Jackson Macrae - Can he take the next step in 2015?

[Go_Dogs]

As some of you may recall, Macrae was very impressive in his final year of junior footy, having demonstrated his composure and ball use at U/18 level, particularly through the State Champs and then his continued improvement at TAC Cup level towards the end of the season.

Coming into the AFL system, he has quickly managed to build a body that is going to be able to withstand the rigors of senior footy, whilst continuing to grow a bit taller. He's not the quickest bloke, but he has good game sense in that he can work to good spots offensively and his agility to get around players once he's in possession.

Whilst I don't like to be critical of younger players who are still developing, particularly those who I rate very highly and have had great starts to their careers, Jacko has a bit of work to do to elevate himself to a real top line player. At the moment I would say his main areas of weakness are:-

- defensive accountability (highlighted by our former coach)
- kicking penetration
- contested ball winning ability
- overhead marking ability

For a player of his size, both in height and build, he should be able to improve his contested ball and overhead marking ability. Whilst they may never be his strong suits, I think he can become more than capable in those areas.

For someone who at the moment accumulates a lot of the ball, he needs to work on his hurt factor by trying to increase his ability to roost a ball over a zone. At the moment he has a tendency to look for the shorter options more often, which isn't necessarily a bad thing when that's the best option, but at times he seems a bit reluctant or unable to spot up a really nice, longer kick.

His defensive work is also an area of improvement, which I probably put down to fitness at this stage. Once his running ability improves and becomes elite, he will have more legs to work back harder but it continues to be an area that he needs to work at and focus on.

So all of that being said, do you feel my assessments are fair?

Can Macrae develop his game to take the next step and go from being a well performed rookie to being a player that is capable inside and out, capable of beating a tag and generally becoming a big bodied midfielder with great skills and composure?

Should we be looking at developing his contested game by giving him more opportunities in tight around the clearance, or is that a waste of his current talents, which is his link up and outside game?

[GVGjr]

Coming into the AFL system, he has quickly managed to build a body that is going to be able to withstand the rigors of senior footy, whilst continuing to grow a bit taller. He's not the quickest bloke, but he has good game sense in that he can work to good spots offensively and his agility to get around players once he's in possession.


He has developed very well physically and while he isn't quick he won't get caught too often.



Whilst I don't like to be critical of younger players who are still developing, particularly those who I rate very highly and have had great starts to their careers, Jacko has a bit of work to do to elevate himself to a real top line player. At the moment I would say his main areas of weakness are:-

- defensive accountability (highlighted by our former coach)
- kicking penetration
- contested ball winning ability
- overhead marking ability

For a player of his size, both in height and build, he should be able to improve his contested ball and overhead marking ability. Whilst they may never be his strong suits, I think he can become more than capable in those areas.



Excellent analysis and a fair indication of what he needs to work on.



For someone who at the moment accumulates a lot of the ball, he needs to work on his hurt factor by trying to increase his ability to roost a ball over a zone. At the moment he has a tendency to look for the shorter options more often, which isn't necessarily a bad thing when that's the best option, but at times he seems a bit reluctant or unable to spot up a really nice, longer kick.



I wonder now that we have a better forward structure if Macrae and others will lift their heads a bit more and take the longer option?



So all of that being said, do you feel my assessments are fair?

Can Macrae develop his game to take the next step and go from being a well performed rookie to being a player that is capable inside and out, capable of beating a tag and generally becoming a big bodied midfielder with great skills and composure?

Should we be looking at developing his contested game by giving him more opportunities in tight around the clearance, or is that a waste of his current talents, which is his link up and outside game?

The assessments are fair and I do believe Macrae has another level he can reach. It might take more than one season though given he will need to adjust to the demands of a new coach.

I'm not sure about making him into a contested ball winner because I like the way he is playing but it is an area he can get better at.
Slight improvement in that area is what I would be aiming for, I don't think we need to change his style too much.

[boydogs]

This thread reminds me of Nathan Eagleton, terrific outside ball user lamented for what he couldn't do rather than praised for what he could.

Not every player in a footy team needs to be able to do everything, they just need to play their role

[Go_Dogs]

This thread reminds me of Nathan Eagleton, terrific outside ball user lamented for what he couldn't do rather than praised for what he could.

Not every player in a footy team needs to be able to do everything, they just need to play their role

I'm certainly not attempting to be critical of Macrae (as I outlined in the OP) however I'm not certain on where you're going with your response.

Eagleton was a vastly different player to Macrae, in that he was a lot smaller, quicker and had a more penetrating kick. I'm not sure whether you are, but if you're suggesting we should not look to develop other aspects of Macrae's game, or expect that he's capable of more, then I disagree.

[F'scary]

Jackson "Moonwalk" Macrae just has to keep doing what he did in 2014 and that will be plenty enough for me.

Yes, he is pretty big but doesn't present much for marking contests.
Yes, he has a fair bit of bulk but does not go into beast extractor mode much if at all.
Yes, he is not a line breaker from a standing start.
Yes, his long kicking is a bit quirky at the moment.

But these issues are completely outweighed by what he does bring to the team.

He is great in traffic.
He is a very sure handler of the ball.
He is never shy of taking possession and stands up in the hits and tackles.
He reads the play brilliantly and accumulates 30+ possession games with ease.
He is an excellent decision maker with top-shelf handballing and foot passing skills.
His stamina levels are as high as they come.
He chases and tackles.

I think the coach needs to make decisions as to the level of his accountability. Too much accountability = less possessions. Teams need some players who are free to provide the link up the field or to scout around the outside of the pack. Macrae is probably one of those players in our team.

[bornadog]

This kid will take the next step again in 2015 just as he did from 2013 to 2014.

He is a ball accumulator and now needs to take the next step which to me is becoming a damaging mid that hurts the opposition.

With Griff and Cooney gone, we need him and Libba to step up and take control of the midfield.

[F'scary]

But, yeah, he definitely needs to work on his long kicking - try and get the kinks out of it.

[bulldogtragic]

He's a safe bet to make a high grade.

[boydogs]

I'm certainly not attempting to be critical of Macrae (as I outlined in the OP) however I'm not certain on where you're going with your response.

Eagleton was a vastly different player to Macrae, in that he was a lot smaller, quicker and had a more penetrating kick. I'm not sure whether you are, but if you're suggesting we should not look to develop other aspects of Macrae's game, or expect that he's capable of more, then I disagree.

Every player has weaknesses, and I think as supporters we sometimes focus on what players can't do and judge them on their weaknesses instead of their strengths. If I say the names Boyd, Cross, Eagleton & Stevens, straight away you know what I'm talking about. It's a bit like rating a Doctor on their ability to do their tax return, there are other players in the side to do what Macrae can't.

Alan Didak had no defensive accountability, Joel Selwood has no kicking penetration, Lewis Jetta can't win contested ball and Will Minson can't take a mark. Even Lance Franklin has no right foot.

We have a lot of inside mids who are great at winning the contested ball but not a lot of outside players who can run all day, find space, evade tacklers and use the ball well. That's what Macrae will be asked to do and his performance will be based on whether he can continue to improve on those strengths.

As supporters it is all too easy to look at what a player is not good at and state that that is where their improvement needs to come from, when that's not what they are in the side for.

[Remi Moses]

Yes he's got a bit of work to do, but the kid's a beauty.

[always right]

.....and defensively he tackles as well as most.

[The Underdog]

.....and defensively he tackles as well as most.

I think his positioning and willingness to get back when we lose the footy is more of an issue at the moment but some of that might just come with increased fitness. If he could round out those areas of his game he's a pretty complete player.

[LostDoggy]

C MOONWALKER being that goalkicking mid that we r crying out for as another piece to the premiership puzzle.
Has the grunt and mongrel to also be a tackling machine like Libba.
He is as Remi says an absolute beauty!

[Twodogs]

I like how he can run through the midfield then rather than go to the bench Jack can go forward and take a mark. It's a double bonus. He's still impacting the game and we've saved a rotation we can use on another midfielder. Bontempelli has exactly the same advantage.

I guess you could say Stringer goes the other way. Spends most of his time impacting on the forward line but spends small amounts of time in the midfield.

[F'scary]

I like how he can run through the midfield then rather than go to the bench Jack can go forward and take a mark. It's a double bonus. He's still impacting the game and we've saved a rotation we can use on another midfielder. Bontempelli has exactly the same advantage.

I guess you could say Stringer goes the other way. Spends most of his time impacting on the forward line but spends small amounts of time in the midfield.

Now I can see a rationale to the suggestion that he improves his contested marking - this will facilitate rotations to FP as a variation to going to the bench. Like!

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I spoke with Paul Dimattina two days ago and talked about what we need. When I said speed in the midfield, he mentioned Macrae as fast. I expressed surprise and he said he's also fast of mind and reaction.
Dimma also thought lack of replacement for Minnow, was not enthusiastic about Campbell, thought the main need was another tall CHB, we talked about Roughead, and my long lost cousin who was visiting me from Sydney and is a naturopath but knows nothing about sport, (although she used to work in television with Doug Walters) chimed in with "he (Roughead) needs a good sports surgeon"! No laughing from Dimma. He lamented our small following and said his brother played 49 games for Collingwoood yet experienced the might of their following and the thrill of playing in front of them.

[Avoid the rush]

He has developed very well physically and while he isn't quick he won't get caught too often.



Excellent analysis and a fair indication of what he needs to work on.



I wonder now that we have a better forward structure if Macrae and others will lift their heads a bit more and take the longer option?



The assessments are fair and I do believe Macrae has another level he can reach. It might take more than one season though given he will need to adjust to the demands of a new coach.

I'm not sure about making him into a contested ball winner because I like the way he is playing but it is an area he can get better at.
Slight improvement in that area is what I would be aiming for, I don't think we need to change his style too much.

Totally and emphatically agree with GVGjr!!!! He has his own style! Let him use it. He will be elite!!

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Agree with what has been said. He needs to get better defensively - but that is more about consistent intent, because his technique for tackling is very very good and he has nailed several opponents often much bigger than he.

The other area as has been noted is his long kicking - definitely a weakness. They tend to float a little and certainly lack penetration, but he's a clever player and works around this issue by using his vision and excellent short kicking skills to good effect. It's an area he does need to address but I don't think Jack will ever be as penetrating/damaging as Bonti.

If we can add some quicker players around Macrae, with penetrating foot skills, he really won't have to change much at all. I've always seen him as a 'death by a thousand cuts' type of player, whereas Stringer/Bonti are the genuine match winners. You need both, but having said that, I am confident Macrae will continue to improve - he has a great attitude for such a young player.

[LostDoggy]

Agree with what has been said. He needs to get better defensively - but that is more about consistent intent, because his technique for tackling is very very good and he has nailed several opponents often much bigger than he.

The other area as has been noted is his long kicking - definitely a weakness. They tend to float a little and certainly lack penetration, but he's a clever player and works around this issue by using his vision and excellent short kicking skills to good effect. It's an area he does need to address but I don't think Jack will ever be as penetrating/damaging as Bonti.

If we can add some quicker players around Macrae, with penetrating foot skills, he really won't have to change much at all. I've always seen him as a 'death by a thousand cuts' type of player, whereas Stringer/Bonti are the genuine match winners. You need both, but having said that, I am confident Macrae will continue to improve - he has a great attitude for such a young player.

This is key. He copped a rough and unfair whack from Macca mid-season and responded beautifully. Others have copped a fair and overly soft whack and are now playing at Carlton. A great attitude is everything, as it means you're listening to the coach and your team instead of brushing off criticism. His attitude means if he can improve, he's certain to.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

This is key. He copped a rough and unfair whack from Macca mid-season and responded beautifully. Others have copped a fair and overly soft whack and are now playing at Carlton. A great attitude is everything, as it means you're listening to the coach and your team instead of brushing off criticism. His attitude means if he can improve, he's certain to.

It was reported that earlier in the season, at training, he had called senior players to order, including Matty Boyd, for not doing the right thing. This shows not just strength of character but also that he considers the team and the ethic as paramount.

[bornadog]

BUMP


Can Macrae develop his game to take the next step and go from being a well performed rookie to being a player that is capable inside and out, capable of beating a tag and generally becoming a big bodied midfielder with great skills and composure?

How have posters rated Macrae's season to date.

I think since being dropped to the VFL he has improved his defensive side. His tackling has gone up from an average of 4 to 6 per game.

Still needs to be a little more damaging with his kicking and his core strength needs to be built up, but I am pleased with his progress. He is an absolute ball magnet, and with experience he will become even better.

[Bulldog Joe]

Macrae has probably been a little disappointing, but that is a reflection of the high expectations generated from his first 2 seasons.

In my mind he has stagnated or even regressed slightly from 2014, but that is understandable as rarely is any trajectory permanently up.

He has dipped a little but I believe his performance graph will surge ahead as he puts the current lessons into practice.

He certainly knows how to find the ball and just needs to improve his disposal skills. Really needs to be able to get more than 40 metres with his kicking and to be able to be more precise with his delivery.

If he can't add distance he needs to adopt the Robert Harvey approach and become a fantastic short kick to a leading target.

[F'scary]

I think he is a bit like Crameri. Last year, the team was playing so badly that they both stood out even more. They got the additional possessions and goals because others were not delivering. This year, the list seems stronger, team performances have been much better (to date), there is a greater spread of players sharing the output.

[comrade]

He showed another dimension when he was thrown in the centre against the Lions.

An inside quartet of Libba, Wallis, Bonti and Macrae is pretty tasty. Size, strength, skill and smarts.

[Twodogs]

He showed another dimension when he was thrown in the centre against the Lions.

An inside quartet of Libba, Wallis, Bonti and Macrae is pretty tasty. Size, strength, skill and smarts.

If you were negotiating with a ruckman from another club you'd just write those names on a piece of paper with something like How good are these blokes going to make you look? along with the financial offer.

[Sedat]

Thought he was exceptional on the weekend. Clearly he has worked hard on his defensive game and without compromising his ball-winning ability.

[westdog54]

Its almost unfair that he was picked up straight after Stringer. They'll always be assessed together.

He's developing as I'd expect a 3rd year player to. He's getting more consistent as he goes along. Hell be a very, very good player.

[bornadog]

Its almost unfair that he was picked up straight after Stringer. They'll always be assessed together.

He's developing as I'd expect a 3rd year player to. He's getting more consistent as he goes along. Hell be a very, very good player.

He will be an A Grade player. Already has a career average of 24 disposals per game with the last two years sitting on 26.

[Twodogs]

I can see why people can see a bit of Robert Harvey in Jack. Jack is a better kick at the same age though.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Outstanding on the weekend. Adds so much to the side, getting the ball and linking. His tackling has really improved. He is an octopus like Bont in trapping the ball and can move into space with a step or two.

[jazzadogs]

I confess to not watching a whole lot of Brent Stanton play, but I feel that is the 'worst case scenario' for Jackson. He has too much talent and desire to be anything less than a consistent ball magnet...its adding in the defensive part that I feel Stanton lacks, and improving his skills, that will set him apart from others.

[lemmon]

I never see him being a star of the competition but that very consistent third midfielder who will rack up the disposals, dominate some weeks but get a fairly anonymous 30 in others. For an outside midfielder his disposal isn't as damaging or precise as you'd like - either by hand or foot, nor is he a real line breaker. If his disposal improves I can definitely see him moving into the All Australian category of player, looking at some stats now his splits are virtually identical with Pendlebury's this year:

Pendlebury averages 27.9 disposals to Jack's 26.6
They both average 10.8 contested possessions a game, Pendlebury averages 16.8 uncontested to Jack's 16.1
Jack wins out in tackles 4.7 to 4.4 and clearances 4.4 to 4.2

But the big difference lies in efficiency and damaging use with the footy:

Pendlebury uses the footy at 77.4% to Jack's 65.4%, this translates into 21.6 v 17.4 effective disposals per game
Macrae averages slightly more inside 50s 4.8 v Pendlebury 4.6 BUT for Jack this only translates into 0.3 goal assists per game versus Pendlebury at 1.6
Jack has also only kicked 1 goal versus Scott's 9

No doubt Pendlebury spends more time than Macrae resting forward (which is something I'd like to see us try with Jack) but those stats do show how many of Macrae's inside 50's are pretty wasteful. It's a fairly regular occurrence seeing him bomb long to not much whereas Pendles is close to the best kicking midfielder going around at the moment. His stats on the whole are extremely similar to Pendlebury which is terrific for a third year kid but he really must be cleaner with the footy.

[azabob]

Thanks for that Lemmon. Interesting read. No reason why Jackson's disposal efficiency cannot improve as he continues to adapt to AFL.

[Ozza]

I tend to be a harsh judge of Macrae - but only because I rate him so highly.

His output in 40 games has been quite extraordinary really. And as per an earlier poster's thoughts - his game on the weekend showed he is able to go inside the centre square and be very effective.

To get to the next level, it would be ideal if he could add some more length and precision to his kicking. I'm not sure how this will be done without fixing up his ball drop - as the ball drop impacts both his ability to kick long, and his ability to keep the ball low(er) on his short kicks.

Hopefully some more time in the game, and another pre-season or two, will add some more power and explosiveness to his skill set.

And we haven't seen as much of the Jack Macrae goose step this year - bring it back Jacko!

[Cyberdoggie]

He's certainly been lacking in confidence, hence the goose step not being used. He seems to have far less time with the ball this year and as a result is doing that awful kick across his body, which is very unreliable.

Perhaps it's extra attention from the opposition, maybe the different game plan, less easy kicks behind play. Faster ball movement from defence with Wood, JJ, Murph all pushing up further and carrying the ball means Jack has to find the ball further up the ground and usually in congestion.

[jeemak]

I look forward to him growing into his physique, getting stronger, developing his tank and showing us what he's really capable in three or four years time.

To me he seems to dispose of the ball under duress and fatigue a little more this season as he's being watched more closely, which is a testament to how well he was playing as a first and second year player. I think once he develops all of these areas he'll be able to take the heat and the fatigue, get his side-step going again and be more assured with his kicking (which seems to lack when he's struggling physically).

[boydogs]

He's certainly been lacking in confidence, hence the goose step not being used

He brought it back late in the game against Brisbane when we were dominating

I watched the Gold Coast game last year live where he had 43 touches and 2 goals after Macca gave him a spray publically. He went for a lot more with his disposal instead of taking the first or easy option. He's got the talent but not the ego or daring of say Stringer to try the sorts of things Stringer does on a regular basis. Sometimes he looks tired and like he doesn't trust himself to execute the tougher kicks because he's buggered from getting it 30 times

[hotdog]

When I watch Jack play I see him in the role of Nigel Lappin in the hey days of the Brisbane Fab 4. Wallis/ Libba (our tough inside ball winners in the vein of Black and Voss) Jack & Bont (our outside class a la Aker and Lappin)

Now bring on the 3 peat flags!

[jeemak]

When I watch Jack play I see him in the role of Nigel Lappin in the hey days of the Brisbane Fab 4. Wallis/ Libba (our tough inside ball winners in the vein of Black and Voss) Jack & Bont (our outside class a la Aker and Lappin)

Now bring on the 3 peat flags!

I see the Aker piece as the real missing link - until Stringer is able to run through the middle regularly.

He has the pace, the freaky ability and the want to take it on like Aker.

In a sense we're lucky in having Bont, Macrae and Stringer to play the inside outside role.

[jeemak]

When I watch Jack play I see him in the role of Nigel Lappin in the hey days of the Brisbane Fab 4. Wallis/ Libba (our tough inside ball winners in the vein of Black and Voss) Jack & Bont (our outside class a la Aker and Lappin)

Now bring on the 3 peat flags!

I see the Aker piece as the real missing link - until Stringer is able to run through the middle regularly.

He has the pace, the freaky ability and the want to take it on like Aker.

In a sense we're lucky in having Bont, Macrae and Stringer to play the inside outside role.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

I never see him being a star of the competition but that very consistent third midfielder who will rack up the disposals, dominate some weeks but get a fairly anonymous 30 in others. For an outside midfielder his disposal isn't as damaging or precise as you'd like - either by hand or foot, nor is he a real line breaker. If his disposal improves I can definitely see him moving into the All Australian category of player, looking at some stats now his splits are virtually identical with Pendlebury's this year:

Pendlebury averages 27.9 disposals to Jack's 26.6
They both average 10.8 contested possessions a game, Pendlebury averages 16.8 uncontested to Jack's 16.1
Jack wins out in tackles 4.7 to 4.4 and clearances 4.4 to 4.2

But the big difference lies in efficiency and damaging use with the footy:

Pendlebury uses the footy at 77.4% to Jack's 65.4%, this translates into 21.6 v 17.4 effective disposals per game
Macrae averages slightly more inside 50s 4.8 v Pendlebury 4.6 BUT for Jack this only translates into 0.3 goal assists per game for Jack versus Pendlebury at 1.6
Jack has also only kicked 1 goal versus Scott's 9

No doubt Pendlebury spends more time than Macrae resting forward (which is something I'd like to see us try with Jack) but those stats do show how many of Macrae's inside 50's are pretty wasteful. It's a fairly regular occurrence seeing him bomb long to not much whereas Pendles is close to the best kicking midfielder going around at the moment. His stats on the whole are extremely similar to Pendlebury which is terrific for a third year kid but he really must be cleaner with the footy.

Thanks a lot for these details. Macrae has the ability to become an elite player once he understands that his uncanny ball winning ability needs to be matched by a radical change in his mind set when disposing of the ball to enable him to become the complete player. Bonti Macrae Wallis and Liberatore when he returns begins to give us a classy midfield.

[Cyberdoggie]

Thanks a lot for these details. Macrae has the ability to become an elite player once he understands that his uncanny ball winning ability needs to be matched by a radical change in his mind set when disposing of the ball to enable him to become the complete player. Bonti Macrae Wallis and Liberatore when he returns begins to give us a classy midfield.

We do lack that pace that Jong provided early in the year with that group

[westdog54]

He's certainly been lacking in confidence, hence the goose step not being used. He seems to have far less time with the ball this year and as a result is doing that awful kick across his body, which is very unreliable.

Perhaps it's extra attention from the opposition, maybe the different game plan, less easy kicks behind play. Faster ball movement from defence with Wood, JJ, Murph all pushing up further and carrying the ball means Jack has to find the ball further up the ground and usually in congestion.

I do love a good goose-step on a footy field.

One of my favourite Gryphon memories was him breaking Jason Blake's ankles at CHF in 2008.

[comrade]

The goose step was dusted off on Saturday night. I reckon a purple patch is coming up for JMac against a few middling midfields.