AFL intra-club notes: Jason Horne-Francis lights up North Melbourne practice match
Jason Horn-Francis drew plenty of attention but there was another North Melbourne youngster who stood out during an intra-club hitout.
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Any KFC SuperCoach player who does not pick Jason Horne-Francis in their team this year has rocks in their head.
The No. 1 draft pick from the previous year is always hot property in the KFC SuperCoach world.
But Horne-Francis is like few No. 1 picks we have seen in recent times.
The South Australian product could not be more ready to go at AFL level and North Melbourne won’t hesitate in playing him right from Round 1.
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Horne-Francis has caught the eye of Kangaroos track watchers all summer and again impressed during an intra-club hitout on Friday.
Wearing the No. 6 jumper, Horne-Francis started at the first centre bounce and spent the majority of the match – consisting of three 20-minute periods plus time-on – playing onball.
Despite still being 18-year-old, Horne-Francis is built like an AFL player, aggressively attacks the ball, has quick hands, knows where to run and has breakaway pace from the contest.
He is also strong in one-on-one contests ahead of the ball and uses the ball incredibly well by foot.
In a lot of ways, Horne-Francis is the complete package.
It might have only been a pre-season intra-club match, but Horne-Francis was one of the most influential players on the park.
He will provide plenty of excitement for North Melbourne fans this season – and plenty of points for KFC SuperCoach players.
NEXT LEVEL THOMAS
Kangaroos young-gun Tarryn Thomas generated plenty of talk after producing a blistering second half of last season and looks set to take his game to another level again this year.
Still just 47 AFL games into his career, Thomas was primarily used as a forward across his first two-and-a-half seasons before spending more time through the midfield last year to great effect.
The midfield-forward role is one he looks set to continue in – if Friday’s intra-club match is anything to go by.
Thomas provides a different dynamic with his pace and skill through the North Melbourne midfield and is seriously dangerous in front of goal.
He booted one stunning goal from outside 50m on the boundary in the first period of the match.
And when he was not kicking the goals he was setting teammates up on the lead inside-50 as the “money kick” player.
Expect big things from Thomas this season.
GROWING TALL STOCKS
The durable Todd Goldstein just keeps on delivering and will be the No. 1 man in the ruck again this year, but he is now surrounded by quite a few developing talls at the Kangaroos.
Former Richmond forward-ruckman Callum Coleman-Jones looks to be a very handy recruit, who will be primarily used in attack but can also give Goldstein an occasional spell in the ruck.
Coleman-Jones did just that in Friday’s intra-club match, starting forward but having a few short rotations in the ruck in an impressive display.
He works hard around the ground, has good hands above his head and will be of great assistance as another tall option alongside Nick Larkey in the forward line.
Fellow ruckmen and forwards Tristan Xerri, Charlie Comben and Jacob Edwards also did some nice things throughout the match.
Xerri was the main man in the ruck for the opposing team against Goldstein, while Edwards and Comben both took some nice marks and kicked goals in attack in promising signs for their development.
POWELL WOW
After a promising start to last season, a groin complaint meant Tom Powell was not seen again after Round 14.
But that injury is now in the rear-view mirror, with Powell powering through the Kangaroos’ intra-club match.
He found plenty of ball and used it with class through the middle of the ground, including setting up Jacob Edwards for a goal in the third period.
The No. 13 pick in the 2020 draft – who finished fourth in the AFLPA’s Best First Year Player Award - looks set for a big second year.
GREENWOOD GOING STRONG
With star contested ball-winning midfielder Ben Cunnington sidelined indefinitely, big-bodied Gold Coast recruit Hugh Greenwood will get an opportunity to play a similar inside role at least in the early stages of the season.
Greenwood started onball in the Kangaroos’ intra-club match and found plenty of the footy, particularly in the first two periods of the match.
He is hard at the contest, can win the ball in tight and loves to tackle.
With a young midfield group, Greenwood is exactly what the Kangaroos need.
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