McKenna
McBride had top level athletic traits when came into the system for his height
IIRC his 2km time trial, 20m sprint and vertical jump all right up there. What he had to learn was game sense, injuries and covid impacted years affected that and in the end he’s delisted
Munkara was well off it fitness wise it seems and with smaller forwards needing endurance and repeat sprint ability now more than ever he’s obviously not been seen as likely to get to level needed in the near future.
He’s not been hard done by, playing for Warragul now FFS. No other AFL club swooped let alone a state league in any state. He needs to lift the bar considerably to be back in AFL
Would it have been nice to seen him at least have another year? Yes of course. It’s a shame that hasn’t happened.
But line been drawn on professionalism and living an elite afl lifestyle. Multiple players ending up out the door including VFL b&f’r Voss.
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My opinion is the reverse of the above. I thought mcbride played his defensive role quite well and was a genuine VFL level player who earned his spot on output not just potential.
But agree some of Munkara’s brief cameos were electric.
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I would expect a boy from NT would not be at elite fitness in his first season, and not sure that he was what you would call a small forward. At present he is 188cm and 85 kg, which is the same size as Archie Perkins. He is still only 18 years 3 months old, and as he is playing in Gippsland, it makes any idea of homesick a nonsense.
Obviously we do not know the whole story; if it is about his personal life then it is none of our business, but if it is a club decision for club reasons then maybe they should fess up. We spoke with him once, and he was a shy and very polite boy. Watched him play two games, and while there was not great game involvement, when he did get the ball, there was a lot to like. Not sure how another development year was not entertained aand would like to know the reasons.
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And in his sole AFL appearance he was a legit part of beating WCE over there (back when they were still a good team).
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I have no recollection of McBride playing seniors?
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Just putting it out there. Is it a good idea telling a kid not to worry about performance just want you to settle into a Melbourne lifestyle ( at least publicly ) before embarking on an AFL career. Might give some a false sense of security.
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There is no doubt that on occasion he could show flashes of skill and dexterity. Enough to capture people’s attention and (as much as anything) imaginations. I saw him play a game at The Hanger last year against Melbourne. It was a hard slog but the highlight was Munkara stepping around two players when he should have been trapped on the boundary (although the other highlight was an excellent game from Bryan).
But I think those exciting tidbits weren’t enough. I don’t think he was AFL fit and I suspect the club came to the conclusion that he was never going to get AFL fit. The recent video of Kane Baldwin will have given people some insight into the amount of work that players have to do off their own bat to achieve/keep/increase fitness. I suspect that Munkara just didn’t have the self drive and the club knew that.
Anyway I think Speedy is on the money. No club fought us to draft him. No club swooped in to capitalise on our mistake.
I really hope that he takes a year or two to develop and re-emerge through the VFL system.
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I think theDJR is referring to a preseason game.
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I’m not sure the issue is do we have Cat B players on our list. The problem is bigger picture. What does our indigenous program look like? It shouldn’t just be an after thought when we get an Indigenous player. It should be ingrained into what we do everyday.
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Pre-season match; was very composed at FB/BP.
It was his, IIRC, his second ever game of Aussie Rules! Had played well in his debut at Casey the week before.
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Just playing the devils advocate but how much money and time do you put into 2 or 3 young kids on your list, some of whom may not even need that support. Especially if they are fringe players in the first place? There is a salary cap on back of house expenses after all.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t do it especially if doing it gives us another Long or Wanganeen.
That’s a narrow point of view. It’s a bigger piece than a money to player equation.
Richmond’s indigenous program has been hugely successful.
They now own that space. That was ours in the 90s. Kids all over Australia were wearing Essendon jumpers.
It’s a culture piece that you can’t put a value on.
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Yeah I get that. But I’m not really saying monetary cost, more a resource cost. What you allocate to one thing you are taking away from another. But I do agree I wish we were the leaders in this field, it’s just not an easy fix as some people make out.
No it’s not easy. But worth persisting.
hope efc are continuing to offer support post his time at the club and keep in contact etc.
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I for one was really looking forward to Munny’s second year.
Signs were he had some tricks, natural guile and finished off 2023 well. I watched a few of his VFL games and skipped a beat when the ball got near. Then again I always do that when our indigenous players get involved.
We’re none the wiser and if @Speedy_Gonzales , @CJohns and a few others here all closer than I are still musing … well then. But he seemed by all reports a decent lad.
Sometimes you have to acknowledge players come to the fore at different times. And bring different skills and things with a bit more patience… For mine he was one of those.
I still scratch my head.
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I was pretty excited about Munkara too, and surprised that we dropped him after 1 year. However, several people above have implied that there were reasons that haven’t been made public, and if making them public isn’t in the player’s best interests, then I’d rather it wasn’t, even if it leaves fans puzzled/frustrated.
I don’t think thrashing out why it was a bad choice can take this into account, and even if it was shared, or we collectively made a good guess as to why, I doubt there’d be any positive take away.
Meanwhile, I wish him the best, and I hope he does reach the potential that others have seen and talked about.
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Just to provide some clarity on a few things, I’ve been given permission to say, Anthony received interest from multiple clubs, including the AFL and various state leagues.
However, his management opted to focus on enhancing his life skills and off-field attributes.
They decided on a gradual approach to reintegrate him into the system, prioritizing a fresh start over diving directly into an unfamiliar environment.
His manager, who hails from Warragul, is guiding him closely through this process.
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It’s the very, very, very, very obvious conclusion to draw
Clearly had talent
Lots of guys have talent
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