Alastair Clarkson and North Melbourne are getting by too easy in 2023.
While coaches like Ross Lyon and Brad Scott have instantly turned around the fortunes of their previously struggling teams upon taking over, the legendary Clarkson has failed to follow the trend.
Of course, this was always a different challenge at North, taking over the back-to-back wooden spooners and trying to transform them to become a long-term contender.
This takes time and absolutely, the first six weeks of the process means nothing to the overall end game. Some of the young players on the list at North Melbourne are so exciting, there’s little doubt that this team will be fun to watch for years to come and become competitive.
But if we’re going to be critical of other teams that have dropped off, and even of Hawthorn at times early in this season, then Clarkson deserves to be in the firing line too.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
There’s a difference between a team with elite young talent, and an elite young team.
North Melbourne has scored the second-fewest points through the opening six rounds, and conceded the second-most, despite being older and more experienced than their opponents in four of the opening six rounds.
Sitting in 14th spot is obviously an improvement on face value, but the two wins over the disappointing West Australian teams in the opening fortnight of the season feels an age ago.
Since then, they’ve lost to Hawthorn, Carlton, Brisbane and Gold Coast.
It’s not really the results that are the issue though, but rather the lack of competitiveness they’ve dished up when the going gets tough, despite having experience on their side.
Maybe the perception of North Melbourne being a young team and having had no expectations on them means either this is seen as acceptable or, more likely, no one really cares at this stage.
That win in the opening round seemed so good – nine players with less than 50 games experience and a total average of 81 games per player, 29 less than the Eagles.
Since the opening round, the average age of North Melbourne’s team has been 26, with over 100 games of experience. They’ve made Gold Coast, Carlton and Fremantle look like children on paper.
Take the loss against the Suns last weekend for example. North Melbourne had six players with at least 150 games experience, and only five with less than 50.
But when Gold Coast shut down the influence of the shining light Luke Davies-Uniacke, no one was left to stand up.
Like most games this season, they over-possessed the ball without an effective end-game, they failed to apply pressure and when they got inside 50, they just couldn’t convert.
There are too many passengers with too much experience in the team at the moment that flies in the face of what Clarkson has tolerated as a coach previously.
Even new leader Luke McDonald has experienced a significant drop-off in defensive output and isn’t playing to the level of a leader.
Only the return of veteran Jack Ziebell into the backline has offered some sort of veteran leadership and inspirational action that if maintained, should provide some sort of flow-on effect as the season progresses.
(Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Disregard inflated possession numbers if you like, the defensive work he has put in has been exceptional.
The way Clarkson coaches is designed to promote flexibility and learning opportunities for younger players.
Certainly, starting the season with Harry Sheezel off half-back is right out of his own textbook, that is designed to teach the young star both about accountability, and leading patterns of the opposition.
Yet through six weeks, there’s almost the universal acceptance of mediocrity from experienced players that just can’t cut it for any stakeholder of the club.
Rarely do we see a Clarkson playing group go through the motions, but it’s infectious and if recruits from other clubs can get games coasting by, it both sets the wrong standard for the younger members of the playing group, while also heaping pressure on them to perform.
The likes of Tom Powell, Paul Curtis, Charlie Comben, Will Phillips, even Bailey Scott have shown signs this season but are drowning under the lack of on-field impact their more experienced teammates have had.
Now, this isn’t one of those dire situations that means North Melbourne have gone down the wrong path, although ongoing investigations and findings will likely dictate that.
We’re only a quarter of the way through the first season of this official new ‘Roo rebuild, one which given the talent on the list, will be exciting along the way.
But North Melbourne isn’t some young team that has struggled to keep up against bigger bodies and been beaten by more experienced teams over the last month.
This is a team put on the park to be competitive given the demographics of the players selected and has ultimately failed to make any definitive change to what has been going on at the club, other than improved efficiency inside 50, when they finally get it in there.
North Melbourne will improve as the season goes on and their numbers and style will be more palatable as the coach starts to put the pieces together.
It doesn’t excuse this poor start to the season though and North Melbourne fans should feel disappointed in the opening six weeks.
It’s time to turn up the heat on Alastair Clarkson and his experienced team, their start to 2023 has been unacceptable.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
Far out. You are so right about them needing LDU and Simpkin both there. They are a 10 goal better side compared to when even just one of them is not playing.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
True. I did not mean to imply that Zurhaar would play full-time, or even predominantly, in the midfield but in a year, or two, he might not be getting gassed after two minutes on the ball. “we still see how quickly he gets cooked” yes, his effort in the third or fourth minute against Melbourne has been widely broadcast.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
Zurhaar is slowly building as a midfielder - - so far this year he's around disposal average of 16 and has passed 20 twice. His effort against Melbourne was 15 disposals and 3.2 on the scoreboard. He got a couple of early clearances and we still see how quickly he gets cooked.......he's an impact player (a big like De Goey). 2023 is a building year for him as he evolves and he might well be our most damaging player in 2024. Certainly - last 2 seasons; as we finished 18th - Zurhaar with a slow start (goals) each year - had runs of 14 and 15 games in which he kicked 65 goals. Not too shabby at all.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Parish won't go to North. If he leaves Essendon it will be for a side he thinks can compete for a flag, like the Cats or the Pies (who he supported as a kid). He's not going to trade Essendon in for a side that's even further off the pace.
Thatsashame
Roar Rookie
The draft picks suggest they do. Perhaps they're not being developed as well as they should be
Opeo
Roar Rookie
Very well put. Bailey Scott and tarryn thomas are a couple more top 10 draft picks that have played less than 100 games between them. Zurhaar will go through the midfield as well and should have his best football ahead of him.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
Most of the high draft picks have either played less than 50 games or they are rejects from other clubs. Once some of the guys like Powell, Phillips, Wardlaw, Sheezel, who are all top 10 picks that have played about 50 games between them, get some experience, North will be better. Guys like LDU, Scott, Zurhaar, and Larkey, should all have their best footy ahead of them too. Forget about high draft picks from other clubs that are on North’s list like Stephenson, Bonar, and Hall. If they lived up to the potential that they had as draftees they would not be on North’s list in the first place.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
the fact they've finished last the last two years clearly shows they don't have top end talent at all.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
No it’s not !
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Dodo the Great :laughing:
Ace
Roar Rookie
A litany of bad recruiting/delisting errors Opeo Now someone is suggesting trading Wardlaw But maybe if it was Parish from Bombers he could have a good point
Opeo
Roar Rookie
“And some experienced players (Larkey, Zurharr Etc ) go missing under pressure” This says a bit. Guys that have played 70 games are considered experienced. There is some young talent there, but a lot of it has not even played 50 games yet. Also, a lot of the senior players are past their prime or would not be good enough to play in a flag winning team. The result is that heaps of responsibility falls on guys that are actually fairly early on in their careers like Larkey, Zurhaar, LDU and Scott. Most teams are not relying so heavily on guys that have played 50-80 games. It is North’s own fault though. They cut too many senior players only to recruit other senior players that are not any better. For example, they cut players like Dumont and Polec only to end up recruiting Shiel, who is not really any better than either of them and older than both of them, to play the same role. Also, they cut Jed Anderson and then recruited Hugh Greenwood, who is older and no better, to play the same role. They cut McMillan and brought in Hall who is older, and not really any better. They also traded Ben Brown when he was 27. So many terrible decisions.
Ace
Roar Rookie
Can't see that Charlie but then who would have thought they would give up their no 1 pick this year
Thatsashame
Roar Rookie
Why were the Bombers underachieving? 3rd youngest list in the comp. As pointed out in the article North are far more experienced and have top draft picks everywhere. So yes....I expect more from them too. Clarko has top end youth and experience. He should be able to do something with list soon.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I reckon Wardlaw will force a trade to Essendon at the end of this year. The trade will be Parrish plus Essendons second for Wardlaw plus norths first.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
Nope. Only totally ignorant types would do that. Simple fact - - North midfield. Simpkin just turned 25, LDU turns 24 in June.......Taylor out on the wing just turned 23 but only closing in on 60 games, Powell and Phillips both around the 21 mark and sub 40 and sub 30 games respectively. A bit of support from over the hill guys like Cunnington, Shiels (brought out of retirement) and Greenwood. That's NOT a winning midfield in 2023. The Midfielders career 'sweet spot' is around age 24 on and around 80 games on. That's when the adult strength, and AFL conditioning of endurance, and experience - therefore improving skill execution and decision making - deeper into quarters and depper into games starts kicking in. NMFC were deficient to the Suns in that respect. The key for NMFC is without BOTH Simpkin and LDU fully fit and firing then there's no hope. With both out against the Hawks in Rnd 3; we were exposed and lost. With them in - I dare say we win by 3 goals. Since then - variously they've been in/out, hampered and we are majorly exposed. There is NOTHING Clarko can do to fast track this. And a young kid like Sheezel who came in first 5 rounds as an instant 4 qtr 'A' grader......that can't be banked on this year - he's only 18 1/2. So.....W's and L's are still pretty meaningless in 2023.
RooBoy18
Roar Rookie
A bit harsh considering he's only 6 games into a 5-year rebuild and started with 2 successive wins. Apart from the Lions match North have been competitive in every game and came up against an improved Suns outfit last week. Injuries to their key players haven't helped either which can impact a young side looking for on-field guidance. Clarkson knows it will be a long path to get the team firing so it's not all about the wins at this stage.
RT
Roar Rookie
Hardwick lost the first 9 or something at Richmond.
Ace
Roar Rookie
Have to agree with that comment JamesH. Shiel, Howe, Greenwood and Corr are not providing any input which will ,or could, lift them through tough games. And I'm not quite sure why McDonald was elevated to the captaincy when he also is just fringe player So why not play the prize pick Wardlaw? He's had the miles under his bely by now. And some experienced players (Larkey, Zurharr Etc ) go missing under pressure A bit more grit from some required plus some polish
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Clarkson's Hawthorn show took a while to get going. North younfg mids are set for a few years but the reliance is still on young vets UDL, SImpkin and rusty old Cunnington. They need another quality tall forward. They need some sort of mercurial dasher small forward that makes oppositions nervous. Although Stephenson is doing an admirable job in difficult circumstances. Backlines look after themselves when things are better elsewhere. A couple of years of early draft picks won't hurt.