WHY?
In 2009, big H-Mac averaged 91 points per game, which fell slightly in 2010 to 81 pts per
The bonus with the 27 y.o McIntosh is that he is very mobile, collecting his fair share of possessions around the ground and more than capable of going forward to kick the odd goal or two.
The obvious attraction with McIntosh however is his price. After missing virtually all of 2011, his price this year is just $364,300. Considering that at the start of the 2010 season he was priced at $486,500, he could be a steal at that price and, as a second ruckman, could provide excellent points whilst saving you a little cash to be spent elsewhere.
WHY NOT?
Even though McIntosh has been productive in the NAB Cup and looks the goods, he has been given free-reign by the North coaches to get some fitness and game time into his body. Come round one this won’t necessarily be the case, and it‘s expected that much-improved big man Todd GOLDSTEIN will shoulder the bulk of the ruck duties again. In 2011, as almost the sole Kangaroo ruck, Goldstein averaged a whopping 113 pts per game, to be one of the leading big men in the competition.
So, can the Kangaroos pull a West Coast Eagles and have two fully-functioning, high scoring ruckmen in the same team? Only time will tell.
In addition, H-Mac is returning from a significant Achilles injury that cost him all of last season. He has shown in the NAB that it appears to be behind him, but the stress on big guy’s legs is huge – can McIntosh last out the season, or will the leg injury flare again in the big time?
Finally, are there better options? Will GWS’s GILES score almost the same as H-Mac for a fraction of the price? Are Trent WEST or Ivan MARIC better options for a similar price? Decisions, decisions, decisions…
Dave’s Good Buy Rating : Will H-Mac make money and perform well? I’m sure he will, with an average most likely around the 80s. Is that enough for that price? It depends on your other ruck set-ups and what you expect from your big men. There’s a nagging feeling in the back of my head that Giles, for a fraction of the price, will score roughly the same. Too many questions marks for me.