North Melbourne
Coach – Alastair Clarkson
2023 –
Points For – 17th
Points Against – 17th
Top 5 Best and Fairest
- Harry Sheezel
- Nick Larkey
- Bailey Scott
- LDU
- Jack Ziebell
2023 Rising Star Noms
Harry Sheezel (Rnd 1)
George Wardlaw (Rnd 13)
Eddie Ford (Rnd 24)
Ins – Wil Dawson, Zane Duursma, Zac Fisher, Taylor Goad, Riley Hardeman, Finnbar Maley, Colby McKercher, Bigoa Nyuon, Toby Pink, Dylan Stephens
Outs – Aiden Bonar, Ben Cunnington, Jacob Edwards, Todd Goldstein, Aaron Hall, Daniel Howe, Jack Mahony, Ben Mckay, Flynn Perez, Phoenix Spicer, Kayne Turner, Lachie Young, Back Ziebell
My Prediction
Cunnington, McKay, Ziebell and Goldstein are four pretty big names to lose from a team that has done nothing for an extended period of time and leaves you to believe they are comfortable suckling from the AFL teet for a little longer. The AFL have given them the sort of help they only seem to give to the teams they have to fund themselves. The good news is that it didn’t work quickly for the Gold Coast and it is unlikely to work quickly here as well.
The backline is worse than West Coast which was already a hot mess. I don’t know if they have a key position player. They have Corr but he isn’t really a player or right for a key position. Comben is a reach, they will have to dip into the youth basket. I am not sure if they will transition Sheezel into the midfield or leave him down back. There seems word he will revert back to his centre forward roots. Fisher has been brought in to be the extremely undersized, inconsistent small half back. McDonald has been solid back there but he will be carrying the load.
The midfield is one to watch. I am not sure next year but Thomas, Scott, Wardlaw, Duursma, LDU and Simpkin along with Phillips and Powell. They have built from the midfield out. It is a tactic that has failed many before them, there will be times when they look like world beaters and times when they get absolutely smashed. I suspect they will look like world beaters a lot more often this year.
The forward line has the bones of something pretty good. Larkey was probably the best key forward in the competition last year. Zurhaar will at some stage start to realise his potential, Sheezel will see more time up forward and they have smalls in Stephenson and Ford. They will see enough of the ball this year and I don’t expect them to be the 17th scoring team.
The rucks are thin but Xerri looked good last year and moving on from Goldstein is definitely the right move for the team. Xerri is a good tap ruckman and works hard around the ground, he is not in the same class as the Todd but he will build with their midfield group and grow with them. What can be said about the coach that hasn’t been said before (not much apparently because the AFL makes those voices go away). He has been given another free pass with a rubbish team being given all sorts of ridiculous help to climb up the ladder quickly.
The Roos are still rebuilding and seem to be avoiding all temptation for quick wins. They are staying the path. The free pass they got from the AFL is far from a guarantee of success but it certainly gives them a head start. They did well last year in the draft with Sheez and Wardlaw but they also seem to be ignoring their key position needs. They are very light on for talls and this will mean they wont be overly competitive for large portions of this year. I think they are going to be more competitive and will win more games but there is no giant climb up the ladder. 16-17 for mine.
