Port Adelaide premiership players Peter Burgoyne and Byron Pickett run out for North Heidelberg in NFL Division 1

NORTH Heidelberg still awaits its first win of the season but the inclusion of Peter Burgoyne and Byron Pickett has helped ensure morale stays high.

19/07/2003. Peter Burgoyne dashes away as Byron Pickett shepherds Michael Braun. Port Adelaide v West Coast Eagles. AAMI Stadium.

NORTH Heidelberg still awaits its first win of the season but the inclusion of Peter Burgoyne and Byron Pickett in Saturday’s eight-point defeat to West Preston-Lakeside has helped ensure morale stays high, coach Stephen Saddington said.

The Bulldogs will explore the possibility of including the veteran duo later in the season depending on their fitness and availability.

“Burgoyne played about 85 or 90 per cent of the game and Pickett played about 60 per cent,” Saddington said.

“They weren’t our best players or anything, it’s been a while since they’ve played and I think they were both pretty disappointed with how they went.

“But just having them around, the buzz generated by that, has been great and they both seem pretty keen to help the club out so we’re in talks to have them back.

“It depends on how their bodies react so we’ll see.

“It’s not a fly-by-night thing, it obviously came about through the connection with Brent Harvey,” Saddington added.

Shane Harvey yet again led the way for the Bulldogs as they twice got within a goal of the visitors in the last quarter at Shelley Street Reserve before succumbing to a 12.16 (88) to 13.2 (80) loss.

He kicked three goals, was best-on-ground, and led by example when North didn’t have the ball.

“It was one of Shane’s all-round best games for the club,” the coach said.

“He even laid about half-a-dozen tackles, which isn’t what he’s most noted for.”

Sixteen-year-old Kyle Green was another bright light for the losers, named in the best for the second week running despite being 21 years younger than his new ex-AFL teammates.

“Kyle is a beautiful user of the footy and he’s been playing in the back pocket,” Saddington said.

“He just loves the game, he’d go out and play another game after if he could.”

Louis Hill and Leigh Gilbert also played roles in getting North Heidelberg so close to a win that Saddington doesn’t think is far off.

“When you’re 0-6 you find out about people and our morale is still as good as I’ve seen it,” he said.