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'Kenny' turns the full circle
2:12:34 PM Tue 11 October, 2005
afc.com.au
Ken McGregor has come the full circle. The Crow who started his career as a centre half-forward, then became one of the best centre half-backs in the AFL, finished season 2005 back where it all began.
And his impact on Adelaide's minor premiership was enormous.
Since being moved forward against St Kilda in round nine - by necessity following the team's struggle to kick winning scores and the shock retirement of Mark Stevens - McGregor was one of the reasons the Crows finished the home and away season with a record 17 victories.
He provided the strong target in attack Adelaide was crying out for and helped form a multi-pronged forward line with sidekicks Scott Welsh, the underrated Ian Perrie and Trent Hentschel.
“Yeah, it worked pretty well,” the laid-back McGregor, nicknamed ‘Killer’ by his team-mates because he never gets angry, said.
“When Neil (Craig) told me I was going to play up forward I had some initial reservations because I didn't quite cut it as a forward the first time around, but it turned out really well.
“I played better as a forward this time around” he says. “I managed to get a bit of the footy and kick some goals and, most importantly, the team was winning. So I enjoyed it”.
McGregor, who still believes his game is better suited to defence because of his preference to close down an opponent rather than be a ‘creator’, finished third on the goal kicking with 31 goals behind Scott Welsh (58) and Ian Perrie (39).
After 16 rounds, he was Adelaide's leader – and ranked 11th in the AFL - in contested marks with 23, two ahead of Perrie and most came after his move forward.
Of the many statistics now recorded in the AFL, contested marks is the one McGregor, a seasoned veteran at age 24 and with 117 games under his belt, values the most.
“As a big man it's probably the first stat most of us look at,” he said. “If you can take two or three contested marks a week you're very happy.”
The strapping 195cm and 95kg McGregor said he wasn't expected to “go out and play a `blinder' every week” -just compete.
“Obviously I want to take marks and kick goals but my main job is to be competitive, to lead and provide an option and a bit of movement,” he said.
McGregor, who made his AFL debut as a forward in 1999 after being drafted by Adelaide from Woodville-West Torrens the previous year, said he learned a lot about what was required to play in attack from marshalling the Crows defence from 2002 to round eight this year.
In those three years McGregor stood all the glamour forwards including triple Lions premiership player Jonathan Brown - rated by many as the best player in the competition - Port Adelaide's All-Australian centre half-forward Warren Tredrea, St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt and Carlton's Lance Whitnall.
“That has definitely helped with my forward line play,” McGregor said, adding the support of Adelaide's forward line coach David Noble also had been invaluable.
“You can't help but learn from players of their quality _ just to see what they do and how they go about their games. It certainly taught me the type of things that a defender doesn't like and what makes them feel uneasy.”
Such was McGregor's fine defensive qualities that Brown has rated him as his toughest opponent.
McGregor, who finished sixth in Adelaide's best and fairest last year and recorded another top ten finish in 2005, is considered a possible future leader of the Crows, not that current captain Mark Ricciuto is in any hurry to hang up the boots.
“That is something I would love to do - be among the leadership group,” McGregor said. “If the club wanted me to do it, great, but I'm not one to look too far ahead. I just try to take each game as it comes and enjoy every moment.”
However McGregor is happy to look forward when assessing the Crows' future. He is excited at what the next few years hold for the club. McGregor claims last year's draft selections _ teenagers Nathan van Berlo, Chris Knights, John Meesen, Ivan Maric and Chad Gibson _ are the best group of young players to arrive at West Lakes in his seven years there.
“It's an exciting place to be at the moment, there's no doubt about that,” he said.
Interesting comment from Jonathon Brown. barry Hall said the same about Bassett a couple of years ago
2:12:34 PM Tue 11 October, 2005
afc.com.au
Ken McGregor has come the full circle. The Crow who started his career as a centre half-forward, then became one of the best centre half-backs in the AFL, finished season 2005 back where it all began.
And his impact on Adelaide's minor premiership was enormous.
Since being moved forward against St Kilda in round nine - by necessity following the team's struggle to kick winning scores and the shock retirement of Mark Stevens - McGregor was one of the reasons the Crows finished the home and away season with a record 17 victories.
He provided the strong target in attack Adelaide was crying out for and helped form a multi-pronged forward line with sidekicks Scott Welsh, the underrated Ian Perrie and Trent Hentschel.
“Yeah, it worked pretty well,” the laid-back McGregor, nicknamed ‘Killer’ by his team-mates because he never gets angry, said.
“When Neil (Craig) told me I was going to play up forward I had some initial reservations because I didn't quite cut it as a forward the first time around, but it turned out really well.
“I played better as a forward this time around” he says. “I managed to get a bit of the footy and kick some goals and, most importantly, the team was winning. So I enjoyed it”.
McGregor, who still believes his game is better suited to defence because of his preference to close down an opponent rather than be a ‘creator’, finished third on the goal kicking with 31 goals behind Scott Welsh (58) and Ian Perrie (39).
After 16 rounds, he was Adelaide's leader – and ranked 11th in the AFL - in contested marks with 23, two ahead of Perrie and most came after his move forward.
Of the many statistics now recorded in the AFL, contested marks is the one McGregor, a seasoned veteran at age 24 and with 117 games under his belt, values the most.
“As a big man it's probably the first stat most of us look at,” he said. “If you can take two or three contested marks a week you're very happy.”
The strapping 195cm and 95kg McGregor said he wasn't expected to “go out and play a `blinder' every week” -just compete.
“Obviously I want to take marks and kick goals but my main job is to be competitive, to lead and provide an option and a bit of movement,” he said.
McGregor, who made his AFL debut as a forward in 1999 after being drafted by Adelaide from Woodville-West Torrens the previous year, said he learned a lot about what was required to play in attack from marshalling the Crows defence from 2002 to round eight this year.
In those three years McGregor stood all the glamour forwards including triple Lions premiership player Jonathan Brown - rated by many as the best player in the competition - Port Adelaide's All-Australian centre half-forward Warren Tredrea, St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt and Carlton's Lance Whitnall.
“That has definitely helped with my forward line play,” McGregor said, adding the support of Adelaide's forward line coach David Noble also had been invaluable.
“You can't help but learn from players of their quality _ just to see what they do and how they go about their games. It certainly taught me the type of things that a defender doesn't like and what makes them feel uneasy.”
Such was McGregor's fine defensive qualities that Brown has rated him as his toughest opponent.
McGregor, who finished sixth in Adelaide's best and fairest last year and recorded another top ten finish in 2005, is considered a possible future leader of the Crows, not that current captain Mark Ricciuto is in any hurry to hang up the boots.
“That is something I would love to do - be among the leadership group,” McGregor said. “If the club wanted me to do it, great, but I'm not one to look too far ahead. I just try to take each game as it comes and enjoy every moment.”
However McGregor is happy to look forward when assessing the Crows' future. He is excited at what the next few years hold for the club. McGregor claims last year's draft selections _ teenagers Nathan van Berlo, Chris Knights, John Meesen, Ivan Maric and Chad Gibson _ are the best group of young players to arrive at West Lakes in his seven years there.
“It's an exciting place to be at the moment, there's no doubt about that,” he said.
Interesting comment from Jonathon Brown. barry Hall said the same about Bassett a couple of years ago
