Player Watch #34: Liam McBean

Will McBean be an AFL standard forward for Richmond ( 150 + games)

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Pepi Fusco

Draftee
Apr 28, 2017
1
1
AFL Club
Carlton
For those in Adelaide this weekend for the AFL clash get down to Glenelg oval on Saturday afternoon at 2.10pm to watch Liam McBean play for the Glenelg tigers. He is currently second on the SANFL goal kicking ladder.
 
Jun 23, 2008
33,485
27,225
Headed for Kirribilli House
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Norwood, Everton, Detroit Red Wings
McBean is currently the leading goalkicker in the SANFL, with 40 majors from 13 games (at an excellent 74% accuracy) for the top-placed Glenelg Tigers. Also led the VFL in goalkicking as a 20/21 year old in 2015.

Still only 25 by the end of this year. Could he have a future at AFL level, even as a Rookie pick? What was the knock of him during his time on Richmond's list? I seem to remember a fair bit of hype, that never really amounted to regular senior opportunities.
 
McBean is currently the leading goalkicker in the SANFL, with 40 majors from 13 games (at an excellent 74% accuracy) for the top-placed Glenelg Tigers. Also led the VFL in goalkicking as a 20/21 year old in 2015.

Still only 25 by the end of this year. Could he have a future at AFL level, even as a Rookie pick? What was the knock of him during his time on Richmond's list? I seem to remember a fair bit of hype, that never really amounted to regular senior opportunities.

The knock on him is that he's a 200+cm 3rd tall forward. He's got great footy nous but lacks the strength to use his size to his advantage, which is why he barely ever takes a contested mark. Is not very competitive in the ruck either.

Things may have changed this season but those were his issues when he was with us.

He's basically a small forward stuck in a 200cm body.
 
Jun 23, 2008
33,485
27,225
Headed for Kirribilli House
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Norwood, Everton, Detroit Red Wings
The knock on him is that he's a 200+cm 3rd tall forward. He's got great footy nous but lacks the strength to use his size to his advantage, which is why he barely ever takes a contested mark. Is not very competitive in the ruck either.

Things may have changed this season but those were his issues when he was with us.

He's basically a small forward stuck in a 200cm body.

Sounds very Eric Hipwood-esque. Kind of like "what's the point of being 6'7"-6'8", when you don't really use it?"
 
Sounds very Eric Hipwood-esque. Kind of like "what's the point of being 6'7"-6'8", when you don't really use it?"

Biggest knock was he was too timid. Shied away from contests, didn't put his body on the line and basically played as a small forward in a ruckman's body. Much better when the ball hit the deck than in the air.
 

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The knock on him is that he's a 200+cm 3rd tall forward. He's got great footy nous but lacks the strength to use his size to his advantage, which is why he barely ever takes a contested mark. Is not very competitive in the ruck either.

Things may have changed this season but those were his issues when he was with us.

He's basically a small forward stuck in a 200cm body.


Dean Putt 2.0

Although for a while I had dreams of Putt playing as a 200cm wingman...
 

Pomsta

All Australian
Jun 10, 2010
946
1,731
Stuck at Home
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Wolves, 49ers
His biggest knock was that he was a lazy bastard that wasn't willing to put in the hard yards in pre-season to reach the next level. If he has turned his attitude around then would be a good pick-up.
 

dustysnecktattoo

Club Legend
May 15, 2019
2,067
2,883
AFL Club
Richmond
McBean is currently the leading goalkicker in the SANFL, with 40 majors from 13 games (at an excellent 74% accuracy) for the top-placed Glenelg Tigers. Also led the VFL in goalkicking as a 20/21 year old in 2015.

Still only 25 by the end of this year. Could he have a future at AFL level, even as a Rookie pick? What was the knock of him during his time on Richmond's list? I seem to remember a fair bit of hype, that never really amounted to regular senior opportunities.

He was a figjam! Apparently strut around the place as though he won 10 Coleman’s before he had even made his debut
 

Liamski

Draftee
Nov 8, 2017
19
113
AFL Club
Richmond
Interesting reading that he was a bit arrogant and lazy.

Always surprised me he didn’t get more of a run. Not many young talls kick that many goals in the vfl and are never given a proper run. I can’t think of another example of it in fact. Seen a lot less output get rewarded with a hell of a lot more games.

I know it’s not all goal kicking but I reckon bean would have kicked more in a season than Griffiths did in his career.
 

JR82

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 13, 2011
6,645
17,714
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
hate them all
Interesting reading that he was a bit arrogant and lazy.

Always surprised me he didn’t get more of a run. Not many young talls kick that many goals in the vfl and are never given a proper run. I can’t think of another example of it in fact. Seen a lot less output get rewarded with a hell of a lot more games.

I know it’s not all goal kicking but I reckon bean would have kicked more in a season than Griffiths did in his career.
I saw him play in the VFL about 3-4 weeks before his last season with us was done & he was in a 1v1 marking contest against a much smaller opponent & he was out positioned & out bodied & therefore out marked. I knew then he'd be delisted as his opponent was only a medium sized defender & he'd made him look silly. at his stage in his career he should have been dominating opponents to prove he could make it at AFL level.
 
Mcbean's issue was he was a small forward in a key forwards body. His marking skills left a lot to be desired. Was almost useless in a contested marking situation and was much better when the ball was on the ground than he was when it was in the air.

He was regularly outbodied, outmarked and outpositioned by far smaller opponents at VFL level. Was going to be a liability at AFL level. Griff was actually okay in a contest and competed well until he got his head knocks. Had more strings to his bow than McBean.
 

Lsta062

Brownlow Medallist
Jul 15, 2014
21,589
41,458
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Chelsea, LA Lakers, Western United
May have made it if he arrived at the club a little later. Back then we didn’t give many chances to youth.

I was a fan of him when he played for us and still am. Oh well, we didn’t lose out much given the 3 Premierships we won in the last 4 years.
 
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