Norths list strategy. Genius or disaster?

Genius or Disaster?

  • Smart list management

    Votes: 87 40.8%
  • Terrible idea

    Votes: 126 59.2%

  • Total voters
    213

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Nov 8, 2000
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South of the river
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They're where Freo were at the end of 2016 - an unexpectedly s**t team that knows a rebuild is the only long term answer.

There's years of pain ahead.

But getting rid of your best players? You don't build a great list by replacing Ben Brown with pick 104 in the draft. You rebuild over a few years, not one.
 

TP86

Club Legend
Apr 16, 2010
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With no crowds or at best capped crowds in 2021 and already being TV poison it makes sense to take the pain now. That a clickbait-driven AFL media isn’t pedalling North folding or relocating in this environment, after pedalling for a decade in better times, is more or less proof that HQ has guaranteed their future and that this year, next and the one after is more or less a mulligan.

If North’s list and performances were this bad in a non-covid season the wolves would be at their door. Maybe it’s a sign of the club’s decline in relevance that even the spectre of folding won’t move the meter.
 

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May 5, 2016
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Geelong
Good goalkicking forwards don't grow on trees. There's a reason that most clubs don't part with them, or if they do, its not without a fight.

I understand their want to clean out and almost start over but there are some vacancies that are much easier to fill than others. The gap between elite midfielders and just very good ones is not THAT great. The gap between elite key forwards down to the next tier is huge.
 

Golden_6

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 15, 2014
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It’s the right move for them, but they are still going to be bad a long time.

Brown must have had a falling out with the club, that’s the one I don’t understand. They’ll receive a mediocre pick and have heaps of cap space.

Brown won’t be part of their next flag push but neither will Tarrant, Goldstein, Cunnington, Ziebell etc.
 
You don't trade out your best players. Remember Neil Balme saying exactly that after going to Richmond following their 2016 shocker and the media had already shipped off Reiwoldt, Rance and Cotchin. It's a pretty simple, key list management philosophy.

Not that North would be anywhere near a flag next year but burning it all down on the premise of being 'bold' or 'fresh' or insert any other buzzword you like, is just setting them up for long term pain. IMO.

...despite that Richmond did trade Brett Deledio only a few weeks after that comment.

If North Melbourne are well aware that their best is 5+ years away and want to build a long-term list around Davies-Uniacke, Zurhaar, Thomas, Simpkin etc. that's their choice. It could be a tough sell to their supporters and financially be a risky move for them-- but it takes long term planning to build a premiership list.
 
Aug 16, 2006
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Melbourne
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Western Bulldogs
It's a bold move that in time could well either look like a stroke of genius or a moment of lunacy.

Just hope that if they do end up stuck on the bottom of the ladder for a while as a result there won't be calls for priority picks/compensation. I don't expect North would go asking though because they're not the type of club to do so.

Reminds me a little of the Dogs in 2014, where we looked to be in huge strife after clearing out/losing 12 players including older guys like Griffen, Cooney, Higgins, Williams and Giansiracusa, plus the coach.
Didn't Higgins leave to play finals footy?
 

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Oct 1, 2006
26,018
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Melbourne
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Essendon
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People understand how Brown gets his goals, right? He's not an individually brilliant creator for himself or others, and the sort of gameplan that directs most of the forward entries to him is pretty antiquated and has been de-bunked.

He'd be a good option if the Cats didn't have Hawkins. Would definitely work in their system.
 

Richo83

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 2, 2005
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People understand how Brown gets his goals, right? He's not an individually brilliant creator for himself or others, and the sort of gameplan that directs most of the forward entries to him is pretty antiquated and has been de-bunked.

How much of Brown's struggles is due to himself and how much of his struggles are due to a midfield being very average? The side was 14th for inside 50s.

I don't mind the cull, most of them are young players who are crap or journeymen who don't have much in the tank. Higgins won't be around for their next premiership and they need more young depth in the midfield. Brown I don't agree with; IMO a good coach figures out how to make Brown work rather than just giving up on him. Brown kicked 10 goals in a game a year ago. Can't tell me the game has changed much that quickly as to make him redundant.
 
Aug 14, 2011
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Trafalgar
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Disaster. Moving this many people on in the one period, all in a draft year where half the pool hasn't been able to play.

Not to mention the commercial realities.

Or is it driven by commercial reality, do they have the heads up on the salary cap/list numbers & Brown going gives them room to rebuild.
 

nineteen eighty

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 18, 2003
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Sydney
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You don't trade out your best players. Remember Neil Balme saying exactly that after going to Richmond following their 2016 shocker and the media had already shipped off Reiwoldt, Rance and Cotchin. It's a pretty simple, key list management philosophy.

Not that North would be anywhere near a flag next year but burning it all down on the premise of being 'bold' or 'fresh' or insert any other buzzword you like, is just setting them up for long term pain. IMO.

Timing is perfect for a club such as North to make a play for Balme. He would be great for them. Not that I want him gone but he's obviously not playing a main role at the Tiges due to changes off field. North would benefit from getting someone like Balmey in.
 

Saint

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 1, 2006
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Victoria
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Seems like there was a lot of deadwood within those 11 players so that is fine.

Not so sure about shipping off good players like Brown unless he wants to leave. Melbourne 2007-09, Carlton 2013-15 should be cautionary tales here.
Plus one. And throw in when Richmond tossed out the Kellaways for no apparent reason.

This will almost certainly result in North being bottom 2 for the next 3-5 seasons minimum. Higgins and Brown their most dangerous forwards. Goldstein will also be gone in a year or two. You can't replace all those positions in a few drafts. Why do the cuts need to be so drastic?

Surely they could keep Brown at least so they've got one key forward. There must be something else going on there.

In 2022, the club will have a losing culture, stuff all fans left (just look at what happened to Richmond, Demons and Carlton). This ploy will either do OK in the long term or see the club shipped off to Tassie permanently. I'm tipping the latter.

Imagine in the middle of this recession next year and the following and trying to justify stumping up money for a membership to watch the Kangas lose every match because they might be good in 3 years' time.

Here's a prediction or two:

Gold Coast and GWS will have more members than the Kangaroos next time the Kangaroos make the finals (not including Tassie Kangaroos).
No way Rhyce Shaw is still coach even if they manage to make the finals in 5 years' time. (Brendan Bolton)
 
Jul 26, 2007
31,927
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Darwin
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They're where Freo were at the end of 2016 - an unexpectedly sh*t team that knows a rebuild is the only long term answer.

There's years of pain ahead.

But getting rid of your best players? You don't build a great list by replacing Ben Brown with pick 104 in the draft. You rebuild over a few years, not one.

Ben Brown will land them a better pick than 104 so not sure about your logic there.

He is also a tad one dimensional in that he isn't a consistent contested marking FF, he leads more than he crashes packs.

And yes, it will take more than 1 year. And taller types tend to take more than 1 year to develop.
 
Melbourne 2007-09, Carlton 2013-15 should be cautionary tales here.

Actually, Carlton are the exact opposite of your point IMO.

In 2013 and 2014 we topped up; spending net draft currency and bringing in Daisy as FA. That was akin to North's older top ups of recent years. If you start off with a shitty core, topping up is just kicking the can down the road (and leading to a bigger hole like we faced a few years ago and North face now).

In 2015, 2016 & 2017 we traded out significant 'talent' (if you can call it that), to improve our draft currency and rebuild. This hurts in the near-term, but is probably the only real chance of eventually getting back to the pointy end of the ladder. I know Carlton has achieved diddly squat so far, but we look better placed than any other time in the last 10 years.
 

Saint

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 1, 2006
9,275
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Victoria
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I feel the knives are out, with the AFL delivering a $100m loss

This is why it's so risky for North to go down a path which will slash their revenue at a time when the AFL will have zero interest in propping them up. Better to boot Hawthorn out of Tassie and move North there for the $8m in sponsorship money.
 
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