While North Melbourne’s win-loss record may not represent a nice season for this young team, it was a solid start for the first year of their rebuild. Here is my season review.
Previous season reviews
Carlton
Gold Coast
Brisbane
What happened
North Melbourne kicked off their season with straight losses to West Coast, Geelong, GWS, the Western Bulldogs, and Fremantle. However, despite their record being 0-5 after five games, they lost two of them by 43 and 42 points respectively, with the other three having a margin under a goal.
In their next six games before the bye, they managed to produce four wins, with the most impressive of them being an upset over Adelaide by 59 points and stunning them in the first quarter to be up 64-0 at quarter time.
Following the bye, they had six straight losses at the hands of St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Fremantle, Port Adelaide, and Essendon, with two of them being close losses.
They finished off the season with two wins from five starts over Melbourne and Brisbane, and finally winning a close game over the red and the blue which was found to be one of the games that shaped the Dees season, but their three losses between those wins were rather disappointing.
Overall, the five close losses against Fremantle twice, the Western Bulldogs twice, and Geelong in Round 2 were the difference between contending for finals and placing in the bottom four.
Mark out of 10: 7/10
The coach
Brad Scott looks on the right track in the Roos rebuild, and once they find the way to eliminate the close losses and develop their young kids completely, expect them to be a contender.
Mark out of 10: 6.5/10
The Best 22 – End of 2017
B: Marley Williams, Scott Thompson, Daniel Nielson
HB: Shaun Atley, Robbie Tarrant, Jamie Macmillan
C: Shaun Higgins, Ben Cunnington, Luke McDonald
HF: Nathan Hrovat, Jarrad Waite, Kayne Turner
F: Taylor Garner, Ben Brown, Jy Simpkin
Foll: Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Trent Dumont
I/C: Braydon Preuss, Mason Wood, Declan Mountford, Sam Gibson
Ben Jacobs is unlucky to be in their best 22, having been injured for all of 2017. Young players such as Ryan Clarke and Sam Durdin, as well as developing Sudanese ruck-forward Majak Daw are unlucky not to be a feature by the end of 2017, however, their position in the team might change following the trade period and the draft.
List changes
Possible delistings:
Will Fordham – Fordham’s delisting has already been announced and is fair after not making much of an impact at the club in his time there.
Matthew Taylor – Taylor failed to make much of an impact in his year at Arden Street.
Lachie Hansen – The Roos rebuild forced Hansen, who is 29 years old, out of the team after eleven years at the club. He will most certainly appeal to clubs in need of short-term key defenders.
Scott Thompson – There is likely to be some controversial delistings again from the Roos this year, with them in rebuild mode, and I believe North will delist Scott Thompson to make room for younger talent such as Sam Durdin in their best 22.
Jarrad Waite – Waite has been a fantastic player when he’s available, however, he has struggled to stay on the park for a complete season in his time at the club, and I believe that North won’t offer him a new contract for 2018.
Free Agents
Their only free agent remaining this year is Scott Thompson, in which I suggested above that he will be delisted by North Melbourne to make way for young, developing defenders.
Picks: 4, 21, 44, 62, 76
Potential trade targets
North Melbourne was chasing Dustin Martin and Josh Kelly hard, but ultimately once again failed in their chance of wooing an A-Grade player to Arden Street.
There has been talk about whether Andrew Swallow will join Gold Coast in a late-career club change, however it seems more likely that the ex-skipper will remain at the Roos in 2018. However, if he does, the Roos could demand a second-round pick in return for him.
Jake Stringer has been strongly linked to North Melbourne, and could definitely get there. A trade that could get Stringer to the Roos is Todd Goldstein and a young player, such as Jed Anderson, Ben McKay, Ed Vickers-Willis, or Corey Wagner, for Jake Stringer and pick 39, which is originally North Melbourne’s third-round pick.
Stringer would add a long-term partner for Ben Brown in attack for the next eight to ten years, and would bolster their forward line with young talent, as well as adding players into the 24 to 26-year-old age group.
They might try and look at attempting to bolster their midfield by looking at gems by possibly making a play for Harley Balic, Tom Lamb, Lukas Webb, Anthony Miles, or Patrick Lipinski. All of them are aged 25 or under, and you could get either of them for a third or fourth-round draft pick. Besides that, they should look to the draft and focus their future.
Retirements
Hansen has already been delisted and seems unlikely to continue his career within the walls of another AFL club at this stage. Jarrad Waite seems likely to either play on or retire, and you would bet that North won’t offer him a new contract considering they are in rebuild mode.
Others who may be forced to contemplate retirement are Andrew Swallow, Lindsay Thomas, Scott Thompson, and Sam Gibson.
Early prediction
I suspect will stay around the same mark of five to seven wins, however it wouldn’t surprise me if they did better than last season.
That’s my review of North Melbourne’s 2017, what are your thoughts?
Shinboner4life
Guest
how is it not fair?
Slane
Guest
I'd give my left nut for Prestia to be a premiership player, but I'm still disappointed in his output so far at Richmond. I suppose he gives more value to the team right now than Sam Petrovski-Seton would have.
Slane
Guest
"North getting the AFLW nod for 2019 illustrates that they do add something. The Tassie linkage at present is super important – perhaps along with Hawthorn at holding out a stand alone Tassie side – or perhaps along with Hawthorn at providing for now a sustainable presence in both the North and the South of Tassie." Sounds like the next step to moving the Roos to Tazzie to me.
Slane
Guest
You might be right, Your Holiness. "Goldstein for stringer is somewhat logical for each of these clubs going forward and a swap of picks such as roo’s give the dog’s their 4th pick for the dog’s 2nd pick this year and 1st next year." No way you can tell me THAT is a fair trade.
Perry Bridge
Guest
North getting the AFLW nod for 2019 illustrates that they do add something. The Tassie linkage at present is super important - perhaps along with Hawthorn at holding out a stand alone Tassie side - or perhaps along with Hawthorn at providing for now a sustainable presence in both the North and the South of Tassie. North Melb within Melbourne - resume a 'reserves' next year (VFL side) - which is an important step at the consolidation of the football club at Arden St. Playing home games back at Arden St will be brilliant and - with the progressive re-invigoration of the suburb of North Melbourne including a new railway station and if it goes ahead - a wonderful expansion of the NMFC precinct - then the inner North presence of NMFC will be fabulous. The argument of course can be launched that it's time to water down further the old VFL. I'd suggest opposite to that is continue to consolidate the strengths - and develop a 2 or 3 conference system that actually adds more teams. A club like NMFC with 40k members and average home crowds of over 22k might seem small by AFL standards (in Melb, in a bottoming out season) - but that makes All NRL sides (bar perhaps the Broncos) and A-League sides all look on jealously.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Slaney you are suffering from grand final euphoria.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Haha, there’s always one who can’t come up with any reason for North continuing to exist so they just say “well at least we’re better than Brisbane” bet you London to a brick the Lions are still in Brisbane in 20 years. Not sure you’ll get the same odds on North staying in the same place they are. Unless that place is irrelevance.
Birdman
Guest
Pick 6 was a bit rich for Prestia but he is injury free, 'with the program' and he could be a premiership player by the end of the weekend. One of St Kilda's picks might be closer for Stringer but pick 4 in a shallow draft is too much for North to give up IMO
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
And the Lions? A rubbish team with limited support in a town dominated by the Broncos. The AFL needs a great club like North, Brisbane, not so much
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
And the Lions? A rubbish team with limited support in a town dominated by the Broncos. The AFL needs a great club like North, Brisbane, not so much
Liam O'Neill
Guest
If Jake was such a star, why would Footscray let him go?
Slane
Guest
Richmond traded pick 6 for Prestia but pick 4 for Stringer is way overs? Please. One of those guys is a match-winner the other can't hit a barn door by foot.
Slane
Guest
Stringer coming off his worst season to date would still be the best player at North a country mile. Goldstein is closer to retirement than an AA berth and Stringer still has his entire career ahead of him.
Shinboner4life
Guest
@ pumping Dougie What makes stringer a star? One good season? being all Australian once? Stringer WAS a very good forward/part time mid in 2015, deservedly an all Australian that year but was NOT the BEST small forward or midfielder that year or any other year. He Has gone down in performance drastically over the last 2 seasons for any number of personal reasons, injury etc and has also been dropped to vfl more than once. He has talent and potential but is an unknown right now. Goldstein WAS the BEST ruckman by a fair way in 2015, was consistently one of the top two or three ruckman in 2013 and 2014. Started and continued 2016 as the best ruckman, played well against Gawn and Jacob's early in the season. Since his injury in 2016 he has just like stringer drastically lost form and become an irrelevant player and was dropped. Is he past it, possibly but could equally rediscover his best or close to it and play another 3-4yrs. Goldstein has proven he can perform highly over a long period of time. Stringer hasn't. Only upside to stringer is his age. Goldstein for stringer is somewhat logical for each of these clubs going forward and a swap of picks such as roo's give the dog's their 4th pick for the dog's 2nd pick this year and 1st next year.
Tony Condon
Roar Rookie
Hopefully Wright & Jacobs injury issues are behind them-they are both very good players who are underrated. Scott Thompson should not be de-listed-North made a mistake in de-listing Firrito. Thomas should be traded but there is no way North should even think of getting Stringer (doesn't put enough effort into any game that I have seen him play). The big issue with North is their game plan-no longer do Atley & MacMillan run down the centre like David King use to-and have the forwards actually stay in the forward line and kick the ball down Brown's throat with a 'crumber' (have not had one since Peter Bell) waiting to collect the spillage. Keep playing the kids but in the draft look for matured body footballers (not athletes)-there are plenty in the VFL/VFA & country football.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
update
Pope Paul VII
Guest
I think North will take pick 4 from the draft unless a really good deal comes up. Stringbag is not that deal. I disagree that Scott Thompson will be discarded. Good ruthless defenders, even olde world ones like Thommo are hard to come across. A lot of NM players like Goldy and Thomas are still under contract and would take considerable negotiation. Pruess and even much maligned Daw have gone past poor Goldy who has never recovered from injury in the first half of 16. Who knows, maybe he will come good again during the off season. Other talent not mentioned is the defender Wright, who like Jacobs missed the whole season. Zuhaar is another with promise. They also have untried Ahern who was a GWS pick 8, got for nothing, Like NM of the 90s, they are going to have to make do with what they've got and that worked out alright.
Mattyb
Guest
7/10 for a side that finished second bottom seems generous,all excuses aside North had a failed season. Is it really that hard these days to acknowledge a failure as just that. Also clubs need to make correct plans for the future so excuses shouldn't really come into play. I doubt a third round pick and unwanted players will get Stringer,and I'm pretty sure the dogs have said they want picks not players. North could be a chance to get him though as they could offer a decent contract. Webs only just signed a new contract,not that that means much but thinking North might get Lipinski makes no sense,how did you even come to that conclusion? And Lipinski was only drafted in 2016.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Log in or it's not you
Paul D
Roar Guru
An irrelevant 3-5 years awaits. North better hope like hell they do well at the draft because not even money is enough to lure players anymore. I know I always put the boot into North but I’m really struggling to see what particular niche they are servicing beyond a few diehards. They add nothing to the comp anymore but fixture bloat and dissipation of talent.