Player Watch #20: Nick 'Souva' Larkey - 2026 NM Captain

[JZTIME!]

I think the responsibility of Captain could help Larkey get to another level. The 100 year celebration (last game he played fit) he looked like Wayne Carey until the injury. We know his best is 70 goals, then we get frustrated when he doesn't always compete tooth and nail in the air. The title could just bring out that extra few percent in him more often.

 

[amaz199]

Almost kicked 5 goals in that first quarter.

Something about number 20s at North and dominating first quarters lol.

 

[zoomba23]

I think the responsibility of Captain could help Larkey get to another level. The 100 year celebration (last game he played fit) he looked like Wayne Carey until the injury. We know his best is 70 goals, then we get frustrated when he doesn't always compete tooth and nail in the air. The title could just bring out that extra few percent in him more often.

70 goals is surely an outlier if he was on 50 with 3 games left. His realistic ceiling is 60. His ceiling if he plays like he did last year is what he got last year.

He's a poor leaper. He's good if you kick it to him on the shoulder of the defender, provided there isn't another defender there ready to spoil, but that's not a viable strategy. No team enters their forward 50 like that consistently. Well, except us.

He's just about serviceable on the lead but I reckon he drops more lead chest marks than he should. And he whinges. At everyone.

At 28 next year, this is who he is. To maximise the strengths, he needs to get on his bike for a long lead and take the ball out in front like Ben Brown did. If we have to kick it on someone's head, make it Trembath, and if Curtis is somewhere in a 1-on-1, kick it vaguely in that direction instead

 

[giantroo]

 

[JZTIME!]

70 goals is surely an outlier if he was on 50 with 3 games left. His realistic ceiling is 60. His ceiling if he plays like he did last year is what he got last year.

He's a poor leaper. He's good if you kick it to him on the shoulder of the defender, provided there isn't another defender there ready to spoil, but that's not a viable strategy. No team enters their forward 50 like that consistently. Well, except us.

He's just about serviceable on the lead but I reckon he drops more lead chest marks than he should. And he whinges. At everyone.

At 28 next year, this is who he is. To maximise the strengths, he needs to get on his bike for a long lead and take the ball out in front like Ben Brown did. If we have to kick it on someone's head, make it Trembath, and if Curtis is somewhere in a 1-on-1, kick it vaguely in that direction instead

He is just so much better than that. As our ball movement quickens up i think we will find out how good he can actually be.
Experts like James Hird don't say things like "id love to see Larkey play for a team near the top" (something like that or maybe it was geelong or collingwood) just to see what he can do. He has "never" had that. With our draw we should be working on 55 plus inside 50s a game early in the season. Lets see what he can do with supply like he's never seen before.

 

[zoomba23]

He is just so much better than that. As our ball movement quickens up i think we will find out how good he can actually be.
Experts like James Hird don't say things like "id love to see Larkey play for a team near the top" (something like that or maybe it was geelong or collingwood) just to see what he can do. He has "never" had that. With our draw we should be working on 55 plus inside 50s a game early in the season. Lets see what he can do with supply like he's never seen before.

I don't believe he is. His set shot technique is brilliant though.

At any rate, we should be trying to distribute the goals. There's a good reason many of the good teams don't have outrageous individual goalkicking tallies. They've worked out it's more effective, and tougher on the opposition, to spread the load. We have enough talent in that forward line for him to be a normal target rather than a focal point

 

[JZTIME!]

I don't believe he is. His set shot technique is brilliant though.

At any rate, we should be trying to distribute the goals. There's a good reason many of the good teams don't have outrageous individual goalkicking tallies. They've worked out it's more effective, and tougher on the opposition, to spread the load. We have enough talent in that forward line for him to be a normal target rather than a focal point

Can't disagree with any of this. I still think he will kick 60 and the others will grow as well. We just need to average a high number of inside 50s. We tend to do well when we do that

 

[muttley45]

Missed a golden opportunity to hit TJ with a Chompers there Larks

 

[backtothedraft]

70 goals is surely an outlier if he was on 50 with 3 games left. His realistic ceiling is 60. His ceiling if he plays like he did last year is what he got last year.

He's a poor leaper. He's good if you kick it to him on the shoulder of the defender, provided there isn't another defender there ready to spoil, but that's not a viable strategy. No team enters their forward 50 like that consistently. Well, except us.

He's just about serviceable on the lead but I reckon he drops more lead chest marks than he should. And he whinges. At everyone.

At 28 next year, this is who he is. To maximise the strengths, he needs to get on his bike for a long lead and take the ball out in front like Ben Brown did. If we have to kick it on someone's head, make it Trembath, and if Curtis is somewhere in a 1-on-1, kick it vaguely in that direction instead

Why are we so quick to shit on our players. He’s played key forward, often standalone in one of the worst teams in history. There’d be many games we’d be getting inside 50 less than 40 times. He’s the only AA forward that we’ve had in the last 20 years that I can think outside Petrie maybe. Will end his career as comfortably a top 10 goal kicker at North and you’re talking about him like he’s Ben Mabon

 

[spicerFanClub]

What is going on in this thread. Putting down one of the few elite AFL talents we've had over the last 5 years and saying he's not actually any good and is past it. Probably one of the only players the oppo bothered doing any review of from 2021-2023, double or triple teamed the whole time. Had clubs coming hard at him but decided to stay. Bizzare chat.

 

[zoomba23]

Why are we so quick to shit on our players. He’s played key forward, often standalone in one of the worst teams in history. There’d be many games we’d be getting inside 50 less than 40 times. He’s the only AA forward that we’ve had in the last 20 years that I can think outside Petrie maybe. Will end his career as comfortably a top 10 goal kicker in the league and you’re talking about him like he’s Ben Mabon

Because I notice all he does that isn't helpful to the team. He did a huge carry job in 2021 and 2022, I won't take that away from him. And I respected him a great deal back then.

But now, with Nobles gone and an apparent upward trajectory to he reached, he exhibits bad habits that shit me and many others who observe the same.

The diving and whinging is borderline toxic. If he was Jeremy Cameron, leading up at the ball, and being missed by 5m, I'd have sympathy. But he isn't. He's Nick Larkey, calling for the ball on the shoulder of the defender and giving his teammate a spray when a second defender comes through and takes the intercept.

The more responsibility we take off him, the better. For him and the team. His status as main man isn't overly helpful. It's already documented how we, multiple times, chose to kick to him in a contest instead of Teakle on his own. Curtis is our best one on one player, Trembath is a (very) good contested mark on limited viewing, and hopefully Dovaston can rove some contests when the opposition don't mark it. All of that hopefully spells a more evenly distributed forward line when we see less maniacal focus on him and more panicked defenders

 

[hotchilli]

Because I notice all he does that isn't helpful to the team. He did a huge carry job in 2021 and 2022, I won't take that away from him. And I respected him a great deal back then.

But now, with Nobles gone and an apparent upward trajectory to he reached, he exhibits bad habits that shit me and many others who observe the same.

The diving and whinging is borderline toxic. If he was Jeremy Cameron, leading up at the ball, and being missed by 5m, I'd have sympathy. But he isn't. He's Nick Larkey, calling for the ball on the shoulder of the defender and giving his teammate a spray when a second defender comes through and takes the intercept.

The more responsibility we take off him, the better. For him and the team. His status as main man isn't overly helpful. It's already documented how we, multiple times, chose to kick to him in a contest instead of Teakle on his own. Curtis is our best one on one player, Trembath is a (very) good contested mark on limited viewing, and hopefully Dovaston can rove some contests when the opposition don't mark it. All of that hopefully spells a more evenly distributed forward line when we see less maniacal focus on him and more panicked defenders

That’s not really a fault of Larkey or the forward line though that the decision making is poor going inside 50. The forward mix doesn’t change that.

 

[KangaRooster]

He’s probably the best 2nd forward in the league and we’ve needed him to play as #1 for most of his career.

He’s so accurate and efficient, you get him 4-5 shots at goal even at iffy angles he’s probably giving you that many goals.

He’s also pretty clutch. Curtis and Zurhaar are both prone to a bad miss, and Trembath’s set shot may continue to defy logic, or come crashing back to earth. We’ve been so far removed from actual competitive footy for so long, imo, a lot of people forget how valuable a guy who is one of the most reliable set shots in the league can be when the game is on the line.

 

[amaz199]

Lead the way Souva!

 

[Supreme_Chancellor]

Time to carry us to the Promiseland Skipper!

 

[Shinboner1]

New capt

 

[viccles]

As predicted

 

[JZTIME!]

Can't wait to see what he does with the C next to his name

 

[Kanga Glory]

NICK Larkey

20

Nick Larkey

Age

27

Ht

198cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.5

2star

K

4.6

2star

HB

3.9

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

1.5

3star

G

1.4

5star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.0

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

8.8

3star

K

4.2

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.8

4star

is set to be North Melbourne's next captain after being voted in as the club's new skipper.

AFL.com.au understands Larkey is set to lead the Roos in 2026, taking over the position from Jy Simpkin

12

Jy Simpkin

Age

27

Ht

183cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.0

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

8.1

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

3.3

5star

CL

2.9

4star

D

20.6

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

9.6

5star

M

2.0

2star

T

3.5

4star

CL

5.5

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.2

2star

.

The board will have to ratify the decision before an announcement is confirmed.

Simpkin was co-captain for two seasons before taking over the sole captaincy in 2025 but after he explored a trade out of the Roos in the off-season, he stepped aside from North's leadership process ahead of next year.


NEWS
Simpkin addresses mental health and attempted exit from Roos
Larkey, 27, has been the Kangaroos' focal point in attack and the club's leading goalkicker for the past five seasons.

He made the All-Australian team in 2023, with his rise to be one of the elite tall forwards in the game coming after being a bargain draft choice at No.73 in the 2016 draft, so far tallying 134 games.

Nick Larkey

20

Nick Larkey

Age

27

Ht

198cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.5

2star

K

4.6

2star

HB

3.9

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

1.5

3star

G

1.4

5star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.0

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

8.8

3star

K

4.2

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.8

4star

celebrates a goal during round 10, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
Simpkin won't be a part of the Roos' official leadership group in 2026, with young gun Harry Sheezel, midfield star Luke Davies-Uniacke

9

Luke Davies-uniacke

Age

26

Ht

188cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.1

3star

K

6.5

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.5

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

2.0

4star

D

7.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.0

2star

T

1.0

2star

CL

2.0

4star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.8

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

CL

1.2

4star

, ruckman Tristan Xerri

38

Tristan Xerri

Age

26

Ht

202cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

5.5

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

2.5

2star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

2.5

5star

D

5.5

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

2.5

2star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

2.5

5star

D

5.5

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

2.5

3star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

2.5

5star

, swingman Charlie Comben and forward Cam Zurhaar expected to feature in the Roos' leadership team.

Larkey and Sheezel served as co-vice captains to Simpkin last year, with the 21-year-old Sheezel deemed a future skipper of the club after his brilliant start to his AFL career.

 

[Lomas]

Can't wait to see what he does with the C next to his name

Hang on, doesn’t that make him a Larkey C?

 

[kool kangas]

Time to carry us to the Promiseland Skipper!

View attachment 2493053

Now its time to wait and see...Hopefully he doesnt get to the point of trying to hard to where it puts himself under a lot more pressure to perform. Also l would have liked either Parker or Darling as part of the leadership group.

 

[Wild Bill]

Good - now X and Sheezel as his back ups.

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

 

[King Corey]

Hang on, doesn’t that make him a Larkey C?

Very good. Subtle.

 

[r00boy96]

Out of all the players on our list who say they bleed blue and white, this guy is one who I believe the most. Who else would we want leading our club to finals?