Prediction Best 22 in 2022

Aug 6, 2021
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I can see how our forward line can become a competition leader in 3 years time.
I can see how our midfield does the same in 3 years time.
Taking everyone on our entire list into account, I cannot see how our defence does much to worry any team in the top 4 in 3 years time, unless perhaps they are the forward competing against McKay.
 
May 20, 2009
16,134
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coburg
AFL Club
North Melbourne
HBF I reckon.
Seems to have the tackling down pat so could work as a small lockdown defender too.
Has a better chance of making it than Bonar IMO
I'm holding out hope for Bonar.
He is learning a new position and showed good glimpses last year.
Bonar has better footy IQ than Atu IMO.
 
May 20, 2009
16,134
37,368
coburg
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I can see how our forward line can become a competition leader in 3 years time.
I can see how our midfield does the same in 3 years time.
Taking everyone on our entire list into account, I cannot see how our defence does much to worry any team in the top 4 in 3 years time, unless perhaps they are the forward competing against McKay.
We have most of our experience in defence.
We need an intercept defender to replace JZ over the next few years. (hopefully a better one on one defender)
And a HBF link man to replace Hall. (hopefully a better one on one defender.)
Other than that McKay, Corr and Turner have plenty of time left.
 
Aug 6, 2021
8,322
22,465
AFL Club
North Melbourne
We have most of our experience in defence.
We need an intercept defender to replace JZ over the next few years. (hopefully a better one on one defender)
And a HBF link man to replace Hall. (hopefully a better one on one defender.)
Other than that McKay, Corr and Turner have plenty of time left.

Experience is fine, I'm just bearish about the up-and-coming defender stocks we have in the VFL. And I'm not convinced we can solve the problem in this year's draft.

We've got a great nucleus and the future will be built around that. I just can't wait for one year's time when we're in a position to bring in two defence heavyweights out of a much more serious trade season than the one that's just happened.

From where I'm sitting, we're only two years and two great defenders away from finals contention.

And then a great small forward and a great wingman away from premiership contention.
 
Last edited:
May 20, 2009
16,134
37,368
coburg
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Experience is fine, I'm just bearish about the up-and-coming defender stocks we have in the VFL. And I'm not convinced we can solve the problem in this year's draft.

We've got a great nucleus and the future will be built around that. I just can't wait for one year's time when we're in a position to bring in two defence heavyweights out of a much more serious trade season than the one that's just happened.

From where I'm sitting, we're only two years and two great defenders away from finals contention.

And then a great small forward and a great wingman away from premiership contention.
Rucks and KPD are usually the easiest position to find mature and cheap.
We have 1 good KPD who is already reaching his prime that is a long way ahead of most bottom placed sides.
I agree with you its easily our worst line.
But I think its also the easiest fixed while also being the area you would least like to spend first round draft picks on.
We will get there. I don't think small defender will be an issue. we will have mids that don't make the cut we can try in the role.
Swapping a pick in the 20s for someone like Keith is far better than throwing 3 first rounders at Jezza Cameron.
Defence can wait.
 

Shinboner1

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 13, 2020
8,899
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I'm holding out hope for Bonar.
He is learning a new position and showed good glimpses last year.
Bonar has better footy IQ than Atu IMO.
Better footy IQ maybe but doesn't have the aggressiveness and is too reactionary for the position IMO.
Ultimately it would be good to have both, 1 on talls and 1 on smalls but tis hard to fit them in.
 
Aug 6, 2021
8,322
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AFL Club
North Melbourne
But I think its also the easiest fixed while also being the area you would least like to spend first round draft picks on.
We will get there. I don't think small defender will be an issue. we will have mids that don't make the cut we can try in the role.
Swapping a pick in the 20s for someone like Keith is far better than throwing 3 first rounders at Jezza Cameron.
Defence can wait.

Sure. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself - and correct me if I'm wrong here - but Melbourne paid 2 1st rounders for Lever in 2017, once their nucleus was built. And then another first rounder for May in 2018. Probably their best moves, after drafting Petracca and Oliver in the first place.
What I'm getting at is this: do you think next year's trade season will be our time to do the same? Because looking at the alternatives, I'm not sure there are any others that will stand us in contention.
 
Last edited:
May 20, 2009
16,134
37,368
coburg
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Sure. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself - and correct me if I'm wrong here - but Melbourne paid 2 1st rounders for Lever in 2017, once their nucleus was built. And then another first rounder for May in 2018. Probably their best moves, after drafting Petracca and Oliver in the first place.
Flipside is I think our forward line is better than theirs was when they started spending big on defenders.
But what I'm getting at is: do you think next year's trade season will be our time to do the same? Because looking at the alternatives, I'm not sure there are any others that will stand us in contention.
Next years trade period we hopefully wont have the wooden spoon.
We may be able to attract players if we are seen as being on the up.
The way we have built our list I don't foresee us needing Mids or to a lesser extent Forwards.
I can see us taking a KPD with pick 20 this year. If its an Alleer type they will play round 1.
A gun would be great next year through FA. But I doubt very much we would pay as much as the Dees did.
Personally I think the days of trading 2x first round picks for players are over.
The Treloar deal has ended up a horror for Collingwood and everyone is scared to repeat it.
2 x first round picks for Treloar then Sleevo with there next first rounder.
Now they pay for Treloar to play elsewhere.
Big deals can be s**t also.
 

Shinboner1

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 13, 2020
8,899
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Sure. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself - and correct me if I'm wrong here - but Melbourne paid 2 1st rounders for Lever in 2017, once their nucleus was built. And then another first rounder for May in 2018. Probably their best moves, after drafting Petracca and Oliver in the first place.
What I'm getting at is this: do you think next year's trade season will be our time to do the same? Because looking at the alternatives, I'm not sure there are any others that will stand us in contention.
They obviously identified tall defenders as a major need for the side moving forward.
Depending on how we draft this year it may be a position of need but defense is probably the only need for us looking at the side.
The talent we have moving forward is pretty exceptional in the forward and mid lines so I'm not sure what type of player we'd actually be looking at throwing a top 10 pick at.
Maybe Ben King to really finish off our forward line but it forces a lot of guys out of the position so probably a NO.
Going to be interesting if we take the same position; if we got macpherson and ended up with 19 and 20 this year we could almost fix our tall defender stocks in a single year and build the area for the next 10 years. Bazzo, Aleer, JVR and Dean all around the mark.
 
Apr 17, 2007
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melb home of the kangas
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Reginald0

Club Legend
Jul 30, 2012
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Looking ahead:
A few teams seem to have a lot of gun players in the 29+ range
WC Port obviously Cats and Tiggers plus Hawks tho they actually have some good young players as do Port

Syd also looking over the cliff a bit

don’t think it will happen for Sts and Blues, too many bad choices
Crows due to come good but think Freo losing Cerra just shows they will always be 2nd best in the West

Gold Coast will keep getting spoon fed but don’t think it will help Same with GWS just a second Syd side

which leaves all the Melb sides and the impending Tassie team…..that is gonna be a problem for us
We will really want to start looking successful in the next 2 years…..and if and when certain players get poached we just need to trade back in
 

tiltraise

Premiership Player
Feb 12, 2008
3,658
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arden street
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North Melbourne


north-melbourne.jpg

After bringing in 13 players in the past year, the Kangaroos focused on targeting Callum Coleman-Jones to bolster their key forward options and add an understudy to the durable Todd Goldstein. Fellow talls Tristan Xerri and Charlie Comben will offer healthy competition but the prized recruit should start ahead of them. Ben McKay will continue to take the biggest and best forward but Aidan Corr needs to bounce back from an injury-riddled first season at the Roos to cover the loss of club stalwart Robbie Tarrant. Tom Powell will be given opportunities to build on an impressive debut season and would benefit from developing his outside game from a wing. Improving midfield depth, the emergence of Tarryn Thomas, and Will Phillips working his way into the rotations mean Jared Polec and Jed Anderson will have to rediscover their top form and fitness to hold their spots. The uncontracted Trent Dumont and Shaun Atley have not been considered. - Martin Pegan

B: Aidan Corr, Ben McKay, Jack Ziebell
HB: Luke McDonald, Josh Walker, Aaron Hall
C: Jaidyn Stephenson, Ben Cunnington, Tom Powell
HF: Tarryn Thomas, Cameron Zurhaar, Curtis Taylor
F: Callum Coleman-Jones, Nick Larkey, Jack Mahony
Foll: Todd Goldstein, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Jy Simpkin
I/C: Will Phillips, Jed Anderson, Jared Polec, Aiden Bonar

Emerg: Kayne Turner, Bailey Scott, Charlie Lazarro, Charlie Comben
 

chairo

Team Captain
Dec 22, 2013
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Hope we are able to leverage our abundance of skilled mid-sized forward-mids into the game plan.
 

shimaburnsgrieg

Premiership Player
Apr 1, 2017
4,357
10,092
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Hope we are able to leverage our abundance of skilled mid-sized forward-mids into the game plan.
And that is going to be the old 'a good problem to have'.

it also means the likes of Mahoney/Taylor are not likely to be best 22 as the surplus of mids (including JHF who isn't in that team above) will need to be squeezed in.

Comben will also be in the best 22.

Your post is right on though - the mids will need to be able to play multiple positions to make this work - whether all the mids have this capability will be one of the key factors in how successful this rebuild will become.
 

FootySmartSimpson

Premiership Player
Jun 18, 2007
3,713
7,305
Melbourne
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North Melbourne
Hope we are able to leverage our abundance of skilled mid-sized forward-mids into the game plan.

Look at our '98 and '99 sides: We had Bell, Harvey, Abraham and Grant, even Scott and Roberts who were all just as effective across the centre line or roving as they were running around HF banging it through the big sticks from 30-60 metres.
 
B: Walker - McKay - Turner
HB: Hall - Corr - Ziebell
C: Stephenson - Thomas - McDonald
HF: Ford - CCJ - JHF
F: Zurhaar - Larkey - Mahoney
R: Goldy - Cunnington- Simpkin
I/C: LDU - Powell - Taylor - Atu

Emergency: Phillips, Comben, Anderson

Very hard to fit all the young mids in and I have probably missed someone like I usually do. Chose Atu as that defence is a little one-paced.

Gaps and Draft Needs:
- HB class with Ziebell and Hall on the older side of things. Maybe Banks with a later pick
- KPD depth with Walker being very average and Corr being undersized. Bazzo or Aleer here.
- Small fast forwards and pressure forwards are a major hole with only spicer and Mahoney capable of it. One of Dudley, Curtis, Stretch or Judson Clarke with later picks.
 
Nov 25, 2014
1,614
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This needs to be our R23 team next year for us to set up our surge in 2024.

B Atu McKay Corr
HB Hall Comben Bonar
C Polec LDU Stephenson
HF Powell Larkey Thomas
F Spicer CCJ Zurhaar
R Goldy Cunners Simpkin
Int. JHF Ford Phillips Taylor
Emg Scott (sub) McDonald Young Lazzaro
 
Apr 17, 2007
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melb home of the kangas
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hellas,liverpool,storm,au
Got to move past J.Walker and hopefully he doesn’t play more than 10 games.
Need Bonar to be our third tall in the Spud Firrito role - we need more agility back there.
A backline of corr , McKay, Turner , hall ,jwalker and ziebs - doesn’t fill the future with great hope
 

Shinboner1

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 13, 2020
8,899
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Got to move past J.Walker and hopefully he doesn’t play more than 10 games.
Need Bonar to be our third tall in the Spud Firrito role - we need more agility back there.
A backline of corr , McKay, Turner , hall ,jwalker and ziebs - doesn’t fill the future with great hope
Agree our backline is the worry zone
 
May 20, 2009
16,134
37,368
coburg
AFL Club
North Melbourne
This needs to be our R23 team next year for us to set up our surge in 2024.

B Atu McKay Corr
HB Hall Comben Bonar
C Polec LDU Stephenson
HF Powell Larkey Thomas
F Spicer CCJ Zurhaar
R Goldy Cunners Simpkin
Int. JHF Ford Phillips Taylor
Emg Scott (sub) McDonald Young Lazzaro
I like the Comben at CHB move when comparing him to Walker.
I reckon he gets a good run of games in the back half of the year.
But I reckon we will be taking a KPD in the draft. They are more likely at the start of the year.
 

hellas_johnny

Premiership Player
May 26, 2008
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South Melbourne Hellas
This needs to be our R23 team next year for us to set up our surge in 2024.

B Atu McKay Corr
HB Hall Comben Bonar
C Polec LDU Stephenson
HF Powell Larkey Thomas
F Spicer CCJ Zurhaar
R Goldy Cunners Simpkin
Int. JHF Ford Phillips Taylor
Emg Scott (sub) McDonald Young Lazzaro
No chance mcdonald doesn't play round 1
 

shimaburnsgrieg

Premiership Player
Apr 1, 2017
4,357
10,092
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I can see how our forward line can become a competition leader in 3 years time.
I can see how our midfield does the same in 3 years time.
Taking everyone on our entire list into account, I cannot see how our defence does much to worry any team in the top 4 in 3 years time, unless perhaps they are the forward competing against McKay.
You are on the money here with a 3 year view. In terms next year my view would be

. Backline - bottom 1-2 in the league
. Mids - in a state of transition as Goldie regresses, Cunners a bit unknown but lot's of good youth coming through
. Forwards - potentially good players everywhere but very young and likely to be inconsistent.

We need to be recruiting kpd's, intercept defenders and running defenders at the draft and as FA's.
 

Wonderdog

All Australian
Nov 14, 2001
736
1,422
Canberra
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North Melbourne
Backs Philosophy 7 defenders, mix of talls & smalls &one lockdown defender

McKay, Corr, Bonar, Ziebs, Hall, Atu, Perez,

Forwards Philosophy, 2 talls, one who can ruck, one pressure forward, 2 who can play midfield minutes

Larks, CCJ, zurhaar, Mahoney, Stevo, JHF

Ruck Goldie

Mids Philosophy mixture of insiders & outsiders

Cunners, Jy, LDU, Will, Tom, LMac, Bailey, TT,

Sub Curtis
 
9 midfield spots (2 Wings, Center, Ruck Rover, Rover, 2 forwards and 2 on the bench) and we have these guys to fill the spots.

Cunnington
Simpkin
Davies-Uniacke
Stephenson
Anderson
Thomas
McDonald
Powell
Phillips
Greenwood
Horne-Francis
Polec
Lazzaro
Scott

Its going to be a fun preseason.
 
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