VFL Past #65: Shaun McKernan 🐴 - Returns to the Dons

[Kakkle]

He was splitting it with Giles or Tagliabue the whole year.

Yeah, more than 15 minutes a game.

 

[eth-dog]

I should just get a thread ban. Clearly nobody will see eye to eye with me on this and I'd rather not waste my time on trying to convince people.

 

[DapperJong]

I should just get a thread ban. Clearly nobody will see eye to eye with me on this and I'd rather not waste my time on trying to convince people.

Do you think it's ok for people to have a different opinion to you? Genuine question.

 

[HirdyLannister]

You belong in the Delusional Pearlers thread right now Eth!

 

[jmoo wan]

this thread:

 

[eth-dog]

Do you think it's ok for people to have a different opinion to you? Genuine question.

Of course. But I enjoy arguing too much.

 

[Howard Moon]

I believe after all has been said and done, Eth deserves to at least be in the thread title - somewhere. Hes earnt it.



and ill raise the bat next over.

 

[Beerfish]

That's a lot of posts about a player you don't rate. Some might suggest it's heading into the obsessive vendetta territory.

 

[TheGrizz]

Both are career back ups

If you had a ven diagram they would have playing forward in common and everything else different.

For starters with one playing back as well and the other playing ruck.

While Browns strength is his consistent, yet not necessarily inspiring output; McKernans is his ability to pull off the miraculous at times but still be the dumbest/impotent footballer on the planet at way too many points in his career

In reality actually the only thing they have in common is that they both have played forward and are career backups that have found their way to essendon.

Signing one is not mutually exclusive of the other. Not sure why this comparison has started in the first place really.

 

[Bombers36]

SMACK has been much a much better than Brown in 2018 any way you spin it, and in fact if you look at both players stats since they arrived at the Bombers SMACK is well on top.

Mckernan - games: 26, ave possessions: 14.62, marks: 4.27, tackles: 1.85, hit-outs: 14.15, inside 50's: 2.58, goals: 1.04
Brown - games: 32, ave possessions: 14.31, marks: 5.94, tackles: 1.63, hit-outs: 0.03, inside 50's: 1.75, goals: 0.81


eth-dog bringing up VFL form to try support his arguments is pretty pathetic - why cant you accept that you are just wrong???!!!

 

[MightyDon]

Career AFL goals/game average: 0.8 (spending the vast majority of his career in the forward line)

he has only ever been in the AFL team as a ruckman (remember all the free kicks he's given away as a ruckman?) up until this season is the first season he's been played as forward and now he's the number one tall forward not the 2nd or 3rd

 

[daffo]

I would much prefer Smack in the team over Brown. He gives us a lot more options.

 

[Alfred E Neuman]

Unbelievable.

 

[Liberator]

THIS THREAD IS A TOUR DE FORCE!

 

[AcuteWhistle]

 

[fairbump_playon]

There’s unfortunately no stat for the sheer adrenalin rush when Smack lights it up with unstoppable brilliance, or the gasping horror of his regular wtf idiocy.

Why is he the most polarizing figure at essendon? Because no player in living memory has had such a big gap between his best and worst.

Happy to be corrected on that but I can’t think of anyone.

 

[Old Campaigner]

There’s unfortunately no stat for the sheer adrenalin rush when Smack lights it up with unstoppable brilliance, or the gasping horror of his regular wtf idiocy.

I’d go with the Mohs Scale

 

[hurlygurdy]

This guy is holding his own playing against the better teams. That should be factored in to peoples opinions.
He would be snapped up by any decent team looking to top up their forward line for a tilt in the next two years. Us for example.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Are we likely to find comparable forward/ruck depth within the next two years? Doubtful I think. We might as well do the right thing by him and give him the security of a 2 year deal

 

[madrigal]

Why is he the most polarizing figure at essendon? Because no player in living memory has had such a big gap between his best and worst.

Reimers ?

 

[Studly Baker]

I'd give him a 2 year deal if it was needed, but he usually plays better when he has the threat of an imminent delisting hanging over his head.

 

[CBombers17]

There’s unfortunately no stat for the sheer adrenalin rush when Smack lights it up with unstoppable brilliance, or the gasping horror of his regular wtf idiocy.

Why is he the most polarizing figure at essendon? Because no player in living memory has had such a big gap between his best and worst.

Happy to be corrected on that but I can’t think of anyone.

Cupido had a bit of this.

 

[Mad Bomber Sean]

Wow we have started some great discussion about this two year deal thing...

As a long time crazy footy nutto I am enjoying this thread almost as much as watching McKernan turn the simple into the stupid and difficult into delightful.

 

[Jesseb]

Sign one or two it doesn't matter. He's improved a bunch and at this rate will be a important part of the team soon enough if not already. He's stopped giving away frees at every ruck contest and on a good day kicks 4. Confidence is growing unlike Stewart. Smack 2nd forward to Daniher next year is exciting. I can forgive a few brain fades just like Goddard and Heppell. Remember them earlier this year. Hepps was 19% disposal efficiency from memory, pretty sure Smack makes less mistakes than that each game. They just look worse.

 

[BrunoV]

The main difference between Smack and Brown would be that Smack is a genuine power forward at AFL level where Brown is Stewart-light but a smarter player than both.

We can keep harping on about history but it doesn't really matter because McKernan is having about 4 shots a game getting the opposition's number 1 defender each week.

It's the first time he's had a run at playing as a forward in a functioning side with us and he's proven that he's capable.

What he did or didn't do three years ago seems so irrelevant right now.