List Mgmt. The 2016 rebuild

Ahern is a big one. I expected alot more of him this year. Not so much based on JLT form, didn't see the JLT games. But just on general expectation.

He could be a weapon - his ability to sum a situation up and deliver is really good. He has awareness, vision and skill.
Ahern continuing off hbf with more consistency will help our ball movement as our main distributor
 
The MIDFIELDERS are the crucial factor.

Cunnington has been a warrior but gets isolated by taggers at the moment due to a lack of alternatives in the midfield who can take focus away from opposition strategists. Higgins has been magnificent but is approaching 2020 as a 32 year old, and Ziebell is primarily a utility that takes away from the teams strengths around the ground when he gets thrust in to the middle to halt the bleeding. Of course, our situation has been further compounded with the ongoing injury to Jacobs.

I have highlighted the one midfielder who has stepped up (blue) since our rebuild of 2016 was undertaken, and the midfielder/quasi-midfielders which haven't stepped up yet due to age/development or injury (red), and it is this group who I believe are absolutely crucial for the club going forward from this point.

Is there a reason you didn't mention Jed Anderson?

He's one of my favorite players but honestly we didn't look like we missed him in the second Hawthorn game. Early in the year he was the difference between us breaking even in centre clearances after losing them at a 2:1 ratio while he was injured. But ... with this new coach he just doesn't seem as important.
 
Ahern continuing off hbf with more consistency will help our ball movement as our main distributor

I'd like to see him fitter and with a bit more defensive intensity. Well a lot more actually. I dunno if he's mentally a lock down backman but that doesn't matter if he plays with defensive intent and I'd like to see more of that. Rhyce is always going on about being a defnsive coach so hopefully that'll pay off with Pauly.
 
If this group can step up in 2020 then we WILL be playing finals.

If they tread water, then we won't.

If they're still treading water at the end of 2021, then we are in a world of s**t.

BIG year coming up for North in 2020.

This is pretty well on the money.

Big Ifs.

I'm fairly confident that of the 10 players in your 20/20 expectation list Jy, LDU, Thomas and Scott will make significant improvement. I'm hopeful on Hall, Ahern and Bonar based on ... well nothing really. At least nothing more than an unexplainable faith in Shaw to get the best out of them. He's only had a few games but I just have that feeling his best asset as a coach will be getting the best out of his players.

Hayden and Walker ... just keep them on the park. They've both had a shocking run and I'd just like to see them play a bit.

Tyson is the one I'm not sold on. So if he steps up and plays well that's a significant improvement that will benefit us alot.
 

Passmore

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Ahern is a big one. I expected alot more of him this year. Not so much based on JLT form, didn't see the JLT games. But just on general expectation.

He could be a weapon - his ability to sum a situation up and deliver is really good. He has awareness, vision and skill.

He needs to get fitter in my opinion and be prepared to get to more contests. I saw a bit of him at VFL level and while his stats were good, he was playing a lazy brand of football. He was getting by on talent and smarts.
 
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He needs to get fitter in my opinion and be prepared to get to more contests. I saw a bit of him at VFL level and while his stats were good, he was playing a lazy brand of football. He was getting by on talent and smarts.


Yep, that's what I saw. Skating.
 
He needs to get fitter in my opinion and be prepared to get to more contests. I saw a bit of him at VFL level and while his stats were good, he was playing a lazy brand of football. He was getting by on talent and smarts.

You're not the only person to suggest that. Tef reckoned he was coasting and he probably had a point.

I agree on the fitness and also want to see him going harder. Just wondering if he is up for it.
 

Passmore

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You're not the only person to suggest that. Tef reckoned he was coasting and he probably had a point.

I agree on the fitness and also want to see him going harder. Just wondering if he is up for it.

We’ll find out soon enough as he’s about to get swamped if he’s not up for it. The ability is there, I’m sure of that.
 

Nutjob

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As a lot have said the next 12 months we’re going to learn a lot about where this list is at.
One major hole that has largely been missed is the state of our key defence. The progress of McKay and Durdin in the next 12 months is going to be a major factor in just how big that hole is. If they both flop it’s going to be a catastrophe in my view. Tarrant will be in his 30’s, Daw has huge question marks mentally and physically, we have no other kids developing and Thompson retiring is going to make the hole a lot bigger this coming season.
Yes the defence has held up ok in recent years, but it must be a concern for Shaw and I’m sure it’s a priority for him to address.
I’m really hoping we can lock in a decent KPD prospect with one of our first picks.


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osaka mick

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This is a very interesting thread. A lot of praise for players I don't see in our 2020 plans, but interested because so many others do.

My thoughts on the following players:

Hall, at his best could be something, and I agree, playing in the middle is best, but I honestly dont see him impacting the club at all. He is depth at best, but in all likelihood shouldnt play too many games in 2020. If he does play, he takes games off our youth (Scott, Bonar, Walker, etc).
I dont really expect him to play many games for NMFC in 2020 unless injuries force us to play him. He will step up and do well if he plays, but wont be an upgrade in any way.

Tyson is depth, and not much more. If Cunnington, Anderson or JZ went down, he is the perfect immediate replacement, but if our gun MF is available, Dom doesnt play a game for us.Not an upgrade in any way, but would cover a loss if required.

I am very hopeful of the following players developing over the next season and play 18-22 games: LDU, Thomas, Zurhaar, Durdin

I hope the following guys to play 10-15 games: Scott, Walker, Daw, McKay

It is interesting to read about our lack of run off half back. I think Atley still does a good job, but guys like Jmac & LMac certainly need to step up. I have always been a supporter of them, but I am waining. Ahern could be a backman in the making, and LMac could be a great fwd. Lots of ideas, but potential is certainly about.
 
As a lot have said the next 12 months we’re going to learn a lot about where this list is at.
One major hole that has largely been missed is the state of our key defence. The progress of McKay and Durdin in the next 12 months is going to be a major factor in just how big that hole is. If they both flop it’s going to be a catastrophe in my view. Tarrant will be in his 30’s, Daw has huge question marks mentally and physically, we have no other kids developing and Thompson retiring is going to make the hole a lot bigger this coming season.
Yes the defence has held up ok in recent years, but it must be a concern for Shaw and I’m sure it’s a priority for him to address.
I’m really hoping we can lock in a decent KPD prospect with one of our first picks.


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Its actually been excellent.

I agree with most of the rest of what you said tho.
 

mouncey2franklin

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If Hall and Ahern both finish top 7/8 in the North-Bomber medal, we're going places.

If they both finish outside the top 10, the 'rebuild' will take a little longer than I'd have accepted in 2016.

Midfield depth makes all the difference in the modern game. We are too light on for it, need these mature bodies to step up.

Simpkin, LDU and Bailey all have another season of excuses left afaic. Hall and Ahern do not.
 

The Maestro

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There's a lot of question marks in that group when you look at it on face value.

However I'm hoping it will only take one or two players to make the jump for us to start seeing a domino effect on the rest of the players.

If Simpkin and LDU/Scott can hold down midfield roles and excell, it will allow Thomas, Zurhaar, Hall, Walker etc to purely focus on their own roles without having to do too much.

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There's a lot of question marks in that group when you look at it on face value.

However I'm hoping it will only take one or two players to make the jump for us to start seeing a domino effect on the rest of the players.

If Simpkin and LDU/Scott can hold down midfield roles and excell, it will allow Thomas, Zurhaar, Hall, Walker etc to purely focus on their own roles without having to do too much.

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The serious focus should be on Simpkin, Ahern, Tyson, Hall & Jacobs.
 

Gotta_Bea_Hero

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Is there a reason you didn't mention Jed Anderson?

He's one of my favorite players but honestly we didn't look like we missed him in the second Hawthorn game. Early in the year he was the difference between us breaking even in centre clearances after losing them at a 2:1 ratio while he was injured. But ... with this new coach he just doesn't seem as important.

I like Jed as well, if the kiddies are given more opportunities, he could possibly to be one to be pushed out of the side. I'd like to see him as our permanent small forward with bursts through the middle. He and Zurhaar would make it harder for the opposition to tranisition the ball out of our forward line, that's for sure.
 
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Is there a reason you didn't mention Jed Anderson?

He's one of my favorite players but honestly we didn't look like we missed him in the second Hawthorn game. Early in the year he was the difference between us breaking even in centre clearances after losing them at a 2:1 ratio while he was injured. But ... with this new coach he just doesn't seem as important.

Just an oversight, one assumes, but Anderson doesn't change the overall analysis; Jed does the human wrecking ball really well, but he doesn't have the scoreboard impact to get to the next level - the fundamental issue identified by Snake is the lack of star quality in the midfield, and overlooking Jed doesn't change the argument
 

Waussie

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I like Jed as well, if the kiddies are given more opportunities, he could possibly to be one to be pushed out of the side. I'd like to see him as our permanent small forward with bursts through the middle. He and Zurhaar would make it harder for the opposition to tranisition the ball out of our forward line, that's for sure.
Like a tough lock down forward ......or two
 
Just an oversight, one assumes, but Anderson doesn't change the overall analysis; Jed does the human wrecking ball really well, but he doesn't have the scoreboard impact to get to the next level - the fundamental issue identified by Snake is the lack of star quality in the midfield, and overlooking Jed doesn't change the argument

He doesn't usually overlook North stuff or get it wrong.

Also The acurate one mentioned his dropping for "team balance" at one point following that Hawks game. So I'm just wondering if he's not the only one thinking that way. I think I might be coming around to that view.
 
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He doesn't usually overlook North stuff or get it wrong.

Also The acurate one mentioned his dropping for "team balance" at one point following that Hawks game. So I'm just wondering if he's not the only one thinking that way. I think I might be coming around to that view.

IMO, we've concerns about our lack of defensive efforts in the middle. We want to have players working both ways. We have felt in the past there has been a collective lack of defense as it was all about see ball get ball.
We want to get a better balance between attack and defense in the guts, have ours mids take on more accountability.

I feel ( don't honestly know) that we will have a much more structured approach to our footy in 2020 and beyond.
 

Nutjob

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He doesn't usually overlook North stuff or get it wrong.

Also The acurate one mentioned his dropping for "team balance" at one point following that Hawks game. So I'm just wondering if he's not the only one thinking that way. I think I might be coming around to that view.

I think once Ziebell went permanently back into the middle the balance was a bit out with all of Ziebell, Anderson and Cunnington at times. It seemed to work when the pressure, intensity and attack on ball was it its highest, but that is obviously hard to maintain week in week out.

Anderson is an absolute lock in the best 22 for mine and I’d prefer he play more minutes up forward than be be playing VFL. I also think when he is 27-28 and a few engine room types have moved on, his game will have gone to another level and he will be integral to the midfield brigade.


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I think once Ziebell went permanently back into the middle the balance was a bit out with all of Ziebell, Anderson and Cunnington at times. It seemed to work when the pressure, intensity and attack on ball was it its highest, but that is obviously hard to maintain week in week out.

Anderson is an absolute lock in the best 22 for mine and I’d prefer he play more minutes up forward than be be playing VFL. I also think when he is 27-28 and a few engine room types have moved on, his game will have gone to another level and he will be integral to the midfield brigade.


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I think you're right about Ziebs in the middle throwing out some balance. It should be a change up option not a standard thing, impact minutes during a game but mostly staying forward but even starting in the middle and playing the whole game there when its appropriate, just not every week.

I'm hopeful Jed will end up as one of our best mids too. He struggled a bit toward the end of this year but last year when he was injury free he started to really get some consistency. Hopefully he's right during the pre season and crashing packs and contesting hard from the first bounce of r1.
 
I honestly believe we picked Ziebell and Cunnington in back to back drafts as they were our Bartel/Selwood for the next decade and we had just seen Sydney and West Coast bully the comp for a few years. Then football changed and the likes of Swan, Pendles, Hodge, Lewis came to the fore and we couldn’t cover the ground as well. Our recruiting has always been about playing catch up.

In all honesty if Jack wasn’t Jack he’d have been traded to GWS or the Saints for an outside type years ago.
I’m talking pre 2014.

It’s criminal we have had to carry both for the better part of a decade now.

The Next Gen needs to come up and come up fast so we can afford the luxury of playing Jack deep when the trend is all small deadly pressure forwards
Jack is neither small nor quick nor deadly.
 
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It’s hard not to see us improve in 2020 and onwards

By how much? no one knows but I am cocky as ever lol


We should have played finals this year, and we will play finals next year unless Goldstein, Cunnington, Tarrant or Brown get significant injuries.
 
I honestly believe we picked Ziebell and Cunnington in back to back drafts as they were our Bartel/Selwood for the next decade and we had just seen Sydney and West Coast bully the comp for a few years. Then football changed and the likes of Swan, Pendles, Hodge, Lewis came to the fore and we couldn’t cover the ground as well. Our recruiting has always been about playing catch up.

In all honesty if Jack wasn’t Jack he’d have been traded to GWS or the Saints for an outside type years ago.
I’m talking pre 2014.

It’s criminal we have had to carry both for the better part of a decade now.

The Next Gen needs to come up and come up fast so we can afford the luxury of playing Jack deep when the trend is all small deadly pressure forwards
Jack is neither small nor quick nor deadly.

I wouldn't have said we'd carried them. Especially Cunners. If anything its been the other way round with him.

Trends can be changed too. If everyone is focusing on defending against small quick forwards then guys like Zurhaar and Jack become a greater threat because they are less common.

The small forward thing is done. If we chase it we will be playing catch up.

We need to make hard, tough bastard medium forwards the next trend.
 
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