Steve McKee

[perth pieman]

I am a great fan of "Stunning" too, and he is obviously a fav of MM. He will need to play well this week though, as Gardiner has been one of the main reasons why Wet Toast has done well this year.

There is still a great anti Malthouse feeling here in WA with the WC, and I think Worsfold would like nothing better than to have a win against his old coach.

Who is going to try and curb Matera this week? He is kicking a lot of goals this year and is avery important player for them.

GO PIES

[Damien]

This is a good debate raging here. One thing we are unanimous on is that Steve McKee is a goer and a damn fine fooballer. I think we are also unanimous on the fact that when it comes to tap-outs he is at the lower end of the AFL.

Agree with you Chalky that Ruck is not 'the' most important position on the ground. Its about our 18 blokes beating their 18 blokes. However I don't understand what you mean about MM having his pick of the ruckmen pre-season. Who are you referring to?

Nobody is suggesting we need a bloke that can win every tap-out but goes missing for the rest of the game, I'd rather have McKee cos he adds so much to the team around the ground.

There is only a handful of ruckmen in the league that I would have ahead of McKee for their overall package and Darcy would be near the top of that list.

[chalky]

Yes Damien, as reliably reported on those hotbeds of information - Rant, FTO, here at Nicks, The sun, The Age etc.
Crows looking to offload surplus talls, Brogan/Marsh - stayed
Everitt very,very keen to connect with MM and Eddy - Dawks for $$
Trent Noble touted as big, young and ready to play - StK
Keating disillusioned at Bears b/c of limited opportunities - injury prone
A question posed to Goodes post GF, rampant on FTO
Allessio was discussed in all seriousness - McKee better
Everyone thought Spider was an absolute certainty. Best tapper around.
What does MM do? Bolster the running stocks. There is a plan here folks

Correct about McKee. Does his best work below the shoulders. Watch replays. I doubt Brogan/Clarke got their knees dirty. That's his value!

Look, McKee is NOW. He will continue to lose most of the tap stats, yes. But it should not matter as much if our midfield is dominating - we lead AFL for clearances. What's the use if your ruckman wins first possession but you have a crap midfield, just ask Everitt or King or Darcy or Primus

Please, if we lose, don't blame McKee. His role is unlike any other -
a ruckman that does NOT win a tap? and yet, is in our best players!

What happens next season re trades/recruiting/draft, can wait until LATER
I agree about a player of Darcy's ability adding to our stocks, but chioces will have to be made. Everyone will want to come to Collingwood.

[Culprit]

Good stuff Chalky, everyone wants to come to Collingwood when negotiating their contracts. Ain't it strange they never end up there.

Player Managers always use the Pies when they try to get more $$$$

[Damien]

Yeah, nuff said for now I reckon. Lets see what happens at the end of the season.

One thing is for certain though - we shafted Richmond when we traded Clinton King for Steve McKee.

[Greg J]

Tap work is not important, clearances are. Who was number one in clearances after round six? Didn't the telecast on Saturday say it was Steve? And that's coming from those biased bustards.

Sure, we should develop a tap ruckman. But not at the cost of an elite on baller. Stunning's doing alright in the meantime. More than alright on most occassions these past two seasons.

[MagpieMad]

[natkingcole]

1) We were certainly shafted by Richmond in the McKee deal because it cost us the no.3 pick which we could have used to secure Pavlich (it was Richmond's stupidity they didn't use that 3 pick more wisely).
2) There were plenty of Collingwood supporters after last year's GF who considered McKee at least partly responsible for the loss. Keating was in the top 5 players for Brisbane.
3) We beat Geelong this year when King was ajudged BOG. We got thrashed last year by Geelong when guess who was BOG.
4) It was Clarke's taps in the first quarter that gave Adelaide the 3 easiest goals you're ever likely to see in AFL football.
5) Why is it McKee doesn't raise his arms above his head? If he has a bung shoulder why hasn't it healed. He's had a year and all of this year's preseason to get it right. Why does MM continue to play McKee in the ruck if he can't offer any hope of getting to taps.
6) If people here think it's not important to play a top tap ruckman then why did Hawthorn go out of their way to get Rehn and then when Rehn failed they went out and got Everitt. Two years ago Sheedy went out and got the 37 year Paul Salmon back to the club. Why is it when Primus goes down Port Adelaide can't win a game?

[Fradam]

Hawthorn have been poaching tap ruckman for the last 10 years, got any premierships to show for it, no

[Blanch]

1.) Hindsight is a wonderful thing - Pavlich is a good player and will only get better. Dean Kemp was a good pick up in the low 80's and McIntosh was good at 112. How did we miss them?? Don't get the point? It will sink in soon.

2.) There were plenty of collingwood supporters who thought we were bloody robbed in the GF last year.

3.) We beat Geelong...full stop. Their great tap ruckman obviously didn't have the influence you thought...and King BOG? you have to be kidding...Fraz took him to the cleaners in the last qtr.

4.) Adelaide got off to a good run early...they still won the taps for the rest of the game didn't they? so how did we win? could it be that the midfield had a lot to do with adelaides dominance in the 1st qtr?

5.)Mckee plays in the ruck because he is no.1 in the afl for hard ball gets....it doesn't get much better than no.1.

6.) Just like Fradam said. Also, if some people don't believe that MM is on the right path then these people have inflated ego's. The man is a genius and has the track record to prove it. I'll trust his judgement over....let's see Hawthorn's coach - Swabb - what a champion coach he is....and let's see...oh that's right - the coach of the port chokers..

Yes in hindsight I can see why we are doing just fine without the greatest tap ruckman in the universe.

[Ant]

McKee is definately great around the ground, no question about that. Hpwever, i was thinking that, seeing he's a tall bloke, 2m or whatever, and Gardner is the dominant ruck in the comp at the moment- also being about 2m tall, i was thinking that maybe if McKee could jump a little higher? Michael Jordan was about the same height (198cm), but had a vertical leap of 40+ inches, comparing this with the average person only being able to jump say 20 or so inches off the ground it makes a HUGE difference. What im saying is... maybe if McKee started on a jumping program or something? It sounds logical enough, if he can elevate himself higher he'll get to the ball sooner than his opponents?
What do you's think of this idea? Inspired or Insipid?

[STOKA35]

mckee is great value around the ground.I dont think we can always depend on sharking opposition hit outs all the time it is a risky business i think we need to find or develop a tap ruckman as this will compliment mckee.We did get showed up in this area in the wiz final even though mckee was injured it shows us you cannot shark opposition hit outs all the time.

[MagpieMad]

[stik35]

There is an article on this very topic in the Herald Sun today.

Sorry I can't post the link because I can't find it on the net.

It says exactly what we've been saying here - I think they must read Nicks.

Stunning is tops in clearances and a very valuable player.

[Culprit]

The way that article is written I thought I wrote it. It's a pity these so called reporters can't get their own stories without stealing it from here..lol