Prediction Four to the Fore

Oct 22, 2014
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Jack Ziebell:

Some guys fail under the pressure of captaincy and some guys stand tall and take their game to another level. We have all seen what this guy is capable of just not regularly enough to call him an A grade, bona fide star of the competition, yet. But I know it's there. Be that guy Jack
A 25 disposal average and 30+ goal season is not beyond him and should be what he is aiming for next season.
If Jack can eliminate blind kicks out of congestion and give some clean handballs to our hard running quick transition midfielders (that's right we have some of those now) this will go a long way to retaining the football, higher scoring, less turnovers and lower scores against.
Note this also applies to Cunnington

Majak Daw:
7th season and the daw (sorry) of opportunity opens for you off the back of hard work and some solid, sometimes spectacular but inconsistent performances. No doubt there have been some frustrating times when solid VFL form has not always resulted in a senior call up. Now it is your time.
Never going to be a world beater but if he can average 3goals 6 marks several goal assists and a few bone crunching tackles a game then look out. Let brown do all the grunt work and take advantage of the holes he creates.

Ryan Clarke:
the running man
In his draft year he was credited as the guy who willed his team over the line in the finals series and now he gets the opportunity to be that guy in the big league. You run son, and link up and move the ball forward, and then get it again. Could be the missing link in a midfield seen by many, myself included as too slow and to predictable.

And from left field
Marly Williams:
Could prove to be one of the most astute trades from this year. I just want a role player, but that role has the potential to completely change the way this list is utilised. Work with me here. Imagine an opposition forward line where the most dangerous small forward is neutralised week in week out. But wait there's more. Imagine that this allows one of our quickest defenders time and space to break lines and feed the ball lace out to our hard running quick transition midfielders. I want you to also think about the opportunity for LMac and JMac to spend more time through the midfield and the flow on effect to stoppages and rotations and how the opposition set up to Goldstein's ruck work.
Stay away from your D/H mates, stay off the Persian rugs and just play a role. Albeit an important one.
 
Mar 15, 2008
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For us to go to another level, is for the club to throw out the rule book.....dare I say it, but we have to be unsociable. Players need to play right up to edge. If this means we lose a player for a week or 2 for indiscretion so be it. Ziebell went backward 2 steps when he was told to curb his ways. This is what made him tick and this stifled him a bit. We need these type of players to ruffle the feathers and get under the skin of opposition players........they'll be our favourites but sure as we have good friday footy they be unpopular amongst non supporters of the club. The mentality of the so called rebuild also needs to be addressed at the same time.........we invested into pumping 100 or more games into our core group these players and we know who they are, need to lead, they need to set the standards through preseason, on the training track and of course on the park when playing. These players will be more under the microscope now because if they don't then the club would be better off getting a decent trade pick for the 2018 batch of kids.

In this thread to name individuals to step up I feel is incorrect it really should be placed into groups of players.

100+ games = core players

Then you have those players certain to play AFL. :- Garner, Anderson, Turner, Dumont, Brown and others ???

Then you have crew of 2014 Duridin, Neilson, and VW.......2 middle size defenders and 1 big defender (who may be classified as needing more time )

Then the 2015 crew......

Then next months recruits........
 

ansonholt

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May 12, 2009
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Luke McDonald. Potentially a future captain, so in his fourth year it's time to start having more of an impact. Thing I worry about most with him is will he be given an opportunity in the midfield? If Brad saw him moving into the midfield you'd think he'd have been given far more minutes in the middle than he has. Hope he hasn't been pigeonholed as a defender. He's been good down there, but would seem a waste and make it difficult for him to have the desired increased impact.

I think it's a near certainty he will go to the midfield. It's probably why we picked up Williams, and also we hope Neilsen will come on, plus we get Sammy Wright back, so all of those things should free Luke up to go in the middle. If we all know that it's time, then I am sure the coaches do as well. We've usually been collectively on the mark with these things.
 

Donkey Chop

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Jun 27, 2013
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All we need is 4 players to go to another level and everyone else at least maintain the same level- top 4

It probably doesn't matter who, but if I'd have my choice it would be

Ziebell- had a great year this year and has improved (albeit slowly) every year. Becoming skipper will help him improve as a footballer IMO as he'll look to impose himself on games more.

Daw- If this guy can become a reliable ruck/forward (at a minimum) we'd be such a better as a side for it. He looks set to do a proper preseason too, that's a rarity.

Marley Williams- yeah that's right. If he can make the small lockdown defensive role his own the flow on affect would be huge. Frees up Luke/Atley to create further up the ground

Jed Anderson- plays with speed, skill & brutality. We haven't seen it for North yet but we will. Very important to our chances IMO
 
Jan 25, 2016
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I think it's a near certainty he will go to the midfield. It's probably why we picked up Williams, and also we hope Neilsen will come on, plus we get Sammy Wright back, so all of those things should free Luke up to go in the middle. If we all know that it's time, then I am sure the coaches do as well. We've usually been collectively on the mark with these things.
Hope you're correct. Just seems odd though that Dumont has played far less games but seen far more midfield minutes. It's disappointing Lmac hasn't been given far more bursts in the middle than he has.
 
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Apr 1, 2008
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Jack- Captaincy will make him. Everyone will stand taller.

Wood- Must pick up where he left off.

Wagner- Something about this bloke. Seems to be a really smart mover on the field. Moves to the right spots. Just needs to be used.

Daw- It's time.

And as a bonus:

Luke- He's going to deliver this year. He will move to the middle. He will become a weapon.
 

rooboy29

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Jun 11, 2016
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Im gonna thrown kayne turner. normally when a player has a bad off field incident it can make them. for me kayne if he gets his body right can have a massive impact in 2017. we all seen how much he gave when he was in the team and especially those times he cane on as sub. Same for garner id love to see those 2 play 22 games this year and if they do we will be very dangerous. ill throw in anderson and a left field one in sam durdin. being an sa boy i heard alot a out durdin and how he would possibly be a top3 pick, and when he kept slipping and we eventually grabbed him i was stoked. the crows copped hell for letting him go and taking lever. and anderson purely on how highly he was rated by us and for us giving up a high pick! hawks really rated him to(well so they said) aha
 
Last edited:
Jun 21, 2016
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Im gonna thrown kayne turner! normally when a player has a bad off field incident it can make them! for me kayne if he gets his body right can have a massive impact in 2017! we all seen how much he gave when he was in the team and especially those times he cane on as sub! same for garner id love to see those 2 play 22 games this year and if they do we will be very dangerous! ill throw in anderson and a left field one in sam durdin! being an sa boy i heard alot a out durdin and how he would possibly be a top3 pick, and when he kept slipping and we eventually grabbed him i was stoked. the crows copped hell for letting him go and taking lever! and anderson purely on how highly he was rated by us and for us giving up a high pick! hawks really rated him to(well so they said) aha

Over-use of the exclamation mark.......

red.jpg
 
Oct 16, 2004
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Great thread. At least 4 players who haven't had a main role will have to become leading lights in 2017 for North to avoid a tumble down the ladder. No one can say they don't have the opportunity. As a supporter it's both scary and exciting at the same time.
 

GarnerSmash

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Jun 2, 2009
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Dirty_11

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Could possibly be 8 or 10 to the fore with the unknown potential on our list. The four for mine are:

Luke McDonald-his 2016 was going from strength to strength before the hammy. He will be a player who will relish the chance step up with the old folks now gone. Would love to see him thrown into the mid rotations. This is where we need a point of difference.

Taylor Garner-we really need his hammies to come good. We have seen what he brings and it is what we need. Our forward pressure in the second half of the year was abysmal. Garner and Turner can turn this on it's head. With all due respect to Boomer, this was not one of his strengths.

BBB-there will be a lot of hype ariund Wood and Maj getting a good tun at it this year but this bloke will need to be the anchor. He will get the best key defender each week and free up Wood to a degree. It is important that he continues to work on his core strength over the summer to hold his position in the contest with more authority. He does this and he will be a beast.

EVW-with the loss of Spud it seems he will get a solid crack at making a position his. We need him to find his feet pretty quickly down back and become the player we think he capable of being. Should probably already have half a dozen games under his belt.
 
Having read this excellent thread, I'm quite up and about and excited about the new season. Pity it is sooooooooooo looooooooong we have to wait though. What a difference a few weeks simultaneously (can this work?) do to ones bad memories and morale.
 

Heaps of fun

Goatered on the sticks
Sep 13, 2013
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Having read this excellent thread, I'm quite up and about and excited about the new season. Pity it is sooooooooooo looooooooong we have to wait though. What a difference a few weeks simultaneously (can this work?) do to ones bad memories and morale.
I've been calling around at private hospitals asking how much an induced coma goes for these days.
 
Read the thread title and thought that Brad and Ben Buckley must've caught up for a round of golf, resulting in a four year contract extension.

And some posters will mention Brad and Ben playing golf together every time they post about Brad.

Because it's so unusual for work colleagues to play golf together.
 

theboyfrombalga

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Jul 14, 2009
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Atley needs to be on this list. Need to be the Atley of 2012 and get better every year
He has to want it. Does he want to be remembered as a very good 200 game player at this great club or just an ordinary one that will quickly be forgotten once he retires/gets traded to Gold Coast/Brisbane Lions for a 4th round pick in years to come? No question, Shaun has the talent. Next year will probably be his final opportunity to show that he has the desire.
 
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