Opinion What is the plan for North?

[Philhawk]

North Melbourne is now multiple years into their second (or third) rebuild over the past decade.

They’ve had more top picks over the last decade than some clubs have had in their lifetime.

They (correctly) identified that they’d need older players to support their kids and traded their picks for older players accordingly.
Unfortunately, in their haste to move quickly - they look like they’ve traded away Pick 1 to Richmond for a packet of chips.

Clarkson has 2.5 years left on an expensive contract that I doubt the club can afford to pay out.

For me, the final slap in the face is that they’re now selling “home” games for WA against local teams like the Eagles which will actually cost them on field in terms of results (and looks like it will today).

What exactly is the plan and how can the AFL actually step in to assist at this time?

Extra money for coaches? Giving them the money to pay out Clarkson (and not counting it against soft cap)? Giving them extra older player spots on their list?

More picks clearly aren’t the solution - but something needs to be done.

 

[archereleven]

Hopefully fold.

 

[projectv]

They're at least another half dozen midfielders away from contention.

 

[Crowbling]

They should change their name back to the Kangaroos and become a permanent away team.

 

[00Stinger]

They are slowly improving, what's the problem?

 

[THE_GUN]

Steady as she goes
North will have a better 2nd half of the season and end up with 6-7 wins

 

[Philhawk]

They are slowly improving, what's the problem?

Scraping over the line against a team in their first year of rebuilding is improving at a glacial pace.

 

[bluespooner]

Should always have taken the picks and money and moved to the gold coast.

 

[Cmarsh]

Should always have taken the picks and money and moved to the gold coast.

Probably. That horse has bolted though.

Merger with gws could be a solution for the league though.

 

[Woolly Mammoth]

Board the joint up is what should happen. Sitting around in a swamp of incompetence, cos no one at the club has the Jatz crackers to do anything proactive, or have the will or self awareness to fall on their sword, and wait 3 years until the AFL step in and restructure the joint, and install a coach who isnt psychologically and spiritually cooked and 10 years past their useby date, is what will happen.

 

[Woolly Mammoth]

Should always have taken the picks and money and moved to the gold coast.

Unfair on the Gold Coast region.

 

[Woolly Mammoth]

Probably. That horse has bolted though.

Merger with gws could be a solution for the league though.

Unfair on the Western Sydney region.

 

[Cmarsh]

Unfair on the Western Sydney region.

In all seriousness, I don't think it would be the worst of moves. The Giants brand has struggled to get real cut through in the Sydney sporting landscape. Bringing together the two lists would create a strong playing group that Sydney would get behind better than what they do now. Admittedly the two clubs colours don't match well and it would take a pretty darn good designer to make a decent playing strip, but that is a minor issue.

Base would be in Western Sydney, called Western Sydney Kangaroos and in theory some existing Kangaroos fans in Sydney would come to games boosting home attendances. No more games in Canberra. Would have a similar arrangement for home games in Melbourne to when Fitzroy and Brisbane became one entity.

So I'll get some hate from North and gws fans on here but I think it will be an overall benefit to the league going forward.

 

[Roylion]

Merger with gws could be a solution for the league though.

It's not going to happen.

 

[catters05]

Canberra full time? With their connections to WA could they be that south west club (WA3)

They could have done with that smaller egate stadium in Melbourne though and I still think working with Bendigo whilst the Dogs work with Ballarat, but no doubt selling games to WA over regional Vic will mean a lot more in the bank.

 

[SC_Power]

Canberra full time? With their connections to WA could they be that south west club (WA3)

They could have done with that smaller egate stadium in Melbourne though and I still think working with Bendigo whilst the Dogs work with Ballarat, but no doubt selling games to WA over regional Vic will mean a lot more in the bank.

$2.5M per year for 3 years apparently.

 

[catters05]

$2.5M per year for 3 years apparently.

That’s good coin for 6 games.

 

[Senor M]

North Melbourne is now multiple years into their second (or third) rebuild over the past decade.

They’ve had more top picks over the last decade than some clubs have had in their lifetime.

They (correctly) identified that they’d need older players to support their kids and traded their picks for older players accordingly.
Unfortunately, in their haste to move quickly - they look like they’ve traded away Pick 1 to Richmond for a packet of chips.

Clarkson has 2.5 years left on an expensive contract that I doubt the club can afford to pay out.

For me, the final slap in the face is that they’re now selling “home” games for WA against local teams like the Eagles which will actually cost them on field in terms of results (and looks like it will today).

What exactly is the plan and how can the AFL actually step in to assist at this time?

Extra money for coaches? Giving them the money to pay out Clarkson (and not counting it against soft cap)? Giving them extra older player spots on their list?

More picks clearly aren’t the solution - but something needs to be done.

Maybe you should have waited until the game finished before writing this post.

North is 2 & a half games clear of the Eagles.

I can’t see them winning that many games on the way home— most likely Richmond at Optus will be West Coasts only win for the rest of the year

 

[juss]

Don't think there is a "plan" as such. It'll have to turn around for them at some point.

 

[Kappa]

How do they ever plan on getting FAs or keeping all of theirs when they’re selling home games to Perth?

Are we just allowing rich teams to buy extra home games from poor teams now? If so we’d like to play Port and GC away at the McG

 

[Cleric]

They should have bounced up quicker than they have. They have had access to the best players in the draft, and have found a number of really good players. For whatever reason they just lack the extra bit to move forward.
They obviously preferenced mids in the draft at the expense of KPPs, but alot of clubs don't have a stand out key forward or back, yet still arnt perennial cellar dwellers.

They have the most successful coach of this century, they have cleared nearly all their debt, but just arnt attractive to quality FAs, but again, there are good clubs who haven't managed to get a ton of FAs into their club either.

I'm at the point to where I think they will suddenly bounce up the ladder next year, or face another decade at the bottom.

It's really difficult to put your finger on what's holding them back.

 

[Cleric]

Norths real issue is the players they have drafted just dont mesh together, and the positions they lack are the hardest to fill. Key position forwards and defenders, plus quality small forwards are like hens teeth to get, and those are the exact players they need.
No first rounder this year, Tassie coming in, the future doesnt look healthy.

 

[Philhawk]

Is there a plan?

Clarko looks so beyond done, it’s not funny.

I look at guys like LDU and Simpkin on their stupidly long contracts and wonder where’s the actual leadership gonna come from?

 

[demondavey]

In all seriousness, I don't think it would be the worst of moves. The Giants brand has struggled to get real cut through in the Sydney sporting landscape. Bringing together the two lists would create a strong playing group that Sydney would get behind better than what they do now. Admittedly the two clubs colours don't match well and it would take a pretty darn good designer to make a decent playing strip, but that is a minor issue.

Base would be in Western Sydney, called Western Sydney Kangaroos and in theory some existing Kangaroos fans in Sydney would come to games boosting home attendances. No more games in Canberra. Would have a similar arrangement for home games in Melbourne to when Fitzroy and Brisbane became one entity.

So I'll get some hate from North and gws fans on here but I think it will be an overall benefit to the league going forward.

Nobody in Sydney cares or probably knows who North Melbourne is. No chance. Giants need to keep their brand.

 

[mattwa]

Tassie