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

[Beerfish]

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

 

[Happyskeret]

honestly, it’s Australian Rules Football and they picked a bloody canadian at #1 - what did they expect?

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

Wears meat cleavers for boots, absolute butcher…

 

[NAB777]

I reckon we should trade him.

 

[jdstorm]

I reckon we should trade him.

Williamstown already has a better HB

 

[Nicholas61]

When you see signed to 2030 - very

Early in the first Lohman ran onto the ball, Andy was right there with him and rather than tackle he slapped him on the side and let him escape. Can't be VC with so many of those efforts. Scott needs to give the VC keys to Durham or Caldwell.

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

When you see signed to 2030 - very

Early in the first Lohman ran onto the ball, Andy was right there with him and rather than tackle he slapped him on the side and let him escape. Can't be VC with so many of those efforts. Scott needs to give the VC keys to Durham or Caldwell.

I’m happy for you to pot McGrath but he was better than both of those blokes you mentioned tonight.

 

[Nicholas61]

I’m happy for you to pot McGrath but he was better than both of those blokes you mentioned tonight.

Granted he is often one of our better defenders when one out against an opponent but it is the example and leadership that needs to be set. He is too soft to be a leader.

 

[brutus76]

If he's still wearing those no lace boots he needs to ***** them off

 

[naraku]

0 tackles.

You couldn't make this shit up about him.

 

[JayJ20]

I reckon we should trade him.

Me too. While he is good as a lock down defender, his kicking significantly lets the team down.

 

[ant555]

If we trade him and let Kelly go then who plays back pocket ?
It becomes very much a guessing game. That is the situation we are in.

 

[The Donners]

He’s going to play 250-300 games in Essendon colours.

 

[MiguelM]

Was actually one of our better players last night but still poor pressure and too many rushed scrubby kicks.

 

[Nicholas61]

If we trade him and let Kelly go then who plays back pocket ?

There must be someone in the state leagues or not getting a game elsewhere who are more competent and overall balanced - let Rosa find them we just need to take that risk at this point. Couldn't be any worse than what Kelly is doing, he is in rarified air lately (with Laverde) the calamity central that we are witnessing. It is amusing and entertaining but if we are half serious they need to go ASAP. As Yodelinhank observed in one of the passages - 2 Brisbane players both went up for the mark spoiled each other and from memory it was Andy and Kelly who stayed down yet the Brisbane players recovered quick enough to get the crumb as well lol.

 

[SydneyBomber]

There must be someone in the state leagues or not getting a game elsewhere who are more competent and overall balanced - let Rosa find them we just need to take that risk at this point. Couldn't be any worse than what Kelly is doing, he is in rarified air lately (with Laverde) the calamity central that we are witnessing. It is amusing and entertaining but if we are half serious they need to go ASAP. As Yodelinhank observed in one of the passages - 2 Brisbane players both went up for the mark spoiled each other and from memory it was Andy and Kelly who stayed down yet the Brisbane players recovered quick enough to get the crumb as well lolol.

This. .Mark Baguley was a very limited footballer who had a dip (and if memory serves was a franga boy, no private school tie for him) and cost a bag of doritos. He was arguably as effective as mcgrath in a negating lockdown role, and certainly didn't cost pick 1..

 

[Kong]

If we trade him and let Kelly go then who plays back pocket ?
It becomes very much a guessing game. That is the situation we are in.

reckon we could talk hepp into cracking in for another 50 games

 

[Nicholas61]

This. .Mark Baguley was a very limited footballer who had a dip (and if memory serves was a franga boy, no private school tow for him) and cost a bag of doritos. He was arguably as effective as mcgrath in a negating lockdown role, and certainly didn't cost pick 1..

That is the exact type I am thinking of. Baggers was a genuine competitor and although he was struggling at the end which is what people remember he was a competent footballer for the bulk of his career. I remember opposition players in the clinches being in a world of pain because he wouldn't budge physically and body parts would be colliding. Meanwhile we see the example our vice captain sets like he did at Geelong last year opposed to Max Holmes when he simply moved out of his way and let him run onto the ball into the open goal. Last night his tackling efforts were disgraceful.

 

[Nicholas61]

reckon we could talk hepp into cracking in for another 50 games

Wouldn't take much to twist his arm. Could be like Andy Murray or Adrian Dodoro in a state of perpetual imminent retirement.

 

[The Donners]

This. .Mark Baguley was a very limited footballer who had a dip (and if memory serves was a franga boy, no private school tow for him) and cost a bag of doritos. He was arguably as effective as mcgrath in a negating lockdown role, and certainly didn't cost pick 1..

Hibberd was also from Franga.

 

[Bjchan13]

Worked hard last night and was good enough. He's fine as a back pocket. Need to be less reliant on him to be setting up play from the backline. Thats up to the coaches and list management to fix. The contract is done and irrelevant now in my opinion.

 

[The Donners]

Worked hard last night and was good enough. He's fine as a back pocket. Need to be less reliant on him to be setting up play from the backline. Thats up to the coaches and list management to fix. The contract is done and irrelevant now in my opinion.

The leading goalkickers on the ground were Brisbane small forwards.

 

[Bjchan13]

The leading goalkickers on the ground were Brisbane small forwards.

Yeah the backline is a mess as a collective. McGrath as an individual performance (by my eye) worked hard and was good enough/decent. As i said, is fine as a back pocket in my opinion. Is given way too much responsibility to be a backline playermaker which is not his strength. I think thats on coaches amd list management to sort out.

 

[The Donners]

Yeah the backline is a mess as a collective. McGrath as an individual performance (by my eye) worked hard and was good enough/decent. As i said, is fine as a back pocket in my opinion. Is given way too much responsibility to be a backline playermaker which is not his strength. I think thats on coaches and list management to sort out.

Completely agree our backline setup is a mess.

I put to you that McGrath is a failed midfielder who has neither a defensive ability nor a playmaking ability. We drafted him to be a midfielder. He is one in a long line of draftees that we’ve found another position for.

These are just from the current list:

Laverde
McGrath
Martin
Jones
Langford*

* took 8 years to play him in his natural position.

Not saying by any means it’s his fault, he definitely does try hard and I hate to sound like I’m bashing him. I blame list management for their stubbornness - own your mistakes.

 

[Mootsy]

I think he'd be better playing more at CHB, up the ground instead of deep in the FB area because he's not really going to be an interceptor against streaming forwards, this then allows him to play closer to the midfield. I know that sort of is his position, but id have someone taller deep in defence to help Ridley and McKay and bring McGrath up the ground a bit..

 

[Bjchan13]

Completely agree our backline setup is a mess.

I put to you that McGrath is a failed midfielder who has neither a defensive ability nor a playmaking ability. We drafted him to be a midfielder. He is one in a long line of draftees that we’ve found another position for.

These are just from the current list:

Laverde
McGrath
Martin
Jones
Langford*

* took 8 years to play him in his natural position.

Not saying by any means it’s his fault, he definitely does try hard and I hate to sound like I’m bashing him. I blame list management for their stubbornness - own your mistakes.

We drafted him to be a Luke Hodge, which obviously failed. McGrath played defence in his draft year and moved into the midfield when required (had some big midfield games). He was never a full time mid though like McCluggage. He can defend, he's done well on dangerous smalls before. His role needs simplified to lock down back pocket. He should be the 4th/5th option kicking out from defence.