Opinion Commentary & Media IV

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Huns Supercoach Phantom's best 22 for us.

THE PHANTOM’S BEST 22
B: Ed Vickers-Willis, Majak Daw, Marley Williams

HB: Shaun Atley, Robbie Tarrant, Jasper Pittard

C: Jared Polec, Ben Cunnington, Trent Dumont

HF: Tarryn Thomas, Nick Larkey, Jy Simpkin

F:Jack Ziebell, Ben Brown, Cam Zuurhar

1R: Todd Goldstein, Shaun Higgins, Ben Jacobs
 
Feb 19, 2016
29,260
36,587
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Huns Supercoach Phantom's best 22 for us.

THE PHANTOM’S BEST 22
B: Ed Vickers-Willis, Majak Daw, Marley Williams

HB: Shaun Atley, Robbie Tarrant, Jasper Pittard

C: Jared Polec, Ben Cunnington, Trent Dumont

HF: Tarryn Thomas, Nick Larkey, Jy Simpkin

F:Jack Ziebell, Ben Brown, Cam Zuurhar

1R: Todd Goldstein, Shaun Higgins, Ben Jacobs
I bloody misread Larkey as Blakey and was about to flip. Dunno if Daw should be that deep in defence.
 

Passmore

Brownlow Medallist
May 22, 2001
23,603
75,885
The Gasometer Wing
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Norf
Huns Supercoach Phantom's best 22 for us.

THE PHANTOM’S BEST 22
B: Ed Vickers-Willis, Majak Daw, Marley Williams

HB: Shaun Atley, Robbie Tarrant, Jasper Pittard

C: Jared Polec, Ben Cunnington, Trent Dumont

HF: Tarryn Thomas, Nick Larkey, Jy Simpkin

F:Jack Ziebell, Ben Brown, Cam Zuurhar

1R: Todd Goldstein, Shaun Higgins, Ben Jacobs
I'd be happy with that. What's the bench?

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
 

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Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
Huns Supercoach Phantom's best 22 for us.

THE PHANTOM’S BEST 22
B: Ed Vickers-Willis, Majak Daw, Marley Williams

I'm yet to see anything that convinces me that Majak could play a true KPD role. He's shown that he's adept at the zone off role so far.
 
Huns Supercoach Phantom's best 22 for us.

THE PHANTOM’S BEST 22
B: Ed Vickers-Willis, Majak Daw, Marley Williams

HB: Shaun Atley, Robbie Tarrant, Jasper Pittard

C: Jared Polec, Ben Cunnington, Trent Dumont

HF: Tarryn Thomas, Nick Larkey, Jy Simpkin

F:Jack Ziebell, Ben Brown, Cam Zuurhar

1R: Todd Goldstein, Shaun Higgins, Ben Jacobs

Although I’d love to see them, you’d have to doubt the fitness of EVW and Jacobs at this stage. Wood is in trouble for a starting spot too.

Prolly replaced with a mix of Ahern and McDonald I’m the mid/half back areas.

Either Garner, Hosie or a small in Turner or Mahoney (depending on preseason - but there’s usually one draft ‘bolter’ who debuts) in for Wood.

Maybe Bailey Scott for Bonars position.
 

Passmore

Brownlow Medallist
May 22, 2001
23,603
75,885
The Gasometer Wing
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Norf
Although I’d love to see them, you’d have to doubt the fitness of EVW and Jacobs at this stage. Wood is in trouble for a starting spot too.

Prolly replaced with a mix of Ahern and McDonald I’m the mid/half back areas.

Either Garner, Hosie or a small in Turner or Mahoney (depending on preseason - but there’s usually one draft ‘bolter’ who debuts) in for Wood.

Maybe Bailey Scott for Bonars position.

It is a best 22 with fitness being taken as a given. Jacobs walks in. In a round 1 reality team, he’s no chance.
 
This article is from the January 19 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition. To subscribe, visit https://www.heraldsun.com.au/.
GILBERT GARDINER

NORTH Melbourne forwards Cameron Zurhaar and Nick Larkey have full faith in coach Rhyce Shaw delivering success at Arden St.

Shaw has been a revelation since Brad Scott’s surprise mid-season resignation last year, renewing a premiership belief in the emerging squad.

“We’ll get it,” Zurhaar said about the club being under extra pressure to perform and win finals.

“It’s just such a comfortable feel around the club … he’s (Shaw) always around, always there for a yarn. Sometimes he won’t leave you alone because he wants to have a chat.

“It’s kind of weird he’s head coach because it feels like a good mate … at the same time he knows exactly what he wants from us and he lets us know, which is great.”

North has missed the finals the past three seasons and went out meekly in 2016, a 10-goal elimination final loss to Adelaide marking the end of the storied Shinboner careers of games record-holder Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie and Michael Firrito.

The new breed, who Shaw relates to, engages and excites, is just as hungry to win and perform consistently.

“He’s got a good balance between friendship (and coach),” Larkey said.

“He’s liked and respected, has got a good balance between having a laugh and knuckling down and telling you want he wants from you.”

Alongside Coleman Medal contender Ben Brown, Larkey and Zurhaar will spearhead a dangerous attack in 2020.

Recruit Aiden Bonar and draftees Lachlan Hosie, Charlie Comben and Jack Mahoney are showing promise in preseason trials and creating competition with small and medium forwards Tarryn Thomas, Kayne Turner, Taylor Garner and Mason Wood.

“There’s a lot of pressure in the forward line,” Zurhaar said. “It’s pretty young. Ben Brown is the oldest forward — 26 going on to 27.”


Copyright © 2020 News Pty Limited
 
This article is from the January 19 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition. To subscribe, visit https://www.heraldsun.com.au/.
GILBERT GARDINER



North’s dynamic duo are living proof of the odd couple

NORTH Melbourne forward Nick Larkey wants a couch on the rooftop deck to make the most of city views from the Kensington pad he shares with teammate Cameron Zurhaar.

Zurhaar says the idea is another example of the “dumb s--- ” that Larkey says.

The negotiation is unrelenting.

“He wants to put something on the rooftop that just doesn’t go there

— a couch,” Zurhaar said.

“It is open air, so it will just get wet. It’s just not smart.

“Sometimes he says dumb s---, so I have to put him in line.”

The pot shots and banter ebbs and flows, with Larkey and Zurhaar sitting opposite each other in the foyer at Arden St.

“It’s my way or the highway for Cam,” Larkey said. “We clash heads at stages.” The sticking point is not so much the couch but where to put the “nice bar table” Zurhaar has bought, and the fact a couch would only detract from that. Not satisfied, and certainly not one to concede, Larkey escalates the negotiation as starts to trace a deck design on the coffee table with his index finger. “We could have both. He picked up the bar table — it goes there,” Larkey said. “We have a couch there, a couch there … and another little table there.” The remnants of a herb garden is said to be nearby, too. However, after months of neglect, that pot has been repurposed as a “rooftop urinal” .

OPPOSITES (REALLY DO) ATTRACT

ONE is blunt, saying it how it is. The other prefers to let people down gently. One has a suite of oddball tattoos. The other wants one — perhaps even more. One worked night shifts stacking supermarket shelves, and as a bricklayer. The other coached junior basketballers for pocket money. Yet, for all their differences, the rising stars go together like royal blue and white stripes. As with all relationships, Zurhaar and Larkey bounce off one another and often complete each other’s sentences. Zurhaar: “Personalities, we’re different as well.” Larkey: “Go well together, though, good dynamic.” Zurhaar: “We're very different, but we've obviously created a great friendship.” The bromance started off slowly. “We didn’t really hang out a lot when we were first year,” one said, but it “blossomed” last year as the 2016 draft steals cemented spots in the Kangaroos’ best 22. Oakleigh Chargers alumni Larkey was the fifth-last player selected (pick

73) in the national draft, while North plucked East Fremantle export Zurhaar as a (pick 11) rookie. “I've got his initials on my bum,” Zurhaar said. “That's how much he means to me. “I'm just waiting for my name to get on him.” True story. Zurhaar had “NL” stamped on his rump last year, along with “TG” and “DW” for teammate Taylor Garner and former Kangaroo and housemate Declan Watson. “He (Larkey) wants me to get the full — Nicholas Larkey established 1988,” Zurhaar said. “I won’t fall for that one.” Bull-at-a-gate Zurhaar is quite the contradiction, known to unwind on the golf course and enjoy good coffee and wine. So much so that Zurhaar, who carved a reputation last year for his ferocious attack on the ball, wants to do a sommelier course next, for “s---s and gigs” . “Only (drink wine) after a game,” Zurhaar said.

“I got ‘Souv’ (Larkey) into wine now, a nice pinot … he only drink reds and rose.

“Chardonnay is a bit too sweet for me. I'm sweet enough.”

Behind the constant banter is a respect and resolve to enjoy team success.

“I reckon he goes the hardest in the team,” Larkey said of Zurhaar.

“It lifts you, (watching) him lay a tackle or keep his feet in a one-on-one . It's just as good as kicking a goal.”

After nine games in two seasons, Zurhaar emerged last year with real X-factor , highlighted by two five-goal hauls and a benchmark 11-tackle performance in a mid-season win over eventual premier Richmond.

Drew Petrie clone Larkey, the VFL’s leading goalkicker in 2018, was just as impressive next to Kangaroos spearhead Ben Brown. Larkey booted 26 goals from 17 games, including two bags of five. “As a forward the whole team has to click for you to get good opportunities,” Larkey said, before being cut off. Zurhaar: “He was a bit cut when we both kicked five goals against St Kilda. He thought he was going to get all the limelight.” Larkey: “He got three votes, I didn't get one!”

DIY DELIGHTS

SOME like fishing, others golf and family commitments. The lads do “projects” in their spare time and will often been seen wandering the aisles at Bunnings to feed a DIY addiction. “We were going to lacquer our deck yesterday, but unfortunately the whole can spilt in the back of my car,” Zurhaar said. “That was a project in itself because we had to wash it out. “We do a lot around the house … buy junk we don’t need (but) think it's cool.” A garden variety leaf blower is one example, bought because a “nice” vacuum — “one below a Dyson” — was too expensive. “It was a leaf blower and sucker,” Larkey said. “Worked a treat … then he (Zurhaar) splashed out and got a nice vacuum. “It’s a little hobby, strolling the aisles at Bunnings and finding something weird in there. “I’ll tell you what is too expensive. Fake plants. “We wanted to put some fake plants on the rooftop and it’s $50 a pop for something plastic that is that (hands about 40cm apart) big.” Having grown tired of NBA 2K and table tennis wars, the latest fad is documentaries. But true crime thriller Don’t F** k With Cats has made the pair think twice about late-night television. “We slept together last night after watching it,” Zurhaar said, to which Larkey added. “He left me halfway through the third (episode) … I told him to leave the light on. I was pooing it.”

CHARMED, WE’RE SHAW

COACH Rhyce Shaw loves analogies and metaphors. He’s good at them, too, Larkey and Zurhaar agree. Although the “random” messaging sometimes makes Zurhaar think back to school and teachers reading books to the class during story time. “He’ll come to a meeting and start off with something random like, ‘I was watering my garden last night and …’ and he’ll somehow link the team to a watering can or something,” Larkey said.

“He can bring a metaphor out of anything.”

It hasn’t always gone to plan, though, as Zurhaar recounted Shaw’s maiden address as interim coach before the spirit-lifting Round 12 win over Richmond.

“He was a bit nervous and the boys picked up that he missed a few words and it (pump-up speech) didn’t make sense,” Zurhaar said.

“But at the end we still jumped up and were like ‘Yeah!’ and cheering. It was pretty funny.”

DUCKS AND DRAKES

THIS moniker is familiar to Shinboners fans.

But a new lower-leg tattoo has earned Zurhaar critical acclaim in the past week. Depicting a cartoon-style white duck wearing blue sandals, it is not a zany nod to the “Duck” , North Melbourne legend Wayne Carey.

In fact, it originally goes back to the glorious bowling figures Zurhaar recorded as a 12 year-old playing at Melville Cricket Club, in Perth.

“Six wickets. All for ducks. In a game. Six ducks,” Zurhaar said.

But also, the plump duck symbolises a day Zurhaar, who also has a “Bali special” pink flamingo tattoo, dined at a restaurant in Chinatown and polished off two Peking ducks in one sitting.

“I’ve got some good tatts,” he said.

“I want to get Winnie the Pooh next.”

gilbert.gardiner@news.com.au


Copyright © 2020 News Pty Limited
 
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That Zurhaar/Larkey article is gold, great PR for the club and great signs for the club with the way they talk about Shaws.
 
Rather than the player podcast this year I think we should go with a 6 part web series on them. If it takes off we flick it to Netflix for $20m and we solve our playing in Hobart issues
Do we know anyone with links to the media?
 

koshari

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 24, 2011
22,552
35,582
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Huns Supercoach Phantom's best 22 for us.

THE PHANTOM’S BEST 22
B: Ed Vickers-Willis, Majak Daw, Marley Williams

HB: Shaun Atley, Robbie Tarrant, Jasper Pittard

C: Jared Polec, Ben Cunnington, Trent Dumont

HF: Tarryn Thomas, Nick Larkey, Jy Simpkin

F:Jack Ziebell, Ben Brown, Cam Zuurhar

1R: Todd Goldstein, Shaun Higgins, Ben Jacobs
No Mcmillan?
 
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