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

[Beerfish]

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

 

[eDPS]

What was his natural position before being drafted?

Midfield and half back

 

[TheUnicorn]

I'm torn with McGrath... His best is actually really good but more often than not he seems to be a liability. I definitely don't see him as a VC though.

 

[Darealrath]

I'm torn with McGrath... His best is actually really good but more often than not he seems to be a liability. I definitely don't see him as a VC though.

He's perplexing. He gives off vibes of being the super professional and committed type but then puts in the occasional weak tackling and chasing efforts. Also looks really quick at times but never seems to run anyone down or create separation when he has the ball.

Still good enough to be a really solid back pocket but I've given up on him taking the leap to be anything more.

 

[MiguelM]

He's perplexing. He gives off vibes of being the super professional and committed type but then puts in the occasional weak tackling and chasing efforts. Also looks really quick at times but never seems to run anyone down or create separation when he has the ball.

Still good enough to be a really solid back pocket but I've given up on him taking the leap to be anything more.

He is very good at creating separation with his opponent, only issue is his opponent has the ball

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

He's perplexing. He gives off vibes of being the super professional and committed type but then puts in the occasional weak tackling and chasing efforts. Also looks really quick at times but never seems to run anyone down or create separation when he has the ball.

Still good enough to be a really solid back pocket but I've given up on him taking the leap to be anything more.

He's been Essendoned.

 

[eighties_bomber]

he is a plodder plain and simple. if we didnt waste our no.1 pick on him, i reckon we'd be shopping him around. Its only Essendons ego that it hasnt happened. I reckon another poor year from him and he could be gone

 

[VexOh]

We spent pick 1 on a back pocket.

I keep telling that to myself in pure disgust.

 

[Kyptastic]

Take what you want from this, but according to the data, of the 50 players with most kicks this season, McGrath rates 17th in terms of effectiveness. He’s also 5th in terms of taking kicks that would most likely result in a goal and has a positive retention rating when accounting for the difficulty of the kicks he takes

 

[Yoda_]

Take what you want from this, but according to the data, of the 50 players with most kicks this season, McGrath rates 17th in terms of effectiveness. He’s also 5th in terms of taking kicks that would most likely result in a goal and has a positive retention rating when accounting for the difficulty of the kicks he takes

I keep telling everyone that Merrett is the best kick in the comp. This is fantastic albeit sidetracking the threads premise

 

[Kyptastic]

I keep telling everyone that Merrett is the best kick in the comp. This is fantastic albeit sidetracking the threads premise

 

[yodellinhank]

We spent pick 1 on a back pocket.

I keep telling that to myself in pure disgust.

That's fine if Gavin Wanganeen. Henry Slattery not so fine.

 

[Keystone agony]

So we are a good kicking side. 3 of the top 20. From memory Hind was the best previousily aswell

Got to take with a grain of salt, favours back half players by the looks

Wouldve liked to have seen Nic Martin atleast in there. But its a pretty good group in general

 

[FlyingV]

Take what you want from this, but according to the data, of the 50 players with most kicks this season, McGrath rates 17th in terms of effectiveness. He’s also 5th in terms of taking kicks that would most likely result in a goal and has a positive retention rating when accounting for the difficulty of the kicks he takes

So you’re telling me, if we had retained McKenna(25th), Saad(13th)and added them to McGrath(17th) , Redman(20th)and Merrett(1st) the opposition would never even touch the football?
Fml… so close

 

[frodos gardener]

It appears he is rated as an off-field role model at the club in terms of how he prepares himself for the game. It’s a shame it doesn’t show through in general, as he is generally the opposite of an on-field role model, at least from what we saw around round 10 onwards this year.

Personally I wanted to wait until the end of the season; I would trade him out, despite his apparent good mindset and commitment off field. I won’t go over the reasons as they’ve been covered ad nauseam.

Having said that, I reckon Brad is stuck because he needs to promote that behaviour-set with the squad and can’t be seen to be giving mixed messages. Attitude first, I guess.

Barring injury, I think McGrath is untouchable next year from a selection perspective given his supposed leadership. I don’t agree with it, but I can’t see him being demoted nor dropped next year at all.

 

[The Donners]

That's fine if Gavin Wanganeen. Henry Slattery not so fine.

Plenty of people on this site thought Slattery was a gun lockdown defender but a 26-year old with nearly 100 games to his name had no interest from other clubs when he left Essendon.

McGrath is going to end up playing 200 games for Essendon. Until we stop giving plodders 200 games we’re not going to compete with top teams.

 

[jdstorm]

Plenty of people on this site thought Slattery was a gun lockdown defender but a 26-year old with nearly 100 games to his name had no interest from other clubs when he left Essendon.

McGrath is going to end up playing 200 games for Essendon. Until we stop giving plodders 200 games we’re not going to compete with top teams.

Eyeroll

This is an incredibly entitled post. Who are these non plodders? Are they 18yr old kids in the draft. VFL and state league players? AFL players on other teams?

If someone is getting dropped their replacement should either be a better player or a young player with more potential.

Good teams develop their players. If a lot of players are spending 5+ years at the club and aren’t improving and reaching a basic AFL level that’s much more telling and not the players fault

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

It’s obvious he does all the right things and is a leader. We are absolutely bereft of strong, hard nosed, jump on my back style leadership so at the moment we need to support every ounce of it that we do have.

 

[hurlygurdy]

Weird level of bs going on here. Guess it’s the no.1 factor. He has had poor moments and some poor form in general at times. However who would be surprised if he is in AA contention next season? I certainly wouldn’t.

 

[The Donners]

Weird level of bs going on here. Guess it’s the no.1 factor. He has had poor moments and some poor form in general at times. However who would be surprised if he is in AA contention next season? I certainly wouldn’t.

I would be extremely surprised. His kicking, decision making and leg speed will all need to improve.

Yes it was a waste of pick 1 but 7 years on who cares, we’re never getting that pick back nor the value that some people hold of it. Calling it on value to the team right now. He and Hepp would be the bottom 2 walk up starts to the team. We desperately need a small lockdown defender and McGrath isn’t that - oh but that one time he beat Cameron! I’d prefer Hind and Redman as the players running off half back. Hind makes mistakes but his kicking and leg speed trump McGrath.

 

[Lore]

 

[jmoo wan]

that's why? I thought they had some kind of voting system from all the players?

 

[yodellinhank]

Delist

 

[yodellinhank]

Learnt nothing from the Rutten era TFC

 

[jdstorm]

Learnt nothing from the Rutten era TFC

Hopefully he works in his kicking over the off-season

 

[jmoo wan]

lol - ****ing nerd alert!