Past #23: Ben McKay - gone to * as RFA - NMFC awarded Band 1 pick #3 compo

[Roosurgence]

Couple of very ordinary games since injury. But the whole backline was pretty much a shambles tbh. I am sure Ben has the ability to rebuild his game. Can't give up after two poor efforts. Would be nice if he signed on but at the end of the day if he goes we get a top 5 draft pick, then so be it.

These performances aren’t a player out of form. They are from a player that has checked out and out the door.

I actually hope he reads these forums because he is embarrassing himself and the club with his half arsed efforts.

If he doesn’t want to be there and give maximum effort, be a man and tell the coach and go and play the year out in the VFL.

 

[year of the roo]

Not if we force a trade for mckay

Well, yeah. But no one is going to trade a top 5 pick for him. That's the price if we let him walk and get compensation.

 

[year of the roo]

These performances aren’t a player out of form. They are from a player that has checked out and out the door.

I actually hope he reads these forums because he is embarrassing himself and the club with his half arsed efforts.

If he doesn’t want to be there and give maximum effort, be a man and tell the coach and go and play the year out in the VFL.

Yeah I don't buy "out of form". It is a cricket phrase, not a footy one. In footy, you are either fit and firing or you're underdone. You're not "out of form".

 

[The acurate one]

I know. But unless something miraculous changes in his effort and his ability to gel with Logue and Corr, its very hard to see how we'd get band 1 compo anyway.

Who's going to pay $800k for this?

North probably will

 

[Harris 10]

I know. But unless something miraculous changes in his effort and his ability to gel with Logue and Corr, its very hard to see how we'd get band 1 compo anyway.

Who's going to pay $800k for this?

He’ll get offers over 800k, that won’t be a concern.
Just go back and have a look at what some FA’s have been paid eg:Zac Williams. Dan Mcstay who is no good at all got $3mil over 5 years as a 27 year old. Clubs will pay for Mckay and if they don’t the AFL will manipulate it anyway so they don’t have to give us priority picks.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I’d prefer Andrew McKay

Andrew Mckay

Age

54

Ht

185cm

Wt

90kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

9.3

4star

HB

6.9

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

14.8

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

6.0

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.6

4star

.

 

[Psychic Roo]

What about a shake up? Swap larkey and mckay. Takes a load off larkey and a different way bring him into the game. Hes pretty agile. Could get back quickly and i dont think he is a deep anchor forward.

Mckay goes forward. More physical and good in contest. Gives him a different look to work into the tempo? May not have the motor though.

 

[shintemaster]

He’ll get offers over 800k, that won’t be a concern.
Just go back and have a look at what some FA’s have been paid eg:Zac Williams. Dan Mcstay who is no good at all got $3mil over 5 years as a 27 year old. Clubs will pay for Mckay and if they don’t the AFL will manipulate it anyway so they don’t have to give us priority picks.

This guys AFL's.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

What about a shake up? Swap larkey and mckay. Takes a load off larkey and a different way bring him into the game. Hes pretty agile. Could get back quickly and i dont think he is a deep anchor forward.

Mckay goes forward. More physical and good in contest. Gives him a different look to work into the tempo? May not have the motor though.

Been suggesting this for years but always shouted down

 

[Not Snake Baker]

Devoid of confidence. Making bad decisions over and over.

I feel like our backline exists to play the oppositions key forwards into forwards into form (e.g Ben King

34

Ben King

Age

24

Ht

202cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.5

4star

T

0.5

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

5.6

2star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.5

5star

D

6.8

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.2

3star

G

1.0

4star

).

McKay desperatly needs to play himself into some form asap!

 

[jay317]

Having two statues at either end in Larkey and McKay is starting to become an issue. You can see the difference with guys like Comben and Logue how much more we need them to offer.

 

[Billy Not Really]

Watch his games closely from this point on or even go back and watch his previous games.

He is the most one-note defender in the league, and that doesn't make him elite in that one-note category because compared to his competition in a one-on-one contest for example, he's still not even elite.

And if coaches know that McKay can be outdone if you just make it a 2 man-up contest, then he's already nullified and he's your key back. They won't go for long bombs or kick it into space where he can intercept on the short run.

He can't close space quickly.
He can be cut off on the play by just standing on the mark because he'll take the safe option side/backward or handball to an overlap, and now his plays are figured out. He can't make his own plays when he has possession. It relies on other players to approach and direct him. He's also nowhere near as vocal as he needs to be down back and he can't even take the number one forward for the whole game.
When he does have possession, does he run and carry ever? No. Does he even try to gain metres up the field? No. Does he hold the ball for longer than 1.56 seconds? No.
You can call that safe footy, it is, but that's one-note footy. He's the most easily figured-out backman in the comp and they all know it. This is not what qualifies for premiership defence and it doesn't qualify for modern defence now and it certainly doesn't qualify for No. 1 KPD.

He's 25. Been in the system 7-8 years. He's not 'coming good' all of a sudden, you're seeing the career baseline here, it doesn't make the grade. So dump the stocks now and get something better in because this is not how you build a premiership-winning backline. This is typical treading water North settling for an average backline.

 

[The acurate one]

How has he never played against his brother? I am curious is all.

 

[muttley45]

At the very least, we could utilise his strength in marking the pill by having him stationed up around the wing as a kick in target, would be a difficult match up, but has he got the tank to get there in time is debatable.

 

[The acurate one]

Watch his games closely from this point on or even go back and watch his previous games.

He is the most one-note defender in the league, and that doesn't make him elite in that one-note category because compared to his competition in a one-on-one contest for example, he's still not even elite.

And if coaches know that McKay can be outdone if you just make it a 2 man-up contest, then he's already nullified and he's your key back. They won't go for long bombs or kick it into space where he can intercept on the short run.

He can't close space quickly.
He can be cut off on the play by just standing on the mark because he'll take the safe option side/backward or handball to an overlap, and now his plays are figured out. He can't make his own plays when he has possession. It relies on other players to approach and direct him. He's also nowhere near as vocal as he needs to be down back and he can't even take the number one forward for the whole game.
When he does have possession, does he run and carry ever? No. Does he even try to gain metres up the field? No. Does he hold the ball for longer than 1.56 seconds? No.
You can call that safe footy, it is, but that's one-note footy. He's the most easily figured-out backman in the comp and they all know it. This is not what qualifies for premiership defence and it doesn't qualify for modern defence now and it certainly doesn't qualify for No. 1 KPD.

He's 25. Been in the system 7-8 years. He's not 'coming good' all of a sudden, you're seeing the career baseline here, it doesn't make the grade. So dump the stocks now and get something better in because this is not how you build a premiership-winning backline. This is typical treading water North settling for an average backline.

Nailed it Billy. But don’t tell the football world.

 

[DuckYeah]

What about a shake up? Swap larkey and mckay. Takes a load off larkey and a different way bring him into the game. Hes pretty agile. Could get back quickly and i dont think he is a deep anchor forward.

Mckay goes forward. More physical and good in contest. Gives him a different look to work into the tempo? May not have the motor though.

Knobles, is that you?

 

[Themanbun]

Watch his games closely from this point on or even go back and watch his previous games.

He is the most one-note defender in the league, and that doesn't make him elite in that one-note category because compared to his competition in a one-on-one contest for example, he's still not even elite.

And if coaches know that McKay can be outdone if you just make it a 2 man-up contest, then he's already nullified and he's your key back. They won't go for long bombs or kick it into space where he can intercept on the short run.

He can't close space quickly.
He can be cut off on the play by just standing on the mark because he'll take the safe option side/backward or handball to an overlap, and now his plays are figured out. He can't make his own plays when he has possession. It relies on other players to approach and direct him. He's also nowhere near as vocal as he needs to be down back and he can't even take the number one forward for the whole game.
When he does have possession, does he run and carry ever? No. Does he even try to gain metres up the field? No. Does he hold the ball for longer than 1.56 seconds? No.
You can call that safe footy, it is, but that's one-note footy. He's the most easily figured-out backman in the comp and they all know it. This is not what qualifies for premiership defence and it doesn't qualify for modern defence now and it certainly doesn't qualify for No. 1 KPD.

He's 25. Been in the system 7-8 years. He's not 'coming good' all of a sudden, you're seeing the career baseline here, it doesn't make the grade. So dump the stocks now and get something better in because this is not how you build a premiership-winning backline. This is typical treading water North settling for an average backline.

Um no, he is an elite 1:1 defender who can't be beaten. The only reason he isn't a key forward is because he got the defender gene in the genetic split. He most definitely is worth $1.2m a year on a very, very, very long contract and he most certainly would make any other side significantly better and an immediate flag threat. If I were another club I'd be headhunting him big time.

 

[Gasometer]

View attachment 590313 View attachment 590312

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

This might be insane but I assume he couldn’t be utilised as a mobile ruckman? I saw balta went into the ruck for the tigers last night and they got on top in the clearances. Presumably bmac wouldn’t have the tank, skills?

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Why is it that when any of our (previously proudly admired) players get a wiff of leaving, this entire sight goes in to completely undermine and dismiss the players strengths?

Is it people dealing with their hurt feelings…

Happened with Gibson: “Isn’t a key-defender’s arseh*le”. Goes on to win AA honours and multiple premierships. He was a gun.

Hale: “Slow, terrible ruck and complete fluke he kicked 8 twice against Geelong”. Went on to win multiple premierships.

Brown: “Is weak, a flanker, can’t contest a mark, good riddance to get rid of that Carey-hating mop and his wife”. He was a gun. Kicked 180 goals for us over three seasons. The last person to do that was Carey. Went on to win a premiership.

Now it’s McKay: for those of you saying he isn’t a fullback, can’t defend, has slow closing speed. Sorry, but STFU, as you are going to made like fools when he becomes possibly the last piece in a premiership contending side. Yeah is woefully underdone and seems disinterested. He shouldn’t be playing 1s. Play him in the 2s until he is fit. We are so, so under stocked in our KPPs that giving away one that will become an AA at another team is utter madness. Have a bit of patience.

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

Why is it that when any of our (previously proudly admired) players get a wiff of leaving, this entire sight goes in to completely undermine and dismiss the players strengths?

Is it people dealing with their hurt feelings…

Happened with Gibson: “Isn’t a key-defender’s a-hole”. Goes on to win AA honours and multiple premierships. He was a gun.

Hale: “Slow, terrible ruck and complete fluke he kicked 8 twice against Geelong”. Went on to win multiple premierships.

Brown: “Is weak, a flanker, can’t contest a mark, good riddance to get rid of that Carey-hating mop and his wife”. He was a gun. Kicked 180 goals for us over three seasons. The last person to do that was Carey. Went on to win a premiership.

Now it’s McKay: for those of you saying he isn’t a fullback, can’t defend, has slow closing speed. Sorry, but STFU, as you are going to made like fools when he becomes possibly the last piece in a premiership contending side. Yeah is woefully underdone and seems disinterested. He shouldn’t be playing 1s. Play him in the 2s until he is fit. We are so, so under stocked in our KPPs that giving away one that will become an AA at another team is utter madness. Have a bit of patience.

BMac led all defenders in contested marks in 2022 - by quite a margin. It's his key attribute. In a team with a more effective game plan and where pressure is applied across the park he would have a field day down back - as you say he could become the final piece in the puzzle for a team - a bit like Brian Lake did for Hawthorn.

 

[berniemccarthy]

What about a shake up? Swap larkey and mckay. Takes a load off larkey and a different way bring him into the game. Hes pretty agile. Could get back quickly and i dont think he is a deep anchor forward.

Mckay goes forward. More physical and good in contest. Gives him a different look to work into the tempo? May not have the motor though.

Mate. We have tried that. He is utterly useless forward.

 

[shintemaster]

Mate. We have tried that. He is utterly useless forward.

I'm not on this bandwagon but I'd hardly call plonking a career backman forward for 2 games under the worst North Melbourne team in almost a century as definitive proof that Ben wouldn't make a passable forward.

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

I'm not on this bandwagon but I'd hardly call plonking a career backman forward for 2 games under the worst North Melbourne team in almost a century as definitive proof that Ben wouldn't make a passable forward.

Pretty sure it was only 1 game

 

[Horizons_00]

Mate. We have tried that. He is utterly useless forward.

Plus he’s checked out. He isn’t going to be at north EOTY imo