Ex-Magpie ruckman talks to Tigers
By Peter Ker
The Age
October 31, 2004
Axed Collingwood ruckman Steve McKee will meet Richmond this week in a bid to revive his career.
McKee was delisted by the Magpies last Monday after five seasons at the club, but said yesterday that he had not given up hope of continuing his AFL career.
"I've got a meeting this week," he said. "I'm going to speak to Richmond and see how that goes. We will see what comes of that and I will just take it from there."
McKee hopes to train with the Tigers before turning his attention to December's pre-season draft.
"Hopefully I will get to train with someone," he said. "I've been training by myself a bit lately. I've put my name in (the pre-season draft) and I will see what happens."
McKee's career will turn full circle if he does secure a passage back to Punt Road.
The Tigers drafted the 199-centimetre ruckman from Myrtleford with the 55th pick in the 1996 national draft. He played 15 games in three seasons before being traded to Collingwood.
"There's still some guys at Richmond from when I started my career, so that would be good," he said.
But his chances have not been helped by the flush of ruckmen into pre-season draft calculations.
Brisbane Lion Clark Keating and St Kilda pair Jason Blake and Trent Knobel could all find themselves in the pre-season draft after failing to reach new terms with their clubs.
Richmond lost ruckman Brad Ottens to Geelong in post-season negotiations, but picked up Troy Simmonds from Fremantle to boost its tall-man stocks.
McKee became a cult figure during his 69 games at Collingwood, before a change to the ruck rule limited his effectiveness.
McKee's style of rucking was not suited to the new rule, which forced ruckman to jump into one another front on. Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse commented earlier this year that the rule threatened to force McKee out of football.
http://realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/10/30/1099028262238.html
