Strengths: McVeigh’s foot work would definitely be one of his major strengths. He has pinpoint accuracy when delivering the ball and on many occasions has set up goals with his disposal into the forward line. For a small player he has a decent sized leap and on many occasions he will fly through the air and take a spectacular overhead mark. McVeigh is not afraid to put his body on the line and is often in and under packs.
Position: McVeigh played in a variety of positions this season including in the centre and in the forward line. On a number of occasions he also was called upon to do a tagging job on small opposition forwards. This season could see McVeigh move into a permanent mid-field role. He has shown glimpses of form that proves he can be damaging in the centre, he just needs to focus on the attacking side of his game.
2003: This season is a make or break year for McVeigh. He needs to continue to improve on the form he showed in 2002 and cement a spot in the senior line-up. With the loss of Chris Heffernan, Blake Caracella and Justin Blumfield in the mid-field, it gives McVeigh an opportunity to play a critical role in the middle. He needs to work on his consistency over four quarters and continue to improve his skill level. It is time for McVeigh to put his hand up and take the next step.
Kevin Sheedy says: Mark is maturing into a solid midfielder and will need to provide a lot of support for Joe Misiti and Jason Johnson, although it’s possible we may play him on the backline or up forward. Like Danny Jacobs, we need Mark to step into the leadership roles that were previously held by Heffernan, Blumfield and Caracella. He is training very well at the moment and we are looking forward to a big year from him.
