Macrae v Wines v Mayes

Picks 6, 7 and 8 in the 2012 draft and all look like being elite midfielders of the future and today.

Who'd you prefer?

 

I think unless your name is Jobe Watson it's the silky smooth outsiders capable of winning their own ball that win flags and MacRae fits that bill.

I think all will be absolutely elite (though I've questions about the system at Brisbane; hopefully Mayes gets the best of it) and I've no doubt we'll see all three in the top 10 of the same brownlow count.

It's for that reason, unsurprisingly, that I've gone for MacRae. I've pumped this kids tyres up since the day he was drafted. He was rather maligned in his draft year and a massive bolter; and bolters have a history of not really being worth it. He didn't make the TAC cup as an underager and really didn't find much in the early season of his draft year. When played how he should be he just came on. It only took a minute of footage for me to realise he's something special. It just exudes from him. I've absolutely loved him ever since (hence why Scottie's Bulldogs thread is just full of my posts about MacRae last year. Absolutely full of them when he was only doing okay)

4 games is a small sample yeah but sometimes it's all you need.

He's just mercurial. As is Mayes; I think long term MacRae and Mayes are going to be the players that bring the 'casual' fan through the gates while Wines will be the player who the hardcore supporters love. Wouldn't be surprised to see all three in the top 10 of a Brownlow count at one stage.

The kid has a trait that Mayes and Wines don't have and that's that he knows exactly where the ball is going to be and how to get there to be relevant. Always. He's always there. He's always in the right spot. You notice with players who just don't have that that you'll see them so often running/jogging through the bottom or top of the screen in broadcast view (Jack Watts is the absolute exemplification of this) and that's just not MacRae. He's always either contributing to a phase of play or in/working into a position where he can contribute to the next.

He just never leaves the game. He's got traits of Johnson, traits of Pendlebury and traits of Fyfe that just make him look so good. There's just something special about him. There's a lot of him we haven't seen either. Overhead he's exceptional. He's not dissimilar to Fyfe at the same age. His growth spurt (he's now 191cm) will see him outmark nearly any other midfielder on the wing. Not just his height but his profiency for overhead marking together. He'll be dangerous forward too. We haven't seen a huge amount of that. He's probably got the best agility and evasive ability especially when in heavy traffic/congestion/under pressure I've seen in a kid that age; and that's a skill that can't be taught like others can. He's not making poor decisions either. If he sees nothing ahead of him he kicks it short to a bloke in a better position to do something with it. None of this long bomb shit if he can't see anything. That said he is going short too often right now.

That said I do think he'll have trouble shaking the inevitable tags he'll start getting this year and next.

Mayes is the better kick and the better forward. MacRae's more composed than the others but Mayes is silkier and smoother on the outside. I think he's got a little more pace and a greater kick which helps. Absolutely love seeing the ball in Mayes' hands and I certainly think he'll develop to be a very, very handy midfielder. There's that little bit of Cotchin in him but perhaps worse in terms of positioning and leadership but better forward and physically a little better.

Wines is a completely different player. Came in with a bigger body so he was always going to impact quicker but I don't think his ceiling's as high. He's going to be good. I don't think he'll be Jobe good though. Still, a clear gun. I have him a level behind the other two though; we've seen more of his potential than the others.

The main reason I've gone MacRae though is he's the ultimate professional. Both the other kids have the work ethic, desire and professionalism I agree but MacRae's is special. He's shy off the field but the moment he steps onto the field he's the ultimate leader. Ripped into Matthew Boyd last year about not being defensively accountable in the middle of a quarter, for example. Takes charge, leads by example and backs his teammates. It's the intangible aspect of having him on the team which makes the team itself better. (Wines is a bit of a bonehead may I say).

In the break between year 11 and 12, instead of study MacRae hired, out of his own pocket, a kicking coach. In 40 degree heat every single day he'd be out with the coach working on his game. Every day. You just don't get that from kids. McCartney said he's one of if not the hardest working kid he's seen and he's never seen such a quick learner.

If he keeps growing like he has between 17 and 18 and then again 18 and 19 then fuck who knows how good he actually can be.

And no I didn't make this thread just to rave about MacRae. Saw it on bigfooty which had an interesting result and was wondering the perception here.

But yeah I love MacRae

 

FTR I've decided who my MacRae of 2014 is.

Martin Gleeson. I've seen all I need to see from him. I'm calling it a little later than I called MacRae but to be fair it's still very, very early.

He'll take a bit longer than MacRae and he's a completely different player but I'll bet my bottom dollar by the end of this season he'll be regarded as a very good player. By the end of next he'll be regarded as exceptional and by the end of the next he'll be an All Australian - at 21. The kid's going to be a superstar. He doesn't have the poise or composure of a MacRae or a Mayes but that's not his game style. He does have the x-factor and ability to just rip open games I haven't seen in a 19 year old for a very, very long time.

He's going to be a superstar. And not your outside or inside kind of superstar. One in his own right who won't fit into any category (a bit like how fyfe doesn't. although they're totally different)

 

I think he's comfoetably ahead lol. These three were taken picks 6-8 in the draft and have had similar paths (reasonable first season, huge 2nd season) so far.

2012 draft in hindsight looking pretty fucking good. O'Meara + crouch too.

Reckon Mayes is being underrated too. Quality of possession > quantity.

 

Jazman should join CPL IMO <_<

Brownlow odds:

MacRae: 51.00
Wines: 151.00

BOOKIES KNOW ALL

 

Liberatore, Griffen and Boyd are pretty fucking good