AFL season review (McEvoy)

[WinnersOnly]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/s ... 6709798274

This is what we have been saying all year regarding Ben -

DID YOU KNOW?
Ben McEvoy won just 36.8 per cent of his ruck contests this season - the second-worst percentage of the top 22 players to be involved in a ruck contest.

[sunsaint]

no its what you have been saying all year, noticed you side-step the quote from the article

With the ruck in good hands with Ben McEvoy and Tom Hickey, the priority at the draft table should be midfielders, midfielders and more midfielders

[Bluthy]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/s ... 6709798274

This is what we have been saying all year regarding Ben -

DID YOU KNOW?
Ben McEvoy won just 36.8 per cent of his ruck contests this season - the second-worst percentage of the top 22 players to be involved in a ruck contest.

We've all seen that Ben struggles to jump very high and gets out tapped by the beanpole ruckman. I will say though that come the intensity of finals footy it can be the bigger bodied ruckman who become more effective like Clark Keating was for Brisbane. Ben has been the workhorse ruckman with Hickey largely shielded as he develops. At 24 such a big guy as Macca is not going to have a great tank yet and that will effect his tap rucking - you try jumping high when you're knackered. I still see a lot of promise in him. Plus we need depth in the ruck whether the game plan calls for 1 or 2 permanent rucks.

Are you saying you would you like to see Ben traded?

[gringo]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/s ... 6709798274

This is what we have been saying all year regarding Ben -

DID YOU KNOW?
Ben McEvoy won just 36.8 per cent of his ruck contests this season - the second-worst percentage of the top 22 players to be involved in a ruck contest.

We've all seen that Ben struggles to jump very high and gets out tapped by the beanpole ruckman. I will say though that come the intensity of finals footy it can be the bigger bodied ruckman who become more effective like Clark Keating was for Brisbane. Ben has been the workhorse ruckman with Hickey largely shielded as he develops. At 24 such a big guy as Macca is not going to have a great tank yet and that will effect his tap rucking - you try jumping high when you're knackered. I still see a lot of promise in him. Plus we need depth in the ruck whether the game plan calls for 1 or 2 permanent rucks.

Are you saying you would you like to see Ben traded?

I still hope Ben is going to be an A grader but I would still look at all options with trading him as he will probably peak when we don't really need him to. Hickey and Pierce should be adequate for the next few years with Stanley as a forward/ around the ground option.

[dragit]

At 24 such a big guy as Macca is not going to have a great tank yet and that will effect his tap rucking - you try jumping high when you're knackered.

I think he is the best endurance runner at the club so that shouldn't be used as an excuse.

He needs to improve next year no doubt, was a disappointing year from him I reckon. He can certainly play, I just worry about his pace and leap at this level, which won't increase a lot over time.

[Bluthy]

Ben seemed to struggle with a foot problem in the second half of year. Plus he doesn't exactly have an A-grade mid-field which makes any ruck look good. Hickey had a couple of good games at junk time end of season but is hugely unproven and physically not ready to do more than a third of the rucking at the moment would be my prediction. I saw Macca organising the players in the centre at the last couple of games which was good leadership. We need him to show Hickey the rucking ropes ala Lenny with midfield and Rooey the forwards.

[vacuous space]

Stat in a vacuum. What do the best rucks get? The mediocre ones? At first glance, it looks bad, but since a lot of ruck contests don't have a winner, I'm going to guess it's not as bad as it looks.

In any case, we all know Ben's ruckwork is a minus. It always has been. He's a plus in just about every other area bar speed. Huge tank, great skills, excellent mark. All of which I'd rate as infinitely more important than percentage of ruck contests won.

He's not worth anything on the trade market though. Anybody trying to package him for Boyd can just give up on that. Aside from McEvoy being comparable to Giles, Boyd has measured in at 199cm anyway. I don't think they're going to trade him, but if they do, we should throw everything at them, bar Steven and Roo. If we open our list to them, I doubt they take McEvoy.

[savatage]

His problem is a complete lack of physical presence in particular at the Ruck contests.

I can't see how this will just click. Michael gardiner had this trait at 18.

[BigMart]

Strength!!!!!!!

He needs to stop worrying so much about beating mids in time trials and try and lift as much as a Shane Mumford or Darren Jolly... Who smash him!!!

He isn't fast, so running is not his game anyway... He is a contested marker.... I'd like him to be a monster....and use the strength in clearances....

[bigcarl]

he doesn't exactly have an A-grade mid-field which makes any ruck look good

Agree. He and Hickey are going to look like supermen in a couple of seasons. Just you wait.

[Bluthy]

Strength!!!!!!!

He needs to stop worrying so much about beating mids in time trials and try and lift as much as a Shane Mumford or Darren Jolly... Who smash him!!!

He isn't fast, so running is not his game anyway... He is a contested marker.... I'd like him to be a monster....and use the strength in clearances....

The next couple of years will see what he's made of - heading towards the 100 games mark which is about when rucks start earning their keep. Should be able to bulk up and get more presence out there. Always feel a bit for ruckman as there is so much intense focus on them individually - they don't get to work in groups like fwds, defenders and mids do.

[Scollop]

Strength!!!!!!!

He needs to stop worrying so much about beating mids in time trials and try and lift as much as a Shane Mumford or Darren Jolly... Who smash him!!!

He isn't fast, so running is not his game anyway... He is a contested marker.... I'd like him to be a monster....and use the strength in clearances....

The next couple of years will see what he's made of - heading towards the 100 games mark which is about when rucks start earning their keep. Should be able to bulk up and get more presence out there. Always feel a bit for ruckman as there is so much intense focus on them individually - they don't get to work in groups like fwds, defenders and mids do.

Macca needs to watch some footage of Dean Cox. Dean Cox is the most damaging ruckmen when it comes to having a hunger for the ball and we've seen Cox win games of footy with his timely marks and goals late in matches. I think Nic Natanui basically learned from Cox that when the ball is there to be won, you've got to stand up and be counted - don't just wait for your team mates to do it.

David Hale tonight showed the value of a ruckmen who can kick goals as well as set them up as well as having the brute strength to neutralise his opponents in the stoppages. Hale was hungry for the footy and attacked the footy fiercely. Mumford and Pyke won in the tap outs, but Hale seemed to be every where tonight and definitely won the overall battle in my book.

[kosifantutti]

Stat in a vacuum. What do the best rucks get? The mediocre ones? At first glance, it looks bad, but since a lot of ruck contests don't have a winner, I'm going to guess it's not as bad as it looks.

In any case, we all know Ben's ruckwork is a minus. It always has been. He's a plus in just about every other area bar speed. Huge tank, great skills, excellent mark. All of which I'd rate as infinitely more important than percentage of ruck contests won.

He's not worth anything on the trade market though. Anybody trying to package him for Boyd can just give up on that. Aside from McEvoy being comparable to Giles, Boyd has measured in at 199cm anyway. I don't think they're going to trade him, but if they do, we should throw everything at them, bar Steven and Roo. If we open our list to them, I doubt they take McEvoy.

It's not really a stat in a vacuum when he's ranked 21 out of 22.

A lot on here seriously over rate McEvoy.

[Bluthy]

Macca needs to watch some footage of Dean Cox. Dean Cox is the most damaging ruckmen when it comes to having a hunger for the ball and we've seen Cox win games of footy with his timely marks and goals late in matches. I think Nic Natanui basically learned from Cox that when the ball is there to be won, you've got to stand up and be counted - don't just wait for your team mates to do it.

David Hale tonight showed the value of a ruckmen who can kick goals as well as set them up as well as having the brute strength to neutralise his opponents in the stoppages. Hale was hungry for the footy and attacked the footy fiercely. Mumford and Pyke won in the tap outs, but Hale seemed to be every where tonight and definitely won the overall battle in my book.

Great point about standing up and being counted. I think thats some of the frustration with Macca. You feel like he could rip a game apart with his marking and dominate but we haven't seen it. Would love to see him take it up a notch next year and have a break out season. Is it a lack of aggression? Does seem a bit of a gentle giant. Get some mongrel Benjamin!

[duckduckduckgoose]

hit outs? who cares?
Nic Nat and Cox got 40+ hitouts each in a game this year where the Weagles were absolutely pantsed. (forgot the specific game).

Round the ground is where it's at. And that's his strength.
Will be far more impactful once he get's more consistent help from Hickey.

Forget focusing on his tapwork- get the bloke learning to lead out of the square better and kick goals!!
That goes for Hickey too!

[Bluthy]

Along with CHF, Rucking is the hardest position to play. Rucking is a complicated and multi-faceted role.You've to have the endurance of a midfielder to get to all ballups and throw ins. When you get there you have to exhaustingly wrestle with a huge guy to get to the ball first and then have the cunning to tap the ball to advantage in increasingly congested packs and do this over and over all day. You've got to leap high to try and out tap 200 cm ruckman. You have 100 kg monsters smashing into you trying to put their knee into your ribs (and often succeeding). Your also then expected to know when and how to float forward to kick goals but also know when to go back to help out the defence. You have to mark your opposite ruck. These day you are expected to be able to dispose of the ball with high effectiveness as well. That's why rucks often blossom later than other players - there are a lot pieces of the puzzle that have to come together.

[saintsRrising]

hit outs? who cares?

Won the final for Freo against the Cats today.

[saintsRrising]

IMO Ben by and large had a disappointing year, and regressed rather than improved. Only 6 goals in 22 games too.

He will need to improve next year.

However midfield and FB are a lot bigger issues for us than our 2013 rucks.

Another summer in the gym should see Stanley, Lee and Siposs as all more potent forward targets to Support Roo. Maister as back-up.

Roberton, our find for 2013, along with Fisher and Gilbert gives us ample tallish back flankers. Gwilt and Simpkin for support. We just need a tall defender to take the big forwards. Geary as the tog nut small defender.

We have a number of promising kids like Newnes, Murdoch, Webster who all look promising. Early days for Saunders too who has shown promise.So we have some emerging support players. But so far none of our small to mediums look like future stars, and you cannot be a good team with only one gun mid.. Jack of our younger players presently stands out as the only future elite mid we have. Armos good, but not a star.

We desperately need for someone else to really stand up and improve... who knows Saunders, or White may....

Getting this years draft picks right is something we cannot afford to get wrong. We need some genuine cream.

[older saint]

Why McEvoy gets so much Hate and disappointment on here amazes me. I Challenge anyone to tell me a ruckman who dominates the AFL in the first 5 years seasons they play. Nic Nat - may be an exception but he is an athletic freak. Ruckman play best foot from around 25,26 on as they are physically developed properly and have enough experience. For the first time ina long time we have 2 ruckmen which we can build a team around and will be hitting their prime when we all hope this list will rise -3-4 years time.
Please be patient and wait as we don't want to be like Melbourne who gave up on Jolly at 24 went on to be 2 club premiership player,

[PJ]

I don't think I've ever read a hate post on here for Ben in fact most think he seems like a really nice bloke. Whether you like him or not is irrelevant. What most seem to be worried about is his tap work. Anyway wanting to trade him is more about maximising our trade position. By offering Ben up we can potentially improve our midfield or our backline.