North Melbourne
Coach – David Noble
2021 –
Points For – 17th
Points Against – 18th
Top 5 Best and Fairest
- Jy Simpkin
- Ben Cunnington
- Jack Ziebell
- Aaron Hall
- LDU
2021 Rising Star Noms
Nil
Ins – Callum Coleman-Jones, Hugh Greenwood, Jason Horne-Francis, Josh Goater, Paul Curtis, Miller Bergman, Jackson Archer
Outs – Connor Menadue, Dom Tyson, Robbie Tarrant, Taylor Garner, William Walker, Shaun Atley, Tom Campbell, Trent Dumont, Charlie Ham
My Prediction
I wont get into the deals North knocked back to keep their hands on Horne-Francis except to mention that they were crazy and they have already ramped up the pressure on the kid. That being said, all report indicate he is capable of managing the pressure and by the time her chooses to move back to Adelaide should be nearing elite.
The backline for the Roos looks light on and the mismanagement in losing Tarrant would be tanking if not for the incompetence that led to it. Walker and McKay will need to stay fit from a tall perspective but not sure I would want either taking on quality forwards. Hall was a revelation off half back last year for a player whose career felt like it was winding up. Him and McDonald make a reasonable half back combination.
North is building one hell of a midfield. They will need it to be the best midfield in the competition as their back lines and forward lines are VFL standard. Thomas gave a hint at what he will become along with Simpkin and LDU who finally put a line in the sand. Horne-Francis has already played against men and will be ready come round one. Cunnington (if healthy), Phillips and Powell in the heat gives them a good competitive start.
The forward line is absolutely dire. The worst in the competition. CCJ coming in gives them a target alongside Larkey. Zurhaar is a tough match up and Stephenson gives some pace at the drop of the ball but they are going to need multiple goals from the midfield for them to be competitive with the mid-tier teams.
The rucks are ok, Goldstein is a proven performer and despite losing a little bit of pace, they have Xerri and picked up Edwards in the midseason draft who would probably have been an early pick in the national draft. The coach is still a bit of an unknown, they talk about him in the same hushed tones that they talk about Fagan with but he has a bigger job and less of a head start. I guess we will know more by the end of next season.
Maybe Dodoro has brainwashed me but I think when rebuilding a list, starting with the talls make sense. North Melbourne is the anti-Dodoro and appear to be building a team of mids. I think it is a reasonable way to be an average team quickly but I am not sure it is a way to really impact the competition. I think they will be more competitive this year but not sure there will be any serious jumps up the ladder. This is a bottom two list for mine.
