Possibly because he’s still prepared to play the team back role ahead of personal stats.
I think that’s one area he’s improved markedly since the first couple of games, where he seemed overly concerned with his own direct opponent and did little else.
Now he is covering for others, running to apply pressure on the ball carrier, and leaving his man to take intercep marks / filling dangerous spaces.
Yeah his man will ger out the back or drift wide for an easy chip mark at times, but on the percentages our backline performs better and keeps the opposition to lower scores when this happens.
It’s also giving Conor and McGrath the licence to attack as they do.
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I was worried the first month or so but he has certainly come good. Was great yesterday, got caught out by Fasolo a couple of times but most small defenders do.
It’s kinda hard when your opponent is allowed to grab your arm from behind and push you into the ground while you’re trying to gather the ball.
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reminds me more of Daniel = Karate Kid (just saw it last week - trying to educate my kids…)
He barely touched the ball, his opponent touched it less. It’s what a back pocket does and he does it very very well.
Also took a couple of intercept marks using his courage as always, been very very good for most of the year.
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Thought he was great, had a few great games across the backline due to his courage of getting under the ball
BAGS, Marty, Irish and Hurls. … add in Am_bro and we have a backline full of tough strong and brave defenders.
Can build a finals team around these blokes.
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He’s going quite nicely. Wish he’d go-to-ground less though. A couple of examples on the weekend which cost us goals.
He gets found out getting turned around a little bit, but is dominating on the lead and when its a wrestle. 5x better than preseason form, going great
I worry about when Bag’s retires.
We need another gun small back to take the elliots, betts of the world.
McNeice is our hope.
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I thought he was playing like it had gone past him early, but he’s improved and is doing well now (and has for several months). I would say I think he is playing with more limitations than he had two years ago, and that every now and then that presents a problem. How much longer he has left is a big unknown, and a bit of an issue.
You’d have to imagine Bags will go around at least one more season. Which would make McNeice 27/28 in 2019? Older than Bags was when he started with us. Unless we never plan on moving McGrath into the middle we need another small defender.
McGrath will be too good to be playing as a pure lockdown defender in any case.
He’ll either be an attacking HBF or a mid.
Morgan could potentially have potential to turn into a lock down defender.
McKenna will be one of our attacking HBF
I agree and I think we need to address this in this off-season.
I know he’s been injured this year, but can Hep A be a rookie solution?
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I think yes, but I don’t get to see him that often.
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Not back to pre injury form as yet, (in the 3 games I’ve seen at least), but his tackling mojo returned yesterday.
Several Tippa like crunching take downs.
Scary to think we could lack small defenders.
HOW
Or begley comes into the team and Tippa goes back.
A backline containing Tippa, McG and McKenna would be insane. 
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Or Begley plays back pocket.
There’s a thought - better overhead than Walla, and tackles with intent.
Not too worried though - Bags has another year in this form, and although doubts persist re McNiece and Morgan there’s a draft or two for us to go the now traditional mature age VFL back selection.
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