AFL 2024: North Melbourne young guns join Alastair Clarkson on US tour
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has been up to his old tricks ahead of his second pre-season with the rebuilding Kangaroos.
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North Melbourne star Harry Sheezel is eager to bring some US college sport influence into his pre-season training after joining coach Alastair Clarkson on an overseas study tour.
Sheezel and fellow top three pick in last year’s draft George Wardlaw were among a quartet of players to link up with Clarkson in America last month on the latest of his famous professional development trips.
The 19-year-old said he was determined to carry on with the stunning form of his debut season in 2024 and held out hope for team success after watching Nick Daicos’ trajectory in his second campaign for Collingwood.
Sheezel said there were promising signs on display at Arden Street as “everyone smashed their times” amid a strong uptake of off-season running programs by the players.
He said Clarkson had approached him, Wardlaw and fellow second-year Roo Blake Drury about joining him in San Francisco after hearing the trio had planned a trip to the US in October.
“Clarko came to us … he found out we were going, came to us here at the club and gave us the opportunity, so we were excited by it,” Sheezel said.
“He hooked us up with some accommodation, we stayed at a mate’s warehouse … we did some amazing things with sporting clubs over there, like the Golden State Warriors – we met (four-time NBA championship coach) Steve Kerr, we had a good chat to him there in his office.
“We did a lot of training out at Stanford – that was incredible to go there every day and watch their college football program and their water polo.”
Sheezel said Clarkson and the Roos players looked closely for anything they could implement in pre-season training back at Arden Street.
“We were pretty fortunate to use those facilities and see how they train … just the intensity they train at and the different drills and stuff. Clarko was watching and we were working out how we could apply it to here,” he said.
Sheezel said he expected to train at halfback over the pre-season but could shift position depending on who North Melbourne selects at next week’s draft.
Carlton recruit Zac Fisher is also likely to play a rebounding defensive role, which could lead to Clarkson deploying Sheezel further afield.
“I think we’re still working that out, I think I might look to start at halfback again or just train there for the pre-season for the time being,” he said.
“Depends on who we draft, and seeing the new players we traded in, where they’re going to play.”
This time last year Sheezel, who is Jewish, was the subject of online anti-Semitic abuse ahead of the national draft.
He said he was thankful to have not received anything similar over the last year as he repeated comments he made at the start of his press conference that he did not wish to speak about the Israel-Hamas war.
“I’d like to leave it at footy and the club’s pre-season and the upcoming season please,” he said.
Originally published as AFL 2024: North Melbourne young guns join Alastair Clarkson on US tour
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