, with the second-year phenomenon winning his maiden All-Australian jersey this season following a standout campaign.
But the 20-year-old has struggled to maintain his lofty heights in the cauldron of finals football, with uncharacteristic errors and double guessing proving costly in recent weeks.
It’s in contrast to what Reid has produced all season, and Matthews has a simple answer.
“If ever there’s a player who needs a confidence building overload this week, I’d be showing him his best footy 20 minutes a day for every day,” Matthews said.
“He’s a ground-level player who’s overthinking everything, and at the moment he’s not getting the ball much.
“He doesn’t know when to go, doesn’t know when to drop back, he’s just not backing himself.”
Matthews, who coached Brisbane to a hat-trick of flags from 2001-2003, wants others around Reid to encourage him to play on instinct.
“Every now and again he just doesn’t go because (he’s thinking), ‘Is it my turn to go or not go?’” Matthews told Kayo’s On The Couch.
“Like, you’ve got to say, ‘Mate, if the ball’s there, you go and get it’.
“He’s such a good player for them that if they’re going to beat the Lions, certainly Murphy Reid has to be somewhere near the Murphy Reid that became an All Australian.”
Reid missed the last two games of the regular season after copping a blow to his testicles in the round 22 loss to Melbourne at the MCG.
Although he was still able to rack up respectable possession tallies of 24 disposals against Hawthorn, 23 against Geelong and 20 against Sydney during the finals, he has lacked his usual polish and swagger.
Dockers forward Isaiah Dudley is urging Reid to back himself in and not rush his disposals.
“He has more time than he thinks and it’s just the pressure of the game,” Dudley said.
“We always tell him, ‘Back yourself in, you’ve got more time’.
“He’s showed that once he holds onto the ball a bit longer he can create something.
“It’s just perceived pressure … good things happen when he holds onto the ball a bit longer.”
Fremantle booked their spot in the decider after coming from 28 points down to defeat Sydney by 12 points in a preliminary final classic at the SCG.
The Dockers will hold an open training session at their Cockburn base on Wednesday, with the 3000 tickets on offer to attend the event quickly snapped up by fans on Monday.
Saturday’s decider will mark Sam Switkowski’s final AFL match after the 29-year-old announced his retirement plans on the eve of the finals.
AAP
