Analysis The Rebuild Of Essendon And North Melbourne And Their Future Prospects

[Big_Birdy]

North could genuinely roll into round 1 next year with Aidan Corr as their only defender over 190 cm. What a time to be alive.

Could they be the shortest AFL team since the turn of the century rd 1? Even their mids are pretty short (for AFL players) and their only tall forward is Larkey?

Mids height:

LDU - 188cm
Simpkin - 183
Sheezel - 185
Wardlaw - 182
Phillips - 181
Powell - 184

(* not gonna lie I think those are also very generous heights for Sheezel, Phillips and Powell on their website.)

Compare that to West Coast for example

Kelly - 184
Sheed - 186
Yeo - 191
Culley - 194
Ginbey - 191
Hewett - 186

 

[eth-dog]

Could they be the shortest AFL team since the turn of the century rd 1? Even their mids are pretty short (for AFL players) and their only tall forward is Larkey?

Mids height:

LDU - 188cm
Simpkin - 183
Sheezel - 185
Wardlaw - 182
Phillips - 181
Powell - 184

(* not gonna lie I think those are also very generous heights for Sheezel, Phillips and Powell on their website.)

Compare that to West Coast for example

Kelly - 184
Sheed - 186
Yeo - 191
Culley - 194
Ginbey - 191
Hewett - 186

Ours is a smaller mid group tbf.

Plus I'd expect both CCJ and Comben to start as ruck/forwards

 

[Big_Birdy]

Ours is a smaller mid group tbf.

Plus I'd expect both CCJ and Comben to start as ruck/forwards

Fair enough. I just noticed on the weekend how small they looked.

 

[Taper]

North Melbourne closer to a flag.

 

[eth-dog]

North Melbourne closer to a flag.

Not really

 

[Roby]

Mental gymnastics 101.

We have North supporters arguing their ahead of Essendon, but in another thread they are asking for 50,000 priority picks, because there has never been a worse side in modern history than North.

 

[Yoda_]

Mental gymnastics 101.

We have North supporters arguing their ahead of Essendon, but in another thread they are asking for 50,000 priority picks, because there has never been a worse side in modern history than North.

North have won more finals than Essendon in 20 years

Do Essendon get a priority pick ?

 

[My Tilly]

Terrible finish to the season for Essendon.
Not sure who has better long-term development in them now. Clearly Essendon had a better season but they appear to be stuck in a time warp. Constantly finishing mid-table without ever really making any inroads.

As terrible as what the Kangaroos have been, they could slingshot past Essendon in the coming year or two with such an impressive batch of talent led by their superstar forward, Larkey.

 

[Taper]

North have won more finals than Essendon in 20 years

Do Essendon get a priority pick ?

Essendon have made finals three times since North last did.
That could become four this year, and although it still feels like Essendon are stuck in mid table mediocrity it's something North could only dream of at the moment.

 

[Tandy]

Actually shocked to see North winning this poll. Even from when the thread was made. Essendon are definitely on the right track.

 

[The acurate one]

North has messed up the past rebuilds, so this particular one started around 18 months ago.


2018 - draft we have Bailey Scott

8

Bailey Scott

Age

23

Ht

186cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

4.9

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

1.5

3star

MG

155.6

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.5

3star

T

1.8

3star

MG

114.8

2star

D

11.8

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.8

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.2

3star

MG

171.6

3star

to show for it. TT is gone. That's a massive set back.

2019 - Charlie Comben is it, no one else left.

2020 - draft we have Phillips, Powell, Lazzaro and the pick of the bunch at pick 56 Ford.

2021- JHF - gone, Goater snapped achilles out for the season. Paul Curtis the shinning light of the draft for us

2018- 2021 we have Scott, Comben, Phillips, Powell, Lazzaro, Ford & Curtis.

A little bit of talent but nowhere near matching the draft capital outlay.

2022 - Sheezel, Wardlaw, George, not a bad trio at all. But that cost us JHF, and another pick 1 in the draft.

2023 - McKercher, Duursma, Hardeman ( debuts today) and a couple of others that have some potential.

We've lost

1.JHF
2.Thomas
3.McKay
4. Zurhaar ???
5. LDU ???

We weren't any good with those guys in the side, taking them all out isn't going to improve us.
So I suppose there wouldn't be a rebuilding side in the comp that isn't ahead of us.

But we seem to have done alright the last two drafts, as we should fwiw. But it's one step fwd and two back and should we leak more talent than we bring in, we aren't climbing the ladder for a long time.
Although both Zurhaar and LDU play positions we can actually cover. Losing say Larkey would have been horrid.

I actually like this midfield set up, which granted is still miles off being able to compete. McKercher, Sheezel, Wardlaw, Simpkin and probably some other undrafted well credentialed mid in this years draft.

Essendon as much as it pains me to say, are well ahead of us, and we'll need some luck to close it. If Essendon continue to do well, they'll be an attractive proposition for FA's elsewhere, not just from North.

 

[Taper]

Actually shocked to see North winning this poll. Even from when the thread was made. Essendon are definitely on the right track.

North looked decent in 2021 under Noble.
You could see they were building something, far cry from the dogs breakfast that North are today.

 

[The acurate one]

North looked decent in 2021 under Noble.
You could see they were building something, far cry from the dogs breakfast that North are today.

Yes and TT, JHF and McKay are all gone

 

[InternetToughGuy]

I wouldn't be shocked to see Essendon finish top 4 this year.

 

[mcgrath_truther]

I wouldn't be shocked to see Essendon finish top 4 this year.

would be a nice surprise but i think we'll end up between 7th and 12th. a good start is one thing, but it's a 24 round season, gotta finish off the season just as strongly to stay in contention

 

[Rob R]

North looked decent in 2021 under Noble.
You could see they were building something, far cry from the dogs breakfast that North are today.

Isn't that about when they implemented their tanking strategy and reinforced it last year not even trying to keep key talls despite that being their weakness.

Hard to believe that a club once renowned for its fight is now so badly led.

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Taper]

Yes and TT, JHF and McKay are all gone

Thomas got fired by North for off field indiscretions, not sure if that's bad luck or bad management.
Horne-Francis wasn't at North in 2021.
McKay left North because they didn't even want to keep him, they wanted the compensation pick.

Isn't that about when they implemented their tanking strategy and reinforced it last year not even trying to keep key talls despite that being their weakness.

Hard to believe that a club once renowned for its fight is now so badly led.

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app

North wanted to bottom out and get high draft picks because they saw it as the pathway to winning flags, they didn't want to return to mid table mediocrity.
No doubt seeing Melbourne win the premiership in 2021 would have encouraged North to go down this path.

 

[Call Me Cake]

I wouldn't be shocked to see Essendon finish top 4 this year.

Trolling at it's finest.

 

[Macca18]

20 years of zero success and still up there as the most hated in the league. And this poll proves it.

Just wait until it turns around.

Hope the Messiah 'Clarko' is enjoying playing in front of 37 people in Hobart with one of the worst teams in the history of the competition.

We've got a longgg way to go but North are absolutely indescribably woeful.

 

[Taper]

20 years of zero success and still up there as the most hated in the league. And this poll proves it.

Just wait until it turns around.

Hope the Messiah 'Clarko' is enjoying playing in front of 37 people in Hobart with one of the worst teams in the history of the competition.

We've got a longgg way to go but North are absolutely indescribably woeful.

I think my own club is the most hated in the league if this forum is anything to go by.
Interestingly the two least hated clubs seem to be the QLD clubs.

As for North, they've won 12 games since the start of 2020.
Worse than Carlton after they got sanctioned for rorting the cap.
Worse than Melbourne who were actively trying to lose games.

The days of mid table mediocrity under Laidley and Scott are looking more and more like the halcyon days.

 

[Yoda_]

I think my own club is the most hated in the league if this forum is anything to go by.
Interestingly the two least hated clubs seem to be the QLD clubs.

As for North, they've won 12 games since the start of 2020.
Worse than Carlton after they got sanctioned for rorting the cap.
Worse than Melbourne who were actively trying to lose games.

The days of mid table mediocrity under Laidley and Scott are looking more and more like the halcyon days.

This current North Melbourne incarnation are statistically worse than Fitzroy who had there doors shut. Its worrying how much the AFL needs to continually repair a sinking ship. Sooner or later the jungle drums should start beating louder because they just aren't competitive

 

[Taper]

This current North Melbourne incarnation are statistically worse than Fitzroy who had there doors shut. Its worrying how much the AFL needs to continually repair a sinking ship. Sooner or later the jungle drums should start beating louder because they just aren't competitive

Would the AFL let them play home games at Arden St?
North have tried selling games around the country and failed, so maybe a return to playing at their spiritual home could help?