Project Rebuild - NMFC 2023 and Beyond

Moti

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 4, 2001
13,830
10,647
Melbourne
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Thinking about this one, this is what I believe we have from the point of view of players that are fit for purpose for modern football and have the skillset that the industry deems attractive. I have actually selected 2022 as the date I would use and players are only selected if they are Under 26. Based off the below, we are only half way there.

BP1:
FB:
BP2:

HB1: Perez - has good speed, disposal and attributes to be a quality ball user off HB
CHB: Mc Kay - has size, defensive efforts, good mark, slight risk but backing him in @ 22;
HB2:

Wing1: Will Walker - good speed, skills and game sense. Slight projection but have good faith;
C1:
Wing2:

HF1: Thomas - Lacks top end speed, but has the rest of the tools and high end skills, likely swap between HF and mid;
CHF: Larkey - Good size, competitiveness, contested marking, kicking and game sense;
HF2: Taylor - Great game sense, marking ability, decision making and disposal, will be a roaming HF;

FP1: Zurhaar - tough, athletic with smarts and good disposal, goal kicker;
FF:
FP2:

FOLL:
RR: LDU - quality clearances, stoppage burst, quality ball use, contested ability;
Rov: Simpkin - quality clearance, vision and mid distance ball use, contested ability;

Part of 22, not 100% firm on role:
- LMAC - controversial, but I watched his junior games, he should be a 200 game player;

Left Out:
- Scott - good run, ok disposal, hasn't shown consistency or whether he has next level performance, likely spot Wing;
- Bonar - has the right size, meant to have explosiveness, but haven't seen the package. likely spot centre;
- Comben - big, athletic, good hands, just not sure where he best fits plus big guys can be tricky. Optimistic for KP forward;
 

Passmore

Brownlow Medallist
May 22, 2001
23,595
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We've really missed the boat in a lot of ways.

I was a big proponent for trading Goldstein a couple of years back (when he had real currency still) as it was clear then we did not have the list to threaten post the retirement of Boomer etc. However Brad would not hear of it.

It's the sort of tough decision the Saints took in shipping out McEvoy, Dal Santo etc when they had genuine trade value. We chose not to do that and have ended up with this terribly out of balance list.

Not sure that is the greatest example. McEvoy netted them Shane Savage and pick 17 (Luke Dunstan) and Dal Santo lefty as a RFA (comp pick 25 part of a trade to get Billy Longer)
 
Mar 8, 2002
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Not sure that is the greatest example. McEvoy netted them Shane Savage and pick 17 (Luke Dunstan) and Dal Santo lefty as a RFA (comp pick 25 part of a trade to get Billy Longer)
Not sure what you're saying?

That they shouldn't have done those trades/matched the NDS offer as the players and picks that ultimately resulted did not justify moving on those quality senior players?
 

7577969923

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 20, 2018
6,176
16,379
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Thinking about this one, this is what I believe we have from the point of view of players that are fit for purpose for modern football and have the skillset that the industry deems attractive. I have actually selected 2022 as the date I would use and players are only selected if they are Under 26. Based off the below, we are only half way there.

BP1:
FB:
BP2:

HB1: Perez - has good speed, disposal and attributes to be a quality ball user off HB
CHB: Mc Kay - has size, defensive efforts, good mark, slight risk but backing him in @ 22;
HB2:

Wing1: Will Walker - good speed, skills and game sense. Slight projection but have good faith;
C1:
Wing2:

HF1: Thomas - Lacks top end speed, but has the rest of the tools and high end skills, likely swap between HF and mid;
CHF: Larkey - Good size, competitiveness, contested marking, kicking and game sense;
HF2: Taylor - Great game sense, marking ability, decision making and disposal, will be a roaming HF;

FP1: Zurhaar - tough, athletic with smarts and good disposal, goal kicker;
FF:
FP2:

FOLL:
RR: LDU - quality clearances, stoppage burst, quality ball use, contested ability;
Rov: Simpkin - quality clearance, vision and mid distance ball use, contested ability;

Part of 22, not 100% firm on role:
- LMAC - controversial, but I watched his junior games, he should be a 200 game player;

Left Out:
- Scott - good run, ok disposal, hasn't shown consistency or whether he has next level performance, likely spot Wing;
- Bonar - has the right size, meant to have explosiveness, but haven't seen the package. likely spot centre;
- Comben - big, athletic, good hands, just not sure where he best fits plus big guys can be tricky. Optimistic for KP forward;

I reckon most of that looks good. I could see TT off a half-back flank where he can get ball in hand with the game in front of him to create our forward movement with his vision, decision making, and disposal.

Could Comben use his athletic traits as a dynamic KPD?

Based on their omission do you believe that Murphy, Hayden, Mahoney, Crocker, Xerri, and McGuinness won't make it?

Which older players would you want to fill the gaps with?
 

Passmore

Brownlow Medallist
May 22, 2001
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The Gasometer Wing
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I reckon most of that looks good. I could see TT off a half-back flank where he can get ball in hand with the game in front of him to create our forward movement with his vision, decision making, and disposal.

Could Comben use his athletic traits as a dynamic KPD?

Based on their omission do you believe that Murphy, Hayden, Mahoney, Crocker, Xerri, and McGuinness won't make it?

Which older players would you want to fill the gaps with?

If we're talking 2022, I'd expect Goldy (33) to be there. Cunners (30). Tazz (32). Higgo would be 34, but who knows?
 

Moti

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 4, 2001
13,830
10,647
Melbourne
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North Melbourne
I reckon most of that looks good. I could see TT off a half-back flank where he can get ball in hand with the game in front of him to create our forward movement with his vision, decision making, and disposal.

Could Comben use his athletic traits as a dynamic KPD?

Based on their omission do you believe that Murphy, Hayden, Mahoney, Crocker, Xerri, and McGuinness won't make it?

Which older players would you want to fill the gaps with?

The omissions are players I am not confident will make it for various reasons. However, I actually wouldn't be putting a line through any of those guys. The purpose of the team is to assess what areas you would reasonable say we have options or no options with an eye to prioritising draft choices.
 
Nov 25, 2014
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What board members seriously believed that this wasn't inevitable?

The fact that Brad is being painted as the wise one that wanted to rebuild in his final year after destroying our list for a decade is disgusting.
I agree. It looks to me that this story has been leaked basically.

The Club is now facing decisions it could have avoided if Brad and his crew did not continually overrate our list, take the cheap way out by topping up with largely C grade players from other clubs and their stubborn refusal to develop and play the younger players.

Pretty galling when you think about it.
 

Ischenko

Premiership Player
Jun 1, 2012
3,112
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AFL Club
North Melbourne
Not sure that is the greatest example. McEvoy netted them Shane Savage and pick 17 (Luke Dunstan) and Dal Santo lefty as a RFA (comp pick 25 part of a trade to get Billy Longer)

But what about all the flags St.Kilda have won since then?????
 

7577969923

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 20, 2018
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If we're talking 2022, I'd expect Goldy (33) to be there. Cunners (30). Tazz (32). Higgo would be 34, but who knows?
I'd say yes to all of that four. Throw in Brown, Walker, Maj, Jed, Polec, Hall, Dumont, EVW

No to JMac, Williams, Atley, Pittard, Tyson, Garner, Turner, Jacobs, Durds, and Wood
 

GarnerSmash

They tried to make me go to rehab
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We are largely ignored by the mainstream media so I wouldn't pay too much attention to the likes of K Cornes and his pit stop observations and commentary. I flat out disagree we're behind Adelaide, Fremantle and Sydney in our development. Since Round 1 2019 we've had 5 rising star nominations which is more than double the other three have had combined. Stay the course on the kids. It will work.
To be fair Rising Star nominations are nothing more than an indicator of potential, and the quality of said indicator is dependent on what other performances they are up against that particular week. I wouldn't use it as any kind of serious yardstick.

This is a little arbitrary, but lets use under 25 as a group of focus for rebuilding sides, the ones you mention. Here are the number of players under 25 on each of the four lists.

Freo: 31
Syd: 30
Adel: 26
NM: 25

Here is a breakdown of where these players were drafted:

1st round
Syd: 7 (Heeney, Mills, Florent, Hayward, Ling, Blakey, Stephens)
Freo: 9 (Henry, Young, Serong, Sturt, Brayshaw, Cerra, Logue, Aish, Acres)
Adel: 4 (McAsey, McHenry, Jones, Fogarty)
NM: 7 (Simpkin, Thomas, LDU, McKay, Ahern, Durdin, Bonar)

2nd round
Syd: 7 (Warner, Taylor, Gould, Rowbottom, McCartin, Clarke, Hewett)
Freo: 5 (Valente, Cox, Darcy, Tucker, Blakely)
Adel: 7 (Worell, Schoenberg, O'Connor, Hamill, Gallucci, Milera, Doedee)
NM: 5 (Comben, Mahoney, Perez, Walker, EVW)

3rd round
Syd: 4 (Foot, McInerney, Stoddard, Melican)
Freo: 0
Adel: 4 (Gollant, McPherson, Poholke, Himmelberg)
NM: 2 (Scott, Taylor)

4th round
Syd: 1 (Dawson)
Freo: 5 (Frederick, Crowden, Meek, Switkowski, Ryan)
Adel: 1 (Sholl)
NM: 0

5th round
Syd: 0
Freo: 0
Adel: 1 (Davis)
NM: 2 (Larkey, Xerri)

6th Round
Adel: 1 (Frampton)

Rookie
Syd: 11 (Papley, Ronke, O'Riordan, McLean, Rowles, Reynolds, Wicks, Amartey, Bell, O'Connor, Maibaum)
Freo: 10 (Pina, O'Reilly, Carter, Giro, Dixon, North, Watson, Duman, Banfield, Schultz,)
Adel: 7( Taylor, Butts, Stengle, Keays, Crocker, Strachan, O'Brien)
NM: 7 (McGuinness, Crocker, Hayden, Turner, Hosie, Zurhaar, Murphy)


Here is a subjective breakdown of the cream from each of these U/25 groups:

Sydney: Papley, Heeney, Mills, Florent, Hayward, McCartin, Blakey
Freo: Cerra, Brayshaw, Aish, Darcy, Logue, Serong (?)
Adel: Doedee, Milera, Jones, McAsey (?)
NM: Simpkin, Larkey, Taylor, Zurhaar, Thomas, LDU

So we have the least amount of u/25's of that group with Sydney and Freo having 14 1st and 2nd round picks, we have 12 and Adelaide have 11, but only four first round picks.

I would agree that we are ahead of Adelaide. Freo have a lot of younger first rounders there so they could all come on together. We have some good firsts, some older firsts who will likely not be on the list next year, unproven and injured seconds, good thirds and 2 good later picks. Sydney have a nice collection of quality. I would have them ahead overall, us level with Freo but with them having more scope for improvement within the current list and the Crows well back.

EDIT: Even a cursory glance at Port's list puts them ahead in rebuild phase, despite them being 6-1 right now. Butters, Rozee, Duursma, Marshall, Amon, Powell-Pepper, Burton, Bonner, Byrne-Jones. That's a nice collection of young players and highlights how getting a bunch of picks early in one draft, and nailing them, can elevate a list.
 
Last edited:

B4Bear

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 6, 2011
8,215
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Melbourne
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North Melbourne
1. Hmmmm, i don't hear the fitzroy supporters complaining when they wont the 3 flags.
2. Jews aren't complaining to be living under the protective umbrella of USA.
3. Half of not many = not many so hardly an issue.

It's not the supproters that win you the flag, it's $$$$ and players you have. There is no difference between getting money from afl or supprot. Better yet, being an afl club means the big brother actually wants us to survive and thriving so they consolidate newly conquered region. There is always price to pay for progress. Standing still = doing nothing and when you do nothing, you become nothing.

As to you having supported north for 65, nobody esp afl gives a hoot about how many years, afl doesn't need you or care about your support. It cares about expanding its territory and needs somebody to be the spearhead into a new region. We've have established some prescence in Tas but according to some here, tas wants its own team, sure, starting from scratch is so easy. NT has no team, afl will one day want someone to go there.

It's better to take the initial and appraoch afl than be pushed by afl because in the latter's case, we don't get to have any demands at least right now, we get to negotiate a lot more favourable deals. For instance, 2 years of top 10 draft, we get all the indeginous talents through the academy. Need equal amount of funding to GC in their first 10 years factoring CPI of course, expanded salary cap, gauranteed sponsor deal.

If the club still fold from this injection of money then it's bloody good riddance and i have wasted 25 years supporting a loser of a club that can't keep players fit, can develop players, cannot train players and cannot even stay aflot.
* off with your stupid analogies. Give yourself a swift uppercut, then refuse to wear a mask in an isolation hotel.
 

Rad Roo

Premiership Player
Aug 2, 2017
3,389
1,606
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Our 25/26 years and under team looks decent in mids and forwards

Backline is a big concern

The concern is that the 26 to 29, the key players, they are in the lower quartiles of the afl........and they are the prime movers...
 

glenn2479

Club Legend
Jun 9, 2008
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melbourne
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North Melbourne
If we're talking 2022, I'd expect Goldy (33) to be there. Cunners (30). Tazz (32). Higgo would be 34, but who knows?
I reckon we can find a spot for a 34yr old Higgo on a half forward flank. I reckon the end could come quick for Cunners although I’m not sure he can get much slower. Unfortunately his athleticism ( lack of) won’t translate to any other position.
 
26 and under team

B: Hayden McKay EVW
HB: McDonald Durdin Perez
C: Dumont Bonar Thomas
HF: Garner Comben Taylor
F: Zurhaar Larkey Turner
R: Xerri Simpkin LDU
I: Ahern Mahony Wood Anderson Hosie Murphy Scott Crocker Walker McGuinness

With 2 first round 2020 picks and 1 second round 2020 pick to come, which will replace the blokes on the bench

and potentially older players over 26 like Brown traded for younger ones/more picks

Key backs are concerning
 
Sep 24, 2018
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I have a question for fellow NMFC supporters.

Majak Daw
Sam Durdin
Ed Vickers Willis
Ben Mckay

2 stay, 2 go.

Who are they?

McKay and Majak.
For the record I think we keep all 4.

Majak - showed he is capable of being a very good backman.
Durdin - When he has played, he showed signs he has some potential. He played forward as a junior, so I wouldn't mind him trying that.
McKay - showed a bit on the weekend. Keep persisting.
Vicker-Willis - has potential but very injury prone. One more opportunity. I'd keep Vicker-Willis over Hayden. I think Vicker-Willis when fit has better upside with disposal than Hayden.
 

7577969923

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 20, 2018
6,176
16,379
AFL Club
North Melbourne
McKay and Majak.
For the record I think we keep all 4.

Majak - showed he is capable of being a very good backman.
Durdin - When he has played, he showed signs he has some potential. He played forward as a junior, so I wouldn't mind him trying that.
McKay - showed a bit on the weekend. Keep persisting.
Vicker-Willis - has potential but very injury prone. One more opportunity. I'd keep Vicker-Willis over Hayden. I think Vicker-Willis when fit has better upside with disposal than Hayden.

I would thin Durds is at the most risk.
 
I would thin Durds is at the most risk.

Durdin or Vicker-Willis, can we trade one?

I know the love for EVW but im losing faith. Durdin Id like to keep but we something of value to trade with
 
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