Club Focus North Melbourne 2024

[Ticky009]

Spreadsheet created by Lore and Taylor, using data from footywire and AFL Tables. Version above maintained by giantroo.

Spoiler: footywire version

Data from footywire. To check the draft order see the thread here.

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[bzparkes]

Will Dawson is the long term big key defensive prospect, he’s looked excellent on Larkey in preseason but is a few years off physically.

I’d probably just prefer to draft another prospect and make do with Logue. Kallan Dawson was excellent yesterday.

Yeah, fair enough. Didn't think Dawson was too bad.

Pink just looked unable to compete with Hogan due to size. Didn't think he was terrible, per se, but he'll get exposed playing on blokes that big.

 

[Orange crush]

Off what precedent are you so confident he asks for a trade? Or is it your own experience that you’re now applying to every other club?

My apologies if that came off as a fait accompli .. I was just putting it out there as a potential based on the Brad Hill style contract fiddling

 

[Vindicater]

Pink is surely a stopgap though and would not be in the long term plans.

 

[branedotorg]

worth trading back into the draft with one of decent youg mids they've stockpiled? mini-GWS?

aim for Mraz? i know most of the projected top 10 are mids and phillips is already the odd one out, even before this next midfielders draft.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Pink is surely a stopgap though and would not be in the long term plans.

Yep comben who has trained back to come in and Logue

 

[the big lebowski]

Pink is surely a stopgap though and would not be in the long term plans.

I’m hoping in 3 years time our key backs are

Logue 28
Dawson 28
Dawson 21

Goater 23 (hybrid tall)

Some say the plan is to make Comben an intercepting tall back. I don’t think that will be the case and he will be a forward/ruck.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Wise move by Sheezel …. North will massively front load it and in 4 years he asks for a trade and gets another big payday

Spot on Re Sheezel. He will be off well before 2030. McKercher will be a central signing at Tas while Duursma will probably end up with his brother at the Dons.

With success in any form a distant prospect and sharks circling what talent there is at Arden St, a lot of the war check will go as it has always has at nmfc on paying overs. The only players it will continue to attract are B graders on A grade salaries.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Spot on Re Sheezel. He will be off well before 2030. McKercher will be a central signing at Tas while Duursma will probably end up with his brother at the Dons.

With success in any form a distant prospect and sharks circling what talent there is at Arden St, a lot of the war check will go as it has always has at nmfc on paying overs. The only players it will continue to attract are B graders on A grade salaries.

Never change Horry.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Never change Horry.

Consistency is the way of my people.

NB. I did in fact defend your Club (and the vast sensible majority of the nmfc Board) over the handling of the Thomas issue.

 

[Vindicater]

Yep comben who has trained back to come in and Logue

Comben looks okay but I assume you guys will go hard in the next offseason or two at a key defender via free agency/trade

 

[Ash1337]

expecting Nth to have a fire sale at the end of the year by the request of Clarko. Mainly their young high profile players that haven't come on recently and bring in some more experience.

 

[Northwards]

expecting Nth to have a fire sale at the end of the year by the request of Clarko. Mainly their young high profile players that haven't come on recently and bring in some more experience.

Not having a crack but what type of experience besides foot soldier journeyman (Tucker, Greenwood last couple years) and last two year transitioning type deals (shiels) would you have us fire sale high profile young players for ? Those types of players are not the way out of this.

And which underperforming players would net us anything that moves the needle ?
Aside from LDU I don’t think there is really anyone other clubs are putting up experienced good players for.

Zurhaar at his best maybe but if I was another club I’d be trying to buy low as a RFA and if north forced a trade I don’t think second rounders in a “weaker draft” are really of that much use.

 

[Ash1337]

Not having a crack but what type of experience besides foot soldier journeyman (Tucker, Greenwood last couple years) and last two year transitioning type deals (shiels) would you have us fire sale high profile young players for ? Those types of players are not the way out of this.

And which underperforming players would net us anything that moves the needle ?
Aside from LDU I don’t think there is really anyone other clubs are putting up experienced good players for.

Zurhaar at his best maybe but if I was another club I’d be trying to buy low as a RFA and if north forced a trade I don’t think second rounders in a “weaker draft” are really of that much use.

Other than Logue they haven't really bought in solid players. Just the fringe types. As for players to move on. Phillips and Lazzaro to start. Of choices to bring in Josh Battle (UFA), Sebastian Ross (UFA), Ben Ainswerth (RFA), Will Hayward (RFA), Oliver Florent (UFA), Jack Luckosius,

 

[Northwards]

Other than Logue they haven't really bought in solid players. Just the fringe types. As for players to move on. Phillips and Lazzaro to start. Of choices to bring in Josh Battle (UFA), Sebastian Ross (UFA), Ben Ainswerth (RFA), Will Hayward (RFA), Oliver Florent (UFA), Jack Luckosius,

I’d love to have a crack at Josh battle, he’s probably the only one we’re a chance at, one who might take a 3-4 year deal for security and clear definition of role.

Ainsworth would be a solid get too but there’s no way he chooses to come be a half forward at north.

Ross, A 31 year old mid in a fringe finals side is not signing up as a UFA for a bottom side with years of rebuilding left.

Hayward and Florent in my opinion will not move. Sydney just brought in good experienced players and stocked up their depth for a two year flag tilt, which both Hayward and Florent cemented in their positions. Sydney don’t lose good players besides Jordan Dawson.

Lukosius is a gun and would help us a lot. But would cost a lot of capital and also I doubt after 5 years of a struggling club, I doubt he uproots himself to come to north on a long term deal majority of which would be spent rebuilding mirroring what he went through at the suns his first 4 years.

It’s a tough fix at the moment, I’m not saying we don’t need experienced talent. But experienced talent at 26-27 cost either alot of money or draft capital and they usually don’t want to spend that 4-5 year deal fixing a mess they didn’t create.
Now talent that’s not yet consistent or established at 21-24 and or 75-100 games is what we’d like to have But they too cost draft capital, and we’ve swung and missed with a few over the years Lachie young, Stephenson, and now Tucker, Fisher and Stephens all very middling returns, the last two have completely taken a dump on the jumper the last two weeks as well.

It’d be tough to convince a talented player who has multiple teams chasing them to choose us at this point. As for big free agents it’s not like we haven’t come to the table, most of the time we’ve offered the best deal (Kelly, Martin, Gaff) Established players don’t want to come here and I don’t blame them right now.

Thankfully we have a couple kids who look up for the fight, but we do need to get them some help and structure up a little better to play an attractive, competitive and ultimately sellable brand of footy to bring players in.

 

[HBFlanker]

First pick will be traded. Can guarantee that.

 

[THE_GUN]

Will North apply for priority picks again this year ?
clearly the list is still in trouble and needs even more help

 

[roos_fanatic08]

Will North apply for priority picks again this year ?
clearly the list is still in trouble and needs even more help

I highly doubt it. The AFL already gave us two end of first round picks for this year's draft. I'd much prefer if we dug ourselves out of the hole rather than continually going to the AFL asking for draft handouts.

 

[THE_GUN]

I highly doubt it. The AFL already gave us two end of first round picks for this year's draft. I'd much prefer if we dug ourselves out of the hole rather than continually going to the AFL asking for draft handouts.

That last win north had (meaningless) in 2023 where north handed Harley Reid back to the eagles is looking like being a huge mistake
He would have been sensational for the NMFC

 

[tombomb]

It's going to be difficult for North to attract good players at the moment, but the one thing they should have is plenty of salary cap space.

I'd forget the whole mid 20s type player. What good player in their mid 20s is going to want to go to North at the moment?!

I'd instead be looking at the veteran players who might be tempted by the opportunity to extend their career on good money.

You can go through every list in the comp and find one or two players that are still good players at the end of their career, but unlikely to get anything more than 1 year deals. Taylor Adams

3

Taylor Adams

Age

30

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.9

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

11.4

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

4.8

5star

CL

5.0

5star

D

20.4

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

5.9

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

18.2

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

7.2

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

3.0

5star

CL

2.2

4star

would have been a perfect player for North to target with a big medium term deal last year.

Maybe they can lure two or three of those types of players across and significantly improve their on-field leadership.

 

[Freomaniac]

That last win north had (meaningless) in 2023 where north handed Harley Reid back to the eagles is looking like being a huge mistake
He would have been sensational for the NMFC

crazy but true.

Tore my team up in the derby on the weekend too.

 

[adammania9]

It's going to be difficult for North to attract good players at the moment, but the one thing they should have is plenty of salary cap space.

I'd forget the whole mid 20s type player. What good player in their mid 20s is going to want to go to North at the moment?!

I'd instead be looking at the veteran players who might be tempted by the opportunity to extend their career on good money.

You can go through every list in the comp and find one or two players that are still good players at the end of their career, but unlikely to get anything more than 1 year deals. Taylor Adams would have been a perfect player for North to target with a big medium term deal last year.

Maybe they can lure two or three of those types of players across and significantly improve their on-field leadership.

They need readymade defenders in particular. Heading into this season with their defensive group was pretty much negligent. I think Howe would be a good target with potential to get into coaching. Darcy Gardiner and Blake Hardwick could be better prime age targets with good footy still left in them

 

[rye]

It's going to be difficult for North to attract good players at the moment, but the one thing they should have is plenty of salary cap space.

I'd forget the whole mid 20s type player. What good player in their mid 20s is going to want to go to North at the moment?!

I'd instead be looking at the veteran players who might be tempted by the opportunity to extend their career on good money.

You can go through every list in the comp and find one or two players that are still good players at the end of their career, but unlikely to get anything more than 1 year deals. Taylor Adams would have been a perfect player for North to target with a big medium term deal last year.

Maybe they can lure two or three of those types of players across and significantly improve their on-field leadership.

floated ryan lester as the perfect trade target for north on the lions board in 2022. leader, good player fills a position of need.

logue was a good acquisition but i have no idea what they were thinking bringing in stephens and fisher

 

[bzparkes]

First pick will be traded. Can guarantee that.

For what though?

The time to trade early picks was last year, where there were a considerable amount of talls and other options in the first round.

This year, it's pretty much all mids in the top 10(+ Trainor as an elite HBF) and not much in the way of talls in the first round.

Rawlings needed to look past the delirium of having picks 2 & 3 in consecutive rounds and should've looked to trade pick 3 out(presuming there was a taker, of course).

 

[tombomb]

floated ryan lester as the perfect trade target for north on the lions board in 2022. leader, good player fills a position of need.

logue was a good acquisition but i have no idea what they were thinking bringing in stephens and fisher

No offence to Lester, but I would be targeting better credentialled experienced players than Ryan Lester.

Could go through every team. But I would be going to players like Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Howe, Mitchell at Collingwood. Rampe and Parker at Sydney. Zorko at Brisbane. Making use of their salary cap space and offering 2-3 year deals on good money or including assistant coaching options.

They'd only need to land two or three to dramatically improve their non-existant on-field leadership while their young players develop.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

floated ryan lester as the perfect trade target for north on the lions board in 2022. leader, good player fills a position of need.

logue was a good acquisition but i have no idea what they were thinking bringing in stephens and fisher

We are our own worst enemy and have been for a long time. Outside of Logue, Shiels and Greenwood, over the course of the last 6 years we haven't brought in any decent role players who are mature, have leadership or who are physical. So many flaky outside or fringe types who aren't willing to set standards at the club.

2023 - Dylan Stephens, Zac Fisher, Biggie Nyuon, Toby Pink (DFA)
2022 - Griffin Logue, Darcy Tucker, Daniel Howe (DFA), Liam Shiels (DFA)
2021 - Callum Coleman-Jones, Hugh Greenwood (DFA)
2020 - Aidan Corr, Jaidyn Stephenson, Atu Bosenavulagi, Lachie Young
2019 - Aiden Bonar
2018 - Aaron Hall, Jasper Pittard, Jared Polec, Dom Tyson, Tom Campbell (DFA)

That is a deplorable effort from our list management and recruiting staff.