I always thought McGrath would make a great defensive general with his skillset but at age 26 it’s clear that he’s just not got the attitude or application for it to work other than as a pure role player (i.e small stopper).
I reckon it’s time to throw him into the forward half and see if his rushed disposal and turnovers can be directed through the big sticks at very least. Surely he can’t be any worse than Gresham…
you must forget dylan Clarke.
unless i mis remember everyone adoring his kicking skills.
you want to know the irony, if he wasn’t a no.1 pick the same people defending him, wouldn’t.
Mcgrath is the epitome of what is wrong with this club, people spend way to much time having to try and convince others that he’s a good player, and defend all his short comings.
if we have to accept what he is, that’s fine, people should start accepting he’s an average to good player, and he’s only elite skill is shutting down certain forwards. if that was all he did you could cop that, but the rest brings down his actual value.
how good can a lasagne be? its just lasagne pastitsio is the superior dish.
Ahh ■■■■ it’s spreading.
(Not trying to single you out DKP)
He’s had less then 1 kick out a game this year and his kick to handball ratio is lower then the rest of our defenders, seems like he’s already doing what you said.
I feel like someone like McGrath he has gotten so much positive affirmation throughout his whole life that it’s hard for him to change who he is, and how he plays. Ie. Touted as a future leader the day he walked in the club. Pick 1 in the AFL draft. VC at an early age.
The single worst thing we could have done to him as a club is offer him a 6 year contract.
This was the final positive affirmation that he needed to get that solidified his attitude towards he is on the right path.
HE IS NOT ON THE RIGHT PATH. HE IS NOT THE LEADER WE NEED. HE IS NOT THE PLAYER WE THOUGHT HE COULD BE.
We should have offered him a year 3 contract at above average salary, kept him in the leadership group, but given the VC to someone else.
This would have made him develop a lot more.
I believe.
Not many disagreeing with this take. Play him as the shut down defender. But what a fantastic contract deal for a player with only the one weapon in his armoury.
Most players have one weapon. A key back is a key back, spoils and marks. A key forward takes marks and kicks goals. It’s not like most guys can sing, dance and do a magic trick. We are lucky he does one thing approaching elite.
He’s not Mark Johnson unfortunately, he’s going to have to do.
But does it deserve a mega deal? That’s what’s peeing most people off.
We’re quite lucky then! Given he was in the Brighton Grammar School Choir we know the man can not only shut down small forwards but also sing!
Most people could live with that if he had a 2 or 3 year deal. No one else was offering him 6 years ever and yet we folded like a deck of cards
Yeah I get the contract issue, we seem to have a few going around with overs. He’s definitely over, but we are lucky we still have cap space and Essendon doesn’t index so it gets cheaper each year
I wish I had a boss like dodoro, I could talk him into a great pay rise
Just hope what he’d get in 3 years was spread across the 6 years. Then it’s probably about right / yr
Yeah nah. Judging by the team performance of the Club song, he’s the only one who can sing. The rhythmic shouting of the song lyrics after a win, with no attempt at the melody, is absolutely pathetic. Perhaps Pando should be asked to give the boys a couple of lessons on how to hold a tune.
That’s fine, but we can’t separate it from his 6 year 700k ish deal.
You reckon Harry Cunningham is on a deal like that, or brandon starcevich. We didn’t even give Jake Kelly that long.
And you wouldn’t have to kick a footy properly either.
As much as Mcgrath could and should be better, I don’t think those players are good comparisons for what he should be paid. Stats from 2024.
Fair, I was taking deliberately extreme examples.
I suspect McGrath’s ratings are enhaced by actually be used to distribute (at least to dinner degree), or high possession have style and the fact that he takes kick in
He’s at 7 this year so maybe the starcevich comparison is on the money
Dale and Houston we’re up around 13 last year. People would be complaining if McGrath used the ball like them
