Big Boy McEvoy

[Spud02]

Excellent tonight against two of the league's best ruckmen.

[BigMart]

58 hit outs to 21... Making very hard for our mids...

Around the ground he was pretty good.... I thought Hille was easily their best.

[Sobraz]

Enormous tonight and has a massive future..

Many dont rate him or question his position in the team, but his work (and workrate) around the ground are integral... Let others win all the taps they want, I like Big Boy taking the contested marks down back and bullocking the stoppages..

I've lots of love for him as a player..

[noob]

Even though he lost the hitouts I thought his 2nd efforts were tremendous

[Sobraz]

58 hit outs to 21... Making very hard for our mids...

Around the ground he was pretty good.... I thought Hille was easily their best.

McEvoy was better than Hille... The hitouts weren't an issue, how many directly resulted in essendon clearance?!!...

Overrated stat IMO... Just ask Warnock from the Blues... Classic example of a ruckman who wins the taps, and does nothing else... Much prefer our style in benny mc...

[dragit]

58 hit outs to 21... Making very hard for our mids...

Around the ground he was pretty good.... I thought Hille was easily their best.

+1
I'm with bigmart, took good marks in the defensive goal square, but the ruckmens first job is to win hitouts, 21 - 59 is as big a smashing as it gets...
Cox, natinui, sandilands, Jacobs, jolly, jamar, maric, hale, roughead, bailey, Kreuzer, warnoc, Hampson, Mcintosh, goldstien, Ryder, hille, bellchambers, West, Mumford, leunberger... Most of these are probably better (at ruck work) at this stage...

[Sobraz]

58 hit outs to 21... Making very hard for our mids...

Around the ground he was pretty good.... I thought Hille was easily their best.

+1
I'm with bigmart, took good marks in the defensive goal square, but the ruckmens first job is to win hitouts, 21 - 59 is as big a smashing as it gets...
Cox, natinui, sandilands, Jacobs, jolly, jamar, maric, hale, roughead, bailey, Kreuzer, warnoc, Hampson, Mcintosh, goldstien, Ryder, hille, bellchambers, West, Mumford, leunberger... Most of these are probably better (at ruck work) at this stage...

How many of them are better than him at football??

[dragit]

58 hit outs to 21... Making very hard for our mids...

Around the ground he was pretty good.... I thought Hille was easily their best.

+1
I'm with bigmart, took good marks in the defensive goal square, but the ruckmens first job is to win hitouts, 21 - 59 is as big a smashing as it gets...
Cox, natinui, sandilands, Jacobs, jolly, jamar, maric, hale, roughead, bailey, Kreuzer, warnoc, Hampson, Mcintosh, goldstien, Ryder, hille, bellchambers, West, Mumford, leunberger... Most of these are probably better (at ruck work) at this stage...

How many of them are better than him at football??

I can count 12, how many do you think?
I like Big mac, just think he still has a long way to go, we've got to have at least an even break from the centre

[ausfatcat]

I can count 12, how many do you think?
I like Big mac, just think he still has a long way to go, we've got to have at least an even break from the centre

why is it a advantage to tap to no one in the centre square it's not as if those 51 hit outs went straight players

[BigMart]

Not sure the centre clearance stats..... My guess would be about even perhaps.... Our mids were strong.

I thought he competed OK in the Rick duals and was good in the back half....

Hille played a bit fwd, so he wasn't opposed to Ben when he did some good work. He did kick 2

[dragit]

I can count 12, how many do you think?
I like Big mac, just think he still has a long way to go, we've got to have at least an even break from the centre

why is it a advantage to tap to no one in the centre square it's not as if those 51 hit outs went straight players

If winning tapouts has no advantage, why don't we just have 4 mids at centre bounces, surely we are trying to win the taps, some will go to advantage, or is it just random?

[St Lenny]

Was shocking with the tap outs, but great around the ground. He really needs to improve his tap outs though bit time.

[Megsie]

Had 7 weeks out from a knee operation. Give Ben time to
work his way back...........pleeeeese. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fazer]

Would love to see him smash it forwards occasionally instead of trying to caress it to someone

[Jacks Back]

58 hit outs to 21... Making very hard for our mids...

Around the ground he was pretty good.... I thought Hille was easily their best.

+1
I'm with bigmart, took good marks in the defensive goal square, but the ruckmens first job is to win hitouts, 21 - 59 is as big a smashing as it gets...
Cox, natinui, sandilands, Jacobs, jolly, jamar, maric, hale, roughead, bailey, Kreuzer, warnoc, Hampson, Mcintosh, goldstien, Ryder, hille, bellchambers, West, Mumford, leunberger... Most of these are probably better (at ruck work) at this stage...

How many of them are better than him at football??

I like big Cox. As a ruckman and around the ground player, that is.

[Scollop]

Based on Bigboys round the ground efforts and his workrate, I reckon he is the first ruck without a doubt, versus him and Kosi...these two are our choices right now!! Not so sure we can fit Macca and Stanley and Kosi in the same team each week if all are fit. Kosi did a reasonable job both up forward and as second ruck tonight. When Rhys gets back to full fitness he might have to play at Sandy and show something before he gets to take Kosi's spot, but who knows? It might be Bigboy that Stanley ultimately replaces.

[White Winmar]

Mac is great around the ground, but let's face it, he's not a tap ruckman's bootlace. A major weakness for us at stoppages and in the clearances category. Either he improves in this area, or he might even get traded. I hope they persevere with him and he gets up to par, because the way he's going, his lack of competitiveness in this crucial area puts our midfielders at a huge disadvantage.

[plugger66]

Ben was very good tonight. Pleae watch the game and not the friggin stats.

[Moods]

I couldn't care less about the taps - as long as we win the ball on the ground. Haven't seen the stats, but I thought we did pretty well at the clearances tonight. Ben's work around the ground was fantastic - and I thought he pretty much nullified any effectiveness of both Ryder and Hille

[BigMart]

From a mids point of view

A winning Ruckman will make your job a hell of a lot easier..... Very difficult (not impossible) to win clearances from opposition.

[mad saint guy]

He is elite around the ground but obviously has a long way to go in his ruckwork. Normally rucks his age would focus on building size but I suspect the coaches want him to stay fairly lean to make the most of his incredible endurance and workrate. I think he and Stanley will make an excellent combo in the future - Stanley with the great leap and athleticism, Ben with ridiculous endurance and marking skills.

Hopefully he can improve his ruckwork significantly over the next year or so, because it does put our mids at a disadvantage, but with his hard running, contested marking and quality footskills he is definitely worth persevering with. Personally I'd like to see Stanley taking the majority of the centre bounces as his leap gives us a huge advantage there.

[plugger66]

From a mids point of view

A winning Ruckman will make your job a hell of a lot easier..... Very difficult (not impossible) to win clearances from opposition.

Arent we winning clearances this year and didnt we struggle last year. I dont think Bens ruckwork has really improved but my guess is Lenny is playing. Unless a ruckman puts it down your throat ruck work isnt that important. Ben was great around the ground and cut off many forward thrusts. I will take that over a tap that could go to anyone.

[bigcarl]

Unless you are a Natainui (one of the rare ruckmen who actually sometimes does deliver it into a teammate's hands) taps are overrated.

Big Mac was fantastic last night.

[hayes66]

Just a thifferent point of view to think about. Visually, without stat's, Ben looks to have improved his ruckwork this year. One of the reasons, I believe the stat's show a heavy leaning to the opposition, is when Ben is not in the ruck. Kossie, whilst trying very hard, has no idea in the ruckwork department. Another point to consider and watch next time is, when Ben doesn't win the hitout, his second efforts and ability to nulify the situation is excellent. If we do take stat's into consideration then look at Ben's "hit to advantage" it's very high. A lot of hitout are meaningless taps. I believe the hit to advantage is a more telling stat. For all those people still unsure of Ben's value can i remind you, he is still very young in rucking terms and the suggestion that he could be traded!!! Well that comment has me speechless.

[Old Mate]

8/10 around the ground

5/10 rucking

Gave him a 5 for rucking cos his second efforts/tackling was strong and he didn't give away silly ruck frees.