AFL Player # 1: Andrew "Pidge" McGrath (VC)

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2030
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 13, Vindicater

 

[FlyingV]

North need leaders and to replace JZ, the industry believes he's a leader, North have pick 17.
Deal?

No deal for me. Pick 17 is so speculative. McGraths first half of the year was terrific. And is one of our best trainers.

 

[Milanista28]

No deal for me. Pick 17 is so speculative. McGraths first half of the year was terrific. And is one of our best trainers.

Does a good podcast as well.

 

[frodos gardener]

Christ there are some overreactions in this thread.

Before the bye he would have been a top 3/4 two way defender in the comp. Yes, he's been disappointing since then, but is it any surprise that a small defender looks s**t when there's sweet fa pressure up the field?

Overall he's still had a good season.

I disagree. With respect, I think you’ve overrated the first half of the year. He was good on the whole but don’t forget he almost directly cost us in two games due to turnovers - Tigers and Kangaroos.

Before the bye I’d give him 3.5 stars

His year is falling below the pass mark, sadly, IMO.

 

[Snake Charmer]

No deal for me. Pick 17 is so speculative. McGraths first half of the year was terrific. And is one of our best trainers.

That’s worth 200 games at bomberland

 

[eth-dog]

I disagree. With respect, I think you’ve overrated the first half of the year. He was good on the whole but don’t forget he almost directly cost us in two games due to turnovers - Tigers and Kangaroos.

Before the bye I’d give him 3.5 stars

His year is falling below the pass mark, sadly, IMO.

Nah. He was excellent first half of the year. I was under selling it.

He has had a good year.

 

[frodos gardener]

Nah. He was excellent first half of the year. I was under selling it.

He has had a good year.

His other games pre-bye apart from the 2 that I mentioned were quite good. He has probably had about 6(ish) shockers now? Would be close to the most on our team out of the core 16-18 players. Thankfully he had a few rippers shutting down dangerous forwards but we need far more of that and fewer bad games.

 

[Yoda_]

Something often being forgotten when disputing McGrath's foot skills is that barring Redman, no one else is a damaging ball user from behind the ball. Ridley out is hurting us more than his aerial prowess.

We desperately need to find foot skills to replace Heppell, we need to find a partner to with with Kelly who isn't even playing deep defence.

 

[Nicholas61]

Something often being forgotten when disputing McGrath's foot skills is that barring Redman, no one else is a damaging ball user from behind the ball. Ridley out is hurting us more than his aerial prowess.

We desperately need to find foot skills to replace Heppell, we need to find a partner to with with Kelly who isn't even playing deep defence.

This is part why I am surprised Baldwin hasn't been tried - he is a skillful kick and bites more difficult options. We have predominantly indecisive loopy kickers in the back half who are best of taking the very safe option and nothing more than that.

Haven't read through all the threads here so it may have been raised - If you have more guys kicking lasers (like Redman and Rids) with good quick decision making it can mitigate to a degree our contested marking deficiencies - due to confidence they won't hold onto the ball for an eternity and get it to a loose man before being manned by the opposition.

 

[Chambo]

He is an okay footballer, he is a poor kick, bounces as soon as he gets it which puts him under pressure so he handballs to a teammate already under pressure. His career is getting worse the longer it goes. The gap between his best and worse is far too great.

This is what happens when you pick an athlete over footballers and hope they become midfielders. Good pick Dodo.

 

[bombadeer]

If you thought you could get value for him, I think you would trade. You could pick up a good-enough small defender to replace what he gives us - Davey played behind the ball next year wouldn't be the worst of ideas.

if a club was enamoured by his draft position enough to give us a first round, then I think you would take it.

 

[citizen-erased]

Something often being forgotten when disputing McGrath's foot skills is that barring Redman, no one else is a damaging ball user from behind the ball. Ridley out is hurting us more than his aerial prowess.

We desperately need to find foot skills to replace Heppell, we need to find a partner to with with Kelly who isn't even playing deep defence.

i might be unpopular with this opinion, but i think Zerk is a good user.
not elite at making things happen, but he's a good decision maker and stays within his limitations.

What we lost with McKenna and Saad, we never really replaced. line breaking speed and excellent disposal

 

[citizen-erased]

If you thought you could get value for him, I think you would trade. You could pick up a good-enough small defender to replace what he gives us - Davey played behind the ball next year wouldn't be the worst of ideas.

if a club was enamoured by his draft position enough to give us a first round, then I think you would take it.

RFA next year
Id wait and see where we land, what he's thinking but also what Brad and the team are as well.

 

[Jobe Watson]

We desperately need to find foot skills to replace Heppell, we need to find a partner to with with Kelly who isn't even playing deep defence.

This is why we should be trying to poach Dylan Williams from Port. Great ball user, and once he gets comfortable at the level and ups his production he'll be a handy HBF. Last I heard he'll likely re-sign but he'd be a fantastic free pick up.

 

[eth-dog]

This is why we should be trying to poach Dylan Williams from Port. Great ball user, and once he gets comfortable at the level and ups his production he'll be a handy HBF. Last I heard he'll likely re-sign but he'd be a fantastic free pick up.

Big fan of his. Plus we have a distinct lack of left footers in our future defence

 

[astrowizzle]

I finally watched the first half against West coast
I thought he wasn't that bad
He had clangers but that's pretty normal for a bombers player. I thought he busted the line a few times nicely and his kicking in general was not that bad. It's like he might be a bit confused if he should attack it defend. Just the next whipping boy to follow parish.
And yes please stop bouncing as soon as you get the ball it achieves nothing

 

[faible]

Holy meatballs, whoever says Andy bounces almost as soon as he gets it is correct. Done it 2 - 3 times already.

Run and then bounce

Saad and McKenna both do this

 

[Beerfish]

Saad and McKenna both do this

And?

 

[faible]

And?

No and, it just is.

 

[P Money]

Unfortunately it's just impossible not to watch this guy play and think 'we took him with pick 1'. If he was a second round pick some of his kicking would irk me but I'd forgive it and be able to focus on his strengths, which is 1on1 defending and line breaking. It's not his fault he was taken #1 and will be forever coloured by it, but **** me it cuts deep. With the way he uses the ball he is just never going to be a great player, even as a back pocket (which you could argue would never be worth pick #1 no matter how good he was).

I really don't care how great a guy he is or what a good family he comes from (read: how privileged his upbringing was) he is undoubtedly a bust at pick 1. I guess it's on me to try to forget his draft pick when I watch him play for my own sanity.

 

[Beerfish]

No and, it just is.

Weird post then. I'll just assume you agree it's poor and have a difficult time articulating it.

 

[yodellinhank]

Saad and McKenna both do this

Delist

 

[faible]

Weird post then. I'll just assume you agree it's poor and have a difficult time articulating it.

I don't think it's poor, or good. Just an observation that other running defenders appear to do it.

I don't recall anyone posting about Saad, Hind or McKenna bouncing the ball too soon after getting it. Seems a new criticism exclusive to McGrath.

 

[Beerfish]

I don't think it's poor, or good. Just an observation that other running defenders appear to do it.

I don't recall anyone posting about Saad, Hind or McKenna bouncing the ball too soon after getting it. Seems a new criticism exclusive to McGrath.

I saw him bounce the ball twice in the first 3 or 4 steps after receiving it last week. He wasn't running either. By the time he'd looked down twice to do so the opposition was almost on him so it was another McGrath dump kick and hope special which probably was another turnover. If other players are doing this I'm more than happy to criticise them for it. Especially if it results in a turnover.

 

[Beerfish]

I also recall people criticising McKenna for doing it but he gets a bit of a pass for the Gaelic background where I think you actually have to bounce the ball before you run off iirc?

 

[Chief Hopper]

What we lost with McKenna and Saad, we never really replaced. line breaking speed and excellent disposal

I think for a while Hind replaced those 2 very well.

Hind may have dropped back a bit this past year, but that last game against WC he did a few great runs and dead shot kicks to our players.
Accuracy that's of a contrast with what we are seeing McGrath do.