Triage 101, deal with issues in order of priority.
Player Watch #38: Tristan Xerri - has signed a 4 year contract extension to the end of 2029
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Its a good tool when appropriate but looks like he might be playing that card a little to often. Like the guy who continually goes 10 no trumps in 500.
- Jul 18, 2013
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It was better when the tap out was considered prior opportunity, and so if you caught the ball in the ruck, got tackled, and didn't dispose correctly, you got pinged. Every other change in the game has been about reducing repeat stoppages so I don't understand why they thought this change was appropriate.
Happy to have him sign on, but I really hope it isn’t anymore than 3 years. Anything more is a little bit over the top for a ruckman who is still developing his craft and who has had a few injury concerns in the past.
- Jan 23, 2019
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Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't mind him grabbing the ball, shows not much respect for your counterpart.
Averaging 8 tackles, 30 hitouts. 7.8 clearances, which is the most of any of our players.
I'm finding it hard to be critical tbh.
The only area is marking which he still needs to work on his positioning, he is stuck in the middle of a contest instead of timing his arrival to be at an advantage.
I'm not losing sleep over that though.
Averaging 8 tackles, 30 hitouts. 7.8 clearances, which is the most of any of our players.
I'm finding it hard to be critical tbh.
The only area is marking which he still needs to work on his positioning, he is stuck in the middle of a contest instead of timing his arrival to be at an advantage.
I'm not losing sleep over that though.
disco_cowboy
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- Feb 18, 2020
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i wouldn't lose sleep over it if he got more.
AFL contracts are funny things, money isn't actually coming out of the club's pocket and I've never seen us in a position where we or any club for that matter has been unable to afford the players they want.
Say he gets 6, plays well for 3 and we have another (Goad as an example) come in and take his spot. He would have been paid the majority of his salary upfront given it's already hard to tell where else it is going. We then have an insurance plan already in place + rucks are one commodity that fail to lose a lot of value if we want to move him on.
Who would have thought X would be the least of our worries atm.
giantroo
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'X' MARKS THE SPOT FOR KANGAS
NORTH Melbourne is deep in discussions on a new long-term deal for in-form ruckman Tristan Xerri.It's understood the Kangaroos are close to locking away a fresh extension for Xerri, who isn't due to become a free agent until next year but has attracted significant rival interest in recent seasons.
Xerri has established himself as the club's first-choice ruck option over the past 18 months and has enjoyed a standout start to the campaign, averaging 14.8 disposals, 7.8 clearances and eight tackles per match.
It's led to North Melbourne progressing on a deal for the highly rated 25-year-old, with the Kangas hoping to make the 201cm ruckman the latest of their young core to commit their best years to the club.
The Kangaroos have been among the League's most proactive teams in tying down their best players to long-term deals recently, securing the signatures of Nick Larkey (signed through until 2029), Jy Simpkin (2029) and Harry Sheezel (2030) before they entered contract years.
Xerri, who has played 37 games for the club, requested a trade to St Kilda back in 2021 while under contract but a deal was not completed and he stayed at North. – Riley Beveridge
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Love him but it might be a touch early to be waving a long-term deal around, IMO.
2 year extension I could live with but I'd want to see him get through a full season before a long term deal.
Devington
Brownlow Medallist
- Jun 4, 2013
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I think he's pretty damned solid and could lock in that ruck spot for the foreseeable future, but all the same I wouldn't be going overboard with an offer until we see if he can tick at least one of a few more boxes: Improve hitouts to advantage, have an impact either forward or back, be able to negate his direct opponent if they start to turn a game. The latter two are my biggest queries, as I think the first issue is being influenced by our midfield setup and instructions quite heavily.
Don't need an all star ruck to play in finals let alone win a premiership, but we've tied ourselves down with a few long term contracts in the last few years that are currently biting us in the arse. He's got a year left to run as it stands, so I'd just be taking it easy easy, being clear with him that he's the future and he's doing well but we want to see what his ceiling at senior level is before we give him THE contract. Big difference between a 2 year extension and a 5 year one.
Don't need an all star ruck to play in finals let alone win a premiership, but we've tied ourselves down with a few long term contracts in the last few years that are currently biting us in the arse. He's got a year left to run as it stands, so I'd just be taking it easy easy, being clear with him that he's the future and he's doing well but we want to see what his ceiling at senior level is before we give him THE contract. Big difference between a 2 year extension and a 5 year one.
- May 27, 2019
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Very true, I remember Dimma said this once when he was coaching Richmond through their Premiership patch in relation to Ellis. Think he was in and out of the team at one point and Dimma eventually started focusing on what he could do, instead of what he couldn’t. He could run, so Dimma used his run.
RossHenshaw
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- Sep 12, 2020
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I'm loving Big X and what he's done for us this season so far. I for one never doubted him. He is a different player to Goldie and People need to get over this. 10 clearances on his own a few weeks ago speaks for itself. His 2nd and 3rd efforts and own clearance work is better than what Goldie was offering us in his last few years. X will never die wondering and has a huge heart. Best of all he always barracked for North as a kid and you can already see carries all the attributes of a True "Shinboner".
Chadwiko
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He has a dip and is decent around the ground.
However...
His tapwork, especially at the centre-bounce, is actively hurting our midfield. Not only is he not hitting it to the advantage of our midfielders, but he is frequently tapping it directly to the opposition.
Really really painful to watch when contrasted with what we had for a decade with Goldstein.
However...
His tapwork, especially at the centre-bounce, is actively hurting our midfield. Not only is he not hitting it to the advantage of our midfielders, but he is frequently tapping it directly to the opposition.
Really really painful to watch when contrasted with what we had for a decade with Goldstein.
Spot on.
Agree whole heartedly. In the saints pre season game game they had sussed him out and were feasting on his taps.
It's been disguised by being one of the only honest battlers in a team of turnips. But he is either being read like a book or just doesnt know how to tap to advantage.
Was watching the *game and yearnig for Goldy. His tapwork was sublime and helped make players like LDU look far better.
Yep I’m with ya @chadwicko. Hoping it’s something that improves but he feels completely out of synch with our midfielders. All always goes where they aren’t.
Joshen
Norm Smith Medallist
Worry is that our clearances looked better with Greenwood rucking.
Also still can't take a mark above his head.
Also still can't take a mark above his head.
tazaa
Brownlow Medallist
Theres no positives in agreeing on all these points as the team is suffering as a whole, but Chad I appreciate you making the observation after todays game.
I’ve been pointing out X’s ruck work or lack of it since the Fremantle game, and have copped it hard as a result.
Today it stood out like dogs balls how much we’re missing having a big man in the middle with a decent level of ruck craft.
It’s non existent.
It’s frustrating as hell watching him try to grab the ball out of the ruck and in doing so he automatically becomes a step ladder for the opposition.
What’s worse is Rhyce Stanley destroyed him. Rhyce Stanley ffs
He can’t take a mark around the ground so he’s not a genuine bail out kick for our defence.
Some bloke at the ground today pointed out that he leads the league in tackles and is top 3 in clearances or some shit.
We need to stop judging players on their SuperCoach scores and start watching what’s happening on the ground.
Our centre clearance work is abysmal all of a sudden and I wonder when did LDU, Wardlaw and Powell become ineffective?
For me the massive change in the middle has been Goldstein out and I get the blokes 40 and we needed fresh blood, but bloody hell the development of these kids needs to be nurtured by a capable modern day ruck.
He's the best we have, he’s actually the only fit AFL level ruck we have, but please don’t throw a long term deal at him. He's done nothing to show he’s justified it.
Might have been the worst display of ruck craft I have ever seen for a North ruck. Even with a free hit when the other ruckman went right past him he palmed it straight to some other bozo.
Lucky for X they don’t record stats for taps to disadvantage. A Somalian outhouse toilet has better taps than him at the moment.
Lucky for X they don’t record stats for taps to disadvantage. A Somalian outhouse toilet has better taps than him at the moment.
ChairmanZia
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Giving 5 to xerri is a nobrainer, if anything, he's probably one of the most important moving forward. Zurhaar is optional, xerri is not.
Must be signed, not sure on length.
He's one of the few players we can develop into a new 'senior core'.
He's one of the few players we can develop into a new 'senior core'.
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He's a BFNAAK, competitor and seems a good guy so criticising him isn't from some agenda.
But I think people are either looking at stat sheets or just liking the "idea" of building around a strong emerging ruckmen when they talk him up.
Watch the games, a few dissenters were right - that's not to say it won't improve. But there's no cohesion, he actually roots up as many plays as CCJ.
We have 2x 200cm guys hitting their peak years, neither of whom can play as AFL forwards with any reliability and neither can set up any kind of consistent runs of play even against other fledgling rucks.
In 5 minutes yesterday Shannon Neale, 3cm taller, 4 years younger, showed more than both of them.
But I think people are either looking at stat sheets or just liking the "idea" of building around a strong emerging ruckmen when they talk him up.
Watch the games, a few dissenters were right - that's not to say it won't improve. But there's no cohesion, he actually roots up as many plays as CCJ.
We have 2x 200cm guys hitting their peak years, neither of whom can play as AFL forwards with any reliability and neither can set up any kind of consistent runs of play even against other fledgling rucks.
In 5 minutes yesterday Shannon Neale, 3cm taller, 4 years younger, showed more than both of them.
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