Preview Round 20, 2021 | North Melbourne vs Geelong @ Blundstone Arena | Saturday, 31 July @ 13:15

[Lomas]

I bear Shaun absolutely no ill will, but I think him being dropped is a sign that we're moving forward as a footy club

I actually rate him, but agree. My guess would be that he will be somewhere else next year, he is AFL quality.

 

[hundini]

No one cares about who you prefer

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How do you block f@$&wits on Bigfooty ?

 

[Event Horizon]

It will be hard to kick the winning score without Zurhaar. We don’t have a third tall at this stage and he has been playing like a second tall. Ford in is great but he’s probably not quite that sort of player. Maybe Walker plays forward this week


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[Event Horizon]

It truly is the end of times.
If Ats is out we must be tanking!

After the Dogs game you could have mounted an argument that we were tanking with him in


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[Buckets Fan Club]

Dropped and out of contract Atley, gone?

Gone!

 

[Horizons_00]

he did that in 2017 and was very good, have no idea why that stopped.

Noble has changed a lot of players positions since he came on board. So I would love to see him trialed somewhere else

 

[So You Think]

Just having a look at the two teams side by side on the AFL website and I still reckon we're a fair dinkum show, even with our big outs. No Cameron, Henderson, Miers and Selwood is doubtful for the hand bag brigade.

 

[Horizons_00]

Not sure about Atley coming back. With three games left, and with us at the wrong end of the ladder, where's the incentive to be bringing him back in?

Won’t matter if we have 10 games, 1 game, finals, we should bring players in when they are of standard or in form. He may be playing for his career so I think for Atley the time is now

 

[king of the road]

Time to start planning for 2024, great experience for the kids against G-Town.

Out: Zurhaar, Thomas, Goldstein, Cunnington, Atley & Hall

In: Ford, Comben, Bonar, Lazarro, Spicer, PWalker.

B: Ziebell - McKay - Turner
HB: Bonar - Walker - McDonald
C: Polec - Phillips - Scott
HF: Taylor - Comben - Anderson
F: Ford - Larkey - Stephenson
R: Xerri - LDU - Simpkin
I: PWalker Atu Lazarro Dumont
Sub: Spicer

 

[king of the road]

I know does a lot on field but do you think his absence will affect them that much? RE flat on field.
Surely Noble will get them into gear just the same as if any player got injured on field.

Agreed.
If anything, the players will be fired up to give their absent mate a good showing out of respect. Put all the efforts Ben10 put into them into their game as a show of respect.

 

[Moti]

Noble has changed a lot of players positions since he came on board. So I would love to see him trialed somewhere else

Only place he should have been played is in the middle and it never happened and it is too late now.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Moti]

I wonder about Bonar then, whether he is eyeing off Walker’s spot as the third tall. I always thought of him as Atley’s replacement, but Atu/Turner have that covered.

Bonar plays the utility role on the quick half forwards or bigger midfield resting type like Danger, Dusty and Fritsch and also the mid sized lending marking players. 3 KP players, Bonar, then a couple of players like Atu, Hall and Perez who are more suited to the creative runners.

 

[Rod Stroker]

IN: Tarrant, Polec, Ford, Mahony
OUT: Cunnington, Thomas, Zurhaar, Atley


The quartet making way are Ben Cunnington

10

Ben Cunnington

Age

32

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.4

5star

K

9.0

3star

HB

12.4

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

4.7

5star

CL

5.6

5star

D

17.7

4star

K

6.0

2star

HB

11.7

5star

M

2.0

2star

T

4.0

5star

CL

4.0

5star

D

15.8

4star

K

6.4

3star

HB

9.4

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

6.2

5star

CL

3.0

5star

(personal), Tarryn Thomas

26

Tarryn Thomas

Age

24

Ht

190cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

5.7

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

3.3

5star

CL

0.9

3star

D

7.8

2star

K

4.0

1star

HB

3.8

3star

M

1.3

1star

T

3.2

4star

CL

0.2

2star

D

12.8

4star

K

6.2

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

0.4

3star

(concussion), Cam Zurhaar (shoulder) and Shaun Atley

18

Shaun Atley

Age

31

Ht

189cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.3

4star

K

8.5

3star

HB

8.8

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.2

4star

MG

273.1

4star

D

15.0

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

7.1

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

2.0

3star

MG

246.4

4star

D

13.6

4star

K

6.2

3star

HB

7.4

5star

M

1.6

2star

T

3.0

5star

(omitted).

Atley has been named as an emergency, alongside Charlie Lazzaro, Phoenix Spicer and Tom Campbell

38

Tom Campbell

Age

32

Ht

201cm

Wt

108kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.1

2star

K

4.2

2star

HB

4.8

3star

CL

1.6

4star

HO

17.0

5star

D

5.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

2.0

1star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

2.0

5star

D

7.2

2star

K

4.2

2star

HB

3.0

3star

CL

1.2

4star

HO

13.2

5star

.

If Spicer is fit enough to be an emergency, then just play him! WTF are they waiting for?

 

[Rod Stroker]

I actually thought that last week was one of Ats better games lately, in our best win for the year. To get dropped, isn't a good sign for him, but I wouldn't be disappointed if he didn't play seniors again. He's been a good servant and citizen of the club, but his time is up, needs to make way for the new crop coming through.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Selwood named despite his corkie.

 

[Roomoo]

no idea, only told two clubs were in the mix, one top 8.

Guessing but Geelong surely. Fits the profile. Older, Scott fav and Higgins would be singing his praises.


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[Rod Stroker]

Just having a look at the two teams side by side on the AFL website and I still reckon we're a fair dinkum show, even with our big outs. No Cameron, Henderson, Miers and Selwood is doubtful for the hand bag brigade.

and Duncan is probably their biggest out of the lot. Was playing very well before getting injured. Unassuming, under rated player.

 

[Gasometer]

There’s a risk we could win this.

Risk is gawwwnnn

 

[So You Think]

I actually thought that last week was one of Ats better games lately, in our best win for the year. To get dropped, isn't a good sign for him, but I wouldn't be disappointed if he didn't play seniors again. He's been a good servant and citizen of the club, but his time is up, needs to make way for the new crop coming through.

Likely going the way of Jamie MacMillan and co.

 

[Mav]

I’m sorry but People on the Atley to FA or possible trade are delusional. Seriously? Who the F#ck would take him & why ?
Reality is it’s 2021 & the game has passed him by unfortunately. There are kids playing for us with less than 40 Games that have have just about or passed him in that back pocket / half back role .
Bonar , Atu , Perez , Kyron , Young .
Can he play as a lock down on a small opposition forward ? No , Kane Turer has that down to a tee now. Plus we know what Weightman did to him a few weeks ago against the dogs .
Can he play as a running break the lines half back ? No , we know his , get ball , stop , prop , retreat , reverse , kick down the line - turnover . Aaron Hall has the position down pact .
Can he play wing ? Um No , who we going to move for him ? Frog , LMac , Polac or Sleevo ?
I’m not going to kick Ats whikr he’s down now like everyone here on BF is probably expecting.
But with all that evidence mentioned above … sorry to say Ats , Noble is not Brad or Shawry . Just being dependable & durable does not cut it anymore.
AFL is a ruthless sport .
Thank you for your services . Hope we can see you for a fair well game

Kick, kick, boot, kick, boot, kick, kick.

I’m not going to kick him while his down.

Yeah right.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Won't win this one but interested to see how we go against a side with a great premiership profile.
Might be tough given the Cunners news this week and some injuries to key guys but some nice ins to cover.

 

[Merlin007]

Good ins and some accountability for Atley. Hard to see him getting a contract.

Of course there's a changing of the guard, and as others have said, indicates progress for our group, but I would have thought (a la Mason Wood) that Shaun would get a rookie contract somewhere

 

[Merlin007]

If Spicer is fit enough to be an emergency, then just play him! WTF are they waiting for?

probably for him to get a kick in the 2s

 

[RossHenshaw]

Of course there's a changing of the guard, and as others have said, indicates progress for our group, but I would have thought (a la Mason Wood) that Shaun would get a rookie contract somewhere

And look how well it’s worked out for Mason .