Opinion North Melbourne Priority Picks Part 2 - 2023/2024

[LukeParkerno1]

Pendles and Howe would be better options.

Yeah good shout. Howe especially for the backline

 

[Elixuh]

North needs to fix its defence. It’s too late in the rebuild to draft and develop 18 year old KPDs. By the time they’re ready guys like Larky will be nearing 30.

They need to aggressively trade in one prime KPD and one get in a Veteran KPD. Otherwise they’re not going to make any progress next year. You can’t win games with that defence.

They also really need Harley Reid. They need Cheezles off HB which is fair but needed a top mid in Reid to fill the gap in there. Instead they got the brother of that bow and arrow guy who plays for Essendon.

 

[boncer34]

Trading 2019 pick 8 (C. Serong) for Melbourne's 2020 first (Tom Powell) and change probably hurts a bit as well. Why was that done?

Because Melbourne had just finished 17th.

 

[smish]

Because Melbourne had just finished 17th.

Fair, but very risky considering they made a prelim the year before. Most teams were reluctant to trade for WCE F1 last year despite them being a bottom three lock.

That being said, no one could have predicted the abysmal 2020 draft.

 

[Juddernaut08]

Should be put under administrative care by the AFL.

 

[SSSSSS]

My Armchair Expert, Keyboard KnowItAll approach would be:

* Remove the captaincy from Simpkin. Poor bloke looks burdened at the moment - maybe there's some hangover from getting poleaxed, but I think he just needs to focus on getting himself and his game right.

* Give the co-captaincy to Larkey. He seems to have some passion for the club and seems the type who'd be more vocal and involved on field. North fans seem to dislike McDonald, but it could be hard for Larkey to be involved from FF if the ball doesn't get down there, so they need a co-captain in the backline for now.

* Have a 'Line In The Sand' moment: anyone who's not committed to seeing the rebuild through can shove off. No point hanging onto players who are just going to the motions. Take the financial hit of paying out blokes who don't want to be there or have no passion for the club. The AFL could probably help here.

* Find leaders and hard-workers from lower leagues. Draft the captains of the winning VFL/SANFL/WAFL teams. Draft the 25 year old who was told he'd never make it, and had to bust his backside for years to get respect. Sure, they're stopgaps.....but they're better than drafting "25th men" from other clubs who are just looking for a payday.

* Stop robbing Peter to pay Paul. Where is each player's best position? If they feel Comben and Sheezel are best suited to the forward line, then don't use them to plug gaps down back (or vice versa). Not only will this help team cohesion, it gives a more realistic view of what's needed at draft/trade time.

* Trade down this year's pick unless there is a universally-agreed generational talent in the top 1-2. Be proactive but make other clubs beg for it. Getting (say) Picks 3, 5 and 8 is better than Pick 1 when so many holes need to be plugged.

Larkey talks the talk but I don't think he actually backs it up.

Averages less contested marks than Chol and Bailey Fritsch. Says it all.

Not a physical competitor. Loves a cheapie out the back or staging for a free kick.

Comben looks like a future leader from CHB if he can stay fit. Just puts his body on the line and looks like he wants to hurt people.

 

[boncer34]

Fair, but very risky considering they made a prelim the year before. Most teams were reluctant to trade for WCE F1 last year despite them being a bottom three lock.

That being said, no one could have predicted the abysmal 2020 draft.

Regardless 8 for 13 + 26 is a perfectly fine trade.

 

[schmuttt]

Don’t understand their list management. I remember mid 2010s Carlton said they wanted to draft KPPs first then mids, as KPPs take longer to develop so they should hit their primes at the same time. Unless your development is ridiculously good like the Cats you either do what Carlton did, or do what Melbourne did which was headhunt KPPs from other clubs on deals that looked overs but in the case of May/Lever have paid off in spades.

North are now forced into trading in a gun KPD because they intentionally let McKay go for the compo pick. Real chance the player they took with that compo pick asks for a trade in a few years if they’re still crap.

 

[boncer34]

My Armchair Expert, Keyboard KnowItAll approach would be:

* Remove the captaincy from Simpkin. Poor bloke looks burdened at the moment - maybe there's some hangover from getting poleaxed, but I think he just needs to focus on getting himself and his game right.

* Give the co-captaincy to Larkey. He seems to have some passion for the club and seems the type who'd be more vocal and involved on field. North fans seem to dislike McDonald, but it could be hard for Larkey to be involved from FF if the ball doesn't get down there, so they need a co-captain in the backline for now.

* Have a 'Line In The Sand' moment: anyone who's not committed to seeing the rebuild through can shove off. No point hanging onto players who are just going to the motions. Take the financial hit of paying out blokes who don't want to be there or have no passion for the club. The AFL could probably help here.

* Find leaders and hard-workers from lower leagues. Draft the captains of the winning VFL/SANFL/WAFL teams. Draft the 25 year old who was told he'd never make it, and had to bust his backside for years to get respect. Sure, they're stopgaps.....but they're better than drafting "25th men" from other clubs who are just looking for a payday.

* Stop robbing Peter to pay Paul. Where is each player's best position? If they feel Comben and Sheezel are best suited to the forward line, then don't use them to plug gaps down back (or vice versa). Not only will this help team cohesion, it gives a more realistic view of what's needed at draft/trade time.

* Trade down this year's pick unless there is a universally-agreed generational talent in the top 1-2. Be proactive but make other clubs beg for it. Getting (say) Picks 3, 5 and 8 is better than Pick 1 when so many holes need to be plugged.

No club in the land will give up 3 top 10 picks just for pick 1.

Even North refused to do that for Reid. They sent the benchmark with their 2 first round + change offers to WCE last year, nobody is going to launch over it.

 

[smish]

Regardless 8 for 13 + 26 is a perfectly fine trade.

That's a terrible trade

 

[boncer34]

That's a terrible trade

If you just wanted to punch down on North there's a 100 actual things you could pick.

 

[smish]

If you just wanted to punch down on North there's a 100 actual things you could pick.

What? How am I punching down on North?

I didn't realise they did that trade until I had a look this morning and highlighted that, in hindsight, a bad list management decision which has led them to where they are today.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

For all the people who are shitcanning North for there list strategy, 8 weeks ago you were all lambasting Eagles for not following the North Melbourne list strategy.

A few people need to eat some humble pie before they I guess rewrite history here.

Lists need to be rebuilt bits at a time with senior players at the helm, not cutting them and drafting 10 new faces per year. It simply doesnt work.

Time for North to find there Yeo, McGovern and Barass from somewhere since they dont exist in the playing ranks

 

[Jeremias]

For all the people who are shitcanning North for there list strategy, 8 weeks ago you were all lambasting Eagles for not following the North Melbourne list strategy.

Just quietly, I don’t believe that’s true at all.

Nobody has looked at the “North Melbourne list strategy” and claimed it as some sort of resounding success.

I think you’ve made that up.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Just quietly, I don’t believe that’s true at all.

Nobody has looked at the “North Melbourne list strategy” and claimed it as some sort of resounding success.

I think you’ve made that up.

Eagles fans got told many times we need to get rid of the senior players immediately to blood the young players like North and Hawthorn are doing....

Most Eagles fans can remind you of this im sure

 

[boncer34]

Eagles fans got told many times we need to get rid of the senior players immediately to blood the young players like North and Hawthorn are doing....

Most Eagles fans can remind you of this im sure

Quote them

 

[Deepthroat]

Eagles fans got told many times we need to get rid of the senior players immediately to blood the young players like North and Hawthorn are doing....

Most Eagles fans can remind you of this im sure

As little as two weeks ago the media were saying things like...

"Eagles should have taken two first rounders for Barrass last year"

"The Eagles should have sent Yeo to Gold Coast"

"The Eagles should have shopped Darling for a pick"

The GWS model is the one North need to follow. Uber talented kids supported by respected, dependable veterans with real leadership skill.

Corr, McDonald, Greenwood, Shiels don't fit that bill.

 

[Jeremias]

Eagles fans got told many times we need to get rid of the senior players immediately to blood the young players like North and Hawthorn are doing....

Most Eagles fans can remind you of this im sure

Criticising the work of one club, is not the same thing as praising the work of another.

If there are many instances of North’s rebuild process being praised, it shouldn’t be difficult to point to a few.

Again, I believe you’ve simply made this up.

 

[LordLucifer]

Harley Reid should be there. North would be in a really positive place right now if they dropped that game end of last year.

Added to that, North were offered multiple first round picks for #1 as other clubs wanted Horne-Francis, they got all smart and rejected the offers and then had to deal with Port the next year in a lesser trade for him.

Sorry, no sympathy for them with that sort of sh!t management.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Should be put under administrative care by the AFL.

Correct and should’ve happened last year.

It’s an indictment on the league that this is still rolling on for a third year of “assistance”.

 

[hawksalltheway]

Harley Reid should be there. North would be in a really positive place right now if they dropped that game end of last year.

horne-francis should be there too.....imagine letting two players of such immense and undeniable talent slip through your fingers.....


the blame starts at the running of the club....not the players efforts

 

[HalloweenJack]

Canberra radio just mentioned a rumour that the AFL has told the Roos to explore a move to Canberra with support for the 2026 season.

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app

We don't want them.

 

[Toump Ass]

Rejecting Harley Reid for whatever they took instead is looking like the stupidest decision any club has made in the history of our sport.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Criticising the work of one club, is not the same thing as praising the work of another.

If there are many instances of North’s rebuild process being praised, it shouldn’t be difficult to point to a few.

Again, I believe you’ve simply made this up.

Its not been as a sense of praising North, its been as a "why are Eagles doing it different to Hawthorn and North"

I mean you dont remember all the articles about Eagles should trade Yeo, McGovern and Barass? You dont remembe the amount of criticism Eagles got for keeping NicNat and Shuey on last year? You dont remember the amount of crap we got for still playing Jack Darling?

I think you are rewriting history my friend

 

[Jeremias]

Its not been as a sense of praising North, its been as a "why are Eagles doing it different to Hawthorn and North"

I mean you dont remember all the articles about Eagles should trade Yeo, McGovern and Barass? You dont remembe the amount of criticism Eagles got for keeping NicNat and Shuey on last year? You dont remember the amount of crap we got for still playing Jack Darling?

I think you are rewriting history my friend

See the very first sentence in the post you quoted.

Criticising the work of one club is not the same as praising the work of another.

Suggesting that West Coast could’ve done more, is very different to “following the North Melbourne list strategy”.