AFL pre-season intel: Griffin Logue raves about North’s defence after first pre-season
New Roo Griffin Logue says he’s excited about the range of options the club has down back, which could enable one young star to roam free in defence.
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North Melbourne’s star recruit Griffin Logue says he will be underdone as he recovers from osteitis pubis, but believes he can hit round 1 fit enough to take on a full AFL season.
Logue arrived from Fremantle on a long-term deal and while he played only a half of Saturday’s intra-club match, he was totally dominant in a sign of his immense promise.
Logue revealed he battled that debilitating groin complaint during last year’s finals series in a year where the Dockers’ decision to play him forward saw him move on.
A nasty pinky finger injury, where the bone broke through his skin, was another recent setback, but by round 1 Logue should be ready for a clash against West Coast at Marvel Stadium.
He told the Herald Sun he was thrilled with the welter of defensive options at North Melbourne as the Roos prepare to release free agent Ben McKay in an intercepting role.
“I am on the other side of it, touch wood. I had a bit of OP leading into the finals and was managing that and slowly building my loads,” Logue said.
“A lot of it has been about strength work with my hips and adductors so at this stage I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You never know with groin issues, they can be prevalent. I am a bit underdone compared to a lot of my pre-seasons leading into this time of the year but it seems like I have timed it well enough if I can keep on track.”
The finger injury meant Logue was sporting a protective glove on Saturday that he hopes to ditch when he plays three quarters against Richmond on Friday.
“I went to mark or spoil a couple of weeks ago and it ended up an open-handed spoil. It popped the finger out and it came through my skin. It was just a dislocation but it was weird it didn’t break. It was just my right pinky so it looked pretty manky. It was a bit of a spooky look with a shaved head and black boots and a glove but it’s going all right,” he said.
While ex-teammate Rory Lobb had already bought an inner-city Melbourne house before his move to the Bulldogs, Logue was in uncharted territory.
The cheerful, no-fuss Swan Districts product is living with Darcy Tucker and the midfielder’s partner Ellie and has already honed in on Melbourne’s best baristas.
“I am a big time coffee snob. I am spoiled for choice. Leaps and Bounds is the best coffee joint so far in Albert Park. Have a cuppa and grab some chilli scrambled eggs while you are at it and I reckon that will sort you out,” he said.
The cascade effect of slotting Logue in as a brilliant stopping defender will trickle all the way down North Melbourne’s back six in a side that suddenly has an array of options.
“We are spoiled for choice at the moment,” he said.
“Everyone is so fit and healthy, we have a few talls to choose from. Myself, Aidan Corr, Benny McKay, your mid tier defenders like Aiden Bonar and Lukey Mac (McDonald), Josh Goater and Jackson Archer who have wicked pre-seasons and then guys like Flynn Perez and Aaron Hall, they both impress me with how they go about it. Johnny Blakey is pulling it all together well and we have a pretty well credentialed bloke overseeing it all in Clarko (Alastair Clarkson) so we are in a good space.”
Track watchers saw No. 3 overall pick Harry Sheezel’s brilliant best on Saturday and while he is a round 1 lock the tantalising glimpses of No. 4 pick George Wardlaw have also been enticing.
“There are a fair few to choose from,” I love the look of Harry Sheezel. His foot skills are incredible and he has done everything right,” Logue said.
“Wardlaw has had an interrupted summer but what we have seen of him is incredible as an inside mid, at his size as an inside mid to be able to power around like he does. Will Phil (Will Philips) has been good and Tom Powell is the other one who stands out to me. I love the way he goes about it so I hope he gets a go. He is exciting to watch.”
Roos trial: Ex-tiger’s selection battle with young tall
- Glenn McFarlane, Harper Sercombe
Alastair Clarkson’s desire for his players to become versatile, hybrid footballers could pave the way for Ben Cunnington to split his midfield time with a forward role this season, with the Kangaroos believing he can kick upwards of 25 goals in a season.
Cunnington, 31, is back in great physical shape again after overcoming his cancer battles and insiders say he is as heavily invested in the club’s future as he has ever been.
He spent part of North Melbourne’s intra-club match at Arden Street on Saturday morning as a dangerous forward, kicking three goals in a display that would have delighted Clarkson.
Kangaroos assistant coach Jordan Russell said Cunnington’s ability to go forward and hit the scoreboard could be a weapon, especially given the new-found depth in the midfield ranks.
“We have tinkered around a bit and what we have seen is (Cunnington’s) ability to hit the scoreboard,” Russell said.
“Of the four match sims we have done, he probably kicked 10 or 12 goals. If he keeps doing that, he might spend a bit more time down forward.
“But we still would love him in and around the contest, that’s what his biggest strength is.”
Cunnington has never kicked more than 14 goals in a season, given he has almost exclusively led the club’s midfield brigade for more than a decade.
But the Kangaroos believe his strength overhead and his accuracy in front of goal (95 goals and 46 behinds from his 229 games) can be an asset at stages of matches.
‘BULL’ IN MIDFIELD MIX
Russell said the Kangaroos’ midfield selection battle would be fascinating in the lead-up to the Round 1 clash with West Coast, with Friday’s practice match against Richmond a further guide.
Cunnington will still spend part of his time in the guts, but will have some forward cameos, while Jye Simpkin and Luke Davies-Uniacke are certain starters in the middle.
Tom Powell was impressive in Saturday’s intra-club, while Will Phillips looks to have put his frustrating run with illness behind him and is competing hard for a spot.
Forward star Cam Zurhaar also spent a fair bit of time at centre bounces, with the man they call ‘Bull’ being used on Saturday in that impact role at times, which Russell said could be part of the club’s mix going forward.
“He (Zurhaar) is spending a bit more time at centre bounces, especially with his body power and strength … he can burst out of the stoppages,” Russell said.
“He has shown us that he can probably spend more time down there. (But) what we don’t want to lose is his firepower up forward.”
Zurhaar has kicked 65 goals across the past two seasons and the Roos are keen to ensure they don’t lose his forward craft. But if they can start him at centre bounces at times, his power can play a big role in helping the team win the footy first.
Clarkson said he had been pleased with the development of Powell and Phillips – picks 13 and 3 of the 2020 national draft – across the summer and is confident Kangaroos fans will start to see the best of them in the coming years.
Russell said: “Young Tommy Powell has stepped up with his muscle size … his bodywork and craft around the inside of the stoppages has been a positive.”
“(Phillips) has had a good pre-season. He has been a really solid contributor. He has the ability to go forward, too, and we saw that today. He is in the mix.”
CC V CCJ?
North Melbourne plans to head into season 2023 with a two tall forward structure, with the impressive Charlie Comden set to compete with Callum Coleman-Jones in a pre-season audition to partner two-time club leading goalkicker Nick Larkey in attack.
The forward pair played on opposite sides in Saturday’s intra-club match, with Comben kicking three goals and Coleman-Jones starting to get his hands on the ball late in the game.
Russell said the role of Larkey’s key forward partner is up for grabs heading into the practice matches, with the reward a starting position for the clash with West Coast on March 18.
“What we are seeing is CJ (Coleman-Jones) comes in and plays for the ‘Blue’ team and he creates a contest and helps at ground level and ‘Big Chomper’ Charlie Comben is doing exactly the same thing.
“The mix will probably be two talls with a couple of hybrids but we are not too sure.”
Comben, 21, has played only one game in each of the past two seasons after a series of frustrating injury issues. But his athletic presence in attack and his capacity to take a big grab has been on show this pre-season, with the club hoping he is over his injury issues.
CLASSY CURTIS, SLICK SHEEZEL
Second-year Kangaroo Paul Curtis turned heads in his impressive 15-game debut season last year, but looks ready to take a step further in 2023.
Curtis has an uncanny knack of making something happen when he is around the ball – as was the case at Arden St on Saturday – and while he is still learning his craft, he looks ready to take his game to a new level.
“He is a strong bugger for a second-year player,” Russell said. “You would have seen him fend off on a few different occasions.
“He bench presses extremely heavy (weights) and he is working on (building) his tank.”
North Melbourne’s pick three from last year’s draft Harry Sheezel started the intra-club off half back but also spent some cameos in the midfield before moving forward at one stage to kick a special goal which had the Kangaroos fans licking their lips in anticipation.
The club’s pick 4, George Wardlaw, is taking part in a strength and conditioning phase as he prepares for an early season return to football.
Josh Goater sat out the intra-club match with a tight groin but hopes to play next week, while Hawks triple premiership player Liam Shiels will return for the practice match next week.
LOGUE’S GLOVE IS OFF
Former Fremantle defender Griffin Logue is ready to become Ben McKay’s defensive partner in crime after getting through a half of footy unscathed in Saturday’s intra-club match.
The powerful backman, who worked hard to overcome osteitis pubis, dislocated a finger and split the skin in his first match simulation for the club. But he returned to the fray on Saturday – wearing a glove – and pulled down a few towering defensive marks in a solid first half.
He said after the game that he would be getting rid of the glove next week if he gets clearance to play against the Tigers.
“(Logue) and ‘Buckets’ McKay (will) be pretty damaging in terms of aerial prowess and marking the footy,” Russell said. “(Logue) has only been on the track for a couple of weeks full time and you can see how quickly he has fitted into the system.”
The Roos take on the Tigers in a practice match at Arden St over six periods on Friday at 10am.
Dogs intra-club: Tall turns heads, surprise R1 bolters
– Jay Clark
Western Bulldogs will unveil a new defensive system designed to catapult the club back into premiership contention this season.
After a disappointing 2022, senior coach Luke Beveridge has reprogrammed the team’s set up to help provide more coverage and support on defence to help fix the team’s biggest weakness this year.
It was clear on Friday in a two-hour match simulation session as the Dogs pushed their forwards much higher up the ground and put more numbers around the ball to congest the area around stoppages.
The extra numbers around the ball is an attempt to give the opposition less space and scope to score on the turnover while their backmen played close-checking roles on the forwards instead of dropping off.
The Bulldogs were hammered on turnover and cut apart on transition last season, conceding the third-most points from the opposition’s defensive half according to Champion Data.
Overall the Dogs conceded 82.4 points a game, ranked 11th.
But, despite the loss of the club’s best defensive midfielder Josh Dunkley, senior coach Luke Beveridge clearly has plans to restrict opposition scoring this year to help the Dogs rebound after an off season.
The club is regarded as one of the most potent and talented offensive teams but it appears the club will take less risks with the ball and deny its opposition open space in 2023.
New recruit Liam Jones, Ryan Gardner and Alex Keath played as the three key defenders, as Sam Darcy, Aaron Naughton and Toby McLean shone in attack.
WILDCARD
One month out from the season it remains somewhat unclear where Beveridge will play Darcy after a sparkling performance in attack on Friday.
Darcy has spent the whole summer playing in a defensive role, but he could yet be swung forward for the season-opener against Melbourne after starring in the intra-club match in sweltering conditions at Skinner Reserve.
The Dogs are still weighing up how they will use the outstanding second-year tall but would have been impressed by his showing in the forward half where he showed off his marking power, agility and sublime skills for a big man.
He also stole the show late in match simulation last week when he was swung forward with great effect after starting in defence.
Beveridge is blessed with options in the forward half with Naughton, Rory Lobb and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan a formidable tall trio alongside McLean and Weightman.
The Dogs on Friday often kicked out the back to their tall forwards helping maximise the space behind them inside-50m.
Importantly Lobb will help lighten the considerable load on Naughton.
But Darcy could join the forward mix in the regular season and change with Tim English in the ruck alongside Lobb.
It may also depend on the opposition each week, making Darcy one of the most flexible and exciting young talls in the competition.
MIDFIELD MIX
Caleb Daniel looks set to replace Dunkley in the onball group this year after playing out a full game in the engine room on Friday.
The gun defender is one of the best ball users at the club and will help provide some quality disposal out of the clearance and into the forward half.
Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore were the other two mainstays in the middle, while Jack Macrae could push forward at times, and Adam Treloar joined in for his biggest competitive hitout of the summer.
McLean also entered the engine room, while former Demon Oskar Baker will have a chance to bed down a wing role for the season-opener following the loss of Lachie Hunter.
Draft pick No. 61 Luke Cleary, who is in his second-year, is also in the mix to play early in the season after starting out in the ‘A’ team on a wing on Friday.
FLYING FIT
The Bulldogs are on track to start the season in excellent physical condition with only two of their youngsters, Dominic Bedendo and Jedd Busslinger, under a fitness cloud for Round 1.
Treloar (ankle) and English (hamstring) will be fully fit for the season-opener against the Demons as the Bulldogs held English out of the match play on Friday as a precaution.
The ruckman completed some solid running after tweaking his hamstring last week but will be in the frame to play in the scratch matches starting with a full-scale intra-club in Ballarat next week.
Forward Laitham Vandermeer rolled his ankle on Friday and did not finish the session but should be fine and Jason Johannisen was sidelined with a calf issue.
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