Retired Ashley McGrath (2000-2014)

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Brent Moloney:

Playing his 200th career game, McGrath was a reluctant hero. Despite a waiting throng of media to greet the match-winner on Monday morning, the 30-year-old shied away from the cameras and left the talking to Moloney.

"You couldn't write a better script for your 200th game to mark the ball with seconds to go and kick a goal from outside 50," Moloney said. "He's one of the most liked guys at the footy club. Everyone likes 'Boonji', everyone gets around him.

"It was great to see him kick the winning goal. It's a bit surreal. "He probably shies away from the attention, but that's the kind of guy he is, he puts the team first and he's a great player to play with."
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It's a miracle: Brisbane Lions back from the dead
24 June 2013
Dan Koch

FOR 199 games Ash McGrath has been happy with his lot as a "role player" for the Brisbane Lions - a vital part of the club's best 18, but one whose career has been spent as a support act, out of the spotlight. Last night, however, McGrath found himself on centre stage - with the hopes of his 22 teammates and a near-capacity home crowd on his heavily tattooed shoulders.

When the siren sounded to end his 200th game, McGrath stood with the ball in his hands almost 55m from goal. "It is the situation you dream of as a kid, isn't it?" McGrath said after the game. "A full house at the Gabba, game on the line. A kick after the siren to win. "I think every kid has had that kick in their backyard 100 times. I just tried to block everything else around me out. The Geelong boys were getting stuck into me. "I just wanted to finish things off for the boys and for the crowd. The way they had stuck with it and kept fighting in that second half ... they deserved something for the effort."

The "something" McGrath provided was a memory no one in attendance, let alone the combatants on either side of the epic contest, will ever forget. With the sort of poise and calm Wallaby coach Robbie Deans so desperately missed 24 hours earlier, McGrath slotted Brisbane's seventh and most important goal in an incredible final term.

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Big fan of Ash's, think he's a gun. Think I prefer him up front to down back but either way he seems to just impose himself on a game every now and then and it's great to watch.

I saw him up the coast one time at a surf club (not sure which one - you sort of sit out on the grass and you order through a hole in the wall), he ordered a coffee and i think he got the breakfast burger special too. I went the standard bacon and egg burger and I was pretty happy with it but my mate assured me the special was quite good. I wan't too upset though because I don't really like avocado and I only paid $6.90 as opposed to about $9. The special did come with different sauce too.

Anyway it was awesome to see him kick that goal. To be honest I called 'No' straight up because on tv I thought he got under it too much and I didn't think he had the distance but I was glad to be wrong. My new favourite McGrath moment! My previous favourite was the 6 he kicked in a half a couple of years ago. That really picked me up after his first retirement. Although to be honest I did think his bowling was starting to lack the intimidation factor. Regardless you can still see why the commentators used to call him the metronome (I couldn't see why at first but then I consulted my dictionary and decided that I couldn't agree more).
 

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McGrath miracle 200 games in the making
24 June 2013
Phil Lutton

Amid all the chirps from nervous Geelong players as Ash McGrath lined up his match-winning shot at the Gabba, team-mate Dayne Zorko raced up and told him to simply ‘go back and slot it’. “I was like ‘yeah, cheers mate’,” McGrath said, before doing just that, giving the Lions one of the most memorable wins in the club’s history in the process.

By that stage, McGrath had the ball in his hand and the outcome in his command. He had all the time in the world but went through the regular processes, walking towards the mark, then getting into stride and finally pulling the trigger as the crowd stood in silent awe. He didn’t like it off the boot. For half of the journey, it looked like it was bending right back into the post. But it curved just enough, slithering through to deliver the Lions a 103-98 triumph over the Cats.

For the night’s leading man, it was the perfect end to a game where he celebrated 200 appearances for the club over 13 seasons. It’s taken that long for McGrath to be the main player in his football fantasy finish, one he played out over and over again as a kid growng up in the Wheatbelt town of Northam in WA. “I thought it was going to hit the post. But the full moon … I think me old man Cliff (up there) must have pushed it through. It’s a boyhood dream. You do it growing up in the paddock. I finally get my chance. It’s taken 200 games. I’ll hand it over to someone else now,” McGrath said. “You always dream of kicking the winning goal to get your team over the line. To finally get a win and be at the Gabba, it’s great. It’s my 200th game, Blacky’s record-breaking game, it’s a surreal feeling at the moment.”

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Comeback Kings
25 June 2013
Sam Lord

The Brisbane Lions staged the eighth greatest comeback in the history of the game last Sunday when they upset premiership fancies Geelong at the Gabba.

It wasn’t just the comeback that will help the Cats game go down in Club folklore, but also the fact that it was achieved on a night when Simon Black and Ash McGrath celebrated significant milestones.

And the climax couldn’t have been scripted any better, with Black leading the final quarter surge and McGrath kicking the match-winner from a set shot outside 50m after the final siren.

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Ooh Aah Ash McGrath
25 June 2013

200 games - what an effort! Did you ever think when you were first drafted that you would reach such a big milestone?
- Jarrod from Capalaba, QLD
When I first got drafted I thought if I could play a handful of games, I’d be pretty lucky.

Then when I started getting picked in the team a bit more all I wanted to do was get my name on a locker. To play 200 games is a great feeling and to play 200 games at the one Club is even better.

When you decide to hang up the boots, do you reckon you’ll go back and play a couple of seasons with South Fremantle in the WAFL?
- Brett from Karratha, WA
Still up in the air! Pretty much depends on where I’m living when I finish playing footy.

Whether I stay in Brisbane or go back to Perth, we will have to keep you posted with that one!

There’s a lot of talk about players being out of contract or changing clubs because of free agency. Were you ever close to leaving the Lions at any stage throughout your career?
- Steve from Wheelers Hill, VIC
Free agency is a bit of a tough one for players. If you’re not happy at a Club you can always go somewhere else. I was close to leaving the Lions in about 2006, but I am glad I stayed!

Congratulations on reaching 200 games Ash. What an AMAZING game! Have you had much luck in winning milestone matches in the past?
- Gerry from Glenelg, SA

Not at all!

My 100th game I think we lost by about 100 points and my 150th was about the same! So it was good to get a win on the weekend.
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Desperately needs to lose weight. One of the slowest in our team when he should be one of the quickest.
 
Tough night for McGrath, copped a few knocks and he lost two shots on goal because of push in the back free kicks (They were there). Also gave away that 50m penalty. At the end of the day though, he kicked 3 goals and kept on soldering on. Good stuff from Ash tonight despite some poor things. Good on you Ash!
 

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Interesting to see McGrath subbed out. Fans have been questioning his spot for a while, and this might be the first sign that he is falling out of favour with the coaches too.
 
i know ash has been a great servant of the club, and deserves the respect that come from playing 200+ games, but I have been super disappointed in his effort since his milestone game.
how many more single digit stats is he going to have before he gets the tap on the shoulder, with not now being able to make the finals, he should be one of those moved on (playing out the season in the seconds) to make way for one of the young bucks to be blooded.
 
LIONHART said:
i know ash has been a great servant of the club, and deserves the respect that come from playing 200+ games, but I have been super disappointed in his effort since his milestone game.
how many more single digit stats is he going to have before he gets the tap on the shoulder, with not now being able to make the finals, he should be one of those moved on (playing out the season in the seconds) to make way for one of the young bucks to be blooded.
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Will probably get the tap on the shoulder at the end of the season. Sad to see him go, but he's been great for us.
 
Has been subbed a few times, i don't think there is much in it. Likewise how many touches he got doesn't do a lot for me either. Whether or not the tough call is made at the end of the year is one thing, but playing in the forward line, no one is racking up big numbers. When on he can kick 4 goals in a quarter and turn the game, a lot of value left in Ash yet.
 
Except he's kicked 12 goals and had 8 goal assists, and played defence for heaps of the games. Fair go mate, he's just getting older and slower. Would be good to see him speed up again, I agree. He's played hard tag on some quality small forwards and done a good job, too.
Ash has played only forward in just 4 games this year, and these resulted in.....
3 in round 16. Lions defeat North
3 in round 13. Lions defeat Geelong
3 in round 10. Collingwood smash Lions, who didn't have Merrett, Leuenberger or Brown.

The rest of the games he was "swung" back and forward or played back the whole game.

Other multiple scorers of 3+ this season....
5 in a game... Brown
4 in a game... Brown
Kicked 3 in a game...
Zorko * 4, McGrath * 3, Staker * 2, Green, Leuenberger, Bewick, Lisle, Maloney, Rich, Mayes, Hanley, Brown

To illustrate how little Ash has played forward, Bewick and Zorko have each kicked twice as many behinds.

Rockliff played as a forward for more time and kicked hardly any goals, let alone multiples.

Ash's ideal role is as a lead up forward coming out of a pocket or in front of Brown, to the 50 arc. His miracle on grass is a prime example. His maturity is extremely valuable around Zorko and Green, IMHO.

Dropping a club legend and a proven match winner seems odd to me, and a punishment for a player who's been flexible and professional enough to play out of position week in, week out.

I only hope Ash is either rested for fitness, or doesn't fit in structure with Bewick, Green and Zorko all in also. For mine, Bewick would be worth a try at half back flank, as I actually agree all 4 would ideally be in the side..... I think McGrath is that good, the structure should be designed with him as a forward pocket a non-negotiable.

I really hope that if he is omitted, he realises its because he CAN be great, and is a legend, he just needs to run a bit quicker :)
 
dan_7 said:
His maturity is extremely valuable around Zorko and Green, IMHO.
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I reckon you make a good case, Dan, and more power to you, but the quoted line is where we differ.

I don't think he plays like a mature player at all, and I doubt he's a particularly good influence out there.

One important moment in the first quarter last week when we were clearing the ball from a kick in. McGrath just assumes it'll get kicked over his head and turns away from the player with the ball. Doesn't spread to create an option or, better yet, lay a shepherd. That's the sort of thing you'd expect from a raw rookie. Not a mature veteran.

And as we know he has trouble making an impact in a lot of games playing as a forward, which I suspect is why Vossy moved him away from there. He's great at moving into space and creating an option deep forward, but doesn't do enough defensively.
 
1. Needs to lose a few, why is he so 'big' around the waist???
2. Play him as a perma forward, its not easy flipping positions 5 times a match. Plus he is the only small forward capable of kicking any bags

Green - Works hard, not much substance
Banfield - Unsighted
Bewick - Lead up
 
PrideIsInstinctive said:
1. Needs to lose a few, why is he so 'big' around the waist???
2. Play him as a perma forward, its not easy flipping positions 5 times a match. Plus he is the only small forward capable of kicking any bags

Green - Works hard, not much substance
Banfield - Unsighted
Bewick - Lead up
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Totally disagree with your assessment of Green. He is only a cub at this stage and he has shown enormous defensive energy and an uncanny ability to find the goals...love him in the team and believe he has been our best small forward option since the days of McRae.
 
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