TAR Join in the Chorus - A footballing journey

[Pie 4 Life]

2009 Premiership Season: Round 21 vs Essendon

B: Jess Sinclair - Ben Rutten - Jonathan Hay
HB: Callum Urch - Jesse Smith - Brent Guerra
C: Leigh Montagna - Andrew Swallow - Timothy Foalong
HF: Carter Fidge - Leigh Brown - Corey Jones
F: Hunter Sheean - Ronald Kennebury - Quinten Lynch
R: David Hale - George Buzza - Daniel Harris
INT: Robert Campbell - Damien Adkins - Zackary Wreford - Matt Riggio

IN: Matt Riggio
OUT: Troy Makepeace

Williams says: "With the season all but done, we are not going to make drastic changes, but we've given Matt Riggio another shot as he'll potentially be a part of our future. We resisted the urge to move Kennebury from full forward because we want him to be our full forward for the next decade, so he needs to continue to play there and improve, it's the best way to improve - to play."

 

[Pie 4 Life]

ROOS UPSET BOMBERS IN CLOSE CONTEST

NORTH Melbourne bounced back from a few disappointing losses to record an eight-point victory over the top-four bound Bombers. Essendon needed to win to jump into the four, but the Kangaroos had other plans, after a seven goals to three third term which saw North Melboutne lead by 23 points at the final change to set up the win. David Hale strained a groin and will miss the last match of the season, while Leigh Brown found his kicking boots, booting four goals. Andrew Swallow was best on ground with 30 disposals, nine marks, seven clearances and a goal. The win keeps North Melbourne in fourteenth, but brings Peter Williams' side to a record of 9-12 with one match remaining.

North Melbourne 4.2---7.3---14.5---17.5 (107)
Essendon 4.2---6.10---9.12---14.15 (99)

North goals: Brown (4), Kennebury (2), Guerra (2), Sheean, Lynch, Fidge, Jones, Montagna, Foalong, Sinclair, Hale, Adkins.
North best: Swallow, Harris, Hale, Guerra, Brown
Injuries: David Hale - Strained Groin (2)
Reports: Nil.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2009 Premiership Season: Round 22 vs Adelaide

B: Jess Sinclair - Ben Rutten - Jonathan Hay
HB: Callum Urch - Jesse Smith - Brent Guerra
C: Leigh Montagna - Andrew Swallow - Timothy Foalong
HF: Carter Fidge - Leigh Brown - Corey Jones
F: Hunter Sheean - Ronald Kennebury - Quinten Lynch
R: Robert Campbell - George Buzza - Daniel Harris
INT: Robert Copeland - Damien Adkins - Zackary Wreford - Matt Riggio

IN: Robert Copeland
OUT: David Hale (injured)

Williams says: "It's the final match of the season and we're travelling to Adelaide to play the fifteenth placed Crows at Adelaide Oval. We can't drop below them, but a win might see us jump up. It might be the final game for a few guys so we want to go out with a bang, especially with contracts on the line."

 

[Pie 4 Life]

BEST AND WORST OF KANGAROOS IN HUGE LOSS

NORTH Melbourne coach Peter Williams billed it as a clash that would define the club for the future. If that was the case, then the future is bleak for the Roos as they went down by 68 points in their most disappointing performance of the year. The one upside was the performance of number one draft pick Ronald Kennebury who had 17 disposals, 12 marks and kicked 6.4 in what was his best performance of the year, even most impressive than his seven goal haul earlier in the season. It was a rare shining light for the Roos coach who was fuming after the clash, which saw the Crows kick nine goals in the first term and seven goals in the third term, to effectively end the contest. Carter Fidge was also suspended for eye gouging in the clash and will miss the first round of next season. The year was a disappointing one for Williams, whose side still finished with nine wins, but due to the closeness of the sides, ended up in fourteenth.

North Melbourne 3.2---8.4---12.5---14.8 (92)
Adelaide 9.5---14.7---21.9---25.10 (160)

North goals: Brown (4), Kennebury (2), Guerra (2), Sheean, Lynch, Fidge, Jones, Montagna, Foalong, Sinclair, Hale, Adkins.
North best: Swallow, Harris, Hale, Guerra, Brown
Injuries: Nil.
Reports: Carter Fidge - Eye Gouging (1)

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2009 AFL Ladder - Home and Away Premiership Season

1 Carlton 16/6 117.23% 64
2 Port Adelaide 104.74% 56
3 Brisbane 13/9 112.96% 52
4 St Kilda 12/10 108.84% 48
5 Essendon 12/10 102.15% 48
6 Collingwood 12/10 100.17% 48
7 Fremantle 11/9/2 99.81% 48
8 Sydney 11/10/1 98.95% 46
---
9 Bulldogs 11/11 93.38% 44
10 Geelong 10/11/1 97.07% 42
11 West Coast 10/12 105.63% 40
12 Melbourne 10/12 99.15% 40
13 Hawthorn 10/12 97.10% 40
14 KANGAROOS 9/13 88.23% 36
15 Adelaide 7/15 90.54% 28
16 Richmond 6/16 89.16% 24

---

AWARDS:

Herald Sun Media Award: Josh Carr (Fremantle) 44 votes
NAB Rising Star Award: Ryan Cook (Collingwood)
Coleman Medal: Matthew Lloyd (Essendon) 92 goals

All-Australian Team:

B: Brent Reilly (Adelaide) - Darren Glass (West Coast) - Jason Gram (Melbourne)
HB: Matthew Egan (Geelong) - Lewis Roberts-Thomson (Sydney) - Adam McPhee (ESS)
C: Andrew Walker (Carlton) - Brock McLean (Melbourne) - Jimmy Bartel (Geelong)
HF: Nathan Brown (Richmond) - Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle) - Josh Carr (Fremantle)
F: Matthew Lloyd (Essendon) - Ashley Hansen (West Coast) - Andrew Lovett (Essendon)
R: David Hale (Kangaroos) - Chris Knights (Adelaide) - Gary Ablett (Geelong)
INT: Troy Simmonds (Richmond) - Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) - Ryan O'Keefe (Sydney) - Warren Tredrea (Port Adelaide)

Brownlow Medal: Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) 20 votes

North Melbourne votes:
George Buzza (12)
Daniel Wells (9)
David Hale (6)
Callum Urch (5)
Daniel Harris (4)
Heath Scotland (3)
Jesse Smith (3)
Brent Guerra (3)
Andrew Swallow (2)
Leigh Brown (1)
Jarrad Waite (1)

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2009 AFL Finals

QF1: Carlton 17.13 (115) defeated St Kilda 16.14 (110)
QF2: Port Adelaide 13.2 (80) defeated by Brisbane 12.12 (84)
EF1: Essendon 18.16 (124) defeated Sydney 9.15 (69)
EF2: Collingwood 22.17 (149) defeated Fremantle 13.7 (85)

---

SF1: St Kilda 11.18 (84) defeated by Essendon 13.13 (91)
SF2: Port Adelaide 16.12 (108) defeated Collingwood 11.13 (79)

---

PF1: Carlton 14.7 (91) defeated Port Adelaide 11.11 (77)
PF2: Brisbane 10.15 (75) defeated by Essendon 13.10 (88)

---

GF: Essendon 17.10 (112) defeated Carlton 15.5 (95)
Norm Smith: Adam McPhee (Essendon)

 

[Pie 4 Life]

PLAYER REVIEW

Damien Adkins - 14 games, 5 goals, 2.5 kicks, 2.8 handballs, 5.3 disposals 1.4 marks, 1 hitout
PW: Damien played nearly all his games off the bench and was okay, but younger players will overtake him with development.

Leigh Brown - 22 games, 36 goals, 9.3 kicks, 3.4 handballs, 12.7 disposals, 6.3 marks, 0.9 hitouts
PW: Leigh was one of the more consistent players, starting down back then swinging forward with great effect, led our goal kicking for the year.

George Buzza - 22 games, 11 goals, 12 kicks, 10.5 handballs, 22.5 disposals, 2.3 marks, 5.9 clearances
PW: George is one of those players who will be instrumental in the future - a future captain.

Robert Campbell - 15 games, 3 goals, 3.5 kicks, 2.7 handballs, 6.2 disposals, 2.3 marks, 3.4 hitouts
PW: Robert came on at the end as a backup ruckman to David Hale and performed solid in the last match.

Jacob Cobden - 0 games, 0 goals
PW: Jacob was taken two years ago in the draft, but he just doesn't have the skills to make it. He played okay in the reserves, but I'll be looking for a new home for him this offseason.

Robert Copeland - 11 games, 1 goal, 3.5 kicks, 3.1 handballs, 6.6 disposals, 1.9 marks
PW: Robert played off the bench and didn't disgrace himself, but two separate injuries meant he missed a lot of games.

Cameron Fennell - 2 games, 0 goals, 5.5 kicks, 4 handballs, 6.5 marks, 1 hitout
PW: Cameron is a talented tall back with plenty of improvement. He started the season playing the first two games, then was dropped because of style for Jesse Smith, unfortunately for Cameron, Jesse starred and he couldn't force his way back into the side.

Carter Fidge - 18 games, 17 goals, 9.2 kicks, 4.2 handballs, 13.4 disposals, 2.7 marks, 0.7 clearances
PW: Carter was a revelation once he came in off half forward. I would have liked to have played him a bit more in the midfield, but he was quite damaging as a forward and while we hope to see him through the midfield at times, he may have found a spot.

Timothy Foalong - 9 games, 8 goals, 6.7 kicks, 4.1 handballs, 10.8 disposals, 2.3 marks, 0.8 clearances
PW: Timothy got better as the season went on and with elite skills and still improvement to come, the inside midfielder should see more game time next year.

Brent Guerra - 22 games, 7 goals, 9.1 kicks, 5.7 handballs, 14.8 disposals, 3.3 marks, 1.3 clearances
PW: Brent became a mainstay off the half back line and combined well with Callum Urch. He's been a good pickup and hopefully he'll continue to play well over the next few seasons.

David Hale - 21 games, 8 goals, 7.1 kicks, 6.6 handballs, 13.7 disposals, 7.3 marks, 20.3 hit outs
PW: David was one of our most influential players and his averages indicate that. Until he was injured in the second last game, he was far and away the number one ruck at the club.

Daniel Harris - 16 games, 6 goals, 12.5 kicks, 10 handballs, 22.5 disposals, 2.6 marks, 6.8 clearances
PW: Daniel was our top midfielder on many occasions, but injury did put a dampen on his season, missing six games.

Jonathan Hay - 18 games, 3 goals, 6.9 kicks, 4.2 handballs, 11.1 disposals, 5.4 marks, 1 hit out
PW: Jonathan was solid in defence, however I'd be surprised if younger players such as Cameron Fennell didn't overtake him next season, so he might actually be better looking for a club close to a premiership in his twilight years.

Tim Hutchison - 10 games, 9 goals, 7.1 kicks, 3.2 handballs, 10.3 disposals, 2.7 marks
PW: Tim is still young, but he didn't set the world on fire. In terms of trade bait, he would be something other clubs would be interested in, so he might be dangled around.

Corey Jones - 22 games, 26 goals, 9.8 kicks, 5.2 handballs, 15 disposals, 3.5 marks, 0.8 clearances
PW: Exceeded all expectations, clearly the best small forward and was impressive collecting over 20 disposals in numerous matches.

Ronald Kennebury - 11 games, 30 goals, 9.4 kicks, 1.5 handballs, 10.9 disposals, 5.9 marks
PW: Hard to believe this kid is just 18 and averaged 2.7 goals in his first season even after being dropped early in the season. He didn't drop his head, forced his way back in and stayed there, kicking bags of six and seven goals. I can't wait till he's fully developed.

Quinten Lynch - 18 games, 17 goals, 9.6 kicks, 3.4 handballs, 13 disposals, 5.8 marks, 0.9 hitouts
PW: In my opinion he didn't do enough. He was a good cover for injuries, but when we needed him to stand up he didn't deliver, only kicked more than one goal a couple of times.

Troy Makepeace - 20 games, 3 goals, 3.3 kicks, 2.7 handballs, 5.8 disposals, 1.3 marks
PW: Interesting player, managed nearly a full season playing off the bench, but at 29 and where we're at, is he worth renewing? He might retire as well, but it's hard to see a spot for him on the list next year.

Leigh Montagna - 22 games, 10 goals, 10.5 kicks, 8 handballs, 18.5 disposals, 4.5 marks, 1.1 clearances
PW: Leigh was consistent without starring. He earned his spot each week and was probably the fourth midfielder on most occasions, but did his job.

Brad Moran - 0 games, 0 goals
PW: Unfortunately Brad was third in line and couldn't get a look in, bye bye Brad.

Joel Patfull - 3 games, 0 goals, 5.3 kicks, 4.6 handballs, 9.9 disposals, 4.3 marks
PW: Joel didn't do anything wrong, just got forced out early and couldn't grab a spot due to the form of the other defenders, next season will be a defining one for him.

Drew Petrie - 2 games, 1 goal, 10 kicks, 2.5 handballs, 2 marks, 3 hitouts, 1 clearance
PW: Injured in the second game of the season and now a few question marks are raised about his durability. At 26, he's in his prime and could warrant other club interest, I wouldn't say no if the deal was right.

Brady Rawlings - 4 games, 1 goal, 9.7 kicks, 7.7 handballs, 2.5 marks, two clearances
PW: Another player who was injured early in the season and missed the rest. Unfortunately midfielders have gone past him and others will improve, another that might be worth something to higher teams.

Matt Riggio - 9 games, 1 goal, 9.2 kicks, 4 handballs, 13.2 disposals, 3.1 marks, 0.5 clearances
PW: Matt was actually quite good in the games he played and with another year on his contract, I'd be interested to see if he can force his way into the side next year.

Thomas Roach - 10 games, 0 goals, 3.9 kicks. 2.2 handballs, 6.1 disposals, 2.3 marks
PW: He was solid backup, but will be shopped around because simply others are ahead of him.

Cody Rostron - 0 games
PW: Couldn't break into the senior side and I cannot stand players with poor skills and for a small forward has poor goal accuracy. He'll be shopped around as well.

Ben Rutten - 21 games, 2 goals, 8.2 kicks, 4 handballs, 12.2 disposals, 5.8 marks, 1 hitout
PW: Ben repaid the faith shown in his recruitment and was a rock in defence. He will be our full back for many years to come.

Heath Scotland - 9 games, 6 goals, 10.8 kicks, 7.3 handballs, 18.1 disposals, 3 marks, 1 clearance.
PW: Heath was good but was injured for two long stints. He's still in our best 22, but at age 27, I just wonder how long before he dips and what value he's at around the league at the moment.

Hunter Sheean - 18 games, 16 goals, 6.3 kicks, 3.2 handballs, 9.5 disposals, 1.8 marks
PW: Hunter was quite good and while he'll never be that star player, he's good for a goal a game and hopefully he can continue that throughout.

Jess Sinclair - 22 games, 1 goal, 7.8 kicks, 3.9 handballs, 11.7 disposals, 2.3 marks
PW: A mainstay in our defence, while he had his ups and downs, he was reasonably consistent and hopefully he stays on for another year.

Jesse Smith - 17 games, 3 goals, 8.8 kicks, 5.1 handballs, 13.9 disposals, 5.8 marks
PW: Jesse was the biggest improver for me. He wasn't in my best 22 at the start, but forced himself in and he particularly starred off half back. I'd like him to build a bit more muscle, but he's improved and will be quite a good player for us in years to come.

Andrew Swallow - 22 games, 9 goals, 10.5 kicks, 9.5 handballs, 20 disposals, 3.8 marks, 2.9 clearances
PW: A big tick for Andrew. He played every game and was in our top three midfielders and managed to do it all. Little bit of improvement to come and he'll be a very good player for us.

Brody Tracey - 4 games, 2 goals, 6.5 kicks, 2.2 handballs, 8.7 disposals, 2.2 marks
Brody didn't set the world on fire and with goal accuracy of 49 per cent for a small forward, it's not exactly a glowing recommendation. Might keep his spot, but he won't be refused a trade.

Callum Urch - 15 games, 7 goals, 11.6 kicks, 5.8 handballs, 17.4 disposals, 4.2 marks, 0.7 clearances
PW: One of our most consistent and starred until his injury. Want to see him back and better than ever next year, but injuries are starting to take their toll and he's only 23.

Jarrad Waite - 9 games, 32 goals, 10.8 kicks, 1.4 handballs, 12.2 disposals, 12.1 marks, 1.1 hit outs
PW: Was our best player till injury struck nine games in. Averaged 3.5 goals a game and was second in the Coleman. I reckon we could have played finals with a fit Waite.

Shannon Watt - 1 game, 0 goals, 8 kicks, 2 handballs, 10 disposals
PW: Just played the one game and unfortunately others have gone past him, such a shame because he has been so good for so long, just a little bit slow now.

Daniel Wells - 18 games, 11 goals, 13.8 kicks, 10.7 handballs, 24.5 disposals, 4.1 marks, 6.5 clearances
PW: Our best player and best and fairest winner. Daniel was a star and at 23, we hope he can avoid injury in his career as he hits his peak.

Zackary Wreford - 7 games, 3 goals, 4 kicks, 2.8 handballs, 6.8 disposals, 1.5 marks
PW: Did enough to suggest he could be a player, won't be a star, but could be very handy depth.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

TROY MAKEPEACE RETIRES

NORTH Melbourne defender Troy Makepeace has retired after 191 games and 45 goals. The reliable defender played 20 games this year, but started every game on the bench. Coach Peter Williams said the time was right for that call. "Troy was a reliable defender over the years and even when he was dropped in the remaining two games, he helped out his younger teammates," he said. "He's the kind of player that won't be forgotten and we hope he stays around the club to help out with development."

CLUB CONTRACTS:

Ronald Kennebury - 3yr contract @ $77k
David Hale - 2yr contract @ $235k
Ben Rutten - 3yr contract @ $421k
Daniel Harris - 4yr contract @ $341k
Callum Urch - 2yr contract @ $235k
Cameron Fennell - 3yr contract @ $80k
Timothy Foalong - 2yr contract @ $75k
Corey Jones - 3yr contract @ $225

DELISTED:

Brad Moran 22yrs, 3 games, 0 goals
Shannon Watt 28 yrs, 145 games, 12 goals
Jacob Cobden 20 yrs, 0 games, 0 goals

 

[Pie 4 Life]

COACH OFF-SEASON THOUGHTS

Dear valued members,

This season had plenty of ups and down, with a disappointing finish to sink to fourteenth. On the plus side, it does mean we are able to assess our list and trade and draft accordingly. We are keen to get some experienced players that are still young into the side as well as some top young talent. We particularly want to stockpile a couple of high picks because the top end is quite strong, but after the second round they do become a fair few project players. It is a tall draft so we're not afraid to trade some of our tall timber to reload and start the new era. We're quite happy with our defensive set up, but our offensive set up could do with some work. We really need an extra small forward and third tall to allow Leigh Brown to cover both ends for injuries rather than forced to play at one end due to lack of depth. We are also keen to increase our midfield depth and there are a few options we'll review. Overall we want to make this side better and are particularly keen on pumping in the youth, while building good experience at the same time. While this season must have been frustrating for you, we want to build on our performances for bigger and better things.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Williams
North Melbourne head coach

 

[Pie 4 Life]

TRADE WEEK

Cody Rostron and Thomas Roach (North Melbourne) for Ryan Griffen (Bulldogs)
Heath Scotland and Pick 51 (North Melbourne for Jed Adcock (Brisbane)
Brody Tracey and Brady Rawlings (North Melbourne) for Adam Cooney (Bulldogs)
Joel Patfull and Damien Adkins (North Melbourne) for Troy Chaplin (Fremantle)
Quinten Lynch and Robert Campbell (North Melbourne) for Brett Deledio (Richmond)

Peter Williams: "We've obviously shipped off a fair bit of older talent, but we believe we've been able to clear our B-C grade players in exchange for A-grade ones. All of a sudden our midfield looks strong and then our lower midfield players can rotate off forward flanks, thus improving our forward line. We were unable to budge Richmond or Adelaide for the top two picks, but we're hoping Joshua Maskiell can fall to us as he's a fantastic key forward, but we wanted one of the top two picks to guarantee it."

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2009 NATIONAL DRAFT

Pick 3 - Ivan Gooding (Oakleigh) 186cm, 80kg, Midfielder
Overall 78 - Improvement 4 - Estimated Peak 79
Strengths: Endurance, Ball Getting, Defence
Weaknesses: Marking, Tagging, Improvement

We wanted one of the dominant talls, but when Gooding was available at pick 3, we couldn't say no. He is literally the complete package. He has elite ball getting ability and endurance, he is incredibly strong around the stoppages as well as consistent and an elite half back as well. He could improve his skills a bit but apart from that, he'll be in the squad from day one.

Pick 19 - Victor Raynor (Morningside) 197cm, 94kg, Tall Forward
Overall 67 - Improvement 5 - Estimated Peak 68
Strengths: Endurance, Skills, Goal Accuracy
Weaknesses: Strength, Spoiling, Speed

Victor is that key forward who is readymade with some weaknesses but could carve out a solid career. A high 64 per cent goal kicking accuracy and strong skills and endurance should see him succeed. He isn't quick and just an average mark, but when he does get the chance, he rarely misses goals.

Pick 35 - Ethan Lowey (Calder) 177cm, 83kg, Small Forward
Overall 57 - Improvement 46 - Estimated Peak 72
Strengths: Skills, Improvement
Weaknesses: Speed, Endurance, Marking, Strength

Ethan Lowey is a raw small forward with plenty of improvement. He won't make the seniors for a while, but hopefully with the right guidance he can become a solid role player. He has a lot of weaknesses to work on, but he does have good skills and is an okay shot at goal. Hopefully he'll go the right way in his development.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2009 PRE-SEASON DRAFT

Nathan Van Berlo (22, SB, 75/6)
Paul Johnson (24, R, 73/0)
Xavier Clarke (25, SB, 75/0)
Andrew Krakouer (26, SF, 69/0)
Earl Shaw (22, R, 65/0)

Williams says: "Lance Franklin was in the draft but he got taken with pick 2 by Adelaide unfortunately, but we picked up the young and talented Nathan Van Berlo who they got rid of to squeeze Franklin in. With David Hale the only ruck left on the list, we took Paul Johnson and Earl Shaw as young back ups, while Xavier Clarke and Andrew Krakouer add skill, composure and experience up their respective ends of the field. We're fairly happy with what we've been able to land this off-season."

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2010 Team list

Adcock, Jed, 184cm, 87kg - SB 76/0 - 23yrs 93/32
Brown, Leigh, 194cm, 100kg - TB 78/0 - 27yrs 211/102
Buzza, George, 186cm, 92kg - OB 77/7 - 20yrs 43/23
Chaplin, Troy, 196cm, 97kg - TB 78/0 - 23yrs 67/16
Clarke, Xavier, 182cm, 83kg - SB 75/0 - 25yrs 147/73
Cooney, Adam, 186cm, 88kg - OB 80/0 - 23yrs 126/93
Copeland, Robert, 186cm, 84kg - OB 72/0 - 27yrs 142/24
Deledio, Brett, 187cm, 90kg - OB 82/1 - 22yrs 103/63
Fennell, Cameron, 193cm, 95kg - TB 74/11 - 19yrs 2/0
Fidge, Carter, 182cm, 85kg - OB 67/2 - 19yrs 18/17
Foalong, Timothy, 178cm, 78kg - OB 67/3 - 20yrs 9/8
Gooding, Ian, 186cm, 80kg - OB 77/4 - 18yrs 0/0
Griffen, Ryan, 187cm, 88kg - OB 79/1 - 22yrs 96/41
Guerra, Brent, 181cm, 91kg - SB 74/0 - 27yrs 165/100
Hale, David, 200cm, 103kg - R 76/0 - 25yrs 116/40
Harris, Daniel, 180cm, 81kg - OB 74/0 - 27yrs 145/51
Hay, Jonathan, 196cm, 94kg - TB 68/0 - 29yrs 85/3
Hutchison, Tim, 196cm, 94kg - TF 69/9 - 21yrs 11/11
Johnson, Paul, 199cm, 107kg - R 73/0 - 24yrs 57/21
Jones, Corey, 187cm, 92kg - SF 73/0 - 28yrs 168/175
Kennebury, Ronald, 198cm, 89kg - TF 78/22 - 19yrs 11/30
Krakouer, Andrew, 175cm, 76kg - SF 67/0 - 26yrs 147/144
Lowey, Ethan, 177cm, 83kg - SF 57/46 - 18yrs 0/0
Montagna, Leigh, 178cm, 76kg - OB 73/0 - 25yrs 99/67
Petrie, Drew, 197cm, 100kg - TF 72/0 - 27yrs 152/149
Raynor, Victor, 197cm, 94kg - TF 65/5 - 18yrs 0/0
Riggio, Matt, 187cm, 84kg - SB 74/0 - 21yrs 12/1
Rutten, Ben, 191cm, 99kg - TB 80/0 - 25yrs 131/31
Shaw, Earl, 199cm, 101kg - R 67/0 - 22yrs 4/0
Sheean, Hunter, 195cm, 79kg - SF 63/1 - 20yrs 18/16
Sinclair, Jess, 182cm, 84kg - SB 73/0 - 30yrs 220/71
Smith, Jesse, 191cm, 91kg - TB 78/1 - 22yrs 31/5
Swallow, Andrew, 183cm, 82kg - OB 75/2 - 21yrs 47/23
Urch, Callum, 184cm, 88kg - SB 78/0 - 24yrs 22/2
Van Berlo, Nathan, 184cm, 84kg - SB 77/0 - 22yrs 86/23
Waite, Jarrad, 192cm, 92kg - TF 76/0 - 26yrs 109/141
Wells, Daniel, 180cm, 81kg - OB 81/0 - 24yrs 142/75
Wreford, Zackary, 185cm, 83kg - OB 66/5 - 19yrs 7/3

 

[Pie 4 Life]

Depth chart

Midfielders:
Brett Deledio (82)
Daniel Wells (81)
Adam Cooney (80)
Ryan Griffen (79)
Ian Gooding (77)
George Buzza (77)
Andrew Swallow (75)
Daniel Harris (74)
Leigh Montagna (73)
Robert Copeland (72)
Carter Fidge (67)
Tim Foalong (67)
Zackary Wreford (66)

Forwards:
Ronald Kennebury (78)
Jarrad Waite (76)
Corey Jones (73)
Drew Petrie (72)
Tim Hutchison (69)
Andrew Krakouer (67)
Victor Raynor (65)
Hunter Sheean (63)
Ethan Lowey (57)

Defenders:
Troy Chaplin (78)
Jesse Smith (78)
Leigh Brown (78)
Callum Urch (78)
Ben Rutten (77)
Nathan Van Berlo (77)
Jed Adcock (76)
Xavier Clarke (75)
Cameron Fennell (74)
Matt Riggio (74)
Brent Guerra (74)
Jess Sinclair (73)
Jonathan Hay (67)

Rucks:
David Hale (76)
Paul Johnson (73)
Earl Shaw (67)

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2010 NAB Cup

North Melbourne 14.3 (97) defeated West Coast 13.13.91

Goals: Kennebury (8), Waite (2), Wells, Urch, Cooney, Fennell
Disposals: Gooding (27), Wells (22), Swallow (21), Griffen (21)
Injuries: Callum Urch - Knee Reconstruction (Season)

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North Melbourne 13.16 (94) defeated Geelong 11.9 (75)

Goals: Petrie (2), Wells (2), Cooney (2), Kennebury, Swallow, Clarke, Waite, Smith, Hale, Deledio.
Disposals: Wells (23), Deledio (23), Griffen (20), Cooney (20)
Injuries: Nil.

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North Melbourne 14.12 (96) defeated Adelaide 9.8 (62)

Goals: Jones (3), Kennebury (3), Clarke (2), Waite, Swallow, Petrie, Buzza, Wells, Fidge.
Disposals: Wells (25), Swallow (23), Clarke (23), Griffen (23), Buzza (21), Cooney (20)
Injuries: Nil.

---

North Melbourne 11.10 (76) defeated Brisbane 10.9 (69)

Goals: Kennebury (5), Swallow, Buzza, Griffen, Smith, Chaplin, Hale.
Disposals: Deledio (28), Cooney (24), Griffen (23), Gooding (23)
Injuries: Jesse Smith - Serious Back Injury (8)

Michael Tuck Medal: Ronald Kennebury (13 disposals, 10 marks, two hitouts, five goals)

---

NORTH Melbourne completed a clean sweep of the NAB Cup, winning all four matches, including the Grand Final by five points. Ronald Kennebury took home the Michael Tuck Medal for his 13 disposal, 10 mark, five goal game, while Brett Deledio and Adam Cooney were also impressive. Across the preseason, the Roos' new players including Deledio, Cooney, Ryan Griffen, Xavier Clarke and first round pick Ian Gooding were among the best. Unfortunately for North Melbourne, they lost Callum Urch to a knee injury and he will miss the rest of the season, while impressive young key defender Jesse Smith will miss the first half of the season.

In his four games, Ronald Kennebury booted 17 goals, eight of which came in the first match, while the new look midfield was sensational in winning the ball and kicking forward. There were plenty of depth options with coach Peter Williams trying playing in different positions to see what worked as the side prepare for the upcoming season. The coach will host a preseason press conference today.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2010 AFL Premiership Season press conference

Q: Peter, how do you feel you've recruited over the off-season?
A: As a club we've recruited incredibly well, gaining a stronger midfield and depth in both the forward and back positions. This year will ultimately tell us how we fared, but I believe we've done very well out of it.

Q: Who have been the big improvers over the preseason?
A: Ronald Kennebury and Cameron Fennell have been spectacular in their second preseason at the club and look like having huge roles this year. Ronald in particular has already shown on the field what he's capable of and we hope to see a lot more of it.

Q: How will you structure your forward line this year?
A: We'll aim for our three tall forwards plus a ruck this year, which will be a nice balance. Then having two smaller forwards and a rotating midfielder should see plenty of the ball in our forward half and put a high enough score on the board this year.

Q: Who will receive the captaincy for 2010?
A: Daniel Wells will captain the side this year, with David Hale, Callum Urch, who is unfortunately injured and Andrew Swallow as his deputies.

Q: What are your expectations for this year?
A: We haven't put a ladder ranking on it because the team is so different to last year. We've added so many best 22 players and we'll have to work out a combination. I think we've got a very good chance of being a challenging team to opposition this year and want to be competitive in every match.

Q: What does winning the NAB Cup mean to you?
A: It's great for the players to have that winning feeling and taste success. They can sense they are a much improved side and with confidence, I think they can go a long way. The NAB Cup was the start of that winning feeling.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2010 AFL Premiership Season: Round 1 vs Sydney

B: Jed Adcock - Ben Rutten - Leigh Brown
HB: Nathan Van Berlo - Troy Chaplin - Ian Gooding
C: George Buzza - Daniel Wells - Ryan Griffen
HF: Andrew Swallow - Drew Petrie - Corey Jones
F: Andrew Krakouer - Ronald Kennebury - Jarrad Waite
R: David Hale - Brett Deledio - Adam Cooney
INT: Brent Guerra - Leigh Montagna - Daniel Harris - Xavier Clarke

NEW: Jed Adcock (Brisbane), Nathan Van Berlo (Adelaide), Troy Chaplin (Port Adelaide), Ian Gooding (18, Oakleigh), Ryan Griffen (Western Bulldogs), Andrew Krakouer (Richmond), Brett Deledio (Richmond), Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs), Xavier Clarke (St Kilda)
MILESTONE: Leigh Montagna 100 games

 

[Pie 4 Life]

ROOS OPEN SEASON WITH SWAN CULL

NORTH Melbourne fans were able to get a taste of what the future holds for their side after the Kangaroos disposed of Sydney by 31 points on the weekend. Talented forward Ronald Kennebury wasted no time showing his improvement, booting seven goals in the win against Sydney defender Luke Livingston. Lively forward Andrew Krakouer booted three goals, while Adam Cooney was instrumental around the ground with 30 disposals, four marks and two goals. North Melbourne dominated from the outside, booting seven goals to three, but the 28-point quarter time margin was reduced to 18 points by three quarter time. An impressive six goals to four in the last quarter to the Roos saw them sail home in the opening round of the season.

North Melbourne 7.5---10.6---13.9---19.12 (126)
Sydney 3.1---7.7---10.9---14.11 (95)

Goals: Kennebury (7), Krakouer (3), Waite (2), Petrie (2), Cooney (2), Jones, Griffen.
Disposals: Cooney (30), Jones (25), Deledio (22), Krakouer (21), Petrie (21), Chaplin (20)
Injuries: Nil.
Reports: Nil.

B&F Votes:

5 - Ronald Kennebury
4 - Adam Cooney
3 - Andrew Krakouer
2 - Drew Petrie
1 - Corey Jones

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Post-match press conference:

Q: A win to start season 2015, how did you see the game?
A: I thought we did very well in the first and last quarters, but we just couldn't seem to gain control in the middle two quarters, which is something we need to work on. Statistically though we were good, we smashed them in the contested possession and won the clearances, which was promising.

Q: You won the contested possession 85-57, what do you put it down to?
A: I think all our players were up for the fight today and if you look at the numbers, most of them were new players. Troy Chaplin had nine contested disposals out of 20, as well as three contested marks. Adam Cooney had eight, Ian Gooding a first up kid had nine, Andrew Krakouer had seven in the forward fifty which was fantastic and Drew Petrie had six.

Q: How are you able to keep a lid on the hype surrounding Ronald Kennebury?
A: It's tough, let me tell you that haha. But in all seriousness, he's 19 years old and he's going to have some good games and some not so good games, as long as fans realise this, we'll be fine. He works incredibly hard off the track and while his speed and endurance isn't high, he gets the best out of himself, emphasised by his seven goals today.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2010 AFL Premiership Season: Round 2 vs Melbourne

B: Jed Adcock - Ben Rutten - Leigh Brown
HB: Nathan Van Berlo - Troy Chaplin - Ian Gooding
C: George Buzza - Daniel Wells - Ryan Griffen
HF: Andrew Swallow - Drew Petrie - Corey Jones
F: Andrew Krakouer - Ronald Kennebury - Jarrad Waite
R: David Hale - Brett Deledio - Adam Cooney
INT: Brent Guerra - Leigh Montagna - Daniel Harris - Timothy Foalong

IN: Timothy Foalong
OUT: Xavier Clarke

 

[Pie 4 Life]

NORTH MELBOURNE MAKE IT TWO IN A ROW

NORTH Melbourne have celebrated another victory, this time, defeating Melbourne by 23 points. Adam Cooney was best on ground in the win, with 33 disposals, 10 clearances, three marks and a goal, while Drew Petrie was strong as half forward, taking 10 marks and having 19 disposals. The Roos started off with a four goals to two first quarter, which they extended the 11-point margin to 20 points by half-time. While the Dees hit back in the third, North Melbourne finished strongly with four goals to two to celebrate the win. Statistically the Dees were superior in nearly every category except the one that counted and the Kangaroos started their season with two wins from as many games.

North Melbourne 4.1---9.2---12.5---16.6 (102)
Melbourne 2.2---5.6---9.11---11.13 (79)

Goals: Waite (3), Kennebury (3), Swallow, Jones, Buzza, Wells, Van Berlo, Gooding, Hale, Cooney, Guerra, Harris.
Disposals: Cooney (33), Swallow (21), Griffen (20)
Injuries: Nil.
Reports: Nil.

B&F Votes:

5 - Adam Cooney
4 - Drew Petrie
3 - Andrew Swallow
2 - David Hale
1 - Jarrad Waite

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Post-match press conference:

Q: Your second win in as many games, but this one seemed a bit tighter, how did you assess your performance?
A: I thought we managed to hold them off for the game despite seemingly always against it. They are a strong side with quality players and that showed in the contested possession, clearances and inside 50s count. We were pretty close in most of them, but they lead throughout those categories. Luckily we managed to have more in the goals column, which is what counts. We'll work on a few things during the week, but we had to grit our teeth and battle, which is exactly what we did.

Q: Adam Cooney had another fantastic game, how has he been for your club since he joined?
A: Adam is a fantastic leader and he is one of our most consistent players. He leads the midfield well by his actions and is standing up early in the season. We're happy with what he provides on and off the field and we're thrilled to have him on board.

Q: What changes will you make for next week?
A: There might be a couple of changes off the bench, but a lot of the players across the field are playing pretty well at the moment, so we'll review how the reserves went and make those calls later at the selection table.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2010 AFL Premiership Season: Round 3 vs Richmond

B: Jed Adcock - Troy Chaplin - Leigh Brown
HB: Brent Guerra - Ben Rutten - Ian Gooding
C: George Buzza - Daniel Wells - Ryan Griffen
HF: Andrew Swallow - Drew Petrie - Corey Jones
F: Andrew Krakouer - Ronald Kennebury - Jarrad Waite
R: David Hale - Brett Deledio - Adam Cooney
INT: Hunter Sheean - Leigh Montagna - Daniel Harris - Timothy Foalong

IN: Hunter Sheean
OUT: Nathan Van Berlo

 

[Pie 4 Life]

PETRIE STANDS TALL AS ROOS MAKE IT THREE FROM THREE

DREW Petrie's 20 disposals, 11 marks, five hitouts and three goals helped North Melbourne to continue its unbeaten streak in the 2015 season, to defeat Richmond by nine points at the MCG and rise to top of the table. Adam Cooney was again impressive with 29 disposals and eight clearances, as was Brett Deledio with 29 disposals and 10 clearances. David Hale controlled the ruck battle with 21 hitouts to go with his 18 disposals and 10 marks. North Melbourne led by 18 points at the first break, but a six goals to two second term saw the Tigers up by seven at half-time. The Kangaroos narrowed the deficit to three by the final change, then booted five goals to three in the last quarter to celebrate a close victory.

North Melbourne 5.4---7.7---10.11---15.14 (104)
Richmond 2.4---8.8---10.14---13.17 (95)

Goals: Petrie (3), Waite (2), Kennebury (2), Swallow, Jones, Buzza, Chaplin, Deledio, Cooney.
Disposals: Cooney (29), Deledio (29), Swallow (21), Petrie (20), Wells (20)
Injuries: Nil.
Reports: Nil.

B&F Votes:

5 - Drew Petrie
4 - Adam Cooney
3 - Brett Deledio
2 - David Hale
1 - Troy Chaplin

Leaderboard:
Adam Cooney (13)
Drew Petrie (11)
Ronald Kennebury (5)
David Hale (4)
Andrew Swallow (3)
Andrew Krakouer (3)
Brett Deledio (3)
Corey Jones (1)
Jarrad Waite (1)
Troy Chaplin (1)

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Post-match press conference:

Q: You're now on top of the ladder, it must be a long time coming for you, how do you feel at this point in time?
A: It's good to have strong early season form, but we're not getting carried away. We're three rounds in, there's 19 to go. Ladder positions mean little if they don't equate to much in finals. We hope to continue to improve each week and get these boys in the best position they can be.

Q: Drew Petrie had his best game for the club since you've been here, how important is he to your structure?
A: Drew is important because he allows Leigh to play in defence and give us some depth up both ends. There's plenty of young competition for that forward spot, but Drew has grasped his chance with both hands and has been quite impressive.

Q: Is there much you'll tinker with for next week?
A: Our second quarter was quite disappointing after a promising first term, so we'll work on that. Personnel wise, there might be the odd change because a couple of players are underperforming and might need a spell, but like most weeks, we'll assess that during the week.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2010 AFL Premiership Season: Round 4 vs Geelong

B: Jess Sinclair - Troy Chaplin - Leigh Brown
HB: Brent Guerra - Ben Rutten - George Buzza
C: Ian Gooding - Daniel Wells - Ryan Griffen
HF: Andrew Swallow - Drew Petrie - Corey Jones
F: Andrew Krakouer - Ronald Kennebury - Jarrad Waite
R: David Hale - Brett Deledio - Adam Cooney
INT: Hunter Sheean - Matt Riggio - Daniel Harris - Zackary Wreford

IN: Zackary Wreford, Jess Sinclair, Matt Riggio
OUT: Timothy Foalong, Jed Adcock, Leigh Montagna

 

[Pie 4 Life]

GEELONG BLOODBATH BRINGS ROOS BACK TO EARTH

IF North Melbourne fans needed a reminder about the season being a marathon and not a sprint, they got it with a humiliating 92-point thumping at the hands of Geelong. The Kangaroos were the only undefeated side, with Geelong having won one match from three games, but it was the away side that did all the dominating, kicking five goals to zero in the first term and had scored 10.1 to 1.1 by half-time. All of North Melbourne's influential players were kept quiet with Drew Petrie (eight disposals, four marks, one goal), Adam Cooney (13 disposals, two marks, tagged by Cameron Ling) and Brett Deledio (17 disposals, one mark) all having dirty days. Corey Jones was North's best player, with 23 disposals and seven marks, while David Hale and Daniel Wells could also hold their heads high. Ronald Kennebury was the only multiple goal scorer with two, while Andrew Swallow, Brent Guerra and Hunter Sheean all suffered injuries in the loss.

North Melbourne 0.1---1.1---3.7---6.9 (45)
Geelong 5.0---10.1---13.2---22.5 (137)

Goals: Kennebury (2), Krakouer, Swallow, Petrie, Hale.
Disposals: Jones (23), Wells (23)
Injuries: Andrew Swallow - Strained Calf (2), Brent Guerra - Torn Hamstring (4), Hunter Sheean - Strained Calf (0)
Reports: Nil.

B&F Votes:

5 - Corey Jones
4 - David Hale
3 - Daniel Wells
2 - Andrew Krakouer
1 - Ronald Kennebury

Leaderboard:
Adam Cooney (13)
Drew Petrie (11)
David Hale (8)
Ronald Kennebury (6)
Corey Jones (6)
Andrew Krakouer (5)
Andrew Swallow (3)
Brett Deledio (3)
Daniel Wells (3)
Jarrad Waite (1)
Troy Chaplin (1)

---

Post-match press conference:

Q: This loss seemed to come out of nowhere, how do you address the boys after the match?
A: We've said the past three weeks not to get carried away with the wins and we'll say the same for the loss. We don't concern ourselves with wins or losses, we concern ourselves with structures and personal performance. Now tonight both were down and we'll address that, but it won't do any good going in and blasting the players because it's not helpful. They're hurting as much as the fans.

Q: You were beaten badly in the contested possession count, is this something you look to change for next week?
A: It's something we want to work on for next week because we want to be a contested ball side that can win those crunch matches and extradite the ball from stoppages.

Q: Three injuries this week, how much did it hamper the performance?
A: Obviously losing players throughout a match is tough and will impact any side. But if you're asking whether it influenced the result, no. It may have caused a larger deficit because of less time for rests for our players, but the other side was just too good on the day.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

2010 AFL Premiership Season: Round 5 vs West Coast

B: Jess Sinclair - Troy Chaplin - Cameron Fennell
HB: Nathan Van Berlo - Ben Rutten - George Buzza
C: Ian Gooding - Daniel Wells - Ryan Griffen
HF: Carter Fidge - Jarrad Waite - Corey Jones
F: Andrew Krakouer - Ronald Kennebury - Drew Petrie
R: David Hale - Brett Deledio - Adam Cooney
INT: Hunter Sheean - Matt Riggio - Robert Copeland - Zackary Wreford

IN: Cameron Fennell, Nathan Van Berlo, Carter Fidge, Robert Copeland
OUT: Andrew Swallow (injured), Brent Guerra (injured), Leigh Brown, Daniel Harris