AFL Player 1: Andrew "Pidge" McGrath (vc) - The skip we didn't know we needed

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2030
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 13, Vindicater

 

[srobbo]

He played his best game in years tonight. Looked assured & gave us plenty of drive. Let’s see how he finishes it off next week.

 

[SpeckieMcVeigh]

**** it I'll say it, he's shown me more in the last 3 weeks in the midfield than he's shown down back for years. In the backline his ball use is magnified but in the middle, he has a combination of leg speed and tackling that nobody else really has on our list.

Had a captain's knock today, well done Pidge.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Needs to be back in the midfield. Handballs in tight are great, is defensively sound around stoppage, hacking out of the stoppage is the norm even for classy players and will find himself with more space more often.

 

[Doss]

I would praise McGrath for his great game tonight but I’m also conscious that might cause a frequent poster here to blow a gasket, so I’ll just offer him a golf clap.

 

[Kyptastic]

Matched up on NWM for most of that last quarter and kept him to 3 touches, whilst having 10 himself

 

[naraku]

It's been what? Nearly 10 years since we've seen this Andy McGrath.

Nice to see him have some form.

 

[biglaycock]

Outstanding game, thought he was great in close and appears to be using the ball much better

 

[Petrify]

Think we already knew he could do that. The question is why can’t he play with that sort of energy and composure as a defender

Because his handballing in traffic is his best trait and it's much harder to do that in the back pocket vs in a pack

 

[ant555]

Would have to be close to the best he has looked in the midfield.

 

[faible]

Think we already knew he could do that. The question is why can’t he play with that sort of energy and composure as a defender

He does, mistakes are just magnified down back so it looks worse when he hack kicks it.

His ability to run angles instead of straight lines works well in the middle, he just doesn’t have the body to grind out inside minutes which was a problem when we had smaller mids around him who couldn’t play elsewhere.

Perhaps alongside Durham and Caldwell it’s less of a problem.

 

[FlyingV]

He was unreal. Looks to have found a balance between the frantic high twitch shit & being the quickest to react at ground level.

Nice Pidge

 

[Milanista28]

Mid or trade.

 

[ghostdog]

Yep. Good game Pidge.
Pidge Mid V2.0 is much better. Has some agility and a good burst of speed in there, as well as being a strong body. Good core strength and low centre of gravity, too.

 

[FlyingV]

I feel like all the preseasons etc have finally hit him. He looks nuggety and powerful - akin to a Neale or Sinclair.

 

[ant555]

At least the hack kicks end up inside 50
Would be happy if he was in the midfield rotation next year.

 

[andleanback]

Because his handballing in traffic is his best trait and it's much harder to do that in the back pocket vs in a pack

I’m more talking about his kicking

 

[Pesche]

loved his game tonight. really gave us something. Wonder if there is a spot for him in the midfield next year

 

[quotemokc]

Good game sure but it wasn't exactly against stellar opposition.

 

[Happyskeret]

Best game I seen him play since the hawks Daniher sit on the fence game.

 

[Keystone agony]

Awaiting apologies

 

[Keystone agony]

Best game I seen him play since the hawks Daniher sit on the fence game.

Dont tell me he was playing midfield that day aswell

 

[Happyskeret]

Dont tell me he was playing midfield that day aswell

 

[bacon buster]

Give him his flowers. He played well. Can he unlock that kind of performance and do it more consistently?

 

[ant555]

Awaiting apologies

Broken clock is right twice a day as well.

 

[Keystone agony]

Broken clock is right twice a day as well.

Thank you, thats one

Tbf ordinary oppo and we have needed him back in the past year or two due to lack of defenders especially small/meds