What does Big Mac actually do?

[The Redeemer]

I for one am sick of him actually never beating an opponent.

He couldn't even ragdoll Zac Smith and dominate the hit outs. 23-20...

Who cares if they bloke is good around the ground (He isn't even that useful but anyway)

What do people think or am I being too harsh?

To me it is an issue that needs to get sorted asap

[BigMart]

I think you're overplaying the importance of hit outs...

Dixon was the best big man on the ground.... Easily, and not for his ruck work.

Smith was poor.

McEvoy very average, Hickey terrible...

[gringo]

That was a stinker from mac. I hope he gets going soon because Blake offers the same around the ground and wins more hit outs.

[stevie]

Gets eaten by consumers?

[Old Mate]

Hickey two years younger and many more years less experienced in terms of growing up playing football has more potential and will overtake Mac within the next two years IMO. And I reckon more often than not there's only room for one of them in the 22.

[The Redeemer]

I think you're overplaying the importance of hit outs...

Dixon was the best big man on the ground.... Easily, and not for his ruck work.

Smith was poor.

McEvoy very average, Hickey terrible...

Dixon is and always has shown a fair bit around the ground.

Mac is plain slow so therefore cannot do too much.

[bobmurray]

That was a stinker from mac. I hope he gets going soon because Blake offers the same around the ground and wins more hit outs.

Everyone hopes McEvoy is going to "turn the corner", but, is the corner any closer....

I think what we see now is as good as he gets......

Hence the reason we got Hickey

[BigMart]

I think you'll find Ben will finish Top 5 in the B&F this year....

Big call, but I think he is very good footballer..... Having said that, he'll need to make up for a poor one last week.

A 3/10 game

[tweedaletomanning]

Am still very hopeful

Considering , Dangerfield and Rioli went directly after him in the draft.

Captain hindsight says " OUCH"

[BigMart]

Be spewing if he turned out to be a dud.... Not sure that's the case

Same with Frawley, Riewoldt going straight after Armitage.... But Armo performance looks OK will play 150+ like Ben

[Quixote]

I'm still 50/50 on Ben.

Love him, gives his all, very professional and a smart guy too.

I'm just not sure he has the physical attributes to be what we need.

[SainterK]

I like Owl

Never question his effort.

People are quick to blame the mids. I would like to know what he tells them he is going to do, I'd like to know if he then executes it properly, or leaves them in the wrong position

[bigcarl]

I think you'll find Ben will finish Top 5 in the B&F this year....

Big call, but I think he is very good footballer..... Having said that, he'll need to make up for a poor one last week.

A 3/10 game

What he said

[GeorgeYoung27]

He had a fantastic last quarter when everyone else stopped. He tried to win the game on his own but had little support. Ignore BT's commentary. Why was he the only one chasing on the last GC goal? He was making 2nd and 3rd efforts and helping it forward when nothing else happened. That being said his first 3 quarters were only average. But I wonder how many peoples opinions are based on BT's ignorant commentary.

[The Redeemer]

He had a fantastic last quarter when everyone else stopped. He tried to win the game on his own but had little support. Ignore BT's commentary. Why was he the only one chasing on the last GC goal? He was making 2nd and 3rd efforts and helping it forward when nothing else happened. That being said his first 3 quarters were only average. But I wonder how many peoples opinions are based on BT's ignorant commentary.

I for one have been watching him for years do 2/5s of bugger all and getting praised for it.

If he cannot win the hit outs then we cannot win hit outs to advantage and from that we cannot get first use of the ball in good positions.

So what is the point?

[noob]

Patrick Dangerfield would be handy.

[BigMart]

I'm pretty sure he did win hit outs?!

If we get a 225cm Ruckman from somewhere and win 100% of hit outs.... Will we win the premiership?

[The Redeemer]

I'm pretty sure he did win hit outs?!

If we get a 225cm Ruckman from somewhere and win 100% of hit outs.... Will we win the premiership?

It would give us more of a chance considering we need to get our hands on the ball first and the best way to do it is for our rucks to hit it to our players instead pf waiting for opposition rucks to hit it to our players

[plugger66]

I'm pretty sure he did win hit outs?!

If we get a 225cm Ruckman from somewhere and win 100% of hit outs.... Will we win the premiership?

It would give us more of a chance considering we need to get our hands on the ball first and the best way to do it is for our rucks to hit it to our players instead pf waiting for opposition rucks to hit it to our players

Myth IMO. Only guessing but did Geelong win the hits today? Probably not.

[The Redeemer]

I'm pretty sure he did win hit outs?!

If we get a 225cm Ruckman from somewhere and win 100% of hit outs.... Will we win the premiership?

It would give us more of a chance considering we need to get our hands on the ball first and the best way to do it is for our rucks to hit it to our players instead pf waiting for opposition rucks to hit it to our players

Myth IMO. Only guessing but did Geelong win the hits today? Probably not.

So what is the point of a ruck then?

[plugger66]

It would give us more of a chance considering we need to get our hands on the ball first and the best way to do it is for our rucks to hit it to our players instead pf waiting for opposition rucks to hit it to our players

Myth IMO. Only guessing but did Geelong win the hits today? Probably not.

So what is the point of a ruck then?

Because if you didnt have it the other team would have one. The only advantage in the ruck is hitouts to a real avantage. Even hitout to advantge can be misleading as they still may not be able to do a lot with the ball. Ben gives a contest. he isnt the greatest tap ruckman but Hickey didnt do any better in the ruck either. Ben is very good around the ground though.

[BigMart]

If Aaron Sandilands can't get his team clearances.... Really

What you do need, is a contest from your Ruckman so the opponent can't continually sit it down a throat. I remember playing a game in 2009 and our Ruckman dominated.... And I have never got an easier 30 odd touches, mostly straight from his palm.
Next week he still got his hand to it a lot, but the contest from his opponent was better... And I had to earn a kick... (When I couldn't I reverted to my old trick of drifting across HB to win easy ball)

What the tap gives your mids is a split second benefit in the clearances, as you know the direction of the ball before it goes there.... When it comes off. And even then, the quality of the mid is more important.

[matrix]

gawn
pay him out the contract and move him on

gilbert to ruck

[saint-stu]

Average hitouts

2009
20.5 Michael Gardiner
15.1 Steven King
8.5 Ben McEvoy

2010
17.0 Michael Gardiner
13.7 Steven King
10.8 Ben McEvoy

2011
22,6 Ben McEvoy
6.9 Justin Koz
4.1 Jason Blake

2012
25,3 Ben McEvoy
7.2 Jason Blake
6.2 Rhys Stanley

Last week
23 Ben McEvoy
12 Tom Hickey
4 Sam Gilbert

It's a pretty course stat but I think it shows that he has improved consistently each year. You would expect his numbers to jump in 2011 when he became our only genuine ruckman.

Should drop a little this year given he is sharing the duties with Hickey.

Maybe it doesn't mean much, but in this stat his numbers are pretty similar to King and Gardy.

[Eastern]

Gets eaten by consumers?

Are you Steven Dank? !!