R1 2017. Hows it look?

[Only Forwards]

If LT goes more to middle he needs to build up his stamina....he blows up hard

If he doesn't have it now, he ain't gonna have it.

 

[Gasometer]

If he doesn't have it now, he ain't gonna have it.

Therefore he is not an option for the middle

 

[Prefectionist]

I really hope we finish bottom 4 next year because we need good picks to rebuild. Finishing between 10th and 7th is killing this club.

And also - who do we beat? I can see us beating Carlton, Brisbane, port, Freo. Essendon possibly.

We can't beat Port when we need to FFS

RICH ESS CAR BRIS GC MELB maybe COLL

 

[Marstermind]

We can't beat Port when we need to FFS

RICH ESS CAR BRIS GC MELB maybe COLL

That's 7 teams. If we 5 of those are the teams we play twice....that's 12 wins! Brad will be high-5ing himself just thinking about it!

 

[ozzyoslo]

All the Round 1, 2017 teams look OK at first glance. But then a few start carrying a few niggles, some injuries get worse, some lose form, some losses shake a bit of confidence, young players don't deliver what's expected, older ones hit the wall (ie we have a normal season) and those teams look very ordinary.

What mindset are you in ? One that plays to make finals with a fresh group or one that has the attitude ok lets suck it and see what develops this season?

• Who sticks their hand up and says I want to play each week??
• Who sits there on tuesday video review and accepts he made an error there and takes it in , takes it on the chin and sets about working on eliminating that deficiency in his game.

Lets just see what we have to work with before we frizzled with what if's.

Media pundits were tipping the most volatile trade period the footy public has witnessed so far........its 3/ 4 weeks away, a lot can happen in that time.

 

[Rob in Cologne]

Here's my team for 2017 fellow Roo lovers. Not so doom and gloom. We want to avoid trading heart and soul types, Taz and Goldy. Watch your Hawks etc not make that mistake. Got to keep fabric of club.

B: Atley Tarrant Wright
HB: LMac Thommo Kane Turner (tough, smart, skilled, pacy enough. Let's try him. Could be a R Laird) Hopefully EVW/Neilson can take Thommo's spot.

C: JMac Cunners Clarke

HF: Garner (gun) Brown (gun) Higgins (should be a gun)
F: Jed (fingers crossed) Wood Daw

R: Goldy (worried about trading) Ziebull and *Somebody fast like Danger's long lost brother

Int: Jacobs (tag out a fast opposing mid), Gibbo (still offers run), LT, Dumont -- hoping EVW or Hibberd or Mountford bring some pace or we draft an instant Ollie Wines or Chris Judd-type.

Emg: Fingers crossed on Fordham, Mullett, or Swallow to recover from injuries Achilles and knee surgery.

Back-ups: Bmac (let's keep developing him for another year if we can't get a good trade), could Black be a CHB?, Wagner
Developing kids: Neilson, Durdin, McKay (promising) Preuss.

Trade: Perhaps Black and Lachie Hansen to Lions (they need a few bigger types)? In return a pacy Lion cub?

Thanks for your service: Tippett (time for a kid to come on board)

Already thanked for service: Boomer, NDS, Super Spud, Drew, Ray and Robbie Nahas. I'd add Waitey to list too.

Gone but love to keep: Our Wellsy. Good luck.

I've got us bringing in 9 kids. Fast, pure footballers -- don't matter if they 140cms or 240cms. Calab Daniels got any cousins, sisters, sons or uncles?

Let's turn those frowns up-side-down

 

[The Other Dean]

Last two off-seasons I've posted words to the effect of 'if you don't think Gibbo will be in the Round 1 side next year, you're kidding yourself'.

Long story short, time to go 3-Zip.

 

[archereleven]

R1, 2017 > rounds 11-23/Elim. of 2016. What a s**t time to be a NM supporter.

 

[HT the NSW Roo]

Would be naive to think we're not a real chance of dropping out of the eight in '17 but the populist sentiment in the media from the likes of Schwarz, Hutchison and Lloyd that 'North is about to enter a 3-4 year rebuild and will bottom out' I find complete nonsense...Fact is we still have, at the very least, a solid group of players in that 25-29 year old bracket (Cunners, Ziebell, Goldstein, Higgins, Taz, Lindsay, Wright, Macmillian et al.) who should ensure we're knocking on the door of the eight next year if not making it with variables falling in our favour (e.g. minimal injuries, good draw)...Add to that under 25's who are already bona fide AFL players and/or have significant scope to lift (Brown, Jacobs, Wood, McDonald etc.) and I fail to see this quantum drop the 'brain's trust' are forecasting...

There's too often unnecessary hysteria when 'big name(s)' leave/retire from a club (Weren't Adelaide meant to drop out of the 8 with Danger leaving last year? And weren't the Dogs meant to be set back years when Griffen shipped off to GWS?)... To me, it's again the case with us at the moment...Fact is, we've lost an ageing KPF who would've been shaking hands with the Werribee coach from June onwards had Wood and Waite not been injured, a serviceable yet highly expendable backman, an 'outside' mid who by the end was slow and using the ball poorly and Boomer who DID give us something we lacked (i.e. scoring impetus) but simultaneously failed to provide something we needed (i.e. defensive pressure)...Certainly a strong case for Boomer to go around again and I was as jacked off as anyone when the announcement came through he would be finishing up but upon reflection if Garner/Turner can at least adequately fill the attacking void left by Boomer's departure (and I feel both are capable with an extended, unhindered run at it) the decision not to re-contract Boomer will be justified...

With all this in mind, there's still clearly a sizeable gulf between us and the best teams in the game and this conceivably may take some years to abate...I'd suggest quick midfielders who can use the pill well are of top priority but getting these types of players in are obviously not easy given their value...Would be disappointed if Wells left as he is perhaps the only one there at the moment who fits that criteria. By the same token, Clarke was ultra impressive in the 3-4 games he played and would expect him to consolidate his position over the next couple of years.

P.S. My first post on BigFooty...Thanks for letting me on and go NMFC!

 

[B4Bear]

Would be naive to think we're not a real chance of dropping out of the eight in '17 but the populist sentiment in the media from the likes of Schwarz, Hutchison and Lloyd that 'North is about to enter a 3-4 year rebuild and will bottom out' I find complete nonsense...Fact is we still have, at the very least, a solid group of players in that 25-29 year old bracket (Cunners, Ziebell, Goldstein, Higgins, Taz, Lindsay, Wright, Macmillian et al.) who should ensure we're knocking on the door of the eight next year if not making it with variables falling in our favour (e.g. minimal injuries, good draw)...Add to that under 25's who are already bona fide AFL players and/or have significant scope to lift (Brown, Jacobs, Wood, McDonald etc.) and I fail to see this quantum drop the 'brain's trust' are forecasting...

There's too often unnecessary hysteria when 'big name(s)' leave/retire from a club (Weren't Adelaide meant to drop out of the 8 with Danger leaving last year? And weren't the Dogs meant to be set back years when Griffen shipped off to GWS?)... To me, it's again the case with us at the moment...Fact is, we've lost an ageing KPF who would've been shaking hands with the Werribee coach from June onwards had Wood and Waite not been injured, a serviceable yet highly expendable backman, an 'outside' mid who by the end was slow and using the ball poorly and Boomer who DID give us something we lacked (i.e. scoring impetus) but simultaneously failed to provide something we needed (i.e. defensive pressure)...Certainly a strong case for Boomer to go around again and I was as jacked off as anyone when the announcement came through he would be finishing up but upon reflection if Garner/Turner can at least adequately fill the attacking void left by Boomer's departure (and I feel both are capable with an extended, unhindered run at it) the decision not to re-contract Boomer will be justified...

With all this in mind, there's still clearly a sizeable gulf between us and the best teams in the game and this conceivably may take some years to abate...I'd suggest quick midfielders who can use the pill well are of top priority but getting these types of players in are obviously not easy given their value...Would be disappointed if Wells left as he is perhaps the only one there at the moment who fits that criteria. By the same token, Clarke was ultra impressive in the 3-4 games he played and would expect him to consolidate his position over the next couple of years.

P.S. My first post on BigFooty...Thanks for letting me on and go NMFC!

Solid first up effort, just make sure you do a full pre-season before the start of 2017; I find trolling the St Kilda board and mentioning how even the umpiring is across the competition provides a good workout.

Oh, and I agree with pretty much everything you wrote.

 

[LeFtBehinD]

Would be naive to think we're not a real chance of dropping out of the eight in '17 but the populist sentiment in the media from the likes of Schwarz, Hutchison and Lloyd that 'North is about to enter a 3-4 year rebuild and will bottom out' I find complete nonsense...Fact is we still have, at the very least, a solid group of players in that 25-29 year old bracket (Cunners, Ziebell, Goldstein, Higgins, Taz, Lindsay, Wright, Macmillian et al.) who should ensure we're knocking on the door of the eight next year if not making it with variables falling in our favour (e.g. minimal injuries, good draw)...Add to that under 25's who are already bona fide AFL players and/or have significant scope to lift (Brown, Jacobs, Wood, McDonald etc.) and I fail to see this quantum drop the 'brain's trust' are forecasting...

There's too often unnecessary hysteria when 'big name(s)' leave/retire from a club (Weren't Adelaide meant to drop out of the 8 with Danger leaving last year? And weren't the Dogs meant to be set back years when Griffen shipped off to GWS?)... To me, it's again the case with us at the moment...Fact is, we've lost an ageing KPF who would've been shaking hands with the Werribee coach from June onwards had Wood and Waite not been injured, a serviceable yet highly expendable backman, an 'outside' mid who by the end was slow and using the ball poorly and Boomer who DID give us something we lacked (i.e. scoring impetus) but simultaneously failed to provide something we needed (i.e. defensive pressure)...Certainly a strong case for Boomer to go around again and I was as jacked off as anyone when the announcement came through he would be finishing up but upon reflection if Garner/Turner can at least adequately fill the attacking void left by Boomer's departure (and I feel both are capable with an extended, unhindered run at it) the decision not to re-contract Boomer will be justified...

With all this in mind, there's still clearly a sizeable gulf between us and the best teams in the game and this conceivably may take some years to abate...I'd suggest quick midfielders who can use the pill well are of top priority but getting these types of players in are obviously not easy given their value...Would be disappointed if Wells left as he is perhaps the only one there at the moment who fits that criteria. By the same token, Clarke was ultra impressive in the 3-4 games he played and would expect him to consolidate his position over the next couple of years.

P.S. My first post on BigFooty...Thanks for letting me on and go NMFC!

I wouldn't bother next time if you're going to post such logical sense, you'll be marched right outa here.

Seriously though, I share the same optimism. Excited to see our fringe players get more senior game time + any 20-26 year olds we can add through the trade period.

 

[Deep Wells]

If Waite got injured I suspect we would bring in someone like Turner or Garner and move Wood to that '3rd forward' type role. I agree that key defender depth is very light, but hopefully we rectify that in the trade/FA period.

KPD and outside speed in the midfield are our only deficiencies. As I said, I would be disappointed not to play finals next year, but finishing bottom 4 would be completely ridiculous. I think there will be a lot of people disappointed from other teams who expect us to drop that far next year.

The only player who is irreplaceable that we've lost is Boomer. Even then, it's only his attacking output that is irreplaceable, we might actually gain a little on the defensive front by replacing him with Turner/Garner next season.

KPD Tarrant, Thompson, Hansen, EVW, Durdin, Nielsen. That's plenty. Load up on mids. Take some risks, some are bound to pay off

 

[Rob in Cologne]

Wellsy is gone (it appears) so we could look like this:

B: Atley - Taz - EVW
HB: Wright - Thommo - LMAC

C: JMAC - Cunners - Gibbo

HF: Garner - Brown - Higgo
F: Turner - Waite - Wood

R: Goldie - Ziebull - Clarke

Int: Jed/LT - Daw - Dumont - Jacob

Emg: Swallow - Mullett - BMAC - Hansen - Wagner

Kids to kick on: M-Ford - Fordham R - Hibberd - Durdin - Preuss - McKay - Neilson

Rookie list: Tippett (help at the Bees, back-up the back-ups)

Move on? Black ... 3rd rounder :-/ ??? Or keep and rejuvenate? Can he become a backman over summer?

 

[WWSD]

North Melbourne's best 22

A fit Shaun Higgins, Wood, Wright, Jacobs, McDonald, Goldstein (who was definitely playing injured in 2016), Turner, Waite, S.Thompson and Garner will make North Melbourne better in 2017 and should go deeper in the finals with a full list to choose from despite a number of senior players being moved on.

Mason Wood should enormous amounts of potential in the first half of 2016. He's an excellent contested mark, good user of the ball, kicks goals and is mobile for a player of his size I reckon he will hold down that center half forward spot in 2017. Add Waite, Higgins, Turner and Garner and North's front half will be more potent then before and those players are excellent tacklers as well which will see repeat forward 50 entries.


B: Brad McKenzie, Robbie Tarrant, Luke McDonald

HB: Shaun Atley, Scott Thompson, Jamie Macmillan

C: Sam Gibson, Ben Cunnington, Ryan Clarke

HF: Shaun Higgins, Mason Wood, Kane Turner

F: Taylor Garner, Jarrod Waite, Ben Brown

R: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell

INT: Ben Jacobs, Trent Dumont, Sam Wright, Jed Anderson

EMG: Ben McKay, Majak Daw, Mitchell Hibberd


2017 Predictions
Ladder: 5th-8th
Best & Fairest: Shaun Higgins
Most Improved player: Ryan Clarke
Club leading Goal kicker: Mason Wood (44)
All-Australian contenders: Shaun Higgins, Mason Wood, Robbie Tarrant, Todd Goldstein
Most underrated player: Jamie Macmillan

 

[nicko74]

North Melbourne's best 22

A fit Shaun Higgins, Wood, Wright, Jacobs, McDonald, Goldstein (who was definitely playing injured in 2016), Turner, Waite, S.Thompson and Garner will make North Melbourne better in 2017 and should go deeper in the finals with a full list to choose from despite a number of senior players being moved on.

Mason Wood should enormous amounts of potential in the first half of 2016. He's an excellent contested mark, good user of the ball, kicks goals and is mobile for a player of his size I reckon he will hold down that center half forward spot in 2017. Add Waite, Higgins, Turner and Garner and North's front half will be more potent then before and those players are excellent tacklers as well which will see repeat forward 50 entries.


B: Brad McKenzie, Robbie Tarrant, Luke McDonald

HB: Shaun Atley, Scott Thompson, Jamie Macmillan

C: Sam Gibson, Ben Cunnington, Ryan Clarke

HF: Shaun Higgins, Mason Wood, Kane Turner

F: Taylor Garner, Jarrod Waite, Ben Brown

R: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell

INT: Ben Jacobs, Trent Dumont, Sam Wright, Jed Anderson

EMG: Ben McKay, Majak Daw, Mitchell Hibberd


2017 Predictions
Ladder: 5th-8th
Best & Fairest: Shaun Higgins
Most Improved player: Ryan Clarke
Club leading Goal kicker: Mason Wood (44)
All-Australian contenders: Shaun Higgins, Mason Wood, Robbie Tarrant, Todd Goldstein
Most underrated player: Jamie Macmillan

Good assessment but still not enough run and carry in that side IMO. Need to draft or trade for some speed and better ball users.

 

[Route57]

Jesus 5-8, we would be wrapped with that

 

[domiroo]

We have to Waite for the Brown Wood Daw to open see what I just did

 

[domiroo]

Because the Black Wood Daw is Locked

 

[ansonholt]

Therefore he is not an option for the middle

I disagree partially. I think he can play there, just not full time. Perhaps swapping out with Jack or Cunners for a different approach.

In fact I know I saw him in there a bit in the last few rounds, not that I was much interested in watching us play in those games

 

[Gasometer]

I disagree partially. I think he can play there, just not full time. Perhaps swapping out with Jack or Cunners for a different approach.

In fact I know I saw him in there a bit in the last few rounds, not that I was much interested in watching us play in those games

Yeh that's what I mean...he hasn't the stamina to go there 100% of the time.

 

[Keystone agony]

Who replaces the big 4 and maybe more to come ie: Wells potentially.

Maybe im more interested to see who replaces Boomer Harvey, Wells* and Nick Dal Santo. Think Firrito and Petrie are covered.

Im guessing maybe R.Clarke, L.Mcdonald plays further up the ground? Atley maybe further up the field? Warren replaces Harvey up forward? Jed Anderson probably more likely for the Harvey role and Warren comes into that finals team.

 

[Popeye10]

I'll tell you how it would look in 2017, the team that runs out in rnd1 will be the same team we will watch for the whole year, win, lose or draw. If your not in rnd1 then good luck trying to get a game unless some one gets injured simple.

 

[Sheezel2Wardlaw]

B: Ed Vickers-Willis, Robbie Tarrant, Sam Wright

HB: Zac Tuohy, Scott Thompson, Jamie Macmillan

C: Sam Gibson, Ben Cunnington, Ryan Clarke

HF: Shaun Higgins, Mason Wood, Kayne Turner

F: Jack Ziebell, Jarrod Waite, Ben Brown

R: Todd Goldstein, Luke McDonald, Trent Dumont

INT: Lindsay Thomas, Taylor Garner, Shaun Atley, Jed Anderson

That was tricky even without Harvey, Petrie, Firrito, Dal Santo, Wells and Swallow.

No Jacobs, McKenzie, Hansen, Daw & Mullett.

 

[hellas_johnny]

For me next season barring players we get through trade this would be my round 1 side:

B: Sam Wright, Robbie Tarrant, Luke McDonald

HB: Shaun Atley, Scott Thompson, Jamie Macmillan

C: Sam Gibson, Ben Cunnington, Ben Jacobs

HF: Shaun Higgins, Mason Wood, Kayne Turner

F: Lindsay Thomas, Jarrod Waite, Ben Brown

R: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell

INT: Taylor Garner, Trent Dumont Majak Daw, Jed Anderson

EMG: Ryan Clarke, Lachlan Hansen, Andrew Mullett

Clarke very unlucky, it was a toss up between him and Anderson. What i like about this side is that with the addition of Turner, Garner and Jacobs we have added players who can apply hard tackles as well as players who have a bit of pace about them as well. This team if fit will not be far off the 8 and maybe even in it, the problem is then with our depth. This year showed our depth was terrible next year our depth will be unknown as a lot of the players will be 1st 2nd and 3rd year draftees. hopefully a few of them can come through and be guns to help improve the side.

 

[Deep Wells]

B: Vickers-Willis, Tarrant, Wright
HB: Atley, Hansen, McDonald
C: Macmillan, Cunnington, Hibberd
R: Goldstein, Ziebell (C), Clarke
HF: Higgins, Brown, Wood
F: Turner, Waite, Garner
I: Daw, Dumont, Anderson, Jacobs
Gone: Harvey, Dal Santo, Petrie, Firrito, Ray, Nahas
Trade: Wells, Thompson, Thomas, Black, Swallow
Depth: Gibson, Mullett, McKenzie, Wagner, Mountford, Durdin, Nielsen, Tippett, Preuss, Fordham, McKay
In: 2 x trade/FA, 9 x draft
Hard and Fast