SANFL Round 5

[-CG-]

Love how the SMACK nickname is catching on

 

[KUNG FU]

KUNG FU there was nothing wrong with Davis throwing the ball on to his boot. The conditions at the playground were atrocious. Sturt tried to handball it about in the first half and it didn't work at all. I can barely remember Davis making an error. He adapted to the conditions better than I thought he would.

Yeah, definitely noted mate. I was actually trying to emphasize that point in my post, but didn't quite come out right. Having had kick on that oval a fair few times over the years, its totally understandable.

 

[RoosterLad]

Was funny after the smother, he got bronx cheers over his grubber kick, but it was perfect, out infront of a team mate close to the boundry without going over.

Very smart.

Haha that was pretty funny. To be honest I'm not sure if he was aiming for W. Thompson or not but it wasn't a bad kick as it didn't go out of bounds. Just after the footage cuts out we kicked a goal as well. Cue epic celebrations.

KUNG FU- yep all good mate. I actually thought he'd struggle to make the team as his form hasn't been great and conditions were terrible but he really stepped up.

 

[WALL-e]

CC, befor ethe year is out I'm expecting a Shaun McKernan highlights package to the tune of the Prodigys 'Smack my bitch up'

 

[Freddy Bassett]

In 2005 he won the Kevin Sheehan Medal for the best player in Div 1 of the U16 Championships. This was playing in ruck. He was always a junior ruckman. He averaged 19 disposals and picked up 55 hitouts in the 3 U16 games and had a hitout to advantage rating of 55% which is very high. Took 12 marks from opposition kicks which was championship leader. He averaged 18 disposals in the U18 champs the next year but was cut down by flu/glandular fever before the Champs from memory. He also kicked 4 goals in a half in his SANFL league debut in R1 of that year.

His problem is, and it was mentioned at the time and is a reason why quite a few Port supporters were happy the club over looked him, is that he was always going to be a junior ruckman forced to play KPP at AFL level simply due to only being 195cm. It was something mentioned a lot at the time and I think there was only one or two Crow posters on here that brought it up and had doubts...the rest were off comparing him to Wayne Carey and how youve picked up your best ever CHF for the next 15 years.

As someone else said, sometimes its a negative when your so much taller than everyone else and junior teams gameplan is 'just kick it to xxx'. He isnt the first junior ruck who has struggled at re-inventing himself as a KPP. He certainly doesnt look a natural KPP, doesnt know where to run and simply isnt competitive enough. Chalmers was the same, top junior and SANFL ruck but forced to play everywhere from FF/CHF/CHB and FB at AFL level and struggled.

So yeah....he was never really rated as an athletic KPP at the time. He was rated as a ruck and it was assumed that his potential was high enough that he'd be able to convert to playing CHF and still reach this potential.

Great post and spot on

 

[cmndstab]

Wow, 26 hitouts to McKernan, and 13 touches too (According to the AFC website.


Looks like we're in the position of having five ruckmen that are performing well at either AFL level or at league level (I'm including Maric in this category despite his shaky start to the year) - I wonder how many clubs are in the position of having that many ruckmen performing that well?

Pretty much all of them are capable of playing a KPP role if necessary too. I like it

 

[Campbell's Chunky]

CC, befor ethe year is out I'm expecting a Shaun McKernan highlights package to the tune of the Prodigys 'Smack my bitch up'

It's certainly on the to do list at CC studios!

It annoys me that the AFC website doesn't have ABC match of the day highlights though, because SMACK was brilliant against whoever it was 2 weeks ago.

 

[drdave]

CC, befor ethe year is out I'm expecting a Shaun McKernan highlights package to the tune of the Prodigys 'Smack my bitch up'

Just dont get it mixed up with Bocks highlights package the board will go into melt down.

Infact probably better to leave the song well alone, I hate sporting videos made up to inapropriate songs. The yanks do it all the time on you tube. I know it would be cute to have smack in the song title, but pick something that would do the guy some justice.

 

[Drummond]

Oh man, McKernan once again looked awesome. The highlight at 5:46 is pretty special, sure he stuffed up the kick but the way he picked the ball up off the deck and took the opposition on was pretty special. His kicking is his main weakness but in saying that he can give it a fair roost as we saw last week when he nailed two 50 metre goals, one in the last from about 55. Everything about his game is extremely impressive, we have a tremendous talent here. Is he our next CHF?

 

[Thylacinus]

Oh man, McKernan once again looked awesome. The highlight at 5:46 is pretty special, sure he stuffed up the kick but the way he picked the ball up off the deck and took the opposition on was pretty special. His kicking is his main weakness but in saying that he can give it a fair roost as we saw last week when he nailed two 50 metre goals, one in the last from about 55. Everything about his game is extremely impressive, we have a tremendous talent here. Is he our next CHF?

Thats where I named him in my team for two years time listed on page two (I think) of the thread from last week titled 'Developing an elite team.' For me the question is not if, but when!

 

[WALL-e]

Oh man, McKernan once again looked awesome. The highlight at 5:46 is pretty special, sure he stuffed up the kick but the way he picked the ball up off the deck and took the opposition on was pretty special. His kicking is his main weakness but in saying that he can give it a fair roost as we saw last week when he nailed two 50 metre goals, one in the last from about 55. Everything about his game is extremely impressive, we have a tremendous talent here. Is he our next CHF?

I think a few of us want him here.

CHF is where I want to see him, but his leap and ruckwork may see him do a similar thing to Tippett.

We could end up with 3-4 players sharing ruck time.

 

[Cap]

I refuse to get too excited about anyone anymore.

The moment they make the AFC team we have half a dozen critics picking something out to hang crap on them anyway

 

[rooboy]

Very excited by the look of McKernan, big leap, strong and can kick over 50 meters. CHF could be at last getting settled.
Davis also looked pretty good, smooth mover.And the Irishman also looks to be improving in leaps and bounds.

 

[FAITH]

SMACKDOWN - 5:45

Rucks his own ball, pushes off his opponent and gets the clearance. Guru. Lot of hard clearance work, doesn't mind having a run. I'm happy to say I've been his biggest fan on this board from the start.

Thought Davis looked good, but he's still obviously adapting back to footy. Although he was probably playing to the conditions, he was too quick to chuck it on the boot a couple times, but for his size, he's a smooth mover with a well-rounded game and good blend of aggro and confidence for a youngster.

Id challenge you here.
I said before the draft we should have picked him at 10. Even til now i still think we should have taken him at 10. cant believe he dropped to 28.
Has everything you want in a big man.

 

[KUNG FU]

Id challenge you here.
I said before the draft we should have picked him at 10. Even til now i still think we should have taken him at 10. cant believe he dropped to 28.
Has everything you want in a big man.

You mentioned his name one day before me (6 v 7 of July) but my birthday's the 5th and I was wiped out on my ass. Plus, I actually made some extensive comments about his prospects, didn't flirt with any other favourites for our pick, you just said you liked him in a single post. I called for him to be drafted immediately over and above anyone else. Clearly had an inappropriate man-crush.

 

[johnnypanther]

Very excited by the look of McKernan, big leap, strong and can kick over 50 meters. CHF could be at last getting settled.
.

and explosively quick and agile too

IMO McKernan may be best suited as a very tall midfielder!

(or if he grows another 4cms then he & Tippet can form the best ruck/forward combination in the AFL)

 

[betterthanu]

and explosively quick and agile too

IMO McKernan may be best suited as a very tall midfielder!

(or if he grows another 4cms then he & Tippet can form the best ruck/forward combination in the AFL)

We could have a midfield of McKernan, Davis, Otten and Dangerfield