North Melbourne defender Majak Daw shines in North Melbourne intra-club clash
While Majak Daw moved another step closer to a Round 1 return, one of his younger teammates also earned high praise in North Melbourne’s intra-club practice match.
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Majak Daw has given his strongest indication yet that he is ready for a return to senior football after starring in North Melbourne’s intra-club practice match yesterday.
Daw played the entire game at fullback and was one of the standout performers in the hitout with his strong marking and spoiling.
The 28-year-old played on Nick Larkey in the first half, holding him to one goal before a team switch saw Larkey boot three second-half majors.
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Daw is in line to play in at least one of the Kangaroos’ pre-season matches as he builds towards returning in Round 1 for his first AFL game since 2018.
“He’s just been building nicely the whole pre-season really, so it was just really good to see him doing what we know he does best,” North Melbourne defender Jasper Pittard said of Daw.
“He’s pretty much training Monday and Friday and we keep him quiet in the middle part of the week so come Round 1 he’s ready to go.
“We’ve got a whole group of defenders who are just really working well together and it makes everyone’s job easy.”
Ben Cunnington also shone brightly in the practice match, spending significant time forward and hitting the scoreboard.
Jed Anderson made his presence felt with his physicality, Todd Goldstein was dominant in the ruck against inexperienced pair Tristan Xerri and Ben McKay, long-time forward Mason Wood caught the eye in defence and draftee Charlie Comben showed some promising signs as a key forward.
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Greater Western Sydney recruit Aiden Bonar spent significant time onball and rotated forward but had limited impact on the contest.
A Rising Star nominee in his debut season last year, Tarryn Thomas also impressed playing both as an outside midfielder and forward.
“The sky’s the limit for Tarryn,” Pittard said.
“What I’ve loved about him as a first, now second-year player, is how well he’s picked up the little things we value in terms of the defensive stuff. I haven’t seen too many kids … at that age who have been able to pick up the tough decision-making things that we learn.
“He knows what we value as a club and that’s what gets him games and the excitement’s off the back of that.”
Key forward Ben Brown watched the match from the sidelines after suffering a minor calf strain at training on Thursday.
Brown will be monitored closely over coming days, but the Kangaroos are hopeful he will be fit in time for Round 1.
Jack Ziebell (calf), Jared Polec (foot) and Robbie Tarrant (foot) were other senior players to miss the intra-club match but all are still hoping to be available for Round 1.
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