2026 Whipping boy

[Kram]

When you are 10 - 1 there is going to be far fewer candidates for this but..

Welcome aboard Judd McVee!

 

[Hamann188]

Yeah, was at the game last night.

He was making it hard to defend him.

I feel like it might have been the "shiny new toy" effect, but names like Walker, Draper and Simpson were being thrown about while Judd was butchering it.

 

[Mr Cheese]

He's been pretty ordinary going forward, but he's solidified our D50 contest, and mops up really well. Was outsized by Wood tonight, who turns out is quite a handy mark.

 

[Fat Nyfe]

I appreciate he's in there for his defense but when you see him go in softly a number of times you have to wonder if others could do a better job, especially when his disposal on the offensive end is offensive to watch. And yeah he's had better games for us, but they haven't been THAT much better lets be honest.

Those concussions for Walker were really bad timing, if we can get him up and running to 100% he's a pretty straight upgrade because he can defend the smalls, has better disposal and is pacier so can handle matchups like Watson and C Cameron.

 

[ubiquitous226]

I appreciate he's in there for his defense but when you see him go in softly a number of times you have to wonder if others could do a better job, especially when his disposal on the offensive end is offensive to watch. And yeah he's had better games for us, but they haven't been THAT much better lets be honest.

Those concussions for Walker were really bad timing, if we can get him up and running to 100% he's a pretty straight upgrade because he can defend the smalls, has better disposal and is pacier so can handle matchups like Watson and C Cameron.

Walker has strengths, not sure disposal is one of them.

 

[mightymouse75]

It's his first season in a new team.
Bolton anybody ?

He won't be getting dropped..

 

[Fat Nyfe]

Walker has strengths, not sure disposal is one of them.

But is it better than McVee's disposal? On paper no, from what we've seen, yes.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Yeah, was at the game last night.

He was making it hard to defend him.

I feel like it might have been the "shiny new toy" effect, but names like Walker, Draper and Simpson were being thrown about while Judd was butchering it.

I think Max Hall was just too tall for him.

Not sure the new rules help him, not as athletic as I thought.

Did some other good things.

 

[estibador]

Walker has strengths, not sure disposal is one of them.

It's still better than McVee's.

McVee has this weird thing where it looks like he's trying to be casual and smooth with his kicking but it just results in him lofting them up into the air to the opposition.

Even when he has space he manages to f**k it up somehow - like that instance last night where he got the ball in space 65m out kicking to the right of screen, and for some reason decided to run 10m with it until a man was right in his face causing him to have to lollypop it up in the air to try clear it over the top of him.

At least when Walker f**ks up his kicks it's usually because he's bursting out of the backline at full pace.

 

[Alfonz]

He's had a rough couple of weeks with his disposal and he was outfoxed by Mason Wood

32

Mason Wood

Age

32

Ht

192cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.2

3star

K

7.8

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.3

2star

D

8.3

2star

K

2.7

1star

HB

5.7

3star

M

1.7

2star

T

1.3

2star

CL

0.0

1star

D

15.8

4star

K

8.6

4star

HB

7.2

5star

M

4.6

5star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

a few times last night, and maybe he needs a spell to get some confidence at Peel. But I'm still big on McVee long-term. He was our 4th youngest player out there last night (only Erasmus, Reid and Scerri younger).

I think the rating below is a bit generous, but nonetheless it is a different view from a neutral/statistical perspective:

Midseason trade and free agency grades: Swans’ Curnow reality; historic Clarry resurgence

Curnow reality Swans may have to accept; maligned star’s historic resurgence — AFL trade grades

www.foxsports.com.au

Judd McVee (Melbourne to Fremantle): A-

The former Demon has fit in seamlessly at Cockburn, playing in nine of the Dockers’ 10 games thus far and getting more involved with ball in hand - on four occasions going over 15 disposals, and twice over 20. McVee rates above average among general defenders for intercept possessions, contested possessions and groundball gets - all of which he’s improved year-on-year.

 

[ubiquitous226]

But is it better than McVee's disposal? On paper no, from what we've seen, yes.

It's still better than McVee's.

I'm really not sure it is, but hopefully we get a chance to see Walker again at AFL level this year as he's good enough.

 

[s_wd6]

Man I wish more than anything that Walker was fit and healthy. Really looked to be playing to all his strengths when he was in at the start of the year.

I'm just glad that you all have moved off Worner as your whipping boy. Thought all his obvious upside was overlooked based on his one or two goal costing clangers a game.

McVee is the sort of player who I feel just never does two good things in a row. Every time he does something impressive he stuffs it up with his disposal.

 

[Kapow!!!]

I'm just glad that you all have moved off Worner as your whipping boy. Thought all his obvious upside was overlooked based on his one or two goal costing clangers a game.

I'm not one for whipping boys or anything but...err...that's 1-2 more goals any defender should be conceeding through clangers a game...

 

[Righteo]

McVee or Switta for me. Considering his seniority & position in the leadership group combined with underwhelming performances Switta gets the honours here. What's particularly galling is the fact he's OOC this year. If a Vic club wants him badly enough I wouldn't be upset to see him walk. With his age his speed and agility will only decrease from here.

Ofc I fully expect the club to throw him an extension so hopefully Sweidy/Scerri can have huge preseasons and put their hands up next year as potential replacements.

 

[Nolo180]

McVee's tough and his positioning is normally very good. His disposal has been good on occasions, but I think he/the team over rates it. Theres's upside there. I'm holding his stocks for now.

 

[TheInjuryFactory]

Those concussions for Walker were really bad timing, if we can get him up and running to 100% he's a pretty straight upgrade because he can defend the smalls, has better disposal and is pacier so can handle matchups like Watson and C Cameron.

100%

I'm all in on Walker coming in the second he's right.

 

[longsuffreosupp]

Switta seems to be copping it lately with the emergence of Scerri, but like McVee, there must be other factors that the coaching group like (structure, pressure etc)

 

[freodog]

It's a shame Simpson got injured when he did last year. He never got an extended run to find out if his quality disposal out of the backline could have been the answer

 

[TheInjuryFactory]

Switta seems to be copping it lately with the emergence of Scerri, but like McVee, there must be other factors that the coaching group like (structure, pressure etc)

Has Scerri really emerged yet? His best game was probably his debut. Still very much adapting to the pace and decision making required at the level.

They play very similar roles/style but I'd still take Switta every day over Scerri. Wouldn't mind us taking a look at some of the other smalls on the list.

 

[funguy1984]

It's a shame Simpson got injured when he did last year. He never got an extended run to find out if his quality disposal out of the backline could have been the answer

Simpson played alright for peel today

I'm throwing a thought out there

Should we try Hugh Davies to replace Judd McVee or does it make our backline too tall???

 

[TheInjuryFactory]

Simpson played alright for peel today

I'm throwing a thought out there

Should we try Hugh Davies to replace Judd McVee or does it make our backline too tall???

Draper could play small.

 

[Tbonefreo]

It's his first season in a new team.
Bolton anybody ?

He won't be getting dropped..

I had a similar thought laat night. Plays a role and we are winning

 

[longsuffreosupp]

Has Scerri really emerged yet? His best game was probably his debut. Still very much adapting to the pace and decision making required at the level.

They play very similar roles/style but I'd still take Switta every day over Scerri. Wouldn't mind us taking a look at some of the other smalls on the list.

He's emerged enough to get a semi regular game, but I agree with the rest. Relating to the topic posted, you can see in the gameday threads how much Switta is now in the line of fire.

 

[lint]

Mcvee actually had quite an interrupted pre-season...

"I had him for a week early on, and I was a bit shocked to see what we'd brought into the club because he was really crook and he wasn't at his best," Clark told AFL.com.au.

I remember waking up one morning and asked if he wanted brekkie, and he said no. I was like, 'OK. You realise it's day one and it's about 35 degrees over here in Perth and we're going to be on the oval for three hours?'

We had time trials and he didn't set the world on fire. Then I got up to lunch and he said, 'I'm not even hungry' and he didn't eat lunch after training.

I thought, what have we got here? But it turned out he was really crook and he didn't get to start off on the right foot. And that knocked him around a little bit pre-Christmas."

Clark, who had got to know McVee through mutual friends and played a role in pitching the Dockers to the young defender, could tell there was a lot on his new teammate's plate early on as he packed up his life in Melbourne after 65 games in three seasons.

His partner, Lily Johnson, was still away after finishing her AFLW season with the Demons before also joining the Dockers, and McVee had the task of finding a house while also settling into a new club.

The tidy No.17 has earned plenty of respect, however, for the hard work he put in to make up for his interrupted start, drawing up a specialised plan for the Christmas break with backline coach Jade Rawlings

Jade Rawlings

Age

48

Ht

196cm

Wt

97kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.9

3star

K

8.7

3star

HB

4.2

3star

M

5.9

5star

T

0.8

3star

G

0.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

4.6

1star

K

3.8

2star

HB

0.8

1star

M

2.6

3star

T

0.4

3star

G

1.8

5star

and new high performance boss Adam Beard.

They used that for him as a training block to get him up to speed, so he went and did that off his own bat to his credit," Clark said.

He spent a bit of Chrissy in Tassie with his partner's family and then ended up back in Geraldton for a bit.

He came back a completely different person and different player and was the Judd McVee we thought we were getting."

So he came to the club sick and homeless and took a while to get up to speed. I think given what we are seeing with Shai in year 2 (who also took a while to settle), the fact we are getting games into him while he is adjusting, and we are 10 and 1, means we will likely be rewarded richly later.

 

[freodog]

Simpson played alright for peel today

I'm throwing a thought out there

Should we try Hugh Davies to replace Judd McVee or does it make our backline too tall???

Yeh IMO too tall. You need a mix of sizes and don't want to become too slow.