Player Watch #10: Colby McKercher - R9 AFL RS nom - progressing slowly in return to AFL after bone stress injury in foot

[Sphynx]

I don’t mind him killing it at VFL for a bit of added confidence. Not everyone takes the piss like Sheez in their first season, and whilst things are going ok with the incumbents, let these guys build on their deficiencies.

We’ve had an overwhelming reliance on our youth recently, but it’s refreshing to see the core seniors lifting their own standards and changing the fortunes. Colby will come in when we’re ready to take it to the next level.

Id agree with you if there was form issues like Duurmsa, but he was taking the piss.

He's registered 30, 30, 32 disposals in his last 3 AFL games.

All 3 were rated as his best 3 games of the season.


I hope it's legitimately conditioning (im dubious on this given he runs a 920 Yo-Yo ffs), as he's quite clearly in our best 10 players, let alone a 23 man team.

If he's playing VFL because of perceived AFL spots, that's a mistake and one I think would be burning in Colby's guts a bit.

Edit: just saw the above posts. If it's still injury management, fair enough. I don't see why he should be even playing then with a VFL bye coming up post this round.

 

[shinboner spiggs]

Id agree with you if there was form issues like Duurmsa, but he was taking the piss.

He's registered 30, 30, 32 disposals in his last 3 AFL games.

All 3 were rated as his best 3 games of the season.

I rate the guy immensely, but uncontested kick mark switches, kick ins etc aren’t going to be the areas he will be known for. Those numbers are reflected with most players who get that role.

I can’t wait to see him running a wing/mid rotation ala Errol Gulden but with added pace and maximum damage going forward.

 

[Lavy_Panther]

Guys, the club literally wrote an article today about why he won’t play this week:

Young gun Colby McKercher (31 disposals) had a noteworthy influence on the reserves' game on Sunday afternoon, after being injected into the contest post-quarter-time.

The No.10's return to the highest level won't be rushed though, with his training loads and gametime minutes still set to be modified moving into the near future as he continues to enable his foot to adapt from bone stress.

 

[franjon]

This reminds me of everyone bagging Wardlaw for his "butchering" of the ball

Now is a messiah

Don't forget that the kid is in his first year lol

I agree, but his performance even on limited time showed that he is way beyond that level. It's obviously a conditioning aspect as mentioned and you can completely understand.

 

[Twangler]

I know we don’t want this to happen but if McJercher ane Duursma don’t play seniors again for the rest of the year, we are just about a shoe in for three consecutive rising star winners

 

[giantroo]

 

[Horizons_00]

He came off last week in the VFL too

 

[Jesslc]

Are people honestly suggesting mckercher cant kick? Lol

Unreal areas, even for bigfooty.

This is matching the “LDU isnt gonna make it” moment in bigfooty history.

 

[JGreezy]

We need to sit him the rest of the year to lock in a third straight Rising Star in 2025

 

[chubbspeterson]

Are people honestly suggesting mckercher cant kick? Lol
Unreal areas, even for bigfooty.


This is matching the “LDU isnt gonna make it” moment in bigfooty history.

I'd have Trade Larkey right up there. Went on to make AA

 

[Frank Thring]

This reminds me of everyone bagging Wardlaw for his "butchering" of the ball

Now is a messiah

Don't forget that the kid is in his first year lol

None is saying he's a crap kick, just not elite.

 

[RossHenshaw]

None is saying he's a crap kick, just not elite.

 

[DuckYeah]

I don't see how in your example that turnover would result in a goal.

You are completely ignoring the other things he brings to the table.

He ran 40m, kicked it 40m. He moved the ball from CHB to a deep entry inside 50, on his own, because of his leg speed.

IT was hardly a bad "turnover" either, it was a missed target in a area of the ground only he could achieve.

Is it better to lose the ball 35m out from our goal or if it was another player missing a pass where he first receives the ball and turned it over 80m from the oppositions goal?

If that ball goes the full length of the ground from that position and results in a goal, it's not McKercher's fault.


Errol Gulden is considered one of the best kicks and most damaging players in the league, he also averages almost 6 turnovers (3rd highest in the league) a game from his 26 disposals. Generally the guys who go for the most attacking options and run with the ball and attack the opposition will have higher turnover rates.

Bontempelli and Sheezel are both top 15, both of them are amazing kicks.

Perhaps? Teams set up on turnover. I mean, if I was an opposition coach, I would 100% set up with 3 behind the ball when Colby moves through the middle on full tilt. I think he’s easily coached against kicking long.

You are right, he is good <30 metres. Beyond that margin, he will be destroyed on turnover.. does it turn into a score against? If i had to take a guess, i’d say 2/3

I also don’t believe our good form has been correlated with colby out of the team.

He’s not ready yet

 

[Horizons_00]

None is saying he's a crap kick, just not elite.

Yet

 

[7577969923]

Perhaps? Teams set up on turnover. I mean, if I was an opposition coach, I would 100% set up with 3 behind the ball when Colby moves through the middle on full tilt. I think he’s easily coached against kicking long.

You are right, he is good <30 metres. Beyond that margin, he will be destroyed on turnover.. does it turn into a score against? If i had to take a guess, i’d say 2/3

I also don’t believe our good form has been correlated with colby out of the team.

He’s not ready yet

So Colby would run 40 metres in approximately 5 seconds and the ball would travel 40 metres in about 2 seconds. Your three players have a total of seven seconds to register that Colby has possession, determine he's going on a long run through the middle, is likely to kick it long, and move into position. Realistically it's substantially less than that.

I would say a fast and searching run by Colby followed by a long flat kick to a target is very difficult to coach against. It's possible I'm wrong.

The flip side of that is that the North defence would have at least double that 7 seconds to get the structure right to defend against a possible turnover in our forward 50.

 

[shinboner magic]

DuckYeah you come for the Kerch you better not miss

 

[Jeremy Jordan]

None is saying he's a crap kick, just not elite.

Who is elite?

 

[ferball]

DuckYeah you come for the Kerch you better not miss

You've set him up nicely there.

 

[Jonnoo]

What happened to DY?

 

[franjon]

McKercher can’t kick? What? When? how? Where?
Ah the evidence is 1 kick into the 50 after running top speed for 40 metres in VFL game after having 4 weeks off.
Or are you one of those that made a call about a player, and now you just wait for everytime for that player to do that thing, and call it out.
“XYZ can’t tackle”. So you wait for situations where XYZ misses a tackle and go “see, I told you XYZ couldn’t tackle”.

I think someone is taking this shit seriously!

 

[Disco Dew]

What happened to DY?

Assuming his 6 month ban bet has been paid out early?

 

[the big lebowski]

So the earlier panic about him leaving training early was unfounded. Similar to LDU last week.

When will we learn?

 

[Twinkletoes]

The “McKercher can’t kick” call is up there with the “Matty Campbell can’t ruck” one for ridiculousness.

 

[franjon]

The “McKercher can’t kick” call is up there with the “Matty Campbell can’t ruck” one for ridiculousness.

Or Mick is a dumbo because he has a cleft lip.

 

[Makeshift Park]

I dunno about this. It's a chance to ruffle a few feathers if he is fit.

In what universe isn't McKercher at least an unbelievable sub option, particularly if you are playing someone like Stephens in that role anyway.

His performance in the last VFL game didn’t demand a call up. Got plenty of it, but the composure fell away as the game went on. He looked pretty cooked by the q4. Obviously there’s an elite player there, but I’d rather he’s cherry ripe and oozing confidence when he returns.