Player Watch #7: Zane Duursma - out for 2024, undergoing shoulder surgery

[RightWingRoo]

It looks like Tarryn has a talented younger brother. Be typical if his **** up means we miss access to his younger bro as well.

Not sure if the family could be that mad at the club, Tarryn was the architect of his own demise in the end.
But would have to do due diligence, if he did end up in our NGA.
May end up being moot as well, the Tassie NGA will be gone by 2026.

 

[gerry101101]

It looks like Tarryn has a talented younger brother. Be typical if his **** up means we miss access to his younger bro as well.

Hopefully his younger brother does not own a phone.

 

[jay317]

I understand he's been out for a while, but seems a lot have forgot what Thomas actually did on field. Zane hasn't shown anything close to that. Not sure why we're trying to compare them at this stage of Zane's career.

 

[Sphynx]

VFL Showreel, R12: Zane Duursma highlights

Enjoy Zane Duursma's standout VFL performance for North Melbourne

www.afl.com.au

18 years of age

He’s getting noticeably bigger through his chest and shoulders also from 6 months ago.

It’s a great sign in the two games he’s dropped down to VFL level he’s taken the piss with 7 goals in a mid/fwd role.

It’s also clear he’s struggling with the structures and defensive instructions in an AFL medium forward role where your first role is pretty much defence and defensive pressure and zone structures. Its basically the total opposite to how he has played the game for most of his life.

Reverts to an attacking role at VFL where he can play his own game and is playing with the freedom and flair people have identified for years.

He is clearly going to have to develop that defensive side over a few years, but we need to try and deploy him in a role at AFL level with some more freedom.

I’d give him another week in the VFL personally.

Payne also looked great and will probably get a crack before seasons end, we are crying out for a defensive forward with his pace and defensive instincts.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Statement game that

Straight back in

I would rather he back it up.

 

[ferball]

I honestly couldn't care less if he plays the whole year in the VFL, dominates and then comes in next year with some more size and strength behind him.

Let him keep getting 25 and kicking 3 for a while at least.

 

[Liam Boy]

I honestly couldn't care less if he plays the whole year in the VFL, dominates and then comes in next year with some more size and strength behind him.

Let him keep getting 25 and kicking 3 for a while at least.

I can see the thinking behind this but this isn't some guy we picked up in the MSD who would feel lucky to get a chance, this is a high draft pick with an incredible ceiling who would be receiving offers from 17 clubs the moment he's out of contract. Zane isn't here to play in the VFL and as much as you don't want to put players before the club, those types of players do need to be kept happy. If he's playing well enough at that level to deserve to be selected (and he is), he needs to be.

 

[Sphynx]

I can see the thinking behind this but this isn't some guy we picked up in the MSD who would feel lucky to get a chance, this is a high draft pick with an incredible ceiling who would be receiving offers from 17 clubs the moment he's out of contract. Zane isn't here to play in the VFL and as much as you don't want to put players before the club, those types of players do need to be kept happy. If he's playing well enough at that level to deserve to be selected (and he is), he needs to be.

It's a valid point and a balancing act between what's good for him and his own personal confidence.

Zane is a very self confident young guy, as evident by some of his commentary in Dec/Jan regarding almost assumptions of immediate selection.

He's a guy that wont be content playing in the VFL for blocks of his first 2 seasons.

You also don't want to throw him to the wolves fozen out as a half forward in a terrible team getting 40 inside 50's a game, all the while instructing him to focus on defensive acts, something not natural to him at the moment.

There's nothing wrong with 2-3 dominant games at VFL level to regain some touch and confidence.

But you are also correct, it's incumbent on the coaching staff to find a role for him (one which maximises his talent and ability) and get some AFL level experience into him, especially with the club in the ladder position we are.

It's intriguing why he hasn't really featured as a sub tbh.

I would have thought we could identify a few VFL/AFL coordinated fixtures where he might be perfect for the sub, in that he could play 1-1.5 qtrs barring no injuries at AFL level and then get a full game in the VFL the following day. They don't occur often, but they exist.

This is putting aside the fact he is ideal for the sub at the moment, more so than even Ford or Stevenson. Zane can play more than just as a medium forward if required on game day.

 

[Jeremy Jordan]

I understand he's been out for a while, but seems a lot have forgot what Thomas actually did on field. Zane hasn't shown anything close to that. Not sure why we're trying to compare them at this stage of Zane's career.

If Zane at 23, is Tarryn Thomas at 23, I’d consider him a dud pick at 4.

The more Tarryn doesn’t play, the better he gets. Give it 4 years and he will be better than Carey.

He rolled up when he felt like it. One week he looked like he was about to become the player we needed, then we wouldn’t see him for 2 weeks.

 

[KiwiRoo]

would have loved to see what he would have done in the first half against the pies !
but a block of games in the VFL will do him good I reckon. Get fitness and confidence levels up a bit.
will be better equipped for AFL footy then

 

[DANMAN]

It looks like Tarryn has a talented younger brother. Be typical if his **** up means we miss access to his younger bro as well.

he is playing in the Development League for North Launceston . looks and moves like his brother. but I doubt talent wise he would on the radar of being drafted.

 

[ferball]

he is playing in the Development League for North Launceston . looks and moves like his brother. but I doubt talent wise he would on the radar of being drafted.

Might go watch a game when I get a spare weekend to see how he goes.

 

[DANMAN]

Might go watch a game when I get a spare weekend to see how he goes.

I have seen him play , my mates son plays in the same team, he has played Senior Football , moves well , just doubt he would be draft potential, I could be wrong. but I have heard he is a far better person than Tarryn ever was at the same club.

 

[Danni_Benson]

It's true, TT had skills but how many times did he offer up a best on ground performance over the course of a full game? Maybe two or three times in 69 games?

His focus was predominantly on ‘worst off ground’ performance.

 

[jay317]

If Zane at 23, is Tarryn Thomas at 23, I’d consider him a dud pick at 4.

The more Tarryn doesn’t play, the better he gets. Give it 4 years and he will be better than Carey.

He rolled up when he felt like it. One week he looked like he was about to become the player we needed, then we wouldn’t see him for 2 weeks.

Thomas basically averaged 20 touches, 5 marks, 4 tackles and over a goal a game in his second full season. If Zane is hitting that we'd be chuffed.

 

[Jeremy Jordan]

Thomas basically averaged 20 touches, 5 marks, 4 tackles and over a goal a game in his second full season. If Zane is hitting that we'd be chuffed.

And the season after…..

 

[Sphynx]

Thomas basically averaged 20 touches, 5 marks, 4 tackles and over a goal a game in his second full season. If Zane is hitting that we'd be chuffed.

After his third preseason, yes.

and then proceeded to average 12 touches and 0.2 goals per game in his third full season and 4th preseason.

I don't think we'd be chuffed with that.

 

[ferball]

After his third preseason, yes.

and then proceeded to average 12 touches and 0.2 goals per game in his third full season and 4th preseason.

I don't think we'd be chuffed with that.

Look its silly going over this, it done, but 2022 was a standout bad year for him on field and 2023 was back to his 2021 form but even more physical and better in terms of defensive around a contest.

So if he'd behaved himself and had a few seasons of stability i think his better form would have been something we saw all the time. But its all pointless speculation now.

In that VFL game Zane did exhibit Thomas like play tho. He's probably not as strong but that might only need one more pre season to remedy.

 

[Disco Dew]

Now that we have a semi functioning forward line, I’d like to see him come back in sooner rather than later.

 

[jay317]

After his third preseason, yes.

and then proceeded to average 12 touches and 0.2 goals per game in his third full season and 4th preseason.

I don't think we'd be chuffed with that.

Yet was basically hitting the same mark in the games he played in that 4th season - even with the time away and external factors.

He wasn't the only bloke who was down in 2022 either.

 

[Sphynx]

Yet was basically hitting the same mark in the games he played in that 4th season - even with the time away and external factors.

He wasn't the only bloke who was down in 2022 either.

Im not implying he wasn't

But some of the other posters are right though, we aren't talking about Andrew McLeod here.

If by the end of Zane Duursma's North career his peak only amounts to Thomas' 2021 (18.2 disp. 1.1 goal per game) or Thomas' 2023 (19.6 disposal 0.9 goal per game) I will be seriously disappointed, no matter how "promising" they were.

To say we would be "chuffed" is ridiculous.

Duursma is one of the most talented Victorian mid/fwd prospects in a number of drafts. I want this kid to turn into Matthew Pavlich, not Tarryn Thomas.

 

[koshari]

If Zane at 23, is Tarryn Thomas at 23, I’d consider him a dud pick at 4.

The more Tarryn doesn’t play, the better he gets. Give it 4 years and he will be better than Carey.

He rolled up when he felt like it. One week he looked like he was about to become the player we needed, then we wouldn’t see him for 2 weeks.

his selfishness when the club was on its knees with blow after blow reigning down was extraordinary, this stupidity aside. i would have been happy to see him marched 12 months earlier,

and frankly the less said about him in this thread the better.

 

[Nate1993]

Definitely benefited from playing in the midfield in the VFL. Was able to do as he pleased without a defender to beat. Shows great skill, a decent tank, just needs to get more involved in the contested phase, then boom he will be a superstar.

 

[Chewy Chewman]

Tarryn is a bit like that ex lover you can’t stop reminiscing about. You only remember the good times and magically forget the bad times.

 

[The acurate one]

I honestly couldn't care less if he plays the whole year in the VFL, dominates and then comes in next year with some more size and strength behind him.

Let him keep getting 25 and kicking 3 for a while at least.

Well yes, but I see absolutely zero reason, why you'd play this fella ahead of him. Unless as you say just pump games into him. He is going to be a very good footballer. Nifty Nev reiterated that at the GF reunion apparently.

The other fella & Duursma