Ben McEvoy

Ben McEvoy
McEvoy playing for Hawthorn in April 2017
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
Debut Round 13, 2008, St Kilda
vs. Fremantle, at Telstra Dome
Height 200 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Weight 102 kg (225 lb)[1]
Position(s) Ruckman
Club information
Current club Hawthorn
Number 7
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2008–2013 St Kilda 091 (27)
2014– Hawthorn 096 (49)
Total 187 (76)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2018.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Ben McEvoy (born 11 July 1989) is a professional 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 a 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 were hopeful at the time that McEvoy could 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 2014 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.

On August 14, 2017, McEvoy signed a two-year contract extension keeping him at Hawthorn until the end of 2019.[8]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of 2018.[9]
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 51015164100.01.05.01.06.04.01.00.0
2009 St Kilda 511323249813020940.30.22.94.57.42.71.88.5
2010 St Kilda 519747112819975502050.40.23.76.710.53.92.610.8
2011 St Kilda 52245121199320118854970.20.25.59.014.55.43.922.6
2012 St Kilda 516709510119685604050.40.05.96.312.35.33.825.3
2013 St Kilda 52262116137253103634490.30.15.36.211.54.72.920.4
2014 Hawthorn 713625511216757342710.50.24.28.612.84.42.620.8
2015 Hawthorn 7191218312721080623710.60.14.46.711.14.23.319.5
2016 Hawthorn 7231168614723379614430.50.33.76.410.13.42.719.3
2017 Hawthorn 72214111016427488767120.60.05.07.512.54.03.532.4
2018 Hawthorn 719669114323469615830.30.34.87.512.33.63.230.7
Career 18776308651308217378857440300.40.24.67.011.64.23.121.6

Honours and achievements

Brownlow Medal votes
Season Votes
2008 0
2009 0
2010 0
2011 1
2012 0
2013 1
2014 0
2015 0
2016 0
2017 5
Total 7

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.[10][11]

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. ↑ "Big Boy bound to Hawks". hawthornfc.com.au. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "Ben McEvoy". AFL Tables. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  10. ↑ http://www.theage.com.au/afl/mcevoys-help-get-the-job-done-over-port-in-the-vfl-20140830-10aha8.html
  11. ↑ 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

  • Quayle, Emma (2008). The Draft: Inside the AFL's Search for Talent. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74175-518-3.
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