North Melbourne Off-Season Thread

[SterlingArcher]

Couldn't see one made already.

After North had a big role last year with Dal Santo, looks like they could be big players again.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-09-24/north-chasing-lumumba

In the right roles, all those guys could be huge for North in 2015. Significant risks, but significant rewards if it comes off.

On the chopping block would include Tom Curran (unfortunate), Mitch Wilkins, Taylor Hine, Liam Anthony, Robbie Tarrant (possible steak knives in a trade? another unfortunate one with huge injury troubles), Scott McMahon, and at a stretch Dan Currie, Robin Nahas and Leigh Adams.

My opinion: Norths problem is 1) they don't have an exceptional elite talent (Cunnington should be) like Geelong (Selwood, Johnson), Port (Gray, Boak), Freo (Fyfe, Sandi), Hawks (a lot), Sydney (a lot) do - and for coming years, the Suns (Ablett, Swallow, Bennell, O'Meara).
This won't be fixed in the trade time - just keep developing guys like Cunnington, McDonald etc
2) Big defenders - been torn up this year by a number of key forwards - Thompson and Grima are ok rebounders but are outsized, outreached and outwrestled by the true KF's (4+ goals from Henderson, Waite, Cloke, Daniher, Hawkins x2, Gunston, Franklin, Tippett this year) - Joel Tippett could be the answer. Lachie Hansen in form and on the field would help Tippett.
3) A performing key forward - this could be Aaron Black, but he had a s**t year - so maybe Waite is required just to put pressure on Black...

If Lumumba wants out and doesn't want Melbourne, he could get to North without them giving up Mullett, and they could get Waite + Higgins too through free agency, and they can then go to the draft with say 16 (best available), 52 and 70 to replace Anthony, Wilkins, Hine, Curran, Tarrant and McMahon.

 

[Yoda_]

Surprised we haven't seen Wild Bill in here yet

 

[giantroo]

Looks like Higgins is coming to North with Carlton pulling out.

 

[Wild Bill]

Surprised we haven't seen Wild Bill in here yet

I am here.

I think Carlilse for our 2nd round looks about right. Will help with our defence. If he like Ryder walks we will be in a strong position.

Also he would have to prefer a top 4 side over one on the slide. Would even take him with a pending ban handing over him.

 

[Wild Bill]

Looks like Higgins is coming to North with Carlton pulling out.

Terrible - perfect player to only have a performance based contract.

 

[Joshen]

Haven't been too inspired by the names that have been mentioned thus far:

Waite - open to him although the reported contract seems a bit big, he is a stop-gap but late career club changes will become more popular with free agency
Higgins - meh, injury prone and slow-ish; only a marginal upgrade on what we have so don't see the value
Garlett - off-field issues and not filling a position of need
Jones - potentially at a low cost although with Daw, Brown, Black, Petrie, maybe Waite, Tarrant is he gets fit, he'll have to bide his time
Lumumba - vehemently against, his long-bombs to the opposition will make me cry, do not see the value at all

Not a fan of the talk re. Mullett leaving; think we should certainly persist, he has weapons that we are lacking - just had a bad year

To be honest, I wouldn't mind just going to the draft this year however, would see what other clubs would offer for a couple of our fringe mids: we bat pretty deep without too much top end talent - improving our draft position would give us a better shot at the more elite prospects. Similarly, enticing some fringe GWS boys wouldn't be a bad move although nothing ground-breaking here.

 

[naturally north]

I'm not against Higgins at least he's under 30
I reckon he's got another gear, just a feeling I have. From 2006 til now he's played 99 games from about 136 available.

Had a couple of great seasons in 2009 and 2010 Bullies finished top four both years, not saying he drove that bus but certainly benefited from a good side being around him.

Liam Jones- not sure why we're interested? Ben Brown is better, I don't say that lightly. 1.3 hit outs a game is his avg. Was thinking we were looking for that second ruck/forward Liam doesn't seem to be that. Does avg 3.5 marks a game to go with his 10 disposals

Heritier Lumumba - DO NOT WANT! Not because it's been suggested he's a tool. But turn over merchants are a dime a dozen at North.


Waite- a free agent if we've cash burning a hole in our pockets why not?


Mullett- exactly the type we need, penetrating left footer who can kick goals from around 50 off one step.

Would cry harder than Heritier walking passed locker number 18 at North thinking about what might have been if we traded Mullett.

Think we'll delist Anthony , Wilkins, Hine and pay McMahon out.

Could then look to trade Adams, McKenzie, Bastinac and Currie should a deal suit our needs or we manage to pick up what we believe to be better options.

 

[bergholt]

To be honest, I wouldn't mind just going to the draft this year...

That's a big gamble though, isn't it? At the start of next year you'll have five 30 year olds (Harvey, Petrie, Firrito, Dal, Wells) and Grima rapidly approaching it. Those guys have max of a year or two more. Effectively you'd be saying "the players we've got are good enough for us to win a flag". That might be true but it feels like a big call.

That said, the Saints doubled down on recycled guys when we were at the top and look where it left us. Lovett, Peake, Jesse Smith, Pattison, Gamble, Polo. Some quality there.

 

[HawkintheTuarts]

Lost: Chopping block
In old, neglected condition.
Rarely used, only a few chunks missing.

If found, please return to Arden St.

 

[Yoda_]

Lost: Chopping block
In old, neglected condition.
Rarely used, only a few chunks missing.

If found, please return to Arden St.

It fits in with the tired old derelict change rooms at Arden Street

 

[SterlingArcher]

That's a big gamble though, isn't it? At the start of next year you'll have five 30 year olds (Harvey, Petrie, Firrito, Dal, Wells) and Grima rapidly approaching it. Those guys have max of a year or two more. Effectively you'd be saying "the players we've got are good enough for us to win a flag". That might be true but it feels like a big call.

That said, the Saints doubled down on recycled guys when we were at the top and look where it left us. Lovett, Peake, Jesse Smith, Pattison, Gamble, Polo. Some quality there.

Higgins, Waite are better than Peake, Smith, Pattison, Gamble and Polo. Lovett was a weird bloke who put people off-side pretty quickly, could play footy though.

 

[SterlingArcher]

Still haven't delisted anyone yet (officially).

Out: Greenwood

In: Waite, Higgins, Draft Picks: 16, 25, 36, 56 (possibly Turner), 74 (possibly Turner)

So North at the moment have Waite, Higgins, picks 16, 25 and 36, Turner and possibly pick 56 to use. Need to delist 5 minimum. That would be from Anthony, Wilkins, Curran, Currie, McMahon, Hine, Nahas and Harper I reckon. Probably Anthony, Wilkins, Curran, Hine and Nahas/Harper, with Nahas/Harper onto the rookie list.

 

[HawkintheTuarts]

It fits in with the tired old derelict change rooms at Arden Street

Essendon are in the same camp. Only two teams that haven't swung the axe properly.

 

[Yoda_]

Essendon are in the same camp. Only two teams that haven't swung the axe properly.

Why would we? Our current list (which was hardly culled) sat at 14 - 3 after 17 rounds last year (2013). Hardly in desperate need of a cull. We have gone the course and tried to push and reach for that elusive no. 17.

 

[HawkintheTuarts]

Why would we? Our current list (which was hardly culled) sat at 14 - 3 after 17 rounds last year (2013). Hardly in desperate need of a cull. We have gone the course and tried to push and reach for that elusive no. 17.

Touche.

Still bound to some of that 14 who are only VFL standard, but maybe that's the point?

 

[Petrie4PM]

When are going to be announcing delistings?

In my opinion:

Delist: Warren, Curran, McGenis, Wilkins, Hine, Anthony.
Delist & Re-rookie: Harper (perhaps McMahon but probably leave him on senior list as back up defender..)

Don't like majak but he is contracted and no talks of him leaving

 

[GarnerSmash]

It fits in with the tired old derelict change rooms at Arden Street

2009 called and wants its joke back.

 

[GarnerSmash]

Word is the list changes will look like this:

Traded Out: Greenwood
Free Agents Signed: Waite, Higgins
Delisted Main List: Hine, Wilkins, Curran, Anthony, Harper, Nahas
Delisted Rookie List: McGenniss, Warren
Rookie Ugrades: Tippet, Turner
Re-rookied: Harper, Nahas

That means 7 off the main list, with 2 FA's and 2 rookie upgrades, leaving 3 picks in the ND, 16 - 25 - 36.

4 off the rookie list with 2 on, Nahas and Harper, so 2 rookie pick selections available.

 

[Yoda_]

Word is the list changes will look like this:

Traded Out: Greenwood
Free Agents Signed: Waite, Higgins
Delisted Main List: Hine, Wilkins, Curran, Anthony, Harper, Nahas
Delisted Rookie List: McGenniss, Warren
Rookie Ugrades: Tippet, Turner
Re-rookied: Harper, Nahas

That means 7 off the main list, with 2 FA's and 2 rookie upgrades, leaving 3 picks in the ND, 16 - 25 - 36.

4 off the rookie list with 2 on, Nahas and Harper, so 2 rookie pick selections available.

Whats the go with McGenniss? Saw him in the two games against us and he looked quite good.

 

[GarnerSmash]

A goer but not quite at an AFL level. Average skills

 

[WowWeee]

harsh if naha gets the tap. Played solid footy and provided good forward pressure during his 8 games or so, was unlucky to break his collar bone during lions game.

just pay out mcmahon, guy is cooked.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

harsh if naha gets the tap. Played solid footy and provided good forward pressure during his 8 games or so, was unlucky to break his collar bone during lions game.

just pay out mcmahon, guy is cooked.

Can't argue. Unluckily for Nahas, Turner came in and applied that pressure and showed a lot of all-round promise, so Nahas slipped back a rung as a senior option. Hope he does get kept as depth, even on the rookie list, as he earned a longer stay.

Sadly, Loose looks a long way off. Hasn't really got back since he had that illness - at the time he was invaluable, but since he's a shadow (although a large one) of his former self. He'll probably get to play out his contract, though - one last chance to get in shape and form.

 

[Petrie4PM]

The anticipation is killing me. Hurry Up. Makes you thing they got something brewing in rookie/pre season draft. Nothing like a fresh start.

 

[SugarCoat]

Apparently Nahas & Scott McMahon have been delisted according to Matt White.

 

[Petrie4PM]

Thanks for the update. Assume Nahas will be re-rookied. Deserves it. McMahon, did well in his day. Too undersized for backline AFL player these days. Thanks for the memories.