Player Watch #12: Jy Simpkin [Part II] - staying at North in 2026 + won't feature in leadership group as Larkey set to be named captain

[LuvtheKangas]

I'm not going to get into the business of speculating on the why's and why not's of Jy's apparent desire to be traded. I'm certainly not going to bag him either. I just wish it wasn't happening but if it is then my thoughts turn to some possible trade options.

Surely *essendon is the team for us to deal with and of course if he goes *there, he will have some mates in the coach, BMac and probably Goldie (why oh why did he choose *them ). So that should work reasonably for Jy. *they of course are going to lose Merrett, *their skipper, to the Hawks, which means *they will get some good compensation one way or another.

If Jy goes *there, *they get our skipper, plus a bloke who can certainly step up in the midfield in Merretts absence.

Presently *they hold picks 4, 5, 22 and 25 in this year's draft. We hold picks 20 and 21. Clearly these picks in the 20's will shuffle down due to compensations for any departing free agents.

My first (feeble) attempt at a trade with *essendon would be Jy plus pick 20 for their Picks 4, 25 and Tsatas. I have no idea if Tsatas is any good, however he was originally Pick 5 in the 2022 Draft. *essendon do not seem to rate him.

Works for me, but doubtless there are better options.

Tsatas is a worse kick than Jy.

 

[Twinkletoes]

I am Shirley.

Nice work. While listening to the call I recalled reading a post saying exactly the same things earlier today.

 

[Cyber_punk]

Apparently he's taken North off his socials.

View attachment 2428318

Bloke has checked out.


---------------

 

[King Corey]

I was thinking about the leadership aspect this morning, not just Jy but the entire senior group, particular those who were around and in the leadership group when we went **** up during the covid relocation to QLD.

Then I was wondering about Thomas, I don't blame anyone other than Thomas for what he did but thinking about what Gawn did for Olliver when he went on his alleged bender, what Hardwick did for Chopsticks, how Collingwood sorted out DeGoey, how Geelong has turned every bad boy into a disciplined footballer.

Where was our leadership with Thomas. There was nothing we could do to save him from himself? I bet Carko was itching to take his phone off him but he was pretty much cut off at the balls due to the Hawthorn saga.

We kicked Thomas to the curb when he needed support the most. Thomas is still fully at fault for everything he had done, but I felt we could have done a lot more to protect him from himself, like other clubs have done.

It wasn't an accident we became a shit team. We have had teams full of potatoes that performed a lot better. We always had a sense of pride and desire to do whatever it took to be the best we could be.

A lot of shit has happened and has made me question the leadership and character of people who pretty much stood by and let us hit the iceberg and sink, they were comfortable being footballers but had no drive or ambition to be or achieve anything more than that.

We, the club, are at fault for not demanding more and I think we need to take a stand if we have any pride or self-respect to be better than what we have degenerated into.

Great observation.

Other clubs do have better command of the PR landscape with regards to misdemeanours, but our lack of identity and cohesiveness from the mid Scott era into Buckley's reign and onwards is marked.

Hopefully in Parker, Darling and Daniel we at least have some experienced guys with the personality and career credibility to teach the younger brigade the art of putting an arm around wayward teammates and bring them back to the group.

I remember Abraham wanting out a year or 2 in and commenting how he caught up with Stevens and Sholl when they were holidaying in WA and bought back into our club.

We absolutely need to stand for something again.

I hope we're on the front foot now sounding out every list manager in the land to drive the asking price up.

And yeh there's no return from my perspective. The "captain" is cooked. So to speak.

 

[My Left Foote]

Nice work. While listening to the call I recalled reading a post saying exactly the same things earlier today.

Sorry Twinkletoes, I've led you astray here, "I am Shirley" was a feeble attempt at a "I am Spartacus" joke. Apologies I thought it was more obvious than what it was.

 

[Rangtasic]

Simpkin to Gold Coast Flanders to north 23/24 or wherever it lands and a future 2nd for Gold Coast pick which will probably move out to 10. Get a player who can hit the side of a barn door play him half back flank rotating through the midfield in my opinion a gun just hasn’t had the opportunity to play preferred positions this year. Plus preferably another big body top end of this draft or Lachy Dovaston.

Thanks Simpkin!!! love your heart and your service to the club just not your kicking….all the best can work on your tan in the Gold Coast Byron is just down the road. Missus can move there…., I’m sure she will love it with her people.

Everybody wins!!!

 

[The Nostradamus]

Simpkin to Gold Coast Flanders to north 23/24 or wherever it lands and a future 2nd for Gold Coast pick which will probably move out to 10. Get a player who can hit the side of a barn door play him half back flank rotating through the midfield in my opinion a gun just hasn’t had the opportunity to play preferred positions this year. Plus preferably another big body top end of this draft or Lachy Dovaston.

Thanks Simpkin!!! love your heart and your service to the club just not your kicking….all the best can work on your tan in the Gold Coast Byron is just down the road. Missus can move there…., I’m sure she will love it with her people.

Everybody wins!!!

He ain’t playing midfield there

They forced touk and Flanders out of the midfield

 

[King Corey]

The good sides have guys who can play high half-forward very well when required (eg Geelong and Brisbane with Mannagh, Miers, Close, Rayner, Ah Chee, Bailey, Ashcrofts, Lohman). They get up and back to defend, impact around stoppages when required, zip around with high energy and are dangerous going forward. And have stints on ball.

We have Simpkin, Konstanty, Hansen Jnr, Harvey, Banch and Payne. And then our midfielders when they rest forward. The problem with our mids is they literally rest - do the bare minimum, do not play high half forward well.

So even with his faults, Jy is our best bet at high half forward. The coaches were right to play him there and his concussions may have been a factor.

That's not to say our midfield is particularly good. They won their share of clearances but too many are one-paced and collectively they apply far less pressure than good midfields - Xerri makes them look better than they are in this area.

If Jy stays, it's likely playing 70% at high half forward and you'd think definitely without the captaincy. In that situation, is he going to support the new leadership or continue to be disgruntled and potentially create rifts? How bad have the relationships become with the coach/coaching staff for the captain to want to explore his options? Pretty bad you'd think.

If he does go, who's going to play in the high half forward spots? They're crucial positions that top clubs don't just pay lip service to.

Very valid argument but the skipper is shopping himself.

So unless we're right on the cusp of the 2026 premiership and this guy is peak Wayne Carey or Dustin Martin quality - the point is moot - we'll have to find other options.

 

[DuckYeah]

He ain’t playing midfield there

They forced touk and Flanders out of the midfield

Nah but he won the All Stars medal for best on…

 

[Twinkletoes]

Sorry Twinkletoes, I've led you astray here, "I am Shirley" was a feeble attempt at a "I am Spartacus" joke. Apologies I thought it was more obvious than what it was.

Nothing’s obvious during silly season’s brain altering period.

 

[tales129]

That narrative doesn't hold up when you look at what actually happened with our centre bounce attendances this year and last year.

2024 attendances:
LDU 82%
Wardlaw 66%
Simpkin 53%
Powell 50%
Sheezel 31%

2025 attendances:
LDU 77% -5%
Luke Parker 63%
George Wardlaw 56% -10%
Tom Powell 47% -3%
Harry Sheezel 38% +7%
Jy Simpkin 34% -19%

So Simpkin didn't lose his centre bounce attendances to younger less versatile mids. He lost them to the experienced and versatile Luke Parker. Harry Sheezel might have also benefited. All of the so called less versatile players worked on their versatility this year with Wardlaw and LDU spending time forward and Powell spending time on the wing and at half forward.

Love this

 

[Twinkletoes]

Nah but he won the All Stars medal for best on…

It wouldn’t surprise me if his head was turned while catching up with “the brothers” chatting about life at their clubs during that week either. Just as used to occur periodically with Interstate Footy. He may have been stewing over it all season as he was displaced from the midfield.

 

[north_lad]

Started dating a Vegan and now it's all about him. Color me surprised.

hey I resent that

I'd play ****ing back pocket if I was on close to a mill a year and captain JFC

 

[Flawed Genius]

What's the saying. Never quit your job until you have another one lined up. Beggars belief that he would choose to say "I'd rather play nowhere than at North"

 

[Masked Avenger]

I'm more annoyed at him today.

Something not mentioned is that football works in longer cycles. Clubs plan for 3-5 year+ phases and players deemed critical to those plans are shown faith with longer deals. In turn they're expected to honour them.

Additionally the bloke accepted the role of captain which is supposed to be about buying into the club and sacrificing your individual honours for the collective betterment of the team.

Guys like Simpson, Petrie, Archer, Rawlings, Stevens, Boomer, Carey et al all accepted whatever onfield role they were handed as senior players understanding they are part of a team.

This is a shit look for our club, not to us as rusted ons but to the wider audience and the market. The guy who is meant to be the #1 spruiker and driver of club values on the playing list going and "testing the market" with 4 years left on a deal.

I've always stood up for the guy but as captain pulling this trick I now rate him as a cancer. Cut him out of the club for the best possible trade return and onwards and upwards.

Disagree.

It's not a crap look for our Club with any audience.

This is on the player and his manager everyday of the week and Jy will be forced to own it one way or the other.

It will certainly cost him the captaincy at the very least - possibly more but you can only assume he and his manager factored that in given the heat Merrett's copping.

Merrett's disgruntled with the direction of his Club - Jy's disgruntled because he's not getting midfield minutes.

People understand the difference.

 

[Waynesworld]

Rightio, Shirley the caller to SEN a couple of minutes ago talking about Jy’s disposal being subpar compared to the kids we’ve brought in to play midfield was one of us?

 

[King Corey]

Disagree.

It's not a crap look for our Club with any audience.

This is on the player and his manager everyday of the week and Jy will be forced to own it one way or the other.

It will certainly cost him the captaincy at the very least - possibly more but you can only assume he and his manager factored that in given the heat Merritt's copping.

Merritt's disgruntled with the direction of his Club - Jy's disgruntled because he's not getting midfield minutes.

I'm not bothered one iota about the club on this one. Its a crap look for the club is not the same as I blame the club.

To the armchair supporter, our captain bailing is a brand damager.

They're not invested enough to be across the details but they are part of the critical mass we need to get interested and buy memberships

 

[Roadrunner]

 

[Samsquanch]

Nothing’s obvious during silly season’s brain altering period.

Well, I now have trust issues.

 

[Themanbun]

That narrative doesn't hold up when you look at what actually happened with our centre bounce attendances this year and last year.

2024 attendances:
LDU 82%
Wardlaw 66%
Simpkin 53%
Powell 50%
Sheezel 31%

2025 attendances:
LDU 77% -5%
Luke Parker 63%
George Wardlaw 56% -10%
Tom Powell 47% -3%
Harry Sheezel 38% +7%
Jy Simpkin 34% -19%

So Simpkin didn't lose his centre bounce attendances to younger less versatile mids. He lost them to the experienced and versatile Luke Parker. Harry Sheezel might have also benefited. All of the so called less versatile players worked on their versatility this year with Wardlaw and LDU spending time forward and Powell spending time on the wing and at half forward.

It still stacks up. 2023 was the year it started mate.

Jy goes from 79% in 2021 and 83% in 2022 and number one for bounce attendances by some margin, down to 60% in 2023, 53% in 2024 and now 38% and a fair way down the pecking order.

Perhaps he thought once he got his body and head right, business as usual would resume. Not sure.

The narrative that this is a 2025 role issue is, IMO, off the mark. This has been brewing for a while I reckon.

 

[Val Keating]

I reckon there's a club/s lined up, the narrative will change, he'll ask for a trade soon and then the next day or two there will be a suitor.

Possibly, though the reporting has been bang on so far.

 

[Only Forwards]

We absolutely need to stand for something again.

Amen.

We are approaching a you're with us or you're against us moment, if we are not there already.

 

[Val Keating]

He ain’t playing midfield there

They forced touk and Flanders out of the midfield

No chance. Could get a three way going with Essendon, GC & North though. If the reports about Jed Walter being unhappy are correct, North should try to poach him.

Merrit to GC, Simpkin to Essendon and Walter to North use whatever picks we have to.

 

[King Corey]

Jy/Wilson + Ess F2/Ess 1st round 3 way exchange.

Do it.

 

[giantroo]

"Bulls**t": Buckley's doubts over Jy Simpkin reports

“We fall for this all the time.”

www.sen.com.au