Training 2026 Training Reports

[Dinkers]

Anyone know when our Intraclub is this year?

Yes I do

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

Even sleevo is involved

 

[muttley45]

Fan day and Intra Club on Friday the 13th, what could possibly go wrong ?

 

[Rod Stroker]

Not very happy with my shots today but here they are.

Great to meet you too, Merlin007!

gee Harris looks a lot like his old man

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

Fan day and Intra Club on Friday the 13th, what could possibly go wrong ?

Couldn’t have done the weekend? Friday arvo into north Melbourne after school is going to be a shocker

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Not very happy with my shots today but here they are.

Great to meet you too, Merlin007!

Kerch, Tommy P and Whitlock - heck even Scott - looking much stronger in the shoulders in those shots.

 

[Chip Scab1]

gee Harris looks a lot like his old man

He does. Looks like Zane is almost a man too. I can't wait to see what this campaigner can do.

 

[rickety]

Haven’t seen it at AFL level, albeit in a small sample size. Archer, McDonald and Corr are the 3 I would classify as pure lockdown defenders and 1 is out for the year, 1 is never available and done a calf and the other is a great servant however question marks are on him for obvious reasons.

If Hardeman can become that 1 on 1 defender who can lockdown, great. However I think the club has taken a massive gamble backing in archer, goater and Corr and not bringing anyone in, so far 2 have gone down and the other one let’s wait and see.

Do you even watch him then?

 

[rickety]

You watch a different bloke.

OK, he's no Marcus Bontempelli when it comes to ability.

He puts his head over it more than anyone else does. Goes where nobody else does and usually wears one for his corner.

But then again, you BigFooty more than me.

You've had too much sun mate.

 

[chickenonachain]

I saw Harris play in a game against the weakest team in the EDFL last year. still very young did ok nothing spectacular. Hopefully this year he has a great season at the cannons

 

[zoomba23]

Still brilliant, thanks Maddie!

Duurs looks much fitter through the core, as Merlin007 alluded to.

Yes but the main question is, has Merlin007 bulked up through the core?

 

[Waynesworld]

Still brilliant, thanks Maddie!

Duurs looks much fitter through the core, as Merlin007 alluded to.

Not sure how you can tell from that pic…

 

[Waynesworld]

I know hes built like a pipe cleaner, but for me Bailey Scott would be the perfect lock down small defender.

Can run all day and support the defence and won’t get outworked.

Gets pushed under the ball in marking contests, can’t hold a tackle, but sure, he’d be great as a lockdown defender

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Yes but the main question is, has Merlin007 bulked up through the core?

 

[Merlin007]

Yeah, like Homer, in my dreams

 

[year of the roo]

So Corr has done a calf and won't play rd 1. Spargo won't play which seems to be the consensus, and of course Archer.

The backline as shite as it as it has been, is running out of options.

FWIW- I didn't mind Corr but he's cooked AF

I mind him. I very ****ing mind him.

 

[spicerFanClub]

I still can't wrap my head around why CCJ was retained. Plenty higher upside and capable depth ruckman available in the state leagues.

He strung together 2-3 games in the VFL before his extremely brief AFL return that probably showed us his ceiling was the highest out of the backup forward-rucks we had + would be above the anyone we can realistically grab. Would say that's probably what turned us to him. His availability is obviously the question mark - maybe a bit of sunk cost fallacy going on. Then again, his realistic position is fourth-string ruck- forward, so maybe worth the punt on the "if he gets a clean pre-season" approach for a extra year.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Even sleevo is involved

FWIW we do a bit of grappling with Max Viney (BJJ Black belt, son of Todd).
I'd really like us to do more of it, it's ridiculous cardio and great for strength training.
Would also give players techniques to break a tackle.

 

[DuckYeah]

I know hes built like a pipe cleaner, but for me Bailey Scott would be the perfect lock down small defender.

Can run all day and support the defence and won’t get outworked.

Oi, there is a policy at North BigFooty, when you do drugs, you need to offer the rest of us.

 

[Frank Thring]

Oi, there is a policy at North BigFooty, when you do drugs, you need to offer the rest of us.

That would have to be one hell of a big bag

 

[King Corey]

FWIW we do a bit of grappling with Max Viney (BJJ Black belt, son of Todd).
I'd really like us to do more of it, it's ridiculous cardio and great for strength training.
Would also give players techniques to break a tackle.

Body control in general for contesting, jostling etc beyond tackling would benefit from that training.

You could be immensely weights room powerful* yet still a pushover in a body v body contest without that control and strength in odd positions.

*fortunately apart from about 3 blokes we won't face this problem

 

[Merlin007]

FWIW we do a bit of grappling with Max Viney (BJJ Black belt, son of Todd).
I'd really like us to do more of it, it's ridiculous cardio and great for strength training.
Would also give players techniques to break a tackle.

In between tactical sims, there were several grappling sessions at yesterday's training.

I wouldn't have clue as to whether there was any technical element to it, or whether there's a specialist coach, but they are doing it

 

[Rangtasic]

O Sullivan is a midfielder and distributing half back, if he is called upon to play the small/ medium lockdown role then something has gone horribly wrong. Hardeman also is

Nope. You can place a witches hat in that position and receive the same outcome

---

Long-time stalker, not a poster. But I’ve been watching this thread most days… sorry, essay coming.

Reckon you doomsday sayers need some perspective sometimes. Not attacking this post in particular, but it’s the first one I found that relates to what I was thinking. So sorry, DuckYeah — I know there are more negative posters on this thread. I just want to say the hysteria surrounding our recruitment of a small lockdown back is excessive.

Our backline has been very, very average, but I think it’s structurally much more average than simply being made up of average players.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m in the “what the f—-” camp about why a 160-something defender who is slow as f———, and who oppositions target every chance they get (like a well-coached NFL team going after a weak CB), is getting a game.

Welcome, Littlejohn. Hope you’ve been brought in to get in Clarkson’s ear, and fingers crossed he’ll run a system more like St Kilda’s man-on-man.

People are losing their s—-t on here about depth in our back pocket position, which I find to be a bit of an alarmist take.

Archer didn’t play last year. Loved the look of him in 2024 and how hard he is at the ball — every team needs an Archer. Also thought his disposal and decision-making were okay; he played within his limitations. Would have been good this year, but not essential to us moving up the ladder.

Corr was only there because he had a contract. Going down — who cares, seriously. The guy is past it. There was a reason GWS let him go; he was done before we got him. Shouts a lot, but I’ve never seen a c—-nt get beaten as regularly playing out of the back pocket, even in a shit system. Hate to think how much we paid for the muppet. In short: useless at North, and pretty average in his last few years at GWS. So not really an issue.

McDonald’s dump kicks down the line drive me insane. Missed a fair chunk of last year; hopefully the coaches explain to him that it doesn’t work. Archer’s potential and his current output are pretty like-for-like in my opinion, based on the sample we got from Luke’s limited games last year. Like many posters have said, he bleeds blue and white — just needs better coaching and to understand his limitations. Just wish he didn’t smile when he f——-d up.

So now let’s look at the recruiting the downers refer to over the last few years. Taking out the COVID outlier, a series of absolute c——nuts coaches, and a statistician who was dumb as a brick (good source) thinking he could Moneyball an AFL team. From 2021 onward — even though Clarkson didn’t really start recruiting until 2022 — let’s put this in perspective.

2021​

• Jason Horne-Francis (1): Great player, but we got Wardlaw
• Goater (22): Injured — can’t predict that — but looks like a half-back with height and a penetrating kick
• Curtis (35): Steal at 35
• Bergman (38): Injured, Moneyball fail — could have done better
• Archer (59)
• CCJ (2nd-round trade): Moneyball, injury-prone, also not that good a bloke
• Greenwood: Who cares, knobhead mate

2022​

• Sheezel (3): Gun
• Wardlaw (4): Injury-prone but the epitome of a Shinboner
• George: Unlucky
• Harvey (56): Jury out, but skills and work ethic according to everyone here — not acceptable apparently
• Griffin Logue: Cruelled by injuries; needed a full back and had to give a pick away
• Darcy Tucker

2023 (AC now in, no Moneyball di—head involved)​

• McKercher (2): My favourite — sky is the limit. HB this year, guts, someone can lock that position down by 2027
• Dursma (4): Can be a gun, was a gun underage, freakish from what I saw pre-draft. Hope we keep him — good for morale — just needs to come on. Silk looked a bit like Burgoyne in his underage days
• Goad (20): Weapon. I have faith. Needs development, size, and footy nous. Always stands out at training
• Dawson (22): Big unit, needed at the time. Youngest player in the draft. Butchers it a bit — needs to know his limitations, but will be good for what we need
• Hardeman (23): Gun, captain material. Only second year — will improve. Has traits to be a good AFL footballer without being a freak. The HB people say we don’t have
• Rookie (from memory): Fin — lost. Preferred him over CCJ; not sure why we didn’t

2024​

• FOS (2): Gun, gun, gun. Great pick even if others don’t realise it yet. Good first year — will scare people how good he is
• Whitlock (27): Didn’t like the trade at the time. Lots of people screaming for talls. Would have preferred to stay put and take Shanahan from WC, but jury’s out — fingers crossed
• Urquart (57): Athletic, not much else. Position we need — big bull in the centre — but maybe a swing and a miss

2025​

• Lachy Dovanston (15): Big need
• Blake Threadgold (26): Big need, but 2–3 years away physically. Will be better than Comben
• Hugo Minuka (48): Here’s your lockdown — small, fast, good kick

Plus rookies (Rivers, etc.) don’t really matter for this argument, and can’t be ass—- looking.

Stephens: Potential, but not a Shinboner
Konstanty: Maybe
Daniels: Mistake — cost way too much
Parker: Weapon, but end is close; needed his inspiration
Darling: Serving his purpose while young talls get bigger
Stephens: Can play, just needs ball at contest; sometimes looks underconfident

Mid-season: Banch, Trenbath, others — don’t care much, but think the old mates in recruiting are doing a good job. Excited about Banch and Threadgold. Hansen — not sure. Beautiful kick, not sure about the heart.

Best team in 2027 (when I think we take off)​

Backs:
Hardeman – Logue – Archer

Half-backs:
McKercher – Comben – Goater

Mids:
Simpkin – LDU – FOS

Forwards:
Dursma – Trenbath – Curtis
Banch – Larkey – Dovanston

Followers:
Xerri – Sheezel – Wardlaw

Bench:
Goad, Zurhaar, George, Stephens, Powell

So, in short — and sorry, nothing short about this post — we needed a full rebuild, which is very hard to do quickly when you’re an average small club. But Clarkson and his team haven’t missed yet in the draft, apart from the midget. Jury’s out on Dursma and George — both very unlucky — but fingers crossed.

By my calculations, we needed best available to support LDU, and we did that in 2022, 2023, and 2024: Sheezel, Wardlaw, McKercher, FOS, Dursma (hopefully).

Then we whinged about talls: Whitlock, Goad, Dawson, Threadgold, Trenbath. These guys take time to get big enough, but all look like they could make it.

Then we whinged about small forwards: Dovanston, Banch, Konstanty — could be a good brigade. Time will tell.

Now the last thing we’re losing our shit over is a back pocket. In my opinion, that’s the last position we needed to address — probably the least important. That said, we tried Buderick and Starcevich, didn’t work, so we took Minuka: small, fast, good disposal. Sounds like a good fit.

Calm down. By 2027, only six players from 2020 or earlier will still be in the team by my count.

Just to be positive: we have the potential to be excellent

 

[SunnyBoner]

---

Long-time stalker, not a poster. But I’ve been watching this thread most days… sorry, essay coming.

Reckon you doomsday sayers need some perspective sometimes. Not attacking this post in particular, but it’s the first one I found that relates to what I was thinking. So sorry, DuckYeah — I know there are more negative posters on this thread. I just want to say the hysteria surrounding our recruitment of a small lockdown back is excessive.

Our backline has been very, very average, but I think it’s structurally much more average than simply being made up of average players.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m in the “what the f—-” camp about why a 160-something defender who is slow as f———, and who oppositions target every chance they get (like a well-coached NFL team going after a weak CB), is getting a game.

Welcome, Littlejohn. Hope you’ve been brought in to get in Clarkson’s ear, and fingers crossed he’ll run a system more like St Kilda’s man-on-man.

People are losing their s—-t on here about depth in our back pocket position, which I find to be a bit of an alarmist take.

Archer didn’t play last year. Loved the look of him in 2024 and how hard he is at the ball — every team needs an Archer. Also thought his disposal and decision-making were okay; he played within his limitations. Would have been good this year, but not essential to us moving up the ladder.

Corr was only there because he had a contract. Going down — who cares, seriously. The guy is past it. There was a reason GWS let him go; he was done before we got him. Shouts a lot, but I’ve never seen a c—-nt get beaten as regularly playing out of the back pocket, even in a shit system. Hate to think how much we paid for the muppet. In short: useless at North, and pretty average in his last few years at GWS. So not really an issue.

McDonald’s dump kicks down the line drive me insane. Missed a fair chunk of last year; hopefully the coaches explain to him that it doesn’t work. Archer’s potential and his current output are pretty like-for-like in my opinion, based on the sample we got from Luke’s limited games last year. Like many posters have said, he bleeds blue and white — just needs better coaching and to understand his limitations. Just wish he didn’t smile when he f——-d up.

So now let’s look at the recruiting the downers refer to over the last few years. Taking out the COVID outlier, a series of absolute c——nuts coaches, and a statistician who was dumb as a brick (good source) thinking he could Moneyball an AFL team. From 2021 onward — even though Clarkson didn’t really start recruiting until 2022 — let’s put this in perspective.

2021​

• Jason Horne-Francis (1): Great player, but we got Wardlaw
• Goater (22): Injured — can’t predict that — but looks like a half-back with height and a penetrating kick
• Curtis (35): Steal at 35
• Bergman (38): Injured, Moneyball fail — could have done better
• Archer (59)
• CCJ (2nd-round trade): Moneyball, injury-prone, also not that good a bloke
• Greenwood: Who cares, knobhead mate

2022​

• Sheezel (3): Gun
• Wardlaw (4): Injury-prone but the epitome of a Shinboner
• George: Unlucky
• Harvey (56): Jury out, but skills and work ethic according to everyone here — not acceptable apparently
• Griffin Logue: Cruelled by injuries; needed a full back and had to give a pick away
• Darcy Tucker

2023 (AC now in, no Moneyball di—head involved)​

• McKercher (2): My favourite — sky is the limit. HB this year, guts, someone can lock that position down by 2027
• Dursma (4): Can be a gun, was a gun underage, freakish from what I saw pre-draft. Hope we keep him — good for morale — just needs to come on. Silk looked a bit like Burgoyne in his underage days
• Goad (20): Weapon. I have faith. Needs development, size, and footy nous. Always stands out at training
• Dawson (22): Big unit, needed at the time. Youngest player in the draft. Butchers it a bit — needs to know his limitations, but will be good for what we need
• Hardeman (23): Gun, captain material. Only second year — will improve. Has traits to be a good AFL footballer without being a freak. The HB people say we don’t have
• Rookie (from memory): Fin — lost. Preferred him over CCJ; not sure why we didn’t

2024​

• FOS (2): Gun, gun, gun. Great pick even if others don’t realise it yet. Good first year — will scare people how good he is
• Whitlock (27): Didn’t like the trade at the time. Lots of people screaming for talls. Would have preferred to stay put and take Shanahan from WC, but jury’s out — fingers crossed
• Urquart (57): Athletic, not much else. Position we need — big bull in the centre — but maybe a swing and a miss

2025​

• Lachy Dovanston (15): Big need
• Blake Threadgold (26): Big need, but 2–3 years away physically. Will be better than Comben
• Hugo Minuka (48): Here’s your lockdown — small, fast, good kick

Plus rookies (Rivers, etc.) don’t really matter for this argument, and can’t be ass—- looking.

Stephens: Potential, but not a Shinboner
Konstanty: Maybe
Daniels: Mistake — cost way too much
Parker: Weapon, but end is close; needed his inspiration
Darling: Serving his purpose while young talls get bigger
Stephens: Can play, just needs ball at contest; sometimes looks underconfident

Mid-season: Banch, Trenbath, others — don’t care much, but think the old mates in recruiting are doing a good job. Excited about Banch and Threadgold. Hansen — not sure. Beautiful kick, not sure about the heart.

Best team in 2027 (when I think we take off)​

Backs:
Hardeman – Logue – Archer

Half-backs:
McKercher – Comben – Goater

Mids:
Simpkin – LDU – FOS

Forwards:
Dursma – Trenbath – Curtis
Banch – Larkey – Dovanston

Followers:
Xerri – Sheezel – Wardlaw

Bench:
Goad, Zurhaar, George, Stephens, Powell

So, in short — and sorry, nothing short about this post — we needed a full rebuild, which is very hard to do quickly when you’re an average small club. But Clarkson and his team haven’t missed yet in the draft, apart from the midget. Jury’s out on Dursma and George — both very unlucky — but fingers crossed.

By my calculations, we needed best available to support LDU, and we did that in 2022, 2023, and 2024: Sheezel, Wardlaw, McKercher, FOS, Dursma (hopefully).

Then we whinged about talls: Whitlock, Goad, Dawson, Threadgold, Trenbath. These guys take time to get big enough, but all look like they could make it.

Then we whinged about small forwards: Dovanston, Banch, Konstanty — could be a good brigade. Time will tell.

Now the last thing we’re losing our shit over is a back pocket. In my opinion, that’s the last position we needed to address — probably the least important. That said, we tried Buderick and Starcevich, didn’t work, so we took Minuka: small, fast, good disposal. Sounds like a good fit.

Calm down. By 2027, only six players from 2020 or earlier will still be in the team by my count.

Just to be positive: we have the potential to be excellent

That starting 18 with LMac for Archer and Pink for Goater is how we should be starting round 1 this year.

 

[Krakouer Bonar]

Dunno. What do they see that we dont? Probably the same as why we retain frauds like happy meal and others

Gee you must be fun at parties. And an even bigger barrel of joy at games.