AFL Player #32: Ben "Buckets" McKay

[VelvetSledge]

Contract: Unrestricted Free Agent 2029
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 30, Dave

 

[Just A Tragic]

So if Reid gets himself right. How do we see this pairing along with Ridley going?

Like if we look at a team like Collingwood, who takes who and what is their main roles?

I think you want a system where any of your three taller players can come across to intercept.

All McKay, Ridley, Reid/Lav (im assuming) are all good marks. As long as there is pressure on the ball coming in, depending on who it goes to, you want the direct defender to engage and the best placed other to intercept.

McKay (Murphy) takes the strongest & and laziest forward, Reid/Lav (?) takes the leading forward , Ridley (Moore) takes the weakest link and risks his positioning the most to help out.

One of the big improvements we can make is setting up to rebound as the ball comes into the D50. That means pressure on the ball, confidence in the intercept mark so there is have footspeed (Redman/McGrath) already moving or dangerous positioning for a player like Ridley to nail.

In the first half of the year, we invited teams to bring the ball up the ground, confident in the intercept and rebound. Injury, fitness, ability? For some reason, we stopped executing and got massacred.

 

[EnolaGay]

He'll retire. If he can't play at Essendon I doubt he'd play anywhere else.

You really think he'd not play on at another club if offered a contract? Why would he turn down $400K+ a year?

 

[Lore]

You really think he'd not play on at another club if offered a contract? Why would he turn down $400K+ a year?

Look if he was delisted tomorrow he might go find his surrogate father at the Bulldogs or wherever Bains is these days and have another crack.

He's 27.5 right now and has a contract with 2 years to run, so he'll be 29.5 before his contract ends and 30 before he plays a game for anyone else. Comes from an overwhelmingly Essendon supporting family and would most likely prefer to be a one club player, it's difficult to imagine him wanting to go anywhere else.

 

[jannissary]

You really think he'd not play on at another club if offered a contract? Why would he turn down $400K+ a year?

doubtful, don't think he's good enough to take any defender's spot who's the same size

 

[MiguelM]

So did we lodge paperwork for Dursma or is he a different category?

I thought all moves had to be made by 5pm?

 

[RedmanWasHere]

So did we lodge paperwork for Dursma or is he a different category?

I thought all moves had to be made by 5pm?

Duursma will be a trade.

Deadline is sometime next week.

 

[MiguelM]

McKay arriving at the hangar!

 

[bomberstomake8]

Not that you would be thinking this right now or even in the next 2 years but can McKay play forward?

Hypothetically if Reid and cox both came on, got over their injuries and in Reid’s case anyway put on size we would be too tall in defence. Cox can play a variety of roles but on the 1% chance we get some great injury luck and development, do we have a great key forward on our list to partner with wright?

I can’t see us landing a king or JUH so just thinking of a miracle could Reid / McKay be a gun key forward?

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Not that you would be thinking this right now or even in the next 2 years but can McKay play forward?

Hypothetically if Reid and cox both came on, got over their injuries and in Reid’s case anyway put on size we would be too tall in defence. Cox can play a variety of roles but on the 1% chance we get some great injury luck and development, do we have a great key forward on our list to partner with wright?

I can’t see us landing a king or JUH so just thinking of a miracle could Reid / McKay be a gun key forward?

I think he’d be a worse kick for goal than his brother. We need a big strong body down back …Reid and cox are tall and skinny and don’t think they’ll ever be as bulky.

 

[MiguelM]

Not that you would be thinking this right now or even in the next 2 years but can McKay play forward?

Hypothetically if Reid and cox both came on, got over their injuries and in Reid’s case anyway put on size we would be too tall in defence. Cox can play a variety of roles but on the 1% chance we get some great injury luck and development, do we have a great key forward on our list to partner with wright?

I can’t see us landing a king or JUH so just thinking of a miracle could Reid / McKay be a gun key forward?

Langford goes ok, might have kicked 60+ if he was solely forward.

 

[Darealrath]

Have a competent massive unit anchoring our defence will make a big difference. BZT made us look a lot better in this regard despite a few stats suggesting he leaked goals like a sieve.

Should do wonders for Ridley and hopefully Cox and Reid if they can stay on the park.

 

[ghostdog]

I swear arriving at any club after playing for North Melbourne must be a weight lifted.

I mean, Essendon are s**t - but arriving here must feel like waking up from a bad dream.

Think about it - your career is spent in this sort of unhinged reality where you run on to the ground, you have an AFL logo on your chest, but you’re not REALLY in the league.

Others are trying to build lists, play finals, win flags etc; whilst you are listening to your club beg for priority picks and pretend like they’re a part of something that they’re really not.

I mean for Christ sake with Tassie coming in, we’re talking about 20 teams - here’s a better idea, stick with 18 and piss North off - the league would literally, LITERALLY not lose a cent in revenue, and would sure as s**t lose some costs.

To McKay, he would’ve woken up the next day thinking, “holy s**t, I’m actually an AFL player”.

I’m an Essendon supporter for god sake, and even I know North Melbourne are a joke.

Plus you wouldn't have to feel guilty about walking past the donation box on your way into the locker room anymore.

 

[ghostdog]

Not sure if anyone's seen this;
Ben McKay vs. Harris Andrews

31

Harris Andrews

Age

28

Ht

202cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.8

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.6

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

151.7

2star

D

17.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.0

3star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.8

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

94.0

2star

 

[Yoda_]

Not sure if anyone's seen this;
Ben McKay vs. Harris Andrews

I read that as Ben in a more than competitive team and he will be a boom recruit. The ability to stay fit will depend on his happiness to push through and consistency to recoveries and rehabs etc.

If he can stay the course we genuinely could have a top 5 key defender in the comp on our hands. COULD

 

[ghostdog]

Dear Ben,

Go to Arizona.

Regards,
Gd

 

[DonsRule]

 

[Pweter]

Gee, I'd go to Essendon too.

 

[Lore]

Uhhhh huh. Maybe with all triggers and incentives accounted for.

 

[Dan]

Surely you lot aren’t paying him $850…..

 

[Lore]

Surely you lot aren’t paying him $850…..

780 for 6 was the original report, with a lot of huffing and puffing over whether you poor sods would get pick 3 or not because it was gonna be super borderline, whereas Hawthorn offered more that would get band 1 and he knocked it back. Twomey’s 850 would have to include some incentives or something, or else every other report for the last 6 weeks has been bullshit.

 

[Zach Package]

Surely you lot aren’t paying him $850…..

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he's in the top half a dozen earners in the league next year, I see no real reason why he doesn't earn 1.3 mil under the cap in 2024.

The average may well be 850k but in the context of it being front loaded and the cap about to balloon I suspect it's well worth it if it's organised properly.

 

[jannissary]

Surely you lot aren’t paying him $850…..

i’d have loved to pay him $850, that’s a bargain

 

[MiguelM]

With the cap increase the salary will look better but seriously we have been slaughtered in the backline when the opposition gorilla's get a run on like forever.

We have been crying out for someone who can compete. TBH, for me this could be our most important trade for decades and his salary reflects that.

Such an important position for us as a club to fill.

 

[revival_mode]

its either going to be a really really good signing or a really really bad one

 

[katana]

its either going to be a really really good signing or a really really bad one

or something in between i guess.