Ben McEvoy

Ben McEvoy

McEvoy training with Hawthorn in 2015
Personal information
Full name Ben McEvoy
Nickname(s) Big boy
Date of birth (1989-07-11) 11 July 1989
Place of birth Colbinabin
Original team(s) Murray Bushrangers (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 9, 2007 National Draft, St Kilda
Height / weight 200 cm / 102 kg[1]
Position(s) Ruckman
Club information
Current club Hawthorn
Number 7
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2008–2013
2014–		 St Kilda
Hawthorn
Total		 091 (27)
055 (29)
146 (56)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2016.
Career highlights

Ben McEvoy (born 11 July 1989) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the St Kilda Football Club between 2008 and 2013.

Early career

McEvoy is an Australian Institute of Sport and AFL Academy graduate. He was an All-Australian selection in the NAB AFL Under 18 championships, averaging seven marks per game as a ruck/forward. He played junior football with Dederang-Mt Beauty[2] and U18 football with the Murray Bushrangers in the TAC Cup. In 2007 he captained the Murray Bushrangers and won the best and fairest award.

AFL career

St Kilda

Ben McEvoy playing for St Kilda in 2011.

McEvoy was recruited by St Kilda with the ninth selection in the 2007 AFL Draft from the Murray Bushrangers. With an injury to Michael Gardiner he made his debut for St Kilda against Fremantle in 2008. This was his only game for that year and he has been in and out of the St Kilda senior side for the next two years, wearing the number 5 jumper. In that time he was consistently in the best players for St Kilda's VFL affiliate team, Casey Scorpions.[2]

2010 season

Hawthorn and St Kilda played out a draw in Round 17 after McEvoy kicked a goal with 12 seconds remaining. McEvoy went up uncontested in a ball-up and then dribbled through the goal from 12m out with no Hawthorn player in the goalsquare. After playing strongly into and through the 2010 finals series, including eight consecutive games and 18 for the season, McEvoy was dropped for the Grand Final.[3] With injury to first ruck Michael Gardiner, McEvoy regained his place in the side for the grand final replay in which St Kilda were defeated by Collingwood.

2011 season

The 2011 season was his "break out" season. After an strong preseason,[4] McEvoy's fitness and preparation was lauded as outstanding by those close to the club. He worked closely with Steven King before and during the season to improve his technical skill to assume the lead ruck role for the club.

2012 season

He was St Kilda's number one ruckman again in 2012, but had mid season surgery to his knee after he injured it a training.[5] He missed six games and after returning played every game to season's end. He liked to spend time dropping back into defence to take strong contested marks.

2013 season

McEvoy played all 22 games for St Kilda in season 2013 and held down the number one ruck role.

Hawthorn

During the 2013 trade period, McEvoy was traded by St Kilda to Hawthorn in exchange for young midfielder Shane Savage and Hawthorn's first round pick. The Saints had decided to rebuild their playing list by trading players for early draft picks. McEvoy was holidaying in Cambodia when he was contacted to agree to the trade. The Hawks are hopeful that McEvoy can hold down the number one ruck position after premiership ruckman Max Bailey announced his retirement post-season.[6]

After being in and out of the side during the season, McEvoy featured in the Hawthorn side which defeated Sydney by 63 points to win the club's 12th premiership.[7] He also featured in the 2015 Hawthorn Premiership side where the Hawks defeated the West Coast Eagles to claim their third straight premiership.

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2016 season[8]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles  H/O  Hit-outs
Season Team # Games G B K H D M T H/O G B K H D M T H/O
Totals Averages (per game)
2008 St Kilda 5 1 0 1 5 1 6 4 1 0 0.0 1.0 5.0 1.0 6.0 4.0 1.0 0.0
2009 St Kilda 5 11 3 2 32 49 81 30 20 94 0.3 0.2 2.9 4.5 7.4 2.7 1.8 8.5
2010 St Kilda 5 19 7 4 71 128 199 75 50 205 0.4 0.2 3.7 6.7 10.5 3.9 2.6 10.8
2011 St Kilda 5 22 4 5 121 199 320 118 85 497 0.2 0.2 5.5 9.0 14.5 5.4 3.9 22.6
2012 St Kilda 5 16 7 0 95 101 196 85 60 405 0.4 0.0 5.9 6.3 12.3 5.3 3.8 25.3
2013 St Kilda 5 22 6 2 116 137 253 103 63 449 0.3 0.1 5.3 6.2 11.5 4.7 2.9 20.4
2014 Hawthorn 7 13 6 2 55 112 167 57 34 271 0.5 0.2 4.2 8.6 12.8 4.4 2.6 20.8
2015 Hawthorn 7 19 12 1 83 127 210 80 62 371 0.6 0.1 4.4 6.7 11.1 4.2 3.3 19.5
2016 Hawthorn 7 23 11 6 86 147 233 79 61 443 0.5 0.3 3.7 6.4 10.1 3.4 2.7 19.3
Career 146 56 23 664 1001 1665 631 436 2735 0.4 0.2 4.6 6.9 11.4 4.3 3.0 18.7

Honours and achievements

Team

Personal life

McEvoy has a younger brother Peter, who plays for the Box Hill Hawks Football Club development team, who lead the development league in goalkicking in 2014, booting 59 goals. The two brothers played alongside each other in the 2014 elimination final against Port Melbourne, with the brothers combining for 6 goals in a 24-point victory to the Hawks, the same game being Peter's debut VFL match.[9][10]

References

  1. ↑ "Ben McEvoy". Hawthorn Football Club. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 True Sainters: St Kilda’s ruck future is in great hands with Ben McEvoy
  3. ↑ Saints come first for grand final: McEvoy; The Border Mail
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/ben-mcevoys-knee-injury-will-disrupt-st-kildas-forward-line/story-fnca0u4y-1226348186784
  6. ↑ http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2013-10-10/hawks-acquire-mcevoy-as-savage-departs
  7. ↑ McEvoy's 'fairy tale' move, Hawthorn Football Club official website, 1 October 2014
  8. ↑ "Ben McEvoy". AFL Tables. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  9. ↑ http://www.theage.com.au/afl/mcevoys-help-get-the-job-done-over-port-in-the-vfl-20140830-10aha8.html
  10. ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/east/the-box-hill-hawks-stand-tall-to-defeat-minor-premier-port-melbourne-in-their-vfl-qualifying-final/story-fngnvmqa-1227042783313?nk=5126e14ce4eb55316e32c1dcc98455c9

Further reading

External links

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