North Melbourne’s decision to axe four of its stars may seem like a low thing to do, but from the club’s perspective, it was a decision that had to be made.
Michael Firrito, Nick Dal Santo, Drew Petrie and the all-time games record holder Brent Harvey were told in late August they were all going to be shown the door when the Kangaroos’ season ends, which was a “heart-breaking decision” according to North Melbourne coach Brad Scott.
This decision to cull four of the club’s most decorated players has caused unnecessary outrage among not only North Melbourne supporters but all AFL fans.
“I agree that all four players could contribute in 2017, but the future goes longer than that,” Scott said in a media conference after the announcement.
“I’m not ashamed to say I love these guys and if they were here in 2017, I’d play them. That would not be in our best interests.
“It’s about where the club is positioned for the medium to long term.”
It’s almost like people have ignored Scott’s comments.
The four players are all at least 32 years old, and for North Melbourne, topping up the list with experience already hasn’t worked, so why continue with the same process?
For years North Melbourne has been one of the competition’s oldest teams in terms of the average age of its players, and how many premierships have they won recently?
Youth is now the answer with the fast paced game the AFL has now become.
The last North Melbourne premiership came in 1999 when the Kangaroos defeated Carlton by 35 points to record their second flag in four years.
However only a few years later the club was going into decline, and questions were asked about its financial state and long-term sustainability. Their membership tally also stagnated for eight years.
In the 2014 annual report, North Melbourne produced the least amount of financial profit as a Victorian club, with $42,419, however the club’s revenue growth is slowly lifting.
Being one of the poorer Victorian clubs, the Kangaroos cannot afford to fall down the ladder. They need a consistent revenue base in order to remain competitive with the rest of the AFL.
The Roos are always competing of late, having made the finals four out of the past five years. On several occasions, the Kangaroos only just scraped into the finals, and it was on the back of their recruiting.
Rarely do North Melbourne attract top-end talent from rival clubs, but in recent years they have gone after the experience of Jarrad Waite, Nick Dal Santo and Robin Nahas, which conveys one thing, that they were keen on a premiership.
If North Melbourne missed the finals, not having enough players in the premiership bracket – between 23 and 28 years of age – would see them plummet to the bottom since they would have to rely on 18 and 19-year-old draft picks.
No doubt the club’s membership tally would again drop. The club legitimately cannot afford to miss the finals.
The North Melbourne hierarchy know this precisely and as a club, the decision was made purely so such a scenario doesn’t happen.
Teams such as the Western Bulldogs, GWS and even Sydney, have relied on their young guns to play their role this year. They’ve shown that with a young side you can still have success.
Getting rid of the four senior players will now also open up salary cap space, and could allow the Kangaroos to chase a superstar on the move. They should now have the ability to assess their options and hit the trade period with serious intent.
Short term pain for long term gain is the reasoning behind the club’s decision. Think of what the Cats have done in recent seasons.
If they did not get rid of Steve Johnson, James Kelly and Matthew Stokes, then they simply would not have been able to recruit Lachie Henderson, Scott Selwood, Zac Smith and more noticeably Patrick Dangerfield.
As disappointing as the scenario was for North Melbourne, the decision definitely has some merit.
The one question on everyone’s mind is where these players will end up.
For Firrito, Dal Santo and Petrie, it seems we have already seen the last of them in the elimination final. But can Boomer go on elsewhere?
Rival clubs will be looking at the 38-year-old but whether he wants to remain a one-club player or continue to break records will ultimately be his choice, and an intriguing one.
peter wolf
Guest
Have to agree i guess Boomer could have gone on for another year? Did Scott make the right decision on all 4 players, as you would suggest The Club is always bigger than the individual or so they say on all occasions whether we like it or not a decision was reached. It will be interesting to see over the next few weeks if Boomer has the desire to continue & whether any other clubs are circling. There is a rumour and that's all a Pies jumper? Who knows, we shall Waite & see
Paul D
Roar Guru
I still think they made a mistake delisting Boomer. That was the only part about the whole affair I didn’t like. Now I grant you Harvey is a bit selfish and may very well have had to have been blasted out of the club, but either way it wasn’t a good look. Particularly if he does go round another season.
Perry Bridge
Guest
For North - they could be just as competitive next year or they could be bottom 4 - - we know this, looking at Fremantle as an example - so can't take anything for granted. For me though - I believe Petrie was getting in the way of the forward structure moving forward. There were other players I wanted in ahead of Dal Santo but alas they tended to be on the injury list in the 2nd half of the year. Spud did a great job but he's cooked and he's accepted and announced retirement with dignity. For Harvey - it still is the dilemma, he might be good for another year. And his ball use and value was highlighted by his late season return against the Swans in Hobart along with a Brownlow vote in the 9 pt loss.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Boomer is still a top six player so that was the only shock with the whole affair. North's list isn't too bad and the younger players were ok last year. Need another mid and much sort after outside run as they say, I reckon. Backs are solid and the forwards still formidable. Also could not possibly have such a bad run of injury 2 years in a row. Jacobs and Wright very important to this team. I reckon they will go alright.