#1 Andy McGrath loves finals football (Part 1)

Have your powers of observation revealed to you that this thread is about Andrew McGrath and that weā€™re trying to discuss Andrew McGrath and that if youā€™d like to review a game there are dedicated review threads for each and every game of the season?

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Iā€™m not saying he wonā€™t I just think itā€™s worthy of discussion.

Was he a midfielder at junior levels, or did he play the role he is now?

They have now.

Managed by connors, just fantastic

He did both I think. Said to be one of his biggest strengths. Was capable of going to the oppositions most dangerous forward and shutting them down but also going into the midfield and winning plenty of ball. I recall he blanketed Ben Ainsworth in a TAC cup final (or maybe H&A game) and in the TAC cup GF he played midfield and racked up ~35 touches. Can win it himself and burst away from stoppage but also play equally accountable.

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Doesnā€™t sound like something weā€™d be in to.

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Imagine my surprise when his name was called out on draft nightā€¦

Blitzers think Ryan Burton will win and be a deserving winner?

Look, Iā€™m sure hes a good kid, but he plays for Hawthorn, ergo, fark him, his family and all his ancestors

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Why are you going so soft on him?

Hawthorn Lover.

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Was both and averaged more possessions then any other player in the tac comp. It doesnā€™t matter he can have a huge impact on a game in both. He plays where needed

Made the team of the week in the back pocket.

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And Burton is a 2nd year player is he not? So has the extra benefit of having a full AFL preseason.

If his output is similar to McGrath then surely the first year player wins.

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Right now our midfield is crying out for the run he could provide. But, If we pulled off a trading coup and landed Kelly i Iā€™d be pretty keen to keep him where he is.

Anyone who can towel up the best small forward in the comp while pumping out serious numbers and providing real drive is just too valuable to muck around with.

I fear too that our midfield could swing wildly from being too top heavy to too small if parish, Zerret, colyer and McGrath are running around in there.

A backline of

McGrath Ambrose Francis
Gleeson Hurley Conor

Itā€™s pretty exciting if maybe smidge short. If we get our midfield defence right though the lack of height will be less of an issue.

Iā€™m all jacked up about Kelly now so Iā€™m going to finish my hypothetical best 22

Kelly hepp Zaha
Tbell zerret parish

Begley Stewart tippa
JD hooker Fanta

Langford Mutch green lav

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great team

and so glad you didnā€™t mention Bird

Lol we are not getting Kelly.

What could we possibly trade for Kelly?!?!

Booooooooo.

It is a conundrum, isnā€™t it? But he is too valuable in the middle, I reckon. We will still have Oirish down there, and I have high hopes for Redman.

Did you go to that game?

My impression of the tac final was that he wracked Up a lot of his numbers doing ring a ring a rosie handball in the backline

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The way he is moving just oozes poise, agility, fluidity, lightning decision making and execution, if he does stay as a ā€œback pocketā€ type defender, we might be looking at the first Brownlow for a back pocket since 1993.
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