Opinion North Melbourne's best 22

Saintly31

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Id have Higgins a lock for round one i dnt think North payed 400k a year for him to have him in the magoos... I think he is better than our 22nd player in Jacobs atm..

I didn't say he wouldn't play round 1. I said I don't consider him a lock as per the other names mentioned.

He has to earn his spot like many others fighting for spots available. I don't like the idea of a guy dropped for poor form in the Dogs last year being seen a lock just yet.
 
Firitto - Tippett - Wright
MacMillan - Thompson - McDonald
Atley - Cunnington - Dal Santo
Harvey - Petrie - Black
Thomas - Waite - Ziebell
Goldstein - Swallow - Wells
Higgins Bastinac Gibson Dumont?

Em: Hansen, Turner, Brown, Wood, Garner, Harper, McKenzie.
Agree mostly, That's what I expect the team to look like for round 1 at this stage also but with Tarrant in for someone so Thompson plays on betts and Taz and Tippett take the 2 talls
 

niko11

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I just can not see Jacobs in the team

Underwhelming in 2014 is the nicest thing I can say.

But I like Gibson, so what would I know?
Yeah Jacobs is still young so he has time to improve as has Mckenzie,Garner etc... And as for the Gibbo he is in our leadership group and not all Leaders have the class of Dal or Wells.. I dont see Dangerfield as a Silky player but he Goes Alright...
 

Daz

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Like your back 6 although I don't think Macmillan is in the right spot. He is an average defender and better used as a utility and link up player further afield.

I agree with you but the plan is for JMac to spend less time in the midfield than in previous years.
 

Saintly31

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I agree with you but the plan is for JMac to spend less time in the midfield than in previous years.

In that case it may be right after all I guess.

I don't like it much though as i think he is an ordinary defender.

The utility role seems a far better fit.
 

ArjenTheGreat

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I couldn't have Higgins as a lock just yet.

Been pretty ordinary most of his career mate, injury excuse or otherwise.

Needs to play some good games first to overtake the likes of your favourite player in Gibbo and others who have more runs on the board.

North runs?

Higgins would have more career runs though, surely?

Higgins is a gun mate, in every sense. Makes good decisions, is clean and has great skills. You are going to love him. Watching him in drills, he is automatic both sides and as a result becomes our best 2 sided player.

You know my thoughts on Jmac being "best 22" so lets not go there.

Id have Higgins a lock for round one i dnt think North payed 400k a year for him to have him in the magoos... I think he is better than our 22nd player in Jacobs atm..

Of course he is a bloody lock. He is better than many more players than just Jacobs. Please.

I just can not see Jacobs in the team



But I like Gibson, so what would I know?

Jacobs is the 33rd man. A last resort.

and Gibbo is very likable.

I agree with you but the plan is for JMac to spend less time in the midfield than in previous years.


Where he has no business, let's be honest.


In that case it may be right after all I guess.


I don't like it much though as i think he is an ordinary defender.


The utility role seems a far better fit.


Now is the issue of where he actually sits in terms of defensive utillities.


Firitto? McDonald, Wright? ATLEY?


Is he better than any of them?
 
Dec 1, 2013
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Round 1 as it stands.

B: Firrito Tippet McMillan
HB: Atley Thompson McDonald
C: Wells Ziebell Dal Santo
HF: Harvey Waite Black
F: Turner Petrie Thomas
Fol: Goldstein Swallow Cunnington

INT: Higgins Gibson Wright sub Bastinac

Hansen when healthy will cause some headaches re. who to drop, we're absolutely stocked across the board.
 
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HBFlanker

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Round 1 as it stands.

B: Firrito Tippet McMillan
HB: Atley Thompson McDonald
C: Wells Ziebell Dal Santo
HF: Harvey Waite Black
F: Turner Petrie Thomas
Fol: Goldstein Swallow Cunnington

INT: Higgins Gibson Wright sub Bastinac

Hansen when healthy will cause some headaches re. who to drop, we're absolutely stocked across the board.

That Midfield gets me erect. Not sure if Turner will play round 1. wouldn't be surprised if Brown gets the nod and we play 4 talls to stretch Adelaide's already poor defense. Round 1 is massive again, wouldnt mind a cruisy round 1 one of these days
 
Oct 4, 2006
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Round 1 as it stands.

B: Firrito Tippet McMillan
HB: Atley Thompson McDonald
C: Wells Ziebell Dal Santo
HF: Harvey Waite Black
F: Turner Petrie Thomas
Fol: Goldstein Swallow Cunnington

INT: Higgins Gibson Wright sub Bastinac

Hansen when healthy will cause some headaches re. who to drop, we're absolutely stocked across the board.

When Hansen is fit, we can either swap him for Spud. Or Turner gets dropped, Higgins goes forward, and Atley plays midfield.
 
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I'd swap Hansen for Spud over dropping Turner, he's healthy, rearing to go and brings accountability to our forward line and really the whole team. You can't slack off when the guy next to you never stops busting his gut to create even the slightest pressure on the opposition.

I think Brown is the only one of our current tall forwards that can be kept in the 2s without it hurting his development/confidence. He's young and still learning the game at AFL level and with Waite's injury history and probable need to be rested throughout the regular season Benny will still be getting some valuable game time.
 

Reginald0

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I hear the criticism of JMac as a defender, as a lockdown defender well maybe he isn't quite right but quite good enuf for best 22 in my book

I don't get the dissing of Jacobs
He is a modern day player where Priority 1 is to minimise mistakes, look at his Efficiency stats, he retains possession
Lord knows we have had so many players over the last few yrs who just cough it up, Jacobs has skill, can handball, makes good decisions
it is basically BMac all over again
They are both just not quite there yet
Good players to have in reserve
And yeah Higgins is a walk up start, we need Skill now they all look like AFL footballers size wise
 
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I hear the criticism of JMac as a defender, as a lockdown defender well maybe he isn't quite right but quite good enuf for best 22 in my book

I don't get the dissing of Jacobs
He is a modern day player where Priority 1 is to minimise mistakes, look at his Efficiency stats, he retains possession
Lord knows we have had so many players over the last few yrs who just cough it up, Jacobs has skill, can handball, makes good decisions
it is basically BMac all over again
They are both just not quite there yet
Good players to have in reserve
And yeah Higgins is a walk up start, we need Skill now they all look like AFL footballers size wise

Jacobs can kick. No doubt.

His handballing is rubbish. His decision making is poor (with ball in hand). And he crumbles under intense pressure.
 

Lavy_Panther

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Jacobs strikes me as a guy who needs to see that he belongs and that he's good enough.

He's gotten to the point where he knows he's a gun at VFL level so he strings 40+ possession games together at that level. At the moment, when I see him in the seniors he strikes me as a guy who is just not confident in his skin at the level. I wouldn't say he's apologetic, but he doesn't exactly have an aura around him.

All that to say - a player can have more imposing barriers to overcome. I think - or at least I hope - he has that light bulb moment where it clicks and he knows he can make it. You can't be that dominant at VFL level without being able to play the game (in before Liam Anthony pix).

From what I've heard, he's stepped up in the pre season. Apparently he's been more vocal and driving the standards, particularly at the Utah camp. This, to me, is a good sign.
 

GarnerSmash

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Jacobs strikes me as a guy who needs to see that he belongs and that he's good enough.

He's gotten to the point where he knows he's a gun at VFL level so he strings 40+ possession games together at that level. At the moment, when I see him in the seniors he strikes me as a guy who is just not confident in his skin at the level. I wouldn't say he's apologetic, but he doesn't exactly have an aura around him.

All that to say - a player can have more imposing barriers to overcome. I think - or at least I hope - he has that light bulb moment where it clicks and he knows he can make it. You can't be that dominant at VFL level without being able to play the game (in before Liam Anthony pix).

From what I've heard, he's stepped up in the pre season. Apparently he's been more vocal and driving the standards, particularly at the Utah camp. This, to me, is a good sign.
Exactly how I see him.

Late bloomer confidence wise, not helped by glandular fever and two ankle operations in his first few years.
 

Winter

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If I had to pick Round 1 today.

B: Firrito, Tippett, McDonald
HB: Macmillan, Thompson, Wright
C: Atley, Swallow, Dal Santo
HF: Harvey, Black, Ziebell
F: Thomas, Petrie, Waite
R: Goldstein, Wells, Cunnington
IC: Gibson, Higgins, Wood, Bastinac

Injured: Hansen, Grima, Brown*

* Underdone post-knee?

Torn between Wood & Turner for that bench spot.
 
Leaving Turner, Wood & Brown out made me feel dirty.

I personally believe all 3 should play.

Brown and Turner have never been dropped before FWIW.
Neither has Gibson over a much bigger sample size and when has that ever stopped you? I agree Turner is right in the mix for Round 1 but both Brown and Wood have had interrupted pre seasons and with the introduction of Waite (and Higgins if he plays forward) it's perfectly reasonable to expect them to miss round 1
 

Daz

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