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

[Beerfish]

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

 

[Snake Charmer]

Big year next year
Off contract. Hits free agency. Still has some hype about him. There'd be clubs who could see him as a missing link (lions as a rich/zorko replacement).

Do we have the spine to swallow letting a pick one walk out the door for the betterment of the rebuild though.

No we do not.

 

[yodellinhank]

Well then we need to get our spine right first.

 

[brain taylor]

If they want Heppell to stick around, I’d dare say McGrath’s here for at least another decade

the reason hepp is still around is because andy and others like him haven’t stepped up as the leaders the club hoped they would be

 

[Shanghaistu]

the reason hepp is still around is because andy and others like him haven’t stepped up as the leaders the club hoped they would be

Bring back Raz and JD!!!

 

[Lore]

I think it may be impossible for them to ignore Hobbs as captain once Merrett is done .
Agree with what you say. McGrath is just too nice and we have too many nice players.

Pidge is 3 years younger than Junior and about 5 years older than the Goblin, so I guess it depends how long Junior serves as the skip.

 

[ant555]

Pidge is 3 years younger than Junior and about 5 years older than the Goblin, so I guess it depends how long Junior serves as the skip.

I think they will get at least another 4 years minimum .

 

[Mercurial89]

I've been pretty down on him and some of the times I've been most annoyed are his tackling efforts, bouncing the ball immediately, looking at the ground when he bounces, kicking skills where he laces out an opposition player and just a general lack of intensity.

But those things probably aren't fair to hang on just him because that is a majority of our team most games.

No, the thing that is just so disappointing is that this guy has been in the league 7 years, and still he shits himself when he gets the ball. Doesn't know what to do, where to go or how to absorb or process pressure around him.
Everything is panicked, everything is in two minds.
Just watch when he tries to draw a man in to give the handpass to the player on the boundary coming out of 50. It's obviously a set play and you can see his brain ticking. Looks like he is running and processing at half speed, no instinct.

That is your vice captain and leader unsure of what he wants to do with the ball in his hands.
We kill Hep for his cruisy knacker attitude that seeps into his leadership style.
Well how would you ever take an instruction from this guy when you see him with the ball and he looks like he would rather be anywhere else.

He will be a mainstay of this team for the rest of his career because defensively man on man he's not horrendous, because he plays off his man and reacts, his opposition plays on instinct and he mimics them with his athleticism.

But actual football wise he just doesn't have it at this level.

 

[jmoo wan]

I've been pretty down on him and some of the times I've been most annoyed are his tackling efforts, bouncing the ball immediately, looking at the ground when he bounces, kicking skills where he laces out an opposition player and just a general lack of intensity.

But those things probably aren't fair to hang on just him because that is a majority of our team most games.

No, the thing that is just so disappointing is that this guy has been in the league 7 years, and still he shits himself when he gets the ball. Doesn't know what to do, where to go or how to absorb or process pressure around him.
Everything is panicked, everything is in two minds.
Just watch when he tries to draw a man in to give the handpass to the player on the boundary coming out of 50. It's obviously a set play and you can see his brain ticking. Looks like he is running and processing at half speed, no instinct.

That is your vice captain and leader unsure of what he wants to do with the ball in his hands.
We kill Hep for his cruisy knacker attitude that seeps into his leadership style.
Well how would you ever take an instruction from this guy when you see him with the ball and he looks like he would rather be anywhere else.

He will be a mainstay of this team for the rest of his career because defensively man on man he's not horrendous, because he plays off his man and reacts, his opposition plays on instinct and he mimics them with his athleticism.

But actual football wise he just doesn't have it at this level.

not saying you are wrong or out of line, but i reckon this is the harshest criticism of a player i’ve seen you give… which makes me take notice

 

[citizen-erased]

I've been pretty down on him and some of the times I've been most annoyed are his tackling efforts, bouncing the ball immediately, looking at the ground when he bounces, kicking skills where he laces out an opposition player and just a general lack of intensity.

But those things probably aren't fair to hang on just him because that is a majority of our team most games.

No, the thing that is just so disappointing is that this guy has been in the league 7 years, and still he shits himself when he gets the ball. Doesn't know what to do, where to go or how to absorb or process pressure around him.
Everything is panicked, everything is in two minds.
Just watch when he tries to draw a man in to give the handpass to the player on the boundary coming out of 50. It's obviously a set play and you can see his brain ticking. Looks like he is running and processing at half speed, no instinct.

That is your vice captain and leader unsure of what he wants to do with the ball in his hands.
We kill Hep for his cruisy knacker attitude that seeps into his leadership style.
Well how would you ever take an instruction from this guy when you see him with the ball and he looks like he would rather be anywhere else.

He will be a mainstay of this team for the rest of his career because defensively man on man he's not horrendous, because he plays off his man and reacts, his opposition plays on instinct and he mimics them with his athleticism.

But actual football wise he just doesn't have it at this level.

He's VC because we drafted him as a leader

I dont see it out there. Maybe there's stuff inside the 4 walls but i feel your captain and the VC/LG need to be visually leading on the field. Cos thats where it all matters.

I dont imagine we let him walk next year for the FA comp, but id be hoping we've moved on as a leader, as a ball carrier and have him focus on being a good lockdown defender.

But honestly, id bank the hype around him and target a band 1 FA pick

 

[Bjchan13]

He's VC because we drafted him as a leader

I dont see it out there. Maybe there's stuff inside the 4 walls but i feel your captain and the VC/LG need to be visually leading on the field. Cos thats where it all matters.

I dont imagine we let him walk next year for the FA comp, but id be hoping we've moved on as a leader, as a ball carrier and have him focus on being a good lockdown defender.

But honestly, id bank the hype around him and target a band 1 FA pick

Band 1 FA pick? He wont receive any offers that get close to it. Id keep him as a lockdown small, trim him down a few kgs, take the burden of VC off him and pay him accordingly. If he wants to go id let him but he's not getting you a good return compensation wise.

 

[citizen-erased]

Band 1 FA pick? He wont receive any offers that get close to it. Id keep him as a lockdown small, trim him down a few kgs, take the burden of VC off him and pay him accordingly. If he wants to go id let him but he's not getting you a good return compensation wise.

Can hope though

I think the idea to go pure lockdown bp is right though

 

[Mercurial89]

not saying you are wrong or out of line, but i reckon this is the harshest criticism of a player i’ve seen you give… which makes me take notice

Probably a little harsh but mainly because I really feel like he could be more.

You know how it is, that time right before season ends where you are not even mad, just disappointed.

 

[ghostdog]

I think trading him would be stupid tbh. How quickly everyone forgets how his form pre-bye (where we actually had midfield and forward pressure) was excellent.

Yes he's had a bad second half of the year, but that's also due to the fact that we've had no pressure up the field.

All this except the 'stupid' part.
If a trade improves the group, it's a yes from me. Unfortunately, the only player I wanted was Baker.

 

[jmoo wan]

Probably a little harsh but mainly because I really feel like he could be more.

You know how it is, that time right before season ends where you are not even mad, just disappointed.

oh yeah - that old saying - the season is darkest just before the finals (that you always miss out on)

 

[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.

Posted this back in early August and still rings true

The fact he is one of a number of poor kickers in the back 6 shows how far we need to go with the group. Get better kickers and he is needed less to be in the offensive line and be more structured in the defensive line.


I maintain he could be one of, if not the best (pure) small defender in the comp.

 

[eth-dog]

All this except the 'stupid' part.
If a trade improves the group, it's a yes from me. Unfortunately, the only player I wanted was Baker.

It won't. Hence stupid.

 

[ghostdog]

It won't. Hence stupid.

Best in the biz is he?

 

[Kong]

not saying you are wrong or out of line, but i reckon this is the harshest criticism of a player i’ve seen you give… which makes me take notice

Not saying you are wrong or out of line, but I reckon this is the nicest compliment of a poster I've seen you give... which makes me take notice.

 

[ant555]

I think part of the reason his form has fallen away in the back half o the year is he is trying too hard to make something happen to the point he is running to dumb spots where he is not likely to be an option. He then gets caught out getting back to defend and spends to much time running for no reward. That leads to fatigue and him just jogging. Played better when he was just defending.
I think being VC is effecting his decision making and his thinking. He is actually trying to do too much .

 

[Vindicater]

I think part of the reason his form has fallen away in the back half o the year is he is trying too hard to make something happen to the point he is running to dumb spots where he is not likely to be an option. He then gets caught out getting back to defend and spends to much time running for no reward. That leads to fatigue and him just jogging. Played better when he was just defending.
I think being VC is effecting his decision making and his thinking. He is actually trying to do too much .

I agree. He needs to take the one job and do it well. He goes on these long runs but we get little from them and then he is stuffed

 

[jmoo wan]

Not saying you are wrong or out of line, but I reckon this is the nicest compliment of a poster I've seen you give... which makes me take notice.

if it makes you feel any better, I did recently threaten to fight him behind the train station

 

[ghostdog]

I think part of the reason his form has fallen away in the back half o the year is he is trying too hard to make something happen to the point he is running to dumb spots where he is not likely to be an option. He then gets caught out getting back to defend and spends to much time running for no reward. That leads to fatigue and him just jogging. Played better when he was just defending.
I think being VC is effecting his decision making and his thinking. He is actually trying to do too much .

I hope that's all it is. He was jogging by the Q2 on the weekend.

 

[ghostdog]

if it makes you feel any better, I did recently threaten to fight him behind the train station

Tip: if you threaten to get someone else to fight him, the psychological effect is greater, due to paranoia.

 

[eth-dog]

Best in the biz is he?

One of (in terms of shutting down small forwards) but more importantly the ones that are better won't move.

 

[DERO]

Probably a little harsh but mainly because I really feel like he could be more.

You know how it is, that time right before season ends where you are not even mad, just disappointed.

It is probably pretty fair. I reckon the other part of it is the expectation attached to where he was picked in the draft. He might be looked at differently if he was taken in the second or third round rather than number 1.