AFL 2024: Colby McKercher set to start North Melbourne career in defence as part of new trend

The top two draft picks of 2023 appear destined to be sent behind the ball. But could it have something to do with the debut seasons of two of the AFL’s hottest young guns?

Prized North Melbourne draftee Colby McKercher is all-but locked into a round 1 debut and is in line to play much of his football across half-back in his debut season.

With West Coast coach Adam Simpson declaring on Monday that No. 1 pick Harley Reid would also play largely off half-back, sending hyped kids to defence is officially a trend.

Call it the Nick Daicos Decree or the Harry Sheezel Switch.

Colby McKercher has dominated training. Picture: North Melbourne FC

Top draftees who use the ball well and can save their body from the rigours of contest work, while avoiding starvation at half-forward, will continue to be fed minutes behind the ball.

Daicos’ dominant first-year in 2022, in which he largely played half-back but also ran on the ball and at half-forward, propelled the Magpies to a preliminary final.

He averaged 25.8 disposals a game, kicking at 71.2 per cent efficiency as he cut through opposition presses.

Last year, Sheezel didn’t find nearly the same team success but his numbers were even better: 27 disposals a game at near-identical 71.1 per cent kicking efficiency.

No player on record had more disposals in their debut season than Sheezel and he claimed the North Melbourne best-and-fairest.

Importantly, neither he or Daicos had any injury issues with both players playing every game of their debut season.

Both men streaked home to win the rising star award and set the template for Reid and McKercher.

Nick Daicos starred at half-back. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

The top two picks in November’s draft have wowed teammates in their first pre-season, with Roos co-captain Jy Simpkin gushing about McKercher.

“You don’t see too many first-year draftees come into a club and actually you sit back and watch training and go ‘holy crap, he is dominating out there’,” Simpkin said.

“He is one of those players who can play mid-back-forward, on the wing. He has dominated the training.”

Roos defensive coach Jed Adcock was quick to grab McKercher for his line once the Tasmanian showed his skills.

“He has had a really strong pre-season and some of the things he does, the way he moves and is able to deliver the footy is probably the reason he was drafted at pick two,” Adcock said.

A half-backer of old from his 213 games with the Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs, Adcock knows plenty about the position and why it suits budding guns.

Harry Sheezel had the ball on a string last year. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

“They try to say half-back is the easier position to play and that is generally because the ball is in front of you all the time so it is easy to cut angles and see where the play is moving and getting in line with the ball,” he said.

“At half-forward the ball gets kicked over your head a lot and you are having to chase it back and you don’t get the benefit of the ball in hand as much.

“Generally the theory is at half-back, you saw it with Nick Daicos, you saw it with Sheezel and you might see it with Colby, it is generally just the easier place to settle in.”

Adcock suddenly has some work to do fitting players into the half-back line, with McKercher, Sheezel, recruit Zac Fisher, Darcy Tucker and Blake Drury pushing for minutes.