Player Watch #7: Zane Duursma - staying at North in 2026

[FlyHigh18]

He had a great game and I will want to see a greater sample size before I pop the champagne, but he had a very good game, he just seemed to be where he needed to be at the right time, made better decisions and executed better. It can take a bit of time to gel with a new club, especially when that club is undergoing significant change. I hope he can maintain this form, the wings were a major problem for us but if Stephens and Simpkin can knuckle down and play the role consistently well then it will be a huge boon for the club.

“He had a great game”

Omg please stop

If that was a great/good game then we’re going no where as a club.

 

[Tas]

If the 5 touches were spargo or someone we’d want to drop him for Wardlaw in an instant. But because he was a high pick everyone being scared of him leaving we are ok with that. I’m a little bit in the give him 6 games to see if he has it, but then you are dropping someone who’s performed better.

There was a really poor chasing effort from him in the first ten minutes of the game out on the wing where he just went at 60% when he was the only north player who could impact. It was really average. He also doesn’t seem to know where to position himself hence why he just didn’t get it.

I am sure we would prefer for him to be fully invested and do the little things. For me, I think everyone has to put in the desired effort but I think he has the potential to be a great player when he matures, the issue is finding the right path between now and then.

If we just leave him in the VFL he is unlikely going to improve and he will likely leave and we are unlikely to get a great deal given who does our trading so we can take that path but that path is unlikely to be a great outcome for the club. When you are a hammer, every problem is a nail and the solution is to hit it. I think clubs can fall into that trap but people are more complex than that.

I think he did some good things, laid some tackles or put some pressure on but it isn't instinctual with him. He had 11 pressure acts, same as Zurhaar and a lot more than other forwards, you would have to be more critical of Trembath or Curtis or other forwards that did less defensively but it is easy to pick on him atm. You can find flaws in anyone's game, even if they scored 10 votes, if you look for them and ignore everything else then you can reinforce any negative position.

I think the more effective path is highlight the good things he has done defensively and encourage him to do more of that and we should look to playing to his strengths rather then expose his weaknesses. He has freakishly good skills but atm he hasn't been in the right place at the right time to get more opportunity to score. He needs to find his place in the team, he just is never going to be a Konstanty type.

 

[Tas]

“He had a great game”

Omg please stop

If that was a great/good game then we’re going no where as a club.

You can always find another club to follow if you are just going to shit on every player who has a crack.

 

[7577969923]

“He had a great game”

Omg please stop

If that was a great/good game then we’re going no where as a club.

This was a reference to Dylan Stephens. He did have his best game at AFL level.

 

[Aberration]

None of the half-forwards were particularly prolific (Konstanty - 7 disposals, Dovaston - 10 disposals, Zurhaar - 11) due to the deeper F50 entries, as a result of more efficient and quicker ball movement going forward.

Against the better defensive teams that are able to slow up our ball movement, he will be worth his weight in gold, IMO.

Realistically, he will be taking the 6th best defender (Larkey, Darling, Trembath, Zurhaar, Curtis) and there's not many that would be able to go with him in the air.

The fact he was able to impact and show improved defensive intent with limited opportunities is huge because there will be times this year where he could be an absolute cheat code.

 

[Shazeezal]

He has so much potential to round out this rebuild. You have to do all that you can to get him there. Let him build his confidence in these early games where we might get a few wins.

A 190cm fwd/mid with silky skills is exactly what we need and he's got that potential. The perfect compliment to LDU, Sheezel, FOS, Wardlaw and McKercher.

Was good to see him given license to push back into D50.
He could be very handy doing that 10-15 times a game - with his kicking skills and ability to float in and mark as 3rd/4th man up.
I am decently confident he just needs the tank and the confidence.

 

[Merlin007]

Just watched the replay - this bloke is ready to go; gets up and back, good hands in close, creative kick. People focussing on mistakes need to have a look at what he does

 

[amaz199]

Just watched the replay - this bloke is ready to go; gets up and back, good hands in close, creative kick. People focussing on mistakes need to have a look at what he does

Watched it back too.

He was busting his arse as an outlet and loves a tackle. Keeps the opposition guessing. Buried Butters lol.

 

[ansonholt]

Still needs games at the top level. Some players are like that. We persisted with Disco when we might not have if we didn't have patience and now look what we have.

Needs a run at it. The payoff could be significant.

 

[Devil Fish]

Still needs games at the top level. Some players are like that. We persisted with Disco when we might not have if we didn't have patience and now look what we have.

Needs a run at it. The payoff could be significant.

Not wrong. I never thought D Stephens would be an A Grade mid but after his game on the weekend, I clearly got that wrong. You've gotta hand it to Rawlings.

And I'm not sure if it's been posted on here before, but Duursma was always going to be a slow burn.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Just watched the replay - this bloke is ready to go; gets up and back, good hands in close, creative kick. People focussing on mistakes need to have a look at what he does

Great point. Also, his volume of impact is going to be limited by low TOG and his sixth spot in the queue for marking targets.

 

[JZTIME!]

Great point. Also, his volume of impact is going to be limited by low TOG and his sixth spot in the queue for marking targets.

Advantage play meant he didn't get to kick his 2nd. If he kicks his 1-2 a game his output is far greater than a JK. I'm not sure why we are potting a guy thats currently averaging a goal a game

 

[King Corey]

Stats shmats.

Duursma was decent. Judge him as developing elite talent who found a way to get involved.

He's only just about to get to 25 games and has never had a neat consecutive run of them.

My queries have always been around his commitment but never his talent. If he wants to stay, I'd pay up.

 

[Themanbun]

There were a few times he loped around when he could have pressured in the first half, but that crunching tackle on Butters was a big step in the right direction.

 

[ferball]

There were a few times he loped around when he could have pressured in the first half, but that crunching tackle on Butters was a big step in the right direction.

He made a tackle deep in the back pocket early in the game. It was one of the first things I saw him do, maybe the first.

He had to work to get there and do that so that's positive. More likely he doesn't chase thru fatigue than intent later on if he's prepared to do that from the start imo. Chasing hard into the backline later in the game will come with fitness.

 

[Ura]

Hardeman will come back in this week and Wardlaw may. I really hope he isn’t the out. That said I feel most likely out is Blamiers which also is a very unlucky one.

 

[DocSholl]

Hardeman will come back in this week and Wardlaw may. I really hope he isn’t the out. That said I feel most likely out is Blamiers which also is a very unlucky one.

Doubt Wardlaw comes back in for a Perth trip, given no VFL on the weekend

 

[DuckYeah]

Hardeman will come back in this week and Wardlaw may. I really hope he isn’t the out. That said I feel most likely out is Blamiers which also is a very unlucky one.

Who would you rather in the team knowing Luke Parkers experience is now being absorbed in the backline?

Blamires or Happy meal?

 

[Chip Scab1]

Who would you rather in the team knowing Luke Parkers experience is now being absorbed in the backline?

Blamires or Happy meal?

You'd be nuts for putting up anyone's name for demotion except Daniel, McDonald or Simpkin. Literally nuts for suggesting anyone else!

Yeah they are ok, but not every opponent is going to be like Poort (who were crud).

 

[shinboner magic]

You'd be nuts for putting up anyone's name for demotion except Daniel, McDonald or Simpkin. Literally nuts for suggesting anyone else!

Yeah they are ok, but not every opponent is going to be like Poort (who were crud).

Stop trying to deflect from from your fav kont

 

[DuckYeah]

You'd be nuts for putting up anyone's name for demotion except Daniel, McDonald or Simpkin. Literally nuts for suggesting anyone else!

Yeah they are ok, but not every opponent is going to be like Poort (who were crud).

Konstanty offers very little other than a tagging role off half forward. IMO we are playing one down.

The tagging role is pretty much dead and buried in this modern day now.

Anyone who is asking for a tagging or run with role for any of our players in 2026 is wasting their time.

 

[Chip Scab1]

Stop trying to deflect from from your fav kont

I'm not commenting until I know what his job was. Has to go IMO, he's first out but again, until I'm convinced he didn't have some job that I couldn't see from the Premiership Club, I'll let him off the hook, we did win ffs haha

 

[shinboner magic]

I'm not commenting until I know what his job was. Has to go IMO, he's first out but again, until I'm convinced he didn't have some job that I couldn't see from the Premiership Club, I'll let him off the hook, we did win ffs haha

Curtis Taylor role of running where the ball wasn’t.

 

[Jonnoo]

BGZ seemed to spend a lot of the last qtr lining up on the wing at the centre bounces, and getting up and down the park, which speaks to a definite improvement in his cardio and tank, one of his biggest issues last year. Definitely something he’s worked on, and it’ll all come together for him at some point.