Past #15: Paul Ahern - delisted after 24 NM games/6 NM goals - thanks Pauly

Sep 21, 2008
27,883
64,393
Vic
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Jess Sinclair 😏

That’s it. Been well over ten years since we had a real classy half back.

All the best sides have elite distributing half back flankers, most of which aren’t particularly accountable.

Think Houli, Whitfield ect. If we have a midfield that can run hard defensive and a defensive unit that can cover Ahern obvious deficiencies then he could become a very very damaging distributor off half back.

I can’t see him becoming a lockdown type, but he has the tools to break games apart with his vision and execution.
 

Nutjob

Premiership Player
Oct 23, 2014
3,075
5,258
AFL Club
North Melbourne
That’s it. Been well over ten years since we had a real classy half back.

All the best sides have elite distributing half back flankers, most of which aren’t particularly accountable.

Think Houli, Whitfield ect. If we have a midfield that can run hard defensive and a defensive unit that can cover Ahern obvious deficiencies then he could become a very very damaging distributor off half back.

I can’t see him becoming a lockdown type, but he has the tools to break games apart with his vision and execution.

I agree that we need to address our run off half back. Sinclair was decent, but i honestly can’t think of an A grade half back since David King.

I do think Atley deserves a little bit of credit. I honestly wouldn’t have him that far behind Sinclair to be honest. If we didn’t continually trial him in the midfield, half forward and let him make half back his own, he may be even better. I honestly think if you swapped houli for Atley, Tigers would get a similar result, if not better.

Leigh Harding deserves a mention too. He was dynamite off half back for a few years. It’s a credit to him because everyone including myself had put a line through his name.

I think if Ahern can gain an extra yard of pace, working off half back will be perfect for him. We have players coming on like simpkin, Thomas, Ldu, Scott, ect who are going to demand more time in the middle and make it even harder for Ahern.

There is hole to fill off half back and I think he has the right attributes to fill a role down there.


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Nutjob

Premiership Player
Oct 23, 2014
3,075
5,258
AFL Club
North Melbourne
If he can get other blokes in the team to watch his opponent.

No different to any other attacking half back to be honest. If he can do enough damage going our way, hopefully we can structurally cover for him going the other way.
In all seriousness does Houli or Whitfield keep a close eye on their opponent? I would say it’s more of a case of Grima, Rance, Vlastuin or Davis, Haynes, Corr having the ability to cover for them. The same could be said for Johannison in 2016 and Laird in 2017.
The whole lot of them play offence first and defence second.


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Apr 24, 2013
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153,170
Arden Street Hill
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North Melbourne
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Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
Can’t see him in our best 22. Will do an exceptional job off HalfBack in VFL.

I don't have him replacing any of Williams, Pittard, McDonald or MacMillan, unless scamper is looking at swinging some of these blokes around.

Still, who really knows? It's a whole new ball game now.
 
I don't have him replacing any of Williams, Pittard, McDonald or MacMillan, unless scamper is looking at swinging some of these blokes around.

Still, who really knows? It's a whole new ball game now.

Now, Scamper reverses the “enough room to swing a cat” proverb. Is there no end to his abilities?!


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I don't have him replacing any of Williams, Pittard, McDonald or MacMillan, unless scamper is looking at swinging some of these blokes around.

Still, who really knows? It's a whole new ball game now.
Plays ahead of Macmillan
Macmillan will be 2s from now on
 
Did you just have a dream about Mcmilllan and wake up in a cold sweat?

remember Shaw just challenged Jamie to become better, probably for the first time in career he has had someone say you can be better. Big change.
Laughable that he hadn’t been challenged before after 150 mediocre games

Macmillan has the lowest ceiling. And should not be taking game time ahead of Ahern who will be the half back for us for the next decade if all goes well
 
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