North Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow says Kangaroos can bounce back quickly

NORTH Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow is confident the Kangaroos won’t slide dramatically down the ladder next year.

Andrew Swallow thinks North Melbourne can bounce back quickly. Picture: Getty Images

NORTH Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow is confident the Kangaroos won’t slide dramatically down the ladder next year, saying the core senior group and a band of youngsters can withstand the loss of four club greats.

While admitting it was a “sad day” to see the last club games for Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo, Swallow believes the “energy and enthusiasm” of the club’s young players might mean this is more of a “reset” rather than a complete list rebuild.

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“It’s a sad day, but we look to a new era now and (we will) get a bit of youth in the team,” Swallow said. “I am sure in the next couple of weeks we will start to get excited about what the future holds.

“Once we get past the initial sadness of losing those guys, there will be a bit of excitement with another group of young kids. They always bring a new level of energy and enthusiasm.”

Swallow says the Kangaroos still possess enough experienced players to lead the next step in the club’s evolution and keep them competitive while at the same time regenerating the group.

Andrew Swallow believes North Melbourne can bounce back quickly. Picture: Getty Images

“The core of our team is pretty strong,” he explained. “’Goldy’ (Todd Goldstein) is 27 or 28, Jack (Ziebell) and Ben Cunnington are 25. Big Ben Brown is a young fellow.

“We have got a lot of key positions (already) taken, it is just adding a couple of other players, and I think we can do that. That’s one of the positives about having so many injuries this year, we got to blood a few guys who wouldn’t have played — Ryan Clarke ... Corey Wagner was emergency (on Saturday night). They have got some bright futures.”

Swallow said the emotion in farewelling the four Kangaroos veterans was something he had not experienced before, saying they had all made massive contributions to the club.

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“I just feel like we let the boys down,” he said. “It was always going to be tough coming across (to Adelaide), but the realisation that for most of these guys, it is probably going to be their last game they ever run out for.”

He said he hadn’t thought about Harvey potentially playing at another club next season, but said regardless of whether that happens, “he is always going to be a Kangaroo at heart.”