A quick glance at disposal tallies might not do it justice, but the move of Andy McGrath back into the on-ball rotation has played a tangible role in Essendon's massively improved last fortnight of footy.
The first-year Captain's 19-disposal, five-tackle effort against the SUNS on the weekend looked solid at face value, but a more in-depth look at the numbers held it in much higher regard.
Per Champion Data, McGrath's Player Rating of 24.7 was the single best of his entire 186-game career to date and the second highest recorded across the entire competition in round six behind Jeremy Cameron's 10-goal performance.
Going at 84 per cent efficiency, gaining 446 metres, sending it inside 50 six times and racking up eight score involvements certainly didn't harm that rating.
McGrath hadn't attended a single centre bounce all season before Gather Round but isn't unfamiliar to the role - across two injury-riddled campaigns in 2020 and 2021, the skipper averaged 22 touches per game as a pure midfielder before eventually spending the following seasons on the last line of defence.
The eye test has always shown McGrath's desire to run, evade, break lines and go long by foot. Those traits might not seem as pronounced when trying to gain territory from the back half, but when in more advanced positions of the ground like he has been over the last two weeks, the 28-year-old is making his side look genuinely threatening forward of centre.
Another component has been McGrath's ability to capitalise on and often help shift momentum in those games.
Despite playing more of a defensive/negating role against the Dees, McGrath helped turn the tide with a crucial centre clearance win against Kozzie Pickett when trailing 43-29 and later joined in on the fun with a clever goal assist to Nate Caddy, capping off an important win for the group's morale.
McGrath racked up another two direct goal assists on the weekend, one coming from a penetrating inside 50 entry that was inch perfect for the leap of Archie May and another weighted nicely for Caddy as the Bombers continued to fight back into the contest.
Pushing forward and winning position on John Noble at a vital stage of the third term, McGrath's first goal as Captain was a true team lifter.
Having never missed an Anzac Day clash in his career so far (entering his ninth total), he's no stranger to the occasion. He was simply brilliant in the 2024 drawn game with 31 disposals and fought manfully as acting skipper in Zach Merrett's absence to suspension in 2023.
This year's iteration - the 250th total meeting between the two Clubs - marks an opportunity for McGrath to claim his first Anzac Day victory as Captain, a feather he'll be hoping he can add to his cap.
Whether it's again in the guts or another shuffle to defence, McGrath will be looking to continue his impressive run.
