North Melbourne’s 2016 report card: season with so much promise ends with whimper
IT WAS a season that started with plenty of promise for North Melbourne but it unravelled quickly and finished with a whimper. HAVE YOUR SAY
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IT WAS a season that started with plenty of promise for North Melbourne.
A blistering 9-0 start to the year sent expectations soaring, but it unravelled quickly from there as the team lost 10 of its last 13 games to find itself fighting to hang onto a spot in the top eight.
The Kangaroos snuck in on percentage, but were sent packing from the finals in a 62-point elimination final loss to Adelaide.
DID WE GET IT RIGHT? SCROLL DOWN TO VOTE AND HAVE YOUR SAY
2016 SNAPSHOT
WINS: 12
LOSSES: 11
DRAWS: 0
LADDER POSITION: 8th
PERCENTAGE: 105.2%
LAST YEAR: 4th (down four spots)
WHAT WENT RIGHT
It doesn’t get much better than 9-0, which was the Kangaroos’ best ever start to a season. They were on top of the ladder at Round 4 — for the first time since 1998 — and held onto that spot for nine weeks. Forward Jarrad Waite was in career-best form with 27 goals during that winning stretch as the Roos regularly surpassed 100 points a game and included wins over Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs. It all went downhill from there with North winning just three more games, but thankfully one of them was when Brent Harvey broke the games record in Round 19 against St Kilda.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Many pundits pointed out the Kangas had a “soft” early draw and as they turned for home their fast start unravelled quickly. Brad Scott’s men lost 11 of their last 14 games, failing to beat a top eight team in the back half of the year. Five losses to end the regular season left North hitting September out of form, and seemingly unravelling after a pre-finals announcement that four “heart and soul” players — Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo — would not get new contracts. The result was as many expected, a comprehensive elimination final thrashing by Adelaide, a teary farewell to the club for the quartet of veterans, and another unsuccessful campaign for an ageing list.
RECRUITING DEPT REVIEW
2015 draft picks: Ben McKay (21), Ryan Clarke (31), Mitchell Hibberd (33), Corey Wagner (43), Declan Mountford (60), Farren Ray (rookie),
Trade/free agent acquisitions: Jed Anderson (Hawthorn)
Some good points, some not so good points. Ryan Clarke and Corey Wagner both broke through for debuts which was vital given the Kangaroos’ 2014 draft crop are yet to step foot on an AFL ground. Clarke in particular was impressive. Ben McKay and Mitchell Hibberd were both struck down by injury, so we’ll hold fire on them. For the price paid, Jed Anderson was a fail. Yes, he copped a nasty hamstring injury in Round 1 but when he returned he failed to deliver and will need a big pre-season to repay the faith. Farren Ray was picked up as a rookie, which, if we’re honest, is a bit of a wasted pick.
HIGH AND LOW
The season certainly started well with nine straight wins, the best of those being over the Western Bulldogs. Both teams were genuine contenders at that stage and the Kangaroos completely smothered the Dogs at Etihad Stadium. The Round 19 win over St Kilda is significant as the club all but secured their place in the finals against the team most likely to replace them. The second half of the year won’t be remembered fondly and the Round 13 loss to Hawthorn is seen as the turning point. The Kangaroos kicked 11.18 to lose a game they dominated by nine points. It was the beginning of the end.
THE COACH
After back-to-back preliminary finals in 2014 and 2015, the Kangaroos’ finish went backwards this year. Scott copped supporter backlash after culling four of the club’s champions and he admitted at the time that the decision could define him as North Melbourne coach. While North plots its reset, there has been speculation linking Scott to the vacant Brisbane Lions coaching job, but he still has two years left on his contract at Arden St.
YOU SAID IT
“The senior players are going to leave a magnificent legacy for our football club, but there’s no doubt the landscape will look completely different next year. They leave a huge hole, but there are plenty of guys who are hungry and eager to fill those holes.”
- Brad Scott on the team’s departing senior players after the elimination final loss.
BEST-AND-FAIREST
Key defender Robbie Tarrant enjoyed a career-best season in defence, playing every game for the year, and was considered extremely unlucky not to earn a place in the All-Australian team. He heads into the Syd Barker Medal as favourite but you can never discount the likes of Jack Ziebell and Daniel Wells. Dumped club great Brent Harvey is expected to feature highly in his final season, easily the Kangaroos best in several games this season despite breaking the VFL/AFL games record.
B&F Count: Syd Barker Medal, October 7 at Peninsula on Central Pier
SUPERCOACH STUD
There weren’t many to chose from given only two Kangaroos finished the year with an average of 100-plus. But we’re going with Daniel Wells. The classy midfielder edges out Todd Goldstein after averaging 100.6 for the year. Coming off two injury-prone seasons, Wells was available for just $243,900 at the start of the year and as a midfield-forward to boot. He amassed nine hundreds and 12 90-plus scores in 18 games.
SUPERCOACH DUD
Sorry to say, it’s the skipper Andrew Swallow. The tough midfielder came into 2016 having averaged at least 93 in his past seven seasons, however, finished the year with an average of just 85. Swallow could only muster five hundreds in 21 games.
THE LIST
ELITE: Todd Goldstein, Robbie Tarrant, Jack Ziebell, Daniel Wells,
BIG IMPROVERS: Ryan Clarke, Mason Wood
GONE: Brent Harvey (delisted), Drew Petrie (delisted), Nick Dal Santo (delisted), Michael Firrito (delisted)
GOING, GOING: Robin Nahas, Farren Ray, Joel Tippett
TRADE BAIT: Brad McKenzie, Lachie Hansen, Aaron Black, Aaron Mullett
WHAT THEY NEED
Young talent. The Kangaroos started 2016 with the second oldest list but that won’t be the case after the club decided to move on veterans Harvey, Petrie, Dal Santo and Firrito. They need more leg speed in midfield, particularly if Daniel Wells decides to leave. North will look to get some games into Ben McKay but another key position forward is a must with Jarrad Waite likely to be in his last season. A back-up ruckman would help ease the load on Todd Goldstein, who struggled at times during the season.
PREMIERSHIP CLOCK: 6pm
North Melbourne’s premiership window slammed shut halfway through 2016. Despite starting 9-0, the Kangaroos never looked threatening in the second half of the season and the delisting of four club champions is a fair indication of the direction the club is heading ... youth. That said, an active trade period and draft combined with the development of youngsters already on the list could see them move back into contention.
THE STATS
Originally published as North Melbourne’s 2016 report card: season with so much promise ends with whimper
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