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Toast Eric Mackenzie

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Has been our best key defender over the last month, and I'll fight anyone who disagrees.

Looked like he was almost on the scrap heap and a lot of us didn't want him back in after Round 1, but he's been rock solid in the past few weeks, getting back towards some of his best form hopefully.
Was coming here to make a toast thread for him too.

Was elite a couple of years ago, tore his knee up and then came back and lacked confidence and spudded it up. The rise of Gov and Barrass made him look redundant.

But to his credit, he has fought back, found his confidence again and has been in outstanding form for the past month or so.

I forgot how good he was, he's reminded me lately.
 
Fully agree. He has taken his time but the Big Easy has finally returned to form and whilst not the 2014 performance level, he is looking like he will be on the list next year. It will be interesting come end of year as he was re-contracted at big dollars (from memory it was stated as circa $600k). With the new CBA, he is probably worth at least $450-500k based on the last month and with salary cap being up by 20%, then we will probably not free up that much space with him staying. I for one had a very different view about after the first month of this season.

Freo are in dire need of a defender like eMac and would do very well with him as a KPD and worth throwing money at him. Difficult defection but he gets to stay put and cash in. Would we match the FA bid or take the compensation? Based on Selwood, the compo was rubbish.
 

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Fully agree. He has taken his time but the Big Easy has finally returned to form and whilst not the 2014 performance level, he is looking like he will be on the list next year. It will be interesting come end of year as he was re-contracted at big dollars (from memory it was stated as circa $600k). With the new CBA, he is probably worth at least $450-500k based on the last month and with salary cap being up by 20%, then we will probably not free up that much space with him staying. I for one had a very different view about after the first month of this season.

Freo are in dire need of a defender like eMac and would do very well with him as a KPD and worth throwing money at him. Difficult defection but he gets to stay put and cash in. Would we match the FA bid or take the compensation? Based on Selwood, the compo was rubbish.

A KPD is probably the last thing we ( Freo ) need I doubt we would take Mckenzie even if you delisted him , we are currently playing one of our young tall defenders at CHF. It was good to see him back in form though , WC / Freo hate aside I'm enough of a footy fan still that I'm happy when a good player comes back from the brink of injury ruin


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Barrass still a bit ahead for me as an all-round defender but intercept marking is a bit of a different skill from being a 1:1 lockdown defender. McKenzie has been filling that role beautifully, and has been getting some great marks up the ground too - seems like his endurance is actually better than before his injury.
 
I thought he was 100% cooked, trash, out the door. Happy to have been convinced otherwise. Give him another year (bit of a pay cut) and we are laughing.
 
His body work and positioning is right out of the Darren Glass playbook.

Great to see him back to form and hopefully he can continue and be confident enough to play on the big KPDs again, if they decide to bulk him up

I think this is what needs to happen. He needs 5kg's of muscle back so he can stand the dixon types etc.
 
His body work and positioning is right out of the Darren Glass playbook.

Great to see him back to form and hopefully he can continue and be confident enough to play on the big KPDs again, if they decide to bulk him up
He reminds me of Glass in his later years. Hasn't been taking the number one defender but shutting down whoever he is on. You feel confident he we nullify most contests.
 

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Pretty sure I said during preseason that he was training well and looked capable of getting back to somewhere near his best but very few of you kents believed me
 
Thought he looked done after the GC game, but I was impressed with him last week live - did a lot of marshalling of the defenders and got over to give Barrass some encouragement and advice after he'd made a mistake. Good stuff from someone who'd know his future wasn't certain.
 
We all get carried away a bit with these intercept marks, yes they are great but bottom line to win finals you cannot ever play off your man and if Simpson allows McGovern and Barrass to keep playing this way, when it counts is when we will all be let down again.
EMac is a lock down defender which is what you need to be, I don't care who misses out he must be in the side in my view.
The problem is many think Gov and Barrass are the template of good defenders when in fact it is EMac that is the template.
 
Looking confident out there again which is great. I'm not convinced McGovern, Mackenzie, Barrass in the same team is the right mix with a full squad - but I'm pleased there is competition for spots.

He still makes a little bit of poo come out when he kicks across goal, though.

Hahaha, I am starting to be like that when Gov is having a shot on goal. For a bloke who I think is a very good kick in general play his goal kicking is atrocious.
 

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Has been our best key defender over the last month, and I'll fight anyone who disagrees.

Looked like he was almost on the scrap heap and a lot of us didn't want him back in after Round 1, but he's been rock solid in the past few weeks, getting back towards some of his best form hopefully.
I guess it is easy to forget he was close to the best defender in the AFL before his knee. Great to see him finding his feet.
 
Can't drop Petrie on current form and we are too tall with Petrie, JK, darling and gov up forward


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Just remember Petrie is a good insurance policy not the answer.

If Gov can start kicking straight our forward line will become very potent when JK returns.

Darling plays Le cras role and pushes up field more.

Kennedy is a leading FF where Gov takes big marks in packs better. They just need 5ime to gel together in the same 50 m arc.

We are a better team with Emac in it.
 

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Toast Eric Mackenzie

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