Big Mac

[Enrico_Misso]

Great to see him get some serious game time.

OK he didn't set the world on fire.
But he did get quite a few taps.
And figured in a number of plays.

Will get dropped when King returns.
But hopefully we can get another couple of games into him this season.

Looks like he will be OK ??

[iwantmeseats]

agreed. Nice to see him getting some game time. Our rucks are close to the end age wise, he is the future, Im hopeful.

[ace]

The runner came out to Gardiner early in the final quarter.
Shortly after he took a seat and McEvoy got to do the rucking for the rest of the match.
Clearly getting game time and experience into him.

[Richter]

Yep, obviously not a starting no.1 ruckman but showed A LOT of improvement from last year. Clearly bigger body. And good that he will get some AFL experience. Excellent call by the coach making the last change.... at least I'm assuming that it was tactical rather than enforced.

[n1ck]

Showed enough. Will be a player in time.

[SainterK]

Yep, I think it's important to get some game time into him.

[SaintWodonga]

He did OK...

But if King is right next week, I'd bring King back in.

[bigcarl]

i thought he went as well as, and probably better than, you'd expect from any young ruckman ... most of whom are project players to a degree.

he'll be a player.

very important to get some game time into him because having two genuine ruckmen is important to our structure, as ross remarked in his press conference.

[bergholt]

very encouraging signs from mcevoy, i thought. he moved pretty well around the ground and looked as if he could present a decent target up forward (although he didn't really, but potentially could have).

certainly looks a lot better than a rix or brooks or etc.

[perfectionist]

...certainly looks a lot better than a rix or brooks or etc.

Just as well!

I think he is too slow for today's game. On the one occasion that he took the tap and ran forward the game had passed him by. But we need back up, so he is going to have to do for the time being. He could start by losing ten kilos. He looks like Rocca.

[InkerSaint]

I liked what I saw. Probably overawed and overshadowed on the big stage with a team that is on fire. He's a big boy, and not that agile, but I think his hands are cleaner than what he showed last night. It won't take much before we see him improve.

[stinger]

wasn't too bad was he???

[dsreg1]

He didn't win too many taps, (mind you following Gardiner's effort anything less than dominant would have been noticable), however I liked how he really made the effort to shepherd for our midfield.

Little things like workrate and effort will go a long way for him in the long run.

[python]

i thought he was good enough, all things considered, looked a little uncomfortable with the ball, but that would be a confidence issue more than anything. And whilst he was a bit slow, he is huge, and i dont think we will need him to be quick across the ground. The best thing i thought was that he consistently got himself into the right positions and was always presenting himself as a target, bit more experience and he could become a good option up forward

[saintly]

He didn't win too many taps, (mind you following Gardiner's effort anything less than dominant would have been noticable), however I liked how he really made the effort to shepherd for our midfield.

Little things like workrate and effort will go a long way for him in the long run.

he won 15 taps on his own. not too bad.

[Munga]

I liked his quick hands. At AFL level, a man with his speed can't hang on to the ball for too long.

[thehandbrake]

Didn't realise we required our ruckmen to be pacy outside midfielders as well.

He still needs time and will improve, but for a ruckman in his second year on our list, McEvoy looks very promising indeed. And our side looks so much better with 2 dedicated rucks and Kosi up forward.

King will come back in when fit, but McEvoy did nothing wrong and will certainly get more games this year.

[skeptic]

Didn't realise we required our ruckmen to be pacy outside midfielders as well.

Would be nice if they could win their own hard ball and make tackles stick too

[The OtherThommo]

perfectionist Posted: Tue 12 May 2009 9:54am Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

bergholt wrote:
...certainly looks a lot better than a rix or brooks or etc.


Just as well!

I think he is too slow for today's game. On the one occasion that he took the tap and ran forward the game had passed him by. But we need back up, so he is going to have to do for the time being. He could start by losing ten kilos. He looks like Rocca.

Good job there, P. A 19 y.o ruckman with a big body, playing his 2nd game, and you've got him as too slow and too fat.

You obviously recall Dean Cox, Darren Jolly and Aaron Sandilands as finely honed balls of muscle at 19, able to gift feed midfielders from stoppages and insunate themselves seamlessly into the pace of the game right from the very off.

He doesn't need to loose 10 kilos - he needs to convert the teenage puppy fat into muscle and then add some, like all bigger bodied young ruckman. Then you'll see him quicken up, jump higher for longer and be able to hold his ground.

Ross the Boss has stated his belief that young players, in general, need 4 years of preseasons and playing to get the proper opportunity to display their abilities. I have no doubt he would give young ruckman longer than midfielders.

I reckon RTB would be rapt with Big Mac last night. He knows he's still a fair way off, but firmly on the right sort of development path to become a good player. And competitive big bodied ruckmen remain a valuable asset, especially given the crushing stoppages we see more of now.

Personally, I'm stoked they are actually developing players.

[saintly]

Didn't realise we required our ruckmen to be pacy outside midfielders as well.

He still needs time and will improve, but for a ruckman in his second year on our list, McEvoy looks very promising indeed. And our side looks so much better with 2 dedicated rucks and Kosi up forward.

King will come back in when fit, but McEvoy did nothing wrong and will certainly get more games this year.

yep agree with all that. he did well for his 2nd game.

and we do look much better with 2 ruckmen and kosi up forward. it makes us less reliant on reinwoldt.

[saintly]

...certainly looks a lot better than a rix or brooks or etc.

Just as well!

I think he is too slow for today's game. On the one occasion that he took the tap and ran forward the game had passed him by. But we need back up, so he is going to have to do for the time being. He could start by losing ten kilos. He looks like Rocca.

not too slow at all. certainly played better then rix etc. he needs more muscle . that takes time. he is only in his second year!!!

[evertonfc]

Just glad he packed some game time into his frame. It will do him the world of good.

Of course, King-Gardiner is our #1 ruck duo, but gee - we all remember 1997 and what happened to Spider and Lazar - so there's no harm in developing a strong back-up.

[mad saint guy]

McEvoy did ok, but still has a long way to go.

Positives
Good kick
Good mark
Makes good decisions with the ball
Much improved ruckwork
Physically developing well

Negatives
Very slow
And the big one from last night-Was too timid to demand the ball. Many times he got himself in a perfect position in the forward line to make s strong lead and demand the ball, but instead he waits, looks at what Roo and Kosi are doing and by the time he makes a decison it's too late. It must be intimidating to play in the same side as those two and he obviously felt that they were better options, but he often had space to lead into and an opponent he could beat, whereas Collingwood were putting men in front of Roo and Kosi all night.

But this is something that will come with time, coaching and confidence. In a couple of years he'll be right, but for now he can fill a spot against an undermanned opposition but couldn't compete with strong, experienced rucks. It is very important that we keep Gards and King fit.