North Melbourne pre-season news: Latest AFL intraclub notes, team whispers
The Rising Star market tells you Harley Reid is a monty for this year’s award. If North Melbourne’s intraclub was anything to go by, that couldn’t be more wrong.
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Move aside, Harley Reid.
If George Wardlaw’s hamstrings can hold up, there’s every chance that the North Melbourne young gun will take out the 2024 AFL Rising Star award.
As is his nature, Wardlaw was on the war path in the Kangaroos’ intra-club match on Wednesday and looms as an unstoppable force this season with his size, strength and willpower.
After getting a taste of senior football in eight senior matches in the back half of last year, Wardlaw appears to have taken another step forward with his development after a trouble-free pre-season.
The 19-year-old’s contest and clearance work was first class as he drove his legs and body through packs of players and regularly broke clear of congestion to drive the footy forward by foot.
Wardlaw was a centre-bounce lock for most of the four-quarter match at Arden St, working in tandem with fellow onballer Luke Davies-Uniacke in the stronger ‘Blue’ team.
“His upside is obviously enormous,” Kangaroos midfield coach Leigh Adams said.
“The great thing about George is he’s had a full pre-season. His hamstrings have coped with the load really well.
“It’s just fingers crossed he can get an extended run at it. I think instead of seeing just that little sneak peak we got last year, you’ll start to hopefully see some real consistency in his game.”
Davies-Uniacke is also in peak physical fitness as he seeks to back up a career-best campaign in 2023, which was restricted to 14 games due to injury.
TWICE THE BOUNCE
Last year, Harry Sheezel was a revelation across halfback for North Melbourne on his way to winning the best and fairest in his debut year.
This year, the Kangaroos look set to have twice the bounce out of the back half as No. 2 draft pick Colby McKercher teams up with Sheezel in a combination sure to cause headaches for opposition sides.
Alongside Wardlaw, McKercher was one of the biggest eye-catchers in the intra-club match.
The silky left-footer – who was drafted as an onballer – wowed the small crowd of fans with his run, rebound and link-up work by hand coming out of defence.
One regular track watcher with North Melbourne links declared during the third quarter that McKercher was “a certainty” for round 1.
“He reminds me a heap of Sheezel,” Adams said of McKercher.
“The game looks a little bit slower when they get the ball in their hands.
“They both have elite ball use and elite decision making, so to have them both off half back is going to be really exciting for us.”
No. 4 draft pick Zane Duursma had a quieter game.
He started forward for the stronger ‘Blue’ team but had few opportunities before swapping to a Yellow jumper and kicking a third-quarter goal.
PROBLEMS TO SOLVE
North Melbourne’s midfield is stacked and its forward line – spearheaded by Nick Larkey – should have no problems kicking goals.
The obvious issue is the key defender stocks, which could hold the Kangaroos back from climbing the ladder in 2024.
North Melbourne conceded 100 or more points in 12 matches last season.
It has since lost Ben McKay (19 games in 2023) to Essendon through free agency, while Griffin Logue (15 games) is set to be sidelined until mid-season with an ACL and Aidan Corr (19 games) will miss the start of the season with a knee.
The starting group of key defenders for the stronger team in the intra-club match was therefore Charlie Comben, Kallan Dawson and Toby Pink.
Comben was a forward who has made the switch down back over summer, while Dawson and Pink have played five AFL matches between them.
Former Richmond rookie Bigoa Nyuon – who has played a single AFL game – also featured as key defender, starting in the Yellow side before switching to the Blue team.
The inexperienced quartet showed good signs at stages, but can they be trusted on the big stage of an AFL match?
Adams suggested that Dawson would line up in round 1, having put together an impressive injury-free pre-season.
But who joins him to try and hold down the fort remains to be seen.
“We looked up at one stage there I think in the third quarter and we had I think seven games of experience in our back half – and that’s what it’s going to look like early on in the season,” Adams said.
“But we’re not looking for those six guys back there to have to defend by themselves. We need to get a stronger defensive system in place, which we’ve been training all pre-season.”
UNDER THE RADAR
After finding himself stuck in the VFL for large parts of last season, Charlie Lazzaro has been firmly pushing his case for more senior midfield minutes over the summer.
Lazzaro – who played just six AFL games in 2023 – started at the first centre bounce for the stronger Blue team in the intra-club match and received regular midfield rotations throughout.
“He hasn’t had a lot of opportunity over the last couple of years,” Adams said of Lazzaro.
“But his pre-season this year has been excellent. He seems to have, at the moment, nailed down a role in the midfield and keeps getting better each week, so for me he was probably a standout performer.”
Sydney recruit Dylan Stephens has also nailed down a role on a wing, which has been an area of weakness for the Kangaroos in recent times.
Stephens put his running power on show, hit up forwards going inside 50 and capped his performance with a couple of goals.
“What we’ve probably lacked over the last few years is some real running power,” Adams said.
“He brings that elite running power. He’s top-two in our 2km time trial.
“(He’s a) genuine wingman, which we probably haven’t had in the past.”
KICKING GOALS
Nick Larkey and Cam Zurhaar did what you would expect, each kicking four goals in the intra-club match.
The surprise was Cooper Harvey, who also bagged four majors.
The 180cm forward – who is the son of AFL games record holder Brent – moves a lot like his dad and is continuing to develop nicely for the Kangaroos.
Taken at pick 56 in the 2022 national draft, Harvey featured in three matches on debut late last season.
MISSING PIECES
A handful of key Kangaroos are still on the sidelines, including co-captain Luke McDonald who has had a heavily interrupted pre-season due to hamstring issues.
McDonald will miss next Wednesday’s match simulation against Collingwood, but is targeting some game time in the official pre-season fixture against St Kilda on March 3.
Carlton recruit Zac Fisher (hamstring) is tracking ahead of McDonald and could play limited game time against the Magpies next week.
Bailey Scott (calf), Eddie Ford (ankle), Jackson Archer (groin), Logue (knee) and Corr (ankle) are others who missed Wednesday’s hitout.
Tarryn Thomas continues to train away from the club as he awaits the outcome of an AFL investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
SUPERCOACH SNIPPETS
Colby McKercher ($202,800, MID) – Lock him in for a round 1 debut and expect him to rack up plenty of ball across halfback for the Kangaroos this year.
Zane Duursma ($193,800, MID/FWD) – Had a quieter intra-club with limited opportunities. See how he goes in the practice matches.
George Wardlaw ($365,400, MID) – Could be a value pick if he can stay fit, after dominating throughout a full pre-season.
Charlie Lazzaro ($181,100, MID/FWD) – Midfield coach Leigh Adams says he has nailed down a midfield spot this season, after lacking opportunity last year.
Luke Davies-Uniacke ($635,100, MID) – Continues to impress through the middle after a strong summer. Delivers the goods weekly.
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