The defensive forward specialist!
In the first game of 2015’s season I couldn’t stop watching one of Richmond’s forwards. He wasn’t kicking goals. He wasn’t even getting touches. His tackle count wasn’t even that high. He also finished with the second worst fantasy score on the field – trailing only Dale Thomas, who left the field in the first minute.
Why then was he playing?
Steven Morris crashed every pack in the forward line. He chased hard, made important blocks, and limited his direct opponents influence all night. He was invaluable in negating the ball easily getting out, and stopping the run-and-carry from Carlton’s half backs.
On the eve of West Coast’s first game, posters scorn the selection of one Patrick McGinnity. Posters want a new face to play; someone to get more touches… hell, they just want a scapegoat.
They don’t understand the utility that someone like Patrick McGinnity provides. Whilst, not blessed with Ablett-like skills, or a Rioli-like flair around goals, he will be corralling and chasing until the final siren. Playing game-by-game, knowing his shelf life will again be called into question with next summers’ intake of newer, younger, and flashier players creates an underrated desperation that coaches and teammates love.
Each season is littered with the discarded remnants of players with talent who never fulfilled their potential. We can look at playerss like Ben McKinley and Patrick Vespremi, or players like Colin Sylvia and Mitchell Thorp.
At least when the time of players like McGinnity, Morris, and Palmer come, they can say they left it all out on the field.
