AFL Player #32: Ben "Buckets" McKay - Worth every penny

[VelvetSledge]

Contract: Unrestricted Free Agent 2029
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 30, Dave

 

[VelvetSledge]

Haven't seen the official confirmation yet but North got what they wanted and we got what we needed.

Welcome aboard, big fella.

 

[revival_mode]

Welcome Ben! cant wait to see how he goes

 

[VelvetSledge]

Geez how much are you guys paying him for North to get Band 1.

Gonna be honest, doesn't bother me too much. The system is utterly broken no matter which way you slice it

 

[DapperDon]

Geez how much are you guys paying him for North to get Band 1.

I chucked in $50, not sure on everyone else

 

[Beerfish]

Geez how much are you guys paying him for North to get Band 1.

 

[Raz Man]

Terrific appointment Dodo. Fire up Benny boy, we need a big season from you bud.

 

[Milanista28]

Geez how much are you guys paying him for North to get Band 1.

1.4

 

[Beerfish]

Thanks for the cover picture DapperDon

 

[Pweter]

Biggest shock of the preseason. Ben comes to us, North get pick 3. Amazing.

 

[Lore]

Geez how much are you guys paying him for North to get Band 1.

780k per year base wage is the minimum for a 25yo to get Band 1 this year... but his salary won't go up with the CBA as none of the contracts at Essendon have a clause like that, so when everyone else who was on 750 this year goes up to 850 or 900, he'll still be on 780 plus incentives or whatever.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Welcome Big Ben.

 

[Only Forwards]

He'll be a good acquisition for you.

He's great 1:1 and has massive mitts.

he has some limitations around disposal by foot and the speed of decision making.

If you surround him with runners so he can dish off quick handballs you'll mitigate large parts of his limitations.

In all honesty you'll probably see his best footy.

Pick 3 is a premium we'd have never have gotten on the open market so there is no way we were turning it down.

 

[Ambrosia]

I’m not overly fussed with the cap space. It’s my opinion that you trust clubs to correctly manage their cap until they prove they can’t.

Look at Carlton for example everyone has blasted them for wasting money on McGovern, Martin, Z.Williams but has it prevented them from retaining any players?

What I do worry about is the overall vision of the club. Are Cox and Reid no longer expected to be big pieces of our future?

 

[owen87]

I’m not overly fussed with the cap space. It’s my opinion that you trust clubs to correctly manage their cap until they prove they can’t.

Look at Carlton for example everyone has blasted them for wasting money on McGovern, Martin, Z.Williams but has it prevented them from retaining any players?

What I do worry about is the overall vision of the club. Are Cox and Reid no longer expected to be big pieces of our future?

Cox isn't looking to be a KPP, and Reid - if he does make it - can play alongside McKay given he'll be tall but not heavily built and is relatively mobile for his height. Plus Reid could play forward.

 

[astrowizzle]

Hopefully brad can get the best out of him
I'm not sold on him being a star but more a good solid defender. It can't not improve our backline

 

[koshari]

He'll be a good acquisition for you.

He's great 1:1 and has massive mitts.

he has some limitations around disposal by foot and the speed of decision making.

If you surround him with runners so he can dish off quick handballs you'll mitigate large parts of his limitations.

In all honesty you'll probably see his best footy.

Pick 3 is a premium we'd have never have gotten on the open market so there is no way we were turning it down.

pretty fair summary of his attributes, can be a good intercepting/negating role player but dont be expecting Kaedean Coleman levels of defensive rebounding from benny boy.

 

[Ambrosia]

Cox isn't looking to be a KPP, and Reid - if he does make it - can play alongside McKay given he'll be tall but not heavily built and is relatively mobile for his height. Plus Reid could play forward.

Reid lacks footspeed from what I’ve seen. I’m not sure he fits well alongside McKay at all.

 

[owen87]

Reid lacks footspeed from what I’ve seen. I’m not sure he fits well alongside McKay at all.

He's got reasonable endurance for a bloke his height, he'd be playing on the resting ruckman quite often.

 

[Ambrosia]

He'll be a good acquisition for you.

He's great 1:1 and has massive mitts.

he has some limitations around disposal by foot and the speed of decision making.

If you surround him with runners so he can dish off quick handballs you'll mitigate large parts of his limitations.

In all honesty you'll probably see his best footy.

Pick 3 is a premium we'd have never have gotten on the open market so there is no way we were turning it down.

Not starting every game with one of BZT/Laverde on the oppositions best forward will definitely be a big improvement.

He's got reasonable endurance for a bloke his height, he'd be playing on the resting ruckman quite often.

The Brisbane duo is a good counter argument I guess. Talent does find a way.

 

[owen87]

Not starting every game with one of BZT/Laverde on the oppositions best forward will definitely be a big improvement.


The Brisbane duo is a good counter argument I guess. Talent does find a way.

Footywire lists Reid at 202cm but I'm sure I've seen people around here say he's taller than that these days.

 

[Ambrosia]

Footywire lists Reid at 202cm but I'm sure I've seen people around here say he's taller than that these days.

Sorry if I wasn’t clear. I meant the Brisbane pair of KPDs are both fairly slow and we’re excellent last season

 

[boncer34]

780k per year base wage is the minimum for a 25yo to get Band 1 this year... but his salary won't go up with the CBA as none of the contracts at Essendon have a clause like that, so when everyone else who was on 750 this year goes up to 850 or 900, he'll still be on 780 plus incentives or whatever.

Some do. Wonder if there's an internal limit on when we don't or if its case by case.

 

[Foxx]

Such a huge signing.

We haven't had a "wall" since Cale Hooker

26

Cale Hooker

Age

35

Ht

198cm

Wt

103kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

8.2

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

6.3

5star

T

1.8

4star

MG

213.6

3star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

6.0

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

0.8

1star

MG

107.0

2star

D

14.6

4star

K

3.2

2star

HB

11.4

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.4

4star

.

Will release fellow defenders, and give players further up the ground relief and confidence.

If only BZT would stay as a 2nd tall

 

[eth-dog]

Welcome Ben. Hope you can play your brother for the first time next year.