AFL Player # 1: Andrew "Pidge" McGrath (Vice-Captain)

[Beerfish]

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

 

[eth-dog]

He's literally our only defensive based midfielder. He's it. It's not all about the stats or a perceived point of difference, it's about balance.

Moving him away from the midfield would be incredibly boneheaded.

 

[The Prosecutor]

Last year he was really good in his first opportunity as an insider. Still young, still first opp, covid.

I still think he can push towards an A grade mid

Got to remember he avg 23.1 disposals last year and 5.1 tackles a game, 5.1 clearances (in a poor side)

But since then, Parish is now an elite inside midfielder. Stringer is arguably the best centre clearance player in the league (ironically probably competing with Parish for that title) and Merrett is Merrett. Then you have Shiel is a proven elite clearance player and then the like of Caldwell and Perkins who will want minutes and you have to ask what's the point when McGrath hasn't really shown anything that made him stand out doing it. The clearances he did get were usually blind hacks out and he never used his run to break away.

 

[foj1]

he is an elite small defender in my opinion
Should have been on Weightman surely

 

[TheGrizz]

Yes, just because he was pick one doesn't mean we need to force him, the square plug, into the round hole.

What was last year then? He's had plenty of opportunity. Unfortunately, the line-breaking speed that was his point-of-difference trait has been non-existent/not translated to AFL. He could still be a reliable B-grade midfielder, but he could be an A-grader as a back men.

FFS. The short memeories of Essendon supporters (not just you, in general) is unbelievable sometimes.

Go back and watch the game we won against Hawthorn last year. His speed out of the contest slaughtered them. He did it earlier in the year in 2020 as well.
Or his games against Hawthorn, Carlton, Freo or Norf before he was injured this year.

His speed and power has well and truly translated, and he is getting better every year and is only 23yo.
He is less than 3 weeks since coming back from a serious knee injury. Of course he is going to look sluggish, particularly in the wet.

Give him a full preseason, strip off a bit of the bulk he gained from not being able to run, and lets make our judgements then.

 

[Lore]

he is an elite small defender in my opinion
Should have been on Weightman surely

Small defender yeah but with that attacking side as well, working up the wing a bit like he did some as a junior.

I'm happy for them to train him in the midfield though, it's good to have that flexibility if he loses his pace or someone else is injured or whatever, he can be very effective there even if he's the 5th guy you'd choose.

Found his old draft package from the AFL website hahaha

 

[Keystone agony]

But since then, Parish is now an elite inside midfielder. Stringer is arguably the best centre clearance player in the league (ironically probably competing with Parish for that title) and Merrett is Merrett. Then you have Shiel is a proven elite clearance player and then the like of Caldwell and Perkins who will want minutes and you have to ask what's the point when McGrath hasn't really shown anything that made him stand out doing it. The clearances he did get were usually blind hacks out and he never used his run to break away.

It's definitely a fair question to ask. Do we have too many midfielders?

 

[Lore]

It's definitely a fair question to ask. Do we have too many midfielders?

Considering that after injuries we had legit 2 play through the year, with McGrath as the vital third cog before he was injured himself and with Smith and Langford going inside a bit, I'd say the answer is no. We had just enough depth to play out the season. Any less and we'd have been screwed.

 

[Keystone agony]

FFS. The short memeories of Essendon supporters (not just you, in general) is unbelievable sometimes.

Go back and watch the game we won against Hawthorn last year. His speed out of the contest slaughtered them. He did it earlier in the year in 2020 as well.
Or his games against Hawthorn, Carlton, Freo or Norf before he was injured this year.

His speed and power has well and truly translated, and he is getting better every year and is only 23yo.
He is less than 3 weeks since coming back from a serious knee injury. Of course he is going to look sluggish, particularly in the wet.

Give him a full preseason, strip off a bit of the bulk he gained from not being able to run, and lets make our judgements then.

TheGrizz it's been a while

But yeh let's forget about his 32 disp, 16 CP, 10 clearance, 72% DE game before injury and make sure not to forget these are 16 min quarters

I reiterate your FFS, that in normal time is a 40 disposal, 20 CP, 12/13 clearance game

 

[TheGrizz]

TheGrizz it's been a while

But yeh let's forget about his 32 disp, 16 CP, 10 clearance, 72% DE game before injury and make sure not to forget these are 16 min quarters

I reiterate your FFS, that in normal time is a 40 disposal, 20 CP, 12/13 clearance game

Dont go last year then.

How about the 27 disposal, 8 tackle, 10 CP, 3 clearance game vs Freo this year.

Or the 31 disposal, 5 clearances, 4 tackles and 100% disposal efficiency vs Norf a week later.

He looked great pre-PCL, i am not ready to sink the boot in or give up because he looks sluggish 3 weeks back from a knee injury in the rain.

 

[Keystone agony]

Dont go last year then.

How about the 27 disposal, 8 tackle, 10 CP, 3 clearance game vs Freo this year.

Or the 31 disposal, 5 clearances, 4 tackles and 100% disposal efficiency vs Norf a week later.

He looked great pre-PCL, i am not ready to sink the boot in or give up because he looks sluggish 3 weeks back from a knee injury in the rain.

Completey agree their are several quality performances from his first 11 games this year

However do you see it as role based aswell as from a short run based?

If he's 10 games in after a pcl today I think he maybe wins another 5 disposals

 

[The Prosecutor]

FFS. The short memeories of Essendon supporters (not just you, in general) is unbelievable sometimes.

Go back and watch the game we won against Hawthorn last year. His speed out of the contest slaughtered them. He did it earlier in the year in 2020 as well.
Or his games against Hawthorn, Carlton, Freo or Norf before he was injured this year.

His speed and power has well and truly translated, and he is getting better every year and is only 23yo.
He is less than 3 weeks since coming back from a serious knee injury. Of course he is going to look sluggish, particularly in the wet.

Give him a full preseason, strip off a bit of the bulk he gained from not being able to run, and lets make our judgements then.

The Hawthorn game last year was one of the few times he has displayed it (and I argued with ant555 about it last year that he had had a few moments of showing that burst of speed). The reality is that his use of any sort of burst of speed has been an exception, not a rule. Whether it's because his body build has changed and he no longer has the ability or he just chooses not to utilise it, the fact is it's not apparent in his game any more.

I'm not basing this off his last couple of weeks, however the dynamic of the side has changed since last year and now I feel we're faced with the choice of a B/C grade, second rotation midfielder or an elite small defender, a position which we are in desperate need.

 

[ant555]

Personally I think they have tried to bulk him up a bit too much to have him playing more inside footy. I would go the other way and get him back running so he can be more of the break the lines player and play more wing / half back / half forward. He is a really good kick in open play and he has good pace. If we can use him so he is not kicking 50% of his kicks around a corner under pressure I think we win.

 

[Lore]

Personally I think they have tried to bulk him up a bit too much to have him playing more inside footy. I would go the other way and get him back running so he can be more of the break the lines player and play more wing / half back / half forward. He is a really good kick in open play and he has good pace. If we can use him so he is not kicking 50% of his kicks around a corner under pressure I think we win.

Yep. He has some real weapons that would be put to better use there, or as second touch. We have enough guys with quick hands that he doesn't need to sacrifice his pace and be in the middle 60%+ game time (assuming no injuries to anyone else, of course).

 

[FlyingV]

The funny thing here is that people lament the fact that midfielders chase stats, only run one way and are unaccountable defensively. Here we have a young leader who IS accountable defensively, runs both ways and sacrifices his game for the team/midfield balance and we are saying he’s not dominant enough. McGrath is the least of our worries, and a terrific component of our list regardless of where he plays

 

[wichidi]

I remember when he was drafted Dodoro talked about his tank. The guy can just keep going and going. I seem to remember comments about a portion of his disposals coming later the quarter when everyone else is tiring and it really counts. That's why he is such a great defensive mid - can get back to cover when needed or provide the outlet kick on the wing. Kind of like the old whipping boy Stanton used to do. The amount of times that guy presented when no one else could was astounding. I see Pidge in a similar vein.

 

[Ambrosia]

Don’t agree with moving him into the backline. Lockdown players aren’t valuable and he hasn’t shown the ability to run and carry or set up play with his foot skills.

Wing seems obvious to me.

 

[Vander18]

Personally I think they have tried to bulk him up a bit too much to have him playing more inside footy. I would go the other way and get him back running so he can be more of the break the lines player and play more wing / half back / half forward. He is a really good kick in open play and he has good pace. If we can use him so he is not kicking 50% of his kicks around a corner under pressure I think we win.

Yep - we know what he can do defensively, looked like AA material in year 1.

Playing forward is worth a thought - would like to see it. Have posted a few times.....Robert Shaw (his BGS coach) was talking this up big time after he got drafted.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

We’ve seen the huge improvement in Parish…plenty left for McGrath. Would like to see him punish teams more with foot. He’ll get there

 

[Mikevk123]

I like him back tbh and it definitely helps the team.

 

[yodellinhank]

Sounds like we want him to do the things McCluggage does?

 

[The Donners]

Understand he is only recently back from a long layoff but this guy can be an A grade small defender or a B grade mid. I’d look long and hard at using him back.

I can’t but agree. He could be a very handy small defender. I don’t see him being in our midfield rotations. I’m not sure if I’d even put him as high as a B grade midfielder. I held the same thoughts pre-injury.

 

[The Donners]

Sounds like we want him to do the things McCluggage does?

Bit of controversy on BigFooty…

 

[The Donners]

Unfortunately, the line-breaking speed that was his point-of-difference trait has been non-existent/not translated to AFL.

This is absolutely spot on in my opinion. An undersized mid that hasn’t the extra step in his toe at senior level as he did at junior level. As has been said, absolutely nothing wrong with becoming an elite small defender. He has enough skill, enough pace and enough endeavour to make the position his own, particularly post Heppell.

 

[blitzer]

Its really unlikely McGrath will be moving to defense next year. We'll have all of Hind, Redman, Heppell and Cutler back there. The only iffy one out of those 4 is Cutler and he performed pretty well for the last 6 or so weeks of the season.

Our midfield has 2 elite players: Parish and Merrett. McGrath was easily our 3rd best midfielder for half the season til he got injured and it wasn't close. Like Parish I think his best footy is still ahead of him. Stringer will continue to be part of the mix in his role competing at centre bounces then drifting forward. Caldwell (if he can stay healthy) could be an elite mid. Shiel I think is the one likely to get pushed out to a wing or half forward. Langford will play games through there. Snelling will rotate through too. Smith occasionally too though hopefully less often.

If we were to move McGrath out of the midfield - more likely to be wing or even half forward given our smaller forward stocks are a bit of a weakness.

 

[owen87]

This is absolutely spot on in my opinion. An undersized mid that hasn’t the extra step in his toe at senior level as he did at junior level. As has been said, absolutely nothing wrong with becoming an elite small defender. He has enough skill, enough pace and enough endeavour to make the position his own, particularly post Heppell.

He's - for some reason or other - never consistently used his pace in AFL games. We had that game against the Hawks last year where he showed it, so it's clearly there, but doesn't seem to be used regularly.

Maybe he's carrying too much weight, from memory his lateral movement and pace was his weapon through congestion, so if he's too heavy to use those properly, the fitness guys need to work it out.