Field Marshal: Can Carlton turn Mitch McGovern into their version of superstar Eagle Jeremy?
The stats don’t lie. Mitch McGovern is a low-impact forward who has kicked more than three goals in just four of his 64 matches. Has the time come for David Teague to make the move that could free him up?
Carlton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Carlton. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It would be natural for Carlton goalkicker Mitch McGovern to wish he was more like older brother Jeremy.
The West Coast defender won a premiership in 2018 and is shooting for a fifth consecutive All-Australian jumper this season.
Well, you wonder whether the Blues might give McGovern the opportunity to play in the backline, just like Jeremy does, at some stage this season.
It might not be Thursday night against Richmond. After all, Blues forwards Harry McKay, Charlie Curnow and Eddie Betts are injured, and Jacob Weitering and former full-forward Liam Jones will play on Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt respectively.
Watch every match of every round of the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE & On-Demand with KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Unless Blues coach David Teague wants to throw something completely different at the premier — such as putting McGovern on Josh Caddy, and hoping he can float free and pick off forward-50 entries — you can expect the former Crow to play in attack.
But based on the evidence, McGovern is a low-impact forward. The 191cm target has kicked more than three goals in just four of his 64 matches and struggles to win a lot of the ball.
In 2016 and 2017 McGovern played as a third tall alongside Josh Jenkins and Taylor Walker in the AFL’s best attack at the Crows and kicked 52 goals from 36 games.
That will again be McGovern’s role once McKay and Curnow are fit. But he could be an asset behind the ball.
In 2018 and 2019 only seven players in the AFL won a greater percentage of their possessions from marks. They are McKay (54 per cent), Eagle Tom Barrass (52.6), Jones (50.5), St Kilda’s Jake Carlisle (49.5), then Brisbane Lion Josh Walker (48.5), Collingwood’s Mason Cox (48.2) and Blue Levi Casboult (47.9).
Mitch and Jeremy McGovern are equal on 47.4 per cent, while St Kilda’s Tim Membrey (46.7) rounds out the top 10.
The McGoverns are aerial specialists. When they fly for a grab, more often than not it sticks. If Mitch won 10 disposals a game (he averaged 8.5 last year), and took three or four intercept marks in defence, he would be an asset for Teague.
The risk playing in attack on Thursday night is Nick Vlastuin, David Astbury and Nathan Broad will easily pick off entries, rendering McGovern and Casboult largely ineffective.
LATEST NEWS
Why Gillon McLachlan announcing the 2020 AFL season would begin as scheduled was the right decision
Jonathan Brown reveals his final KFC SuperCoach line-up for 2020
Herald Sun Dream Team: Ultimate 2020 AFL team features best player in all 18 positions
The Crows trialled McGovern in the backline twice in 2018. In Round 5 against Sydney, he spent 40 per cent of the game behind the ball and won a career-best 20 disposals, a career-best 11 marks, six intercept possessions, three intercept marks and recorded six spoils. In Round 23 against Carlton, he had 16 disposals, seven marks, nine intercept possessions, three intercept marks and four spoils.
Teague made his mark at the Blues by returning players to their natural positions. But you wonder whether he’s considered trying something new with McGovern.
Originally published as Field Marshal: Can Carlton turn Mitch McGovern into their version of superstar Eagle Jeremy?