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Player Watch #27 Justin McInerney

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Justin McInerney
Sydney Swans youngster Justin McInerney is lightning-quick, an endurance machine and a clean user of the footy who’s best used on a wing or at half-back. The Northern Knights product was called up for his AFL debut against Melbourne at the SCG in Round 4, 2019, and although he wouldn’t feature at the top level again in his first year at the club, he was a stand-out in the NEAFL. McInerney is eyeing more opportunities at senior level in 2020.

Justin McInerney
DOB: 18 August 2000
DEBUT: 2019
DRAFT: #44, 2018 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Banyule (Vic)/Marcellin College (Vic)/Northern U18

www.sydneyswans.com.au

Justin McInerney | AFL

Follow Justin McInerney's progress through AFL
www.sydneyswans.com.au www.sydneyswans.com.au
 
I liked the hard intent with which JMac went at it (and the whole team). People forget that he was a hard player when Longmire ran him through the mids (prob have to go back to 22-23).

I agree it is more a skills issue than intent - I don’t think either JMac or Amartey meant to hit the opposition’s head.

I hope the coaches encourage the intent and focus on the skills. Last week was the first game of footy in a long time that felt like a bloods effort.
 

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bedford said:
Might have cost us the Essendon game with shocking disposal, Bulldog
Click to expand...

Yeah he was very ordinary that game. Still doesn’t change the fact he’s the player least likely to turn it over going inside 50 this year.

And for most of last year, he was our player least likely to turn it over anywhere on the ground.

1747790108484.png

In terms of kicking, his best is very good, and his ceiling is high. As high as flashier looking players like Gulden and Blakey.

JMac has had some shocking clangers this year, but guys like Blakey often hit beautiful looking kicks that come straight back the other way, but they’re forgiven because they look pretty.
 
J_Moore said:
Yeah he was very ordinary that game. Still doesn’t change the fact he’s the player least likely to turn it over going inside 50 this year.

And for most of last year, he was our player least likely to turn it over anywhere on the ground.

View attachment 2320692

In terms of kicking, his best is very good, and his ceiling is high. As high as flashier looking players like Gulden and Blakey.

JMac has had some shocking clangers this year, but guys like Blakey often hit beautiful looking kicks that come straight back the other way, but they’re forgiven because they look pretty.
Click to expand...
Yes, I've been saying in here over the past couple of years that JMac is our best player to hit a target in the forward line so it's good to see that my eyes haven't been deceiving me.

What I find most interesting is his style of kick to the lead. Most players are taught to hit a forward with a bullet and keep it low, but his kicks seem to be lobs into the area into which the forward is leading. It gives the forward time to get into the space and it won't (shouldn't) burst through their hands. I suspect it has something to do with his high ball drop.
 
dosser said:
What I find most interesting is his style of kick to the lead. Most players are taught to hit a forward with a bullet and keep it low, but his kicks seem to be lobs into the area into which the forward is leading. It gives the forward time to get into the space and it won't (shouldn't) burst through their hands.
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Stewie Dew was big on this. The difference between a kick that looks cool vs one that a forward can actually mark.

“The kicker’s got the responsibility to put the leader where they want. Quite often it’s just putting it out in front of them. You see highlight reels where they drill those passes, and they look nice, but realistically they’re not the best kicks.”
 
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My main issue with McInerney is just him playing on the ball. I think unless he gets a completely clear run at the ball - which let's face it, any decent opposition will only give you a couple of looks at most per game - then he is a liability at stoppages. He just gets completely rag-dolled and stopped/dispossessed too easily. (Not through lack of effort I might add - he's just not built enough in his frame.)

Of our top ten CBA players this year, he has the second-worst rating in terms of his first possessions leading to winning clearances:

1. James Rowbottom (88.5)
2. Isaac Heeney (85.3)
3. Brodie Grundy (81.1)
4. Chad Warner (79.2)
5. Peter Ladhams (75)
6. Tom Papley (75)
7. James Jordon (74.3)
8. Hayden McLean (70)
9. Justin McInerney (70)
10. Angus Sheldrick (66.7)
 
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caesar88 said:
My main issue with McInerney is just him playing on the ball. I think unless he gets a completely clear run at the ball - which let's face it, any decent opposition will only give you a couple of looks at most per game - then he is a liability at stoppages. He just gets completely rag-dolled and stopped/dispossessed too easily. (Not through lack of effort I might add - he's just not built enough in his frame.)

Of our top ten CBA players this year, he has the second-worst rating in terms of his first possessions leading to winning clearances:

1. James Rowbottom (88.5)
2. Isaac Heeney (85.3)
3. Brodie Grundy (81.1)
4. Chad Warner (79.2)
5. Peter Ladhams (75)
6. Tom Papley (75)
7. James Jordon (74.3)
8. Hayden McLean (70)
9. Justin McInerney (70)
10. Angus Sheldrick (66.7)
Click to expand...

In a game against Carlton that was largely won on the back of sustained Bloods pressure, young Sheldrick was our top tackler with seven, despite just 60% TOG. Close behind were by Campbell, Rowbottom and Wicks, all with six. Jordon and Florent laid five tackles apiece despite Florent only playing 43% TOG. He didn't lack for physicality. Even Francis managed to lay as many tackles as Juzzy - before the men in white coats took Aaron off to count fingers.

As an outside mid Juzzy needs to be harder than just our 20th rated tackler of 2025. Too often he chooses to bump over tackle, sometimes when an opponent isn't expecting it. Bumps are not usually as effective as tackles nor are they as (relatively) inscrutable. Juzzy needs to learn to tackle effectively, then he needs to take a teaspoon of cement and harden the f-up.
 
J_Moore said:
Yeah he was very ordinary that game. Still doesn’t change the fact he’s the player least likely to turn it over going inside 50 this year.

And for most of last year, he was our player least likely to turn it over anywhere on the ground.

View attachment 2320692

In terms of kicking, his best is very good, and his ceiling is high. As high as flashier looking players like Gulden and Blakey.

JMac has had some shocking clangers this year, but guys like Blakey often hit beautiful looking kicks that come straight back the other way, but they’re forgiven because they look pretty.
Click to expand...
I always said Jmac is the best winger in the league. Haven't seen these stats before but it was so obvious that he is by far and away our most damaging player. Makes the criticism look a bit silly doesn't it...
 
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zyzzbruh said:
I always said Jmac is the best winger in the league. Haven't seen these stats before but it was so obvious that he is by far and away our most damaging player. Makes the criticism look a bit silly doesn't it...
Click to expand...

May be our one but he wouldn't be close to the best in the league, on no planent is he near Lipinski at least, and that's just one.
 

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zyzzbruh said:
I always said Jmac is the best winger in the league. Haven't seen these stats before but it was so obvious that he is by far and away our most damaging player. Makes the criticism look a bit silly doesn't it...
Click to expand...

"Best winger in the league" is a bit of a stretch.

How his numbers looking this year?
 
LukeParkerno1 said:
May be our one but he wouldn't be close to the best in the league, on no planent is he near Lipinski at least, and that's just one.
Click to expand...
Would love to hear who the others are. Honestly cannot think of any since prime isaac smith and Langdon in 2021.

I'd take Jmac over lipinski every day of the week
 
zyzzbruh said:
I always said Jmac is the best winger in the league. Haven't seen these stats before but it was so obvious that he is by far and away our most damaging player. Makes the criticism look a bit silly doesn't it...
Click to expand...
I know you're a huge fan, and so am I to some extent, but this is a wild take.
 

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caesar88 said:
I know you're a huge fan, and so am I to some extent, but this is a wild take.
Click to expand...
Genuinely though, who would you say are the top5 wingers in the comp? And I mean full time wingman. I genuinely wouldn't know who anyone else's wingers are. Ollie Hollands? he can barely lace jmacs boots, Langdon? well past his best.

I could just be being ignorant to who plays wing for other clubs but i watch a fair bit of footy and nothing sticks out so that's gotta say something.

edit: i've just gone through all teams recent line-ups and i've only found two noteable names - Miers and D'ambrossio. Miers fair enough he can take the mantle, i'd still rate mcinerneys impact over d'ambrossio though. The rest of the names are all bog average or washed up players, unless you're happy rate the likes of jackson Meade's and Brayden Fiorini's of the world more than jmac.

Zac Bailey is the only other noteable wing starter, but i don't think he's full time there.
 
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zyzzbruh said:
Genuinely though, who would you say are the top5 wingers in the comp? And I mean full time wingman. I genuinely wouldn't know who anyone else's wingers are. Ollie Hollands? he can barely lace jmacs boots, Langdon? well past his best.

I could just be being ignorant to who plays wing for other clubs but i watch a fair bit of footy and nothing sticks out so that's gotta say something.
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Well I guess a confusing part of your previous comment was "I always said Jmac is the best winger in the league"

That implies to me that you're referring to the long-term.

McInerney was impressive for a kid in 2020 & 2021, but nowhere near the best in the league. You can't be referring to 2022 & 2023, when McInerney had mostly-forgettable seasons where he failed to finish top 10 in the B&F. You can't really be talking about this year, where up until a few weeks ago McInerney was so underwhelming that he was reamed out by the coach and moved inside as a last chance saloon to avoid suffering the same fate as Florent.

So I'm left to assume you're talking about his 2024 season, in which yes, he was very good, and one of the best wingmen in the competition. But he wasn't even OUR best wingman, and it was really only up until round 17, as he was injured after that. To put his and Gulden's seasons from opening round to round 17 in perspective, Gulden received 62 coaches votes from 11 games in that time; McInerney received one coaches vote from one game.

And sure, Gulden played more inside time than McInerney, but that's exactly what McInerney is doing now? McInerney's averaged 34% CBAs over the last three weeks, which is 2% less than what Gulden averaged last year. So he's no less a pure wingman now than Gulden was last year, by your definition.

To answer your overall question of who are the top five wingmen in the competition, factoring in some have changed roles and positions in recent times, I would say - Sidebottom, D'Ambrosio, J. Daicos & Gulden, with McInerney probably rounding out the top five but definitely not being ahead of those names.
 
caesar88 said:
Well I guess a confusing part of your previous comment was "I always said Jmac is the best winger in the league"

That implies to me that you're referring to the long-term.

McInerney was impressive for a kid in 2020 & 2021, but nowhere near the best in the league. You can't be referring to 2022 & 2023, when McInerney had mostly-forgettable seasons where he failed to finish top 10 in the B&F. You can't really be talking about this year, where up until a few weeks ago McInerney was so underwhelming that he was reamed out by the coach and moved inside as a last chance saloon to avoid suffering the same fate as Florent.

So I'm left to assume you're talking about his 2024 season, in which yes, he was very good, and one of the best wingmen in the competition. But he wasn't even OUR best wingman, and it was really only up until round 17, as he was injured after that. To put his and Gulden's seasons from opening round to round 17 in perspective, Gulden received 62 coaches votes from 11 games in that time; McInerney received one coaches vote from one game.

And sure, Gulden played more inside time than McInerney, but that's exactly what McInerney is doing now? McInerney's averaged 34% CBAs over the last three weeks, which is 2% less than what Gulden averaged last year. So he's no less a pure wingman now than Gulden was last year, by your definition.
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I'm more than happy to concede Jmacs spot on the wingman ladder for one of our own :laughing:
Alright Miers and Gulden are better wingman, maybe add Zac bailey if his tog's stack up. Who else? I'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard of a position to rate since there are only 36 lining up each week across all clubs.
 
zyzzbruh said:
I'm more than happy to concede Jmacs spot on the wingman ladder for one of our own :laughing:
Alright Miers and Gulden are better wingman, maybe add Zac bailey if his tog's stack up. Who else?
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Apologies, I added the players I thought were superior to McInerney on the wing - Sidebottom, D'Ambrosio, Josh Daicos (playing more half back this year but doesn't mitigate his performance as a wingmen as recently as last year), even Berry from Brisbane as more of a defensive-minded wingman.

Between you and I we've come up with half a dozen names alone, so I just think had you said "arguably" the best winger in the league, it might not've seemed like such a big call. But that's me being a pedanker (pedantic w***er)
 

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Player Watch #27 Justin McInerney

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