Have we botched the rebuild?

[Its a Process]

I’m as critical as anyone but to blame our issues because we drafted too many midfielders, is stupid.

It’s one small issue in a long list of issues. When it comes to recruiting a FAR bigger issue has been the type of players we’ve traded in. Expecting other clubs VFL players to come in and change our fortunes because they’re “more experienced” is just lunacy.

Another is our inability to nail a pick outside the top 5 (bar Curtis). The club selecting Brayden George (nothing against him) when they did kinda tells you everything you need to know.

If we were complimenting the mids we drafted early each year with KPPs, smalls, flankers, wingman etc. (and actually hitting some) every year, the list balance would be fine.

The key issue is we have recruited extremely poorly outside of the early picks (draft and trade), rather than because we’ve drafted mids early.

I get your point and lord knows there are some misses there but Larkey, Xerri and Archer are decent late round picks.

I think our trading has been dismal. Adelaide is a decent comparison and some of their best players are traded in, Hinge, Keys, Rankine, Dawson, Neal-Bullen etc.

 

[DuckYeah]

This is the rebuild in gifs page, yeh?

 

[Passmore]

I get your point and lord knows there are some misses there but Larkey, Xerri and Archer are decent late round picks.

I think our trading has been dismal. Adelaide is a decent comparison and some of their best players are traded in, Hinge, Keys, Rankine, Dawson, Neal-Bullen etc.

Hinge and Keys were good spotting. Ranking, Dawson, Neal-Bullen are, unfortunately, not something we can attract. Even Cummings and Peatling.

They're into NWM too.

 

[Its a Process]

Hinge and Keys were good spotting. Ranking, Dawson, Neal-Bullen are, unfortunately, not something we can attract. Even Cummings and Peatling.

They're into NWM too.

Our equivalent Neal-Bullen and Peatling pick ups have been Fisher, Stephens and Daniel. Rather jarring.

 

[Passmore]

Our equivalent Neal-Bullen and Peatling pick ups have been Fisher, Stephens and Daniel. Rather jarring.

Starting 18 players compared to depth players. Unfortunately, that's the market we're in right now.

You throw big $$$ at players we end up with Polec.

 

[Luke72]

We need to call in the hypnotist

 

[scottywiper]

We need to call in the hypnotist

Brad is busy coaching Essendon.

 

[Masked Avenger]

A bit early imo to say that we've botched the rebuild with largely untried talent running around in the seconds or on the sidelines like W Dawson, Goad, Hardeman, B George, Goater, Whitlock and Urquhart.

Add in also the other young talent being routinely played out of position in the firsts like FOS, McKercher, Duursma and possibly Sheezel.

The majority of all those players are First rounders.

What we're definitely botching imo is team selection and our structures unfortunately.

We're screwing it royally.

Giving regular games to the likes of Zurhaar, Lmac, Corr, Tucker and Stephens after having gone out and recruited senior heads like Parker and Daniel makes little sense to me.

Also, don't get me started on the wisdom of burning X out and leaving a second ruckman in the seconds while Larkey is left one out in a forward line with the next tallest bloke being 34 years old, 191 cm, who btw can't cover ground or jump, and who blows up while relieving X.

 

[sregit]

As a Richmond supporter who saw 36 years of mediocre performances and numerous failed rebuilds I understand your feeling of hopelessness. A lot of anger and frustration. So how do the Kangas work their way out of this?
Firstly do you need to replace management, recruiting team, coaches?
I don’t think there is a lot of difference in talent between North and mid list teams but something appears to be fundamentally wrong. It was only a few weeks ago when you beat Melbourne that the football world declared you were going to be a big improver. It appears that you have little tall stocks, so is acquiring some talls priority one? Do you need to trade one or two players to get young talls? Richmond let Rioli, Bolton and others go to get extra draft picks and actually acquired 4 talls. Do you think North need to do the same? Richmond model may also be wrong. Like to hear your thoughts what north should do rather than just whinging. It’s never as good or as bad as it seems. Good luck.

 

[giantroo]

Who are our veterans? We've had to import two of them

 

[ferball]

Who are our veterans? We've had to import two of them

"Some teams you go to watch and just hope they show something..."

He's talking about us hey.

 

[Cyber_punk]

Our so called biggest strength, focus of many drafts, future powerhouse midfield just got slaughtered by the bottom side and we conceeded 39 inside 50s in 2 quarters.

 

[Chadwiko]

Yes.

 

[Epictetus]

Yes.

 

[Dinkers]

Yes.

.yes to your yes.

 

[North1411]

Can't argue it anymore, we definitely have

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

already have the same amount of wins as last year

 

[ferball]

already have the same amount of wins as last year

Already more premiership points than last year in total.

 

[Dinkers]

And we're 16th, brilliant aye.
Flying up the ladder after five years of finishing between 17th-18th. We may end up with a nosebleed at this rate of progress.

 

[Jeremy Jordan]

Already more premiership points than last year in total.

Yeah, but how many VFL teams did we play last year? This year Collingwood had 34 of their best 22 out and the bulldogs were playing kids from the Bacchus Marsh thirds.

We should have beaten Richmond by 100, and West Coast by 200. And we only drew with Brisbane because they weren’t in gear, or if they were it gear, it was a low gear.

Freo are gonna beat us by 100 goals, so don’t have any hope. And if I hear of someone having hope with the team, I’ll choke them out.

 

[Mr north man]

.yes to your yes.

And to your yes and yes as well.
The Eagles choked yesterday got a lucky win will struggle to win maybe another game.
Yet another wasted season of BS lies and false promises.
Time to put all the eggs in one basket let’s go all out and try and win an VFL premiership to give the up and coming players the feel of some sort of success to take into the 2026 AFL season as this current 2025 seasons been a current write off.

 

[kool kangas]

If l didnt have patience then YES!!

But l do have patience so NO!

Sure we have players who should not be playing due to form, Logue, Fisher, Daniel, Larkey Corr and maybe even McDonald but when l look at the future l see Xerri, Sheezel, Wardlaw, McKercher, FOS, Whitlock, George, W.Dawson with Goad, Goater, Curtis, Zurhaar, LDU and Comben as the core of the new generation and as back up players filling in remaining positions in Parker, JD, Maley, Simpkin, Ford, Banch, Pink, Stephens and even Phillips.

For me the jury is still out on both Powell and Duursma and l havent seen Tembath.

Those l feel wont be there for me in either 2026 or 2027 will be RHJ, Stevens, Harvey, Scott, Teakle, Dawson, McDonald.

For me we will see more improvement from now on but it will take more time to change back to feeling more positive about the club than negative...

 

[Dinkers]

A bit early imo to say that we've botched the rebuild with largely untried talent running around in the seconds or on the sidelines like W Dawson, Goad, Hardeman, B George, Goater, Whitlock and Urquhart.

Add in also the other young talent being routinely played out of position in the firsts like FOS, McKercher, Duursma and possibly Sheezel.

The majority of all those players are First rounders.

What we're definitely botching imo is team selection and our structures unfortunately.

We're screwing it royally.

Giving regular games to the likes of Zurhaar, Lmac, Corr, Tucker and Stephens after having gone out and recruited senior heads like Parker and Daniel makes little sense to me.

Also, don't get me started on the wisdom of burning X out and leaving a second ruckman in the seconds while Larkey is left one out in a forward line with the next tallest bloke being 34 years old, 191 cm, who btw can't cover ground or jump, and who blows up while relieving X.

We have invested a lot of draft $$$ on the bolded trio, not suggesting that won't be good or better than good.
Just not sure it was a wise move, as they will take another 3 plus years before we should expect to see a decent return on our investment.
Goater and George have been unlucky. Zurhaar could do more, but he is kicking 2 goals a game. Is sitting equal 11th on the AFL goal kicking table. So not sure he should be mentioned with the others you mentioned.

 

[Passmore]

When did Jack Darling

28

Jack Darling

Age

33

Ht

191cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

4.2

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.9

5star

D

8.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

3.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.4

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

14.6

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.0

5star

M

6.0

5star

T

4.0

5star

G

1.4

5star

turn 34?

 

[Ruckle]

When did Jack Darling turn 34?

3 years ago?