Watching the GC replay, noticing McKernan doing centering 30m kicks to a players in the clear. Football vision seems to be developing.
If he can develop his consistency by getting rid of the meltdown moments in his game, he will turn into quite an asset for us.
Never thought I would be saying that.
Doing well a bit more consistently now. So what are our options? Do we have enough faith in him to offer more than 1 year? Will another club come chasing (Gold Coast for example) and offer what we wont? Do we capatalise and trade him while his value has risen? I dont think he is a FA but i could be wrong there.
Think itās important to keep in mind for any list changes the likelihood of starting positions/zones next year. McKernan is definitely someone who would be useful with an open forward line considering heās good 1 on 1, regardless Iād sign him up with what heās displayed this year
Itās a big call in a year where the draft is strong but I would give him 2 years if he continues his form this year yes. Only because there will be other teams offering him that too.
Every chop out ruckman in the comp struggles against the competition number ones.
Against Collingwood, Tommy was on the ground for 80% of the game and Grundy closer to 90%. Some of the time Tommy was not in the ruck, and SMack had to pick up the slack, mostly in the last quarter, when Grundy and Pendlebury sliced and diced us 3 times for centre clearances and goals, which won them the game. Against the Gawns, and Grundys its essential for Tommy to be out there against them 100% of the time, otherwise the mids need to start tagging opponents at centre bounces.
can someone confirm that we cant re-rookie McKernan anymore?
so its either promote him to our senior list, trade him or delist him?
is that right?
Given his stats are comparable with Jenkins (and heās a much better player than Tyrone Vickery was at Hawthorn) who were/are on much better money, there would be no shortage of other clubs looking at him. So to my mind we either have to give him a contract - or someone else will. The rookie list wonāt cut it anymore.
Was delisted from main list after 2016 season. So would be able to remain another year as a rookie. But Iām almost certain that wont happen. If we donāt give him a bit of reward, someone else certainly will.
so rookies get max 3 years as a rookie?
Yes 3 years. Same with Long after last year. Then they must be upgraded or delisted.
Our choice is to let him go for nothing, or re-sign him on s 2-3yr deal on decent (but likely not huge) compo. It really depends on how we see him vs. the best 22 next year, and how we expect to go full stop.
With Leuy a likely retirement, I suspect weāll give Smack a three year contract.
Generally there is a connection between contacts offered and trade value. If he is offered a good contract by another club we will unlikely lose him for nothing.
Generally, rookies and fringe players get zip in trade value. Heās 28, not reached 50 games, is questionable in the ruck, and is a rookie.
We might get a third rounder.
Generally, Smack is exceptional. Occasionally, Smack is not.
I was in the Hooker forward with JD camp, but Iām now fully invested in the Smack JD camp.
It would be interesting to see how many free kicks those two could combine to give away each week. The highs and lows of the freakish skills and athleticism and the dead set brain fades would send Blitz into meltdowns rarely seen outside of Chernobyl.
Do it Woosh.
While I donāt think Smackās value is top tier, I think he has rightly climbed several rungs this year.
You were nearly right, heās played 61 games and not yet reached 28.
I think Smack, now that he has found form and some consistency at AFL level, AFL footy has caught up with Smackās strengths, in this day and age Smack is worth more than a Tony Lockett. The mobile big man who can impact a contest, and run both ways.
I think he compares not too unfavourably with Jack Riewoldt based on this years stats, and the fact he is in his prime for the next 3 to 4 years is his real selling point as a āready to goā big man, who is at the very least a fantastic backup and superior to what a lot of sides have, and be a good quality 2nd ruck compared to what most sides run with at AFL level this year.
They are both in the 2 goals a game region this year (Jack about .5 of a goal ahead).
Even their fantasy points are about the same! (Iām really stamping this with authority here).
Abbreviations key
KI=Kicks
MK=Marks
HB=Handballs
DI=Disposals
DA=Disposal average
GL=Goals
BH=Behinds
HO=Hit outs
TK=Tackles
RB=Rebound 50s
IF=Inside 50s
CL=Clearances
CG=Clangers
FF=Free kicks for
FA=Free kicks against
CP=Contested possessions
UP=Uncontested possessions
CM=Contested marks
MI=Marks inside 50
1%=One percenters
BO=Bounces
GA=Goal assist
https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/J/Jack_Riewoldt.html
https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/S/Shaun_McKernan.html
Personally I think a 3 year deal from us would be madness given the small sample size of good football. At this point he is as likely to regress as progress. We wont want to be stuck with him for 3. 1 year deals for me with maybe a 2nd year trigger clause. But not 3.
Smack is an enigma. On his day, he can almost be the best player in the competition with his aggression, mobility, marking, kicking and x-factor. On the other hand, there have been days (not so many this season) where heās hardly been seen during a game and when he is, itās for committing a clanger. I think this year he has really begun to believe in his own ability to impact a game and for some players, self belief - regardless of their ability, is about 90% of the equation. As they say, big guys take longer to hit their straps. Iām old enough to remember a time when I would shudder in dismay when Roger Merrett was selected in the seniors due to his consistently underwhelming performances. We all know what kind of a fabulous player he developed into. Obviously he and Smack are very different blokes and players, but I think we are extremely fortunate to have Smackās talent and size at our club coming into his prime years and I believe he has earned at least a 2 year contract with his consistent performances in 2018. The whisper around currently is that at least two other AFL clubs are very interested in engaging his services too, so sign him up Adrian!
Youāre talking like we will have a choice. We wonāt. A team like Carlton or GCS have the spare cap space, and the need for some mature bodies, that theyāll probably offer Smack a 3 year deal. Bulldogs or Freo would think about it as well. Sure, its a huge gamble, but theyāll do it because they have young lists and he wonāt cost much.
@SCarey can compare him to Jack Riewoldt all he likes. Everyone can point to his inconsistency, his age (he WILL be 28 at trade time), the fact heās played ~70 games in a career spanning two clubs and ~10 year career.
If he selects Carlton who are offering him a 3 year deal at decent wages, are we really going to say ānow look Smack, we know youāve spent 4 years with us as a bit parts player and being a good guy and sitting on our rookie list for 3 of them, and weāre only offering a one year contract, but weāre just not trading you unless we get offered a second rounderā. yeah right. Brad Hill only went for a second rounder - you expect one for Smack? Smith cost the equivalent of a second rounder (or less), you expect us to get the same for Smack? Stewart went for pick #78, that is far more the ball park with Smack.
Now, some might argue his current form deserves more. Anyone else will argue the previous 9 years form deserves DFA status, and that weāre basing his āformā on about half a seasonās worth of games.
No, if he selects a club weāll get maybe a third rounder. Tops.
Which is why it comes back to what I said earlier. Weāll either need to match with a two or three year deal, or trade him for nothing. It puts us in a bit of a bind, I suspect weāll go with keeping him given we have only Draper as backup to Belly if Leuy retires. At worst, you have your ruck/forward depth locked in until Draper either makes it or needs replacing.
Gesuntheit.
