AFL Player #32: Ben "Buckets" McKay

[VelvetSledge]

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

 

[doug85]

He has never been great with the footy in his hands . May be different if we had a few different options for him to use.
What he does have to do is take some more steps back from the mark .

Agree. Not sure I’ve seen a player have so many kicks smothered.

 

[Mercurial89]

I feel like his marking is stronger the further he gets away from goal.

 

[Dan26]

Why not try him at full forward? Langford has been out of form so why not? He has the physical attributes and reads the play well. He has lost a lot of one-on-one contests as a defender, but that’s not as important as a forward, because you’re not giving up a goal if you’re outpointed. He’s a pretty good kick and a good mark.

Flip a few players around and you might find a few unexpected benefits.

 

[yodellinhank]

We'll lose a lot of 1 v 1s in the back half because it is the way we play. Playing a territory game and pressing numbers up means when we fail to hit our non-existent targets i50 and the lack of speedy players to pressure the rebound there is always going to be loads of space for the opposition to utilise in their forward half.

 

[dank420_]

He does auskick handballs

 

[VelvetSledge]

I'd like to think that he's faded in the last month or so because his lungs are tired.

You know, from singing the song so much this season.

 

[Howard Moon]

Just needs to stay in his lane, he's not Manuel Neuer. Just Mark it and take the easy option, job done.

 

[naraku]

He needs better direction, help and LEADERSHIP down back.

 

[Vindicater]

Form slipoff has been huge.

 

[Bjchan13]

Imagine having nothing better to do with your time, than spend it on big footy, going to opposition boards after they lose, finding your ex players threads, and then trying to troll because thats the best idea your brain can produce. Norf really are a special breed

 

[TheFrenchCut]

If you look at Hawthorn's backline, Frost has cut down on the constant mistakes he built a reputation for because he seems to now understand he doesn't need to create any more. He's surrounded by good kicks and users of the footy in Sicily, Scrimshaw, Hardwick, Impey, Amon, and Weddle etc.

McKay is capable of being a massive panic merchant with the ball so we need to simplify things as much as possible. Surround him with mostly good users and he'll be fine.

 

[ant555]

We'll lose a lot of 1 v 1s in the back half because it is the way we play. Playing a territory game and pressing numbers up means when we fail to hit our non-existent targets i50 and the lack of speedy players to pressure the rebound there is always going to be loads of space for the opposition to utilise in their forward half.

100% this. We expose the back half badly and have done for a while because of this.

 

[ant555]

If you look at Hawthorn's backline, Frost has cut down on the constant mistakes he built a reputation for because he seems to now understand he doesn't need to create any more. He's surrounded by good kicks and users of the footy in Sicily, Scrimshaw, Hardwick, Impey, Amon, and Weddle etc.

McKay is capable of being a massive panic merchant with the ball so we need to simplify things as much as possible. Surround him with mostly good users and he'll be fine.

Would help for sure.

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

He could open a meat shop with half of our side…

 

[Howard Moon]

Oh man, he absolutely dosent want any pressure coming at him on a ground ball...never seen anything like it. Still has marking ability tho so all isn't lost if the defensive structure suits him

 

[Zach Package]

If anyone ever tells you this wasn’t a good investment, just point them to Barrass going for the same money but two first round picks in a trade, and Harry Perryman

36

Harry Perryman

Age

25

Ht

187cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.5

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.1

4star

M

4.5

4star

T

2.8

4star

MG

216.2

3star

D

18.5

4star

K

10.6

4star

HB

7.9

4star

M

4.5

4star

T

1.3

2star

MG

301.3

4star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

2.8

5star

MG

83.2

2star

getting 850k a year.

Stupid money is everywhere

 

[ghostdog]

If anyone ever tells you this wasn’t a good investment, just point them to Barrass going for the same money but two first round picks in a trade, and Harry Perryman getting 850k a year.

Stupid money is everywhere

The difference with Barrass is he can be an offensive weapon. The last two pages of this thread are reflective of the concerns I had with bringing in McKay; can't kick under pressure, turn overs leading to goals, kicks too close to the mark.

If Ridley, Reid, Redman (when he's in form) and El Hawli are near by, it shouldn't matter too much. The problem for us is that turn overs from players like Martin and McGrath, whose kicks we should be able to trust, compound McKay's errors. If Laverde stays, look out.

 

[ant555]

The difference with Barrass is he can be an offensive weapon. The last two pages of this thread are reflective of the concerns I had with bringing in McKay; can't kick under pressure, turn overs leading to goals, kicks too close to the mark.

If Ridley, Reid, Redman (when he's in form) and El Hawli are near by, it shouldn't matter too much. The problem for us is that turn overs from players like Martin and McGrath, whose kicks we should be able to trust, compound McKay's errors. If Laverde stays, look out.

Problem is we did not bring him in to kick. We where hoping Reid and Ridley would be doing that so as you said it may not be as much of an issue with a better support cast.

 

[bombreys]

The difference with Barrass is he can be an offensive weapon. The last two pages of this thread are reflective of the concerns I had with bringing in McKay; can't kick under pressure, turn overs leading to goals, kicks too close to the mark.

If Ridley, Reid, Redman (when he's in form) and El Hawli are near by, it shouldn't matter too much. The problem for us is that turn overs from players like Martin and McGrath, whose kicks we should be able to trust, compound McKay's errors. If Laverde stays, look out.

I think we might actually be attempting to fix that issue. Kelly and Heppell out is a good start. And maybe Laverde. That sort of allows us to 'hide' McKay & McGrath a bit easier. Hopefully Ridley plays, I am praying they see Roberts as a small defender and not a wing and hopefully Redman returns to his natural position/form.

 

[Zach Package]

The difference with Barrass is he can be an offensive weapon. The last two pages of this thread are reflective of the concerns I had with bringing in McKay; can't kick under pressure, turn overs leading to goals, kicks too close to the mark.

If Ridley, Reid, Redman (when he's in form) and El Hawli are near by, it shouldn't matter too much. The problem for us is that turn overs from players like Martin and McGrath, whose kicks we should be able to trust, compound McKay's errors. If Laverde stays, look out.

The other key difference between Barass and McKay is that he will be 29 before he kicks a footy for the Hawks and McKay came to Essendon being barely 26.

That is a significant premium.

 

[ghostdog]

The other key difference between Barass and McKay is that he will be 29 before he kicks a footy for the Hawks and McKay came to Essendon being barely 26.

That is a significant premium.

Oh, yeah that is significant. WC will be bandits if they get two first rounders.

 

[Zach Package]

Oh, yeah that is significant. WC will be bandits if they get two first rounders.

And I think they will get it, probably with some minor finargling around the edges.

The Hawks cannot be accused of not ponying up when they see something they want, it has always been the case.

 

[Darealrath]

Problem is we did not bring him in to kick. We where hoping Reid and Ridley would be doing that so as you said it may not be as much of an issue with a better support cast.

Yes but good coaches know how to exploit this and it started to hurt us in the back end of the season. I like McKay but he has his flaws.

 

[ant555]

Yes but good coaches know how to exploit this and it started to hurt us in the back end of the season. I like McKay but he has his flaws.

How do good coaches exploit the full backs kicking ? Are you saying they kick the ball to him ? My view is he got exposed by the overall lack of skill in the back half and the fact our team defence fell away in the back half of the season.

 

[Darealrath]

How do good coaches exploit the full backs kicking ? Are you saying they kick the ball to him ? My view is he got exposed by the overall lack of skill in the back half and the fact our team defence fell away in the back half of the season.

They allow them to be free on the switch, for example, and tell their forwards to pay closer attention to the damaging kicks so the footy is more likely to be in the hands of defenders less capable of piercing their press or zone.

I remember hearing that Ross Lyon left Max Hudghton out of the 2009 finals series for this reason. From memory Roos had Sydney exploit this late in the season which caused him concern (I may be misremembering this part).