Ben McEvoy must have been hanging out with Shaun Burgoyne too much over the summer.

In scintillating early-season form, McEvoy is satisfying the same ‘fine wine’ category as Silk - seemingly getting better with age.

Three games into the 2019 campaign, ‘Big Boy’ is averaging career-high numbers in disposals (16.3 per game), goals (1.3) and contested marks (four) – a statistic he ranks number one league-wide.

The ever-modest, and often self-depreciative, McEvoy said he’d let others judge whether his current form was the best of his 12-year career.

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Although, the 29-year-old, who is set to play his 100^th game for Hawthorn this Sunday, did concede he had been pleased with his own efforts throughout the opening three weeks of the year.

“There’s no doubt that I’m playing my best footy towards the back end of my career,” the ruckman said. 

“It took me a long time to work out the process that worked for me.

“But I’m pretty confident now with where I’m at and that I can go with the best guys in the competition.”

With the likes of Pie Brodie Grundy and Demon Max Gawn now regarded as not only the premium rucks of the competition, but also ranked amongst the league’s best players, McEvoy admitted that the challenge of his caper was at an all-time high. 

“It’s always hard being a ruckman.

“You’re coming up against a quality opponent just about every week and there’s nowhere to hide, which is always a challenge.

“But I’m really enjoying my footy at the minute and when we can get some wins that certainly makes it better too.”