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

 

[yaco55]

McGrath and Shiel are both effective inside the contest - I am unsure we have a definite need for an inside midfielder.

 

[ant555]

McGrath and Shiel are both effective inside the contest - I am unsure we have a definite need for an inside midfielder.

Just need a bigger bloke who can play a bit angry and bash in a bit and offer them a bit of protection.

 

[ant555]

Can not really believe people are saying he will not be elite or A grade yet McCluggage is. He is playing just as well as the Luggage right now.

 

[IHurley]

I agree with this.

Will probably never be "worth" the number one pick but I think will end up being a player we did not "waste" the number one pick on.

If that makes any sense.

I wonder how (dis)coloured I am by the experience of Daniher. I would prefer the team to focus on how talented the top 10 players on the list are rather than the top 3 or 4.

Just need a bigger bloke who can play a bit angry and bash in a bit and offer them a bit of protection.

I get your point but at the same time it's also what led to Myers playing many more games than he deserved.

The art of coaching is looking at your list and devising a gameplan that will work the best for your most talented 10-15 players.

Talent is precious whereas strategies are ephemeral so you "horseshoe" a gameplan not players.

 

[Vander18]

Can not really believe people are saying he will not be elite or A grade yet McCluggage is. He is playing just as well as the Luggage right now.

Don’t think either of them will be that tbh.

Both really good players - could easily get to an AA and Club B&F level. But there is that one level beyond where the absolute best reside and I don’t think they’ll be that sort of player.

 

[Run and carry]

Don’t think either of them will be that tbh.

Both really good players - could easily get to an AA and Club B&F level. But there is that one level beyond where the absolute best reside and I don’t think they’ll be that sort of player.

Just wish we had the number 1 pick in the last draft than in 2016.

 

[HirdyLannister]

Just wish we had the number 1 pick in the last draft than in 2016.

The melts would of been wonderful if we had Rowell

 

[ant555]

Don’t think either of them will be that tbh.

Both really good players - could easily get to an AA and Club B&F level. But there is that one level beyond where the absolute best reside and I don’t think they’ll be that sort of player.

Not many are.

 

[ant555]

I wonder how (dis)coloured I am by the experience of Daniher. I would prefer the team to focus on how talented the top 10 players on the list are rather than the top 3 or 4.

I get your point but at the same time it's also what led to Myers playing many more games than he deserved.

The art of coaching is looking at your list and devising a gameplan that will work the best for your most talented 10-15 players.

Talent is precious whereas strategies are ephemeral so you "horseshoe" a gameplan not players.

At various stages Myers was decent. He was simply unlucky with injury. Sure you can focus on what you have but if what you have is not up to it then you need to add the parts that you need. We need a couple good sized midfielders. They can be B grade but we need a couple of enforcer types.
I know the art of coaching to a list. I was involved in under 18 coaching as an assistant for 11 years. We had to work out what we had each year and try to work the best plan to suite. When I said we need a bigger body I was looking at what we needed to add to make us better.

 

[Vander18]

Not many are.

Of course - but when you have a number 1 draft pick you hope you might find a Dangerfield, Ablett, Fyfe, Martin level player.

Posted the other week - looks like there just wasn’t one available the year we had that pick. Not McGraths fault, Looks very possible he’ll be the best player from that draft.

 

[ant555]

Of course - but when you have a number 1 draft pick you hope you might find a Dangerfield, Ablett, Fyfe, Martin level player.

Posted the other week - looks like there just wasn’t one available the year we had that pick. Not McGraths fault, Looks very possible he’ll be the best player from that draft.

And only martin was top 10 out of those blokes. Ablett took a few years to be the player he was. All comes down to who is there in each season.
I think McGrath can continue to get better. IMO he is A grade.

 

[Vander18]

And only martin was top 10 out of those blokes. Ablett took a few years to be the player he was. All comes down to who is there in each season.
I think McGrath can continue to get better. IMO he is A grade.

Of course he’ll get better and have a great career - he just won’t be as good as the blokes I mentioned above. As you say, very few are.

 

[Run and carry]

And only martin was top 10 out of those blokes. Ablett took a few years to be the player he was. All comes down to who is there in each season.
I think McGrath can continue to get better. IMO he is A grade.

His ball handling is ridiculous. A couple of times the other night in the wet I thought "How did he get that?" But his kicking can be shallow and you're waiting for him to take charge of a game and that's not there yet.

 

[carnthedons]

And only martin was top 10 out of those blokes. Ablett took a few years to be the player he was. All comes down to who is there in each season.
I think McGrath can continue to get better. IMO he is A grade.

Exactly. Precisely how many number 1 picks have been that player? Riewoldt and maybe Hodge? Two players picked 20 odd years ago shows there’s more to it than whoever is picked first. BJ arguable for about 1-2 years and Cooney maybe for about 1-2 games.

To my mind with pick 1 you want a 200+ game player (something that only 3% of draftees get to or something). If he can be a star, great, if he can be a superstar, amazing, if he can be Marc Murphy/Bryce Gibbs/Brett Deledio and not Jack Watts then that’s what you’re looking for.

 

[citizen-erased]

Exactly. Precisely how many number 1 picks have been that player? Riewoldt and maybe Hodge? Two players picked 20 odd years ago shows there’s more to it than whoever is picked first. BJ arguable for about 1-2 years and Cooney maybe for about 1-2 games.

To my mind with pick 1 you want a 200+ game player (something that only 3% of draftees get to or something). If he can be a star, great, if he can be a superstar, amazing, if he can be Marc Murphy/Bryce Gibbs/Brett Deledio and not Jack Watts then that’s what you’re looking for.

Judd and Ablett were better players than Hodge.
I'd say Riewoldt. With Rowell the next best chance.

 

[carnthedons]

Judd and Ablett were better players than Hodge.
I'd say Riewoldt. With Rowell the next best chance.

Agree in Ablett/Judd being better, I was suffering more getting one of those top 5-10 in the league guys that Vander18 suggested (Fyfe and Martin both 09 draft so can’t be best player in their draft list).

 

[Vander18]

Exactly. Precisely how many number 1 picks have been that player? Riewoldt and maybe Hodge? Two players picked 20 odd years ago shows there’s more to it than whoever is picked first. BJ arguable for about 1-2 years and Cooney maybe for about 1-2 games.

To my mind with pick 1 you want a 200+ game player (something that only 3% of draftees get to or something). If he can be a star, great, if he can be a superstar, amazing, if he can be Marc Murphy/Bryce Gibbs/Brett Deledio and not Jack Watts then that’s what you’re looking for.

Yes and no.

As always luck plays a role - what year was the draft, who was available. Some years there simply isn’t a superstar to be had. Our year there wasn’t - bad luck for us. But we got a quality player who will likely captain the club and we didn’t miss anyone likely to be significantly better. Can’t argue with the pick.

But if you miss the superstar and get a Murphy/Gibbs etc then you have to view it as a **** up. When you have the number 1 pick you want to get that guy if he exists. You want to draft the best player. I’m sure there were a million reasons not to take Dusty or Fyfe at pick 1 in 2009......they were wrong. I get it - it’s not an exact science, but that’s the job. No point pretending that Tom Scully, who’s had a fine career, is in the same league as those guys. Surely Melbourne would regret not picking Martin in particular, even if Scully stayed and had the career with them that he had at GWS. Accept that Fyfe kind of came from nowhere, nobody envisioned him becoming what he did.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

But if you miss the superstar and get a Murphy/Gibbs etc then you have to view it as a fu** up. When you have the number 1 pick you want to get that guy if he exists. You want to draft the best player. I’m sure there were a million reasons not to take Dusty or Fyfe at pick 1 in 2009......they were wrong. I get it - it’s not an exact science, but that’s the job. No point pretending that Tom Scully, who’s had a fine career, is in the same league as those guys. Surely Melbourne would regret not picking Martin in particular, even if Scully stayed and had the career with them that he had at GWS. Accept that Fyfe kind of came from nowhere, nobody envisioned him becoming what he did.

That also pins far too much on the player and absolves the environment though. Imagine Franklin at basketcase-era Richmond. Ponder what Selwood and Pendlebury spending their formative years tanking would mean.

 

[eDPS]

Keen to visit the superstar debate in 10 years time re McGrath

 

[Vander18]

That also pins far too much on the player and absolves the environment though. Imagine Franklin at basketcase-era Richmond. Ponder what Selwood and Pendlebury spending their formative years tanking would mean.

I don’t think so. Environment was not the difference between Richard Tambling and the single greatest talent of the last 20 years.

 

[Vander18]

Keen to visit the superstar debate in 10 years time re McGrath

You think he can get to that level?

I hope you’re right. Just to be clear, I’m a fan of his.

 

[eDPS]

You think he can get to that level?

I hope you’re right. Just to be clear, I’m a fan of his.

I think he can, I also think he will outlast McCluggage and Taranto in the game. Whether his best meets their best is yet to be seen though and I’m not as worried about that part of it.

 

[citizen-erased]

i think a few are underrating how good he can get

 

[Vander18]

I think he can, I also think he will outlast McCluggage and Taranto in the game. Whether his best meets their best is yet to be seen though and I’m not as worried about that part of it.

I doubt we’ll ever look back and think it was a mistake to overlook those guys for McGrath.

 

[CBombers17]

Will McGrath be the best player of his draft year? Maybe / maybe not. You would take him every single time though.

The value is spread across the whole career as well of course. I remember after Judd broke out, Hawthorn being asked if they had any regrets about skipping on Judd and they said absolutely not Hodgy is a ripper etc... I remember thinking at the time that of course they would say that - in hindsight who was the better pick? Its very debatable really.