Club Focus North Melbourne 2020 - Corr, Bosenavulagi, Stephenson, Young, Phillips, Powell, Lazaro, Spicer, Ford

AFL Club Focus

Do they need a priority pick in 2021?

  • Yes

    Votes: 13 35.1%
  • No

    Votes: 18 48.6%
  • Maybe next year

    Votes: 6 16.2%

  • Total voters
    37
North Melbourne club thread
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Spreadsheet created by Lore and Taylor, using data from footywire and AFL Tables. Version above maintained by giantroo.

To check the draft order (updated weekly) see the thread here.

This version is purely based on footywire data. It cannot be manually updated.
 

Nutjob

Premiership Player
Oct 23, 2014
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AFL Club
North Melbourne
With all due respect (as North may be the best at it), but this couldn't be further from the truth in terms of key forwards.

In fact, these are the players drafted since 2000 that have kicked 500 goals;

1. L.Franklin - pick 5
2. N. Riewoldt - pick 1
3. J.Riewoldt - pick 13
4. J.Kennedy - pick 4
5. T.Hawkins - F/S (but would have gone top 5 in the draft)
6. J.Roughead - pick 2
That's it - lowest pick is pick 13. These are the guys that could/should get there
7. T.Walker - NSW scholarship
8. J.Cameron - pre-selection
9. T.Lynch - pick 11
(I've left out Darling and Gunston as more medium/3rd tall types)

In fact, the only player to be named CHF or FF in the All Australian team from 2000 - 2020 that was not drafted inside the top 20 is Brendan Fevola.
One player in 20 all australian teams, that was drafted 22 years ago!

Iv been trying to say this on the North board for about the last month. There are a few premierships in that lot as well and the couple that didn’t have played in a grand final.

It can be hit and miss trying to pick a key forward, but it’s almost a necessity to pick one right to be successful.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

AnEmptyChair

Premiership Player
Nov 12, 2020
4,133
16,758
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Rebuild 'starts' (inverted commas because the rebuild really started a couple of years ago) with a heavy focus on building a deep and quality midfield. Simpkin (22), Davies-Uniacke (21), Phillips (18), Powell (18) all players picked in the top 12 who will be looked at as long-term quality options. I'm particularly excited about a Simpkin-LDU-Phillips midfield. It's just so balanced.

Elsewhere, Spicer and Ford are low risk/high reward picks. Spicer appears to be the pacey forward we need, while Ford joins what is arguably a bloated group of extremely talented half-forwards, but half-forwards with question marks over whether they can make the move to the midfield.

A lack of a KPF selection might be a surprise. My assumption is that either we rate Comben so highly, which has been the rumour, that we're backing him in to partner Larkey, or we're going to restructure our forward line with someone like Jaidyn Stephenson reprising the quasi full forward role he played at the Pies.

I think the most noteworthy and interesting part of the rebuild when compared to other teams that are in a similar to position to us is that we've gone in so heavily on the mids and pretty much completely ignored key-position forward so much to the point where there's only two on our list with 29 AFL games between them.
 
Last edited:
Oct 4, 2006
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The hood
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I think the most noteworthy and interesting part of the rebuild when compared to other teams that are in a similar to position to us is that we've gone in so heavily on the mids and pretty much completely ignored key-position forward so much to the point where there's only two on our list with 29 AFL games between them.

Noble has said twice now that we will look at playing 2 ruckman. So we might see Xerri/Goldy forward a bit in 2021.
 
With all due respect (as North may be the best at it), but this couldn't be further from the truth in terms of key forwards.

In fact, these are the players drafted since 2000 that have kicked 500 goals;

1. L.Franklin - pick 5
2. N. Riewoldt - pick 1
3. J.Riewoldt - pick 13
4. J.Kennedy - pick 4
5. T.Hawkins - F/S (but would have gone top 5 in the draft)
6. J.Roughead - pick 2
That's it - lowest pick is pick 13. These are the guys that could/should get there
7. T.Walker - NSW scholarship
8. J.Cameron - pre-selection
9. T.Lynch - pick 11
(I've left out Darling and Gunston as more medium/3rd tall types)

In fact, the only player to be named CHF or FF in the All Australian team from 2000 - 2020 that was not drafted inside the top 20 is Brendan Fevola.
One player in 20 all australian teams, that was drafted 22 years ago!

Nick Riewoldt, no flag. Walker, no flag. Cameron, no flag. Lynch only got one because he went to Richmond who were premiership quality before him. Hawkins pretty much only won flags because Geelong was super strong before he was any good. Hawks became successful because they developed a successful system of possession football, hell, Hale as a reject went into Hawthorn and won 2 or 3 flags.

Certainly being a big talented forward is a huge plus, if you don't have a great midfield then the key forwards aren't going to do anything. Is racking up 60-80 goals in an unsuccessful team the pinnacle of success?

Brisbane contended with their key forward being Hipwood who kicked 24 goals from 19 games and McStay kicking 11 goals from 17 games.

Port pushed close with their key forwards being Dixon kicking 34 goals from 18 games and Marshal 11 goals from 14 games.

I really rate Jack Riewoldt for the work he does when he doesn't have or get the ball but the most important player in their team by a country mile is Martin.

The issue isn't are there good key forward that come from the first round, the issue is how many bomb out, completely. Early draft picks are usually about being risk averse. Taking a key forward or ruckman with an early pick is risky because so much of their development occurs when they are 20+

Yeah, if would be fantastic if there was a freak like Franklin every year, but there isn't. It would be far more efficient to just poach a good key forward when you have all the other pieces in place, you will have to pay a premium but (like Geelong did with Cameron), but you wont have to throw a whole bunch of darts at the dartboard hoping for one to stick.
 

Thewlis Dish

Cancelled
10k Posts
Sep 9, 2003
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This might have been covered already but can someone explain to me why North wouldn't have traded away pick 2 to go down the order to say 4 or 5, if they knew they were going to draft Will Phillips?

I expect we tried to. Not a big deal though, I don't think there was a huge distance between the top 5-6.
 
We've addressed a years long issue with speed and midfield class in one off season.

And bringing in real class doing it. Not just a some bloke with toe off in the WAFL we rookies.
 
Jul 25, 2019
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We've addressed a years long issue with speed and midfield class in one off season.

And bringing in real class doing it. Not just a some bloke with toe off in the WAFL we rookies.

Next draft you probably need to address your spine I dare say. I still would have taken Logan McDonald if I was North to be honest, but Phillips should be a jet for you guys from day 1
 
Next draft you probably need to address your spine I dare say. I still would have taken Logan McDonald if I was North to be honest, but Phillips should be a jet for you guys from day 1

We've got a good young KPF and KPD.
 
With all due respect (as North may be the best at it), but this couldn't be further from the truth in terms of key forwards.

In fact, these are the players drafted since 2000 that have kicked 500 goals;

1. L.Franklin - pick 5
2. N. Riewoldt - pick 1
3. J.Riewoldt - pick 13
4. J.Kennedy - pick 4
5. T.Hawkins - F/S (but would have gone top 5 in the draft)
6. J.Roughead - pick 2
That's it - lowest pick is pick 13. These are the guys that could/should get there
7. T.Walker - NSW scholarship
8. J.Cameron - pre-selection
9. T.Lynch - pick 11
(I've left out Darling and Gunston as more medium/3rd tall types)

In fact, the only player to be named CHF or FF in the All Australian team from 2000 - 2020 that was not drafted inside the top 20 is Brendan Fevola.
One player in 20 all australian teams, that was drafted 22 years ago!

Eddie Betts?
 

Jugada

Brownlow Medallist
Dec 5, 2012
10,702
12,655
AFL Club
West Coast
With all due respect (as North may be the best at it), but this couldn't be further from the truth in terms of key forwards.

In fact, these are the players drafted since 2000 that have kicked 500 goals;

1. L.Franklin - pick 5
2. N. Riewoldt - pick 1
3. J.Riewoldt - pick 13
4. J.Kennedy - pick 4
5. T.Hawkins - F/S (but would have gone top 5 in the draft)
6. J.Roughead - pick 2
That's it - lowest pick is pick 13. These are the guys that could/should get there
7. T.Walker - NSW scholarship
8. J.Cameron - pre-selection
9. T.Lynch - pick 11
(I've left out Darling and Gunston as more medium/3rd tall types)

In fact, the only player to be named CHF or FF in the All Australian team from 2000 - 2020 that was not drafted inside the top 20 is Brendan Fevola.
One player in 20 all australian teams, that was drafted 22 years ago!

4 of those 9 have been picked up via trade too. Just load up on class through the middle, take a few speculative picks on big guys like they have done well with in the past and then just poach a key forward when you're in the window if need be.

Yes most current star forwards were drafted early but there are just as many Boyd's, McCartin's, Patton's, Day's etc out there with huge wraps as big forwards who turn out to be complete busts
 
4 of those 9 have been picked up via trade too. Just load up on class through the middle, take a few speculative picks on big guys like they have done well with in the past and then just poach a key forward when you're in the window if need be.

Yes most current star forwards were drafted early but there are just as many Boyd's, McCartin's, Patton's, Day's etc out there with huge wraps as big forwards who turn out to be complete busts

Yep.

One of JUH, Thilthorpe and McDonald is an absolute bust. Most likely due to injury. Guaranteed.

One some degree of very good to elite.

One who knows, could go either way.
 
We've got a good young KPF and KPD.
Potentially two, and the way we are looking we could play a game that only needs one or two at most (Ziebell could play as one). We have plenty of young mid size forward talent that can take contested marks or win the ball on the ground. Its a strength we have that we need to take advantage of.
 
This might have been covered already but can someone explain to me why North wouldn't have traded away pick 2 to go down the order to say 4 or 5, if they knew they were going to draft Will Phillips?

Because Sydney would probably have taken him. Or Hawthorn.
 
If us and crows finish bottom 2 again I’d think we’d be in line for a priority pick even end of first rounder at the least

would be 3 bottom 4 finishes in 4 years for us

It would be 2 bottom 4 finishes in 4 years for North Melbourne.

Neither club have a realistic chance of getting a priority pick at the end of 2021.
 
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