‘He’s a proud man’: Clarkson expects Cunnington to rebound

Veteran Roo Ben Cunnington is needed back at his best against Brisbane after he was subbed out last week, his coach says.

Ben McKay. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson says he hopes clearance king Ben Cunnington can return to his best form after he was a shock substitution against Carlton.

Cunnington was taken out of the game midway through the third quarter in the Kangaroos’ Good Friday loss to the Blues, after managing just 10 disposals, three kicks and failing to register a clearance.

Clarkson said the 31-year-old was withdrawn as a like-for-like swap with sub Hugh Greenwood, adding that the North veteran understood the call to take him out of the game.

“He’s a proud man and I’d be hoping that he’d want to respond. He was well below his best last week, and he understands that,” the Kangaroos coach said.

“That’s going to happen, he’s been on a pretty significant journey over the last two years and he’s trying to find his feet at AFL level again.

Ben Cunnington was subbed out after an uncharacteristically quiet game against the Blues. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

“He’s played some good footy for us, and for two and a half quarters he wasn’t able to have the impact in the game that we would’ve liked.”

Clarkson said anyone failing to perform their role to the best of their abilities was fair game to be taken off if he had not used the tactical sub in the final stages.

“By halfway through the third quarter every coach in the competition if they’ve still got their sub available to them, they’re looking at that player saying, ‘we can bring a fresh man on, who’s not playing their role to the level’, and last week it was Cunners,” he said.

“I would hope that’s not the case this week, and that he plays a really, really strong game for us, which we need him to do because Brisbane’s midfield is one of the strongest in the competition and when they win, they usually win that midfield battle.

Ben McKay is ready to face Brisbane in the Adelaide Hills after recovering from a foot injury. Picture: Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

“They absolutely smashed Melbourne in that space … Brisbane just torched them in that game where the lights went out.”

Ben McKay will certainly return to face the Lions in Mount Barker alongside the suspended Griffin Logue, with Clarkson suggesting the pair could have made the difference against the Blues, who benefited from superb performances from Charlie Curnow and McKay’s brother, Harry.

“We’re really keen for (McKay) to get back in and hopefully stabilise our defence – we saw last week those two big guys for Carlton really got a hold of us in the second half, and it was probably the difference in the game in the end for them to kick 10 goals between them and probably have about 25 marks between them,” he said.

Key forward Nick Larkey “might need to go to the line” as he recovers from a hip pointer injury sustained in a collision with Jacob Weitering last week, Clarkson said.

The Kangaroos leading goalkicker ran strongly at Arden St on Thursday and would be given “every chance” to play the Lions, he said.

Originally published as ‘He’s a proud man’: Clarkson expects Cunnington to rebound