North Melbourne has lost its direction after poor start to 2019

North Melbourne was one of the big improvers last year, but what has happened since? JAY CLARK dissects the club’s issues including game plan, list strategy and defence.

North Melbourne players walk off Adelaide Oval after losing to the Power last Friday night. Picture: AAP

North Melbourne was one of the big improvers last year, but six rounds into 2019 the Kangaroos wheels have fallen off.

Former coach Rodney Eade and Kangaroos’ great Wayne Schwass have questioned whether North Melbourne overrated their improvement last season.

The Roos surged up the ladder with 12 wins last season but now sit second-last after six rounds with only one win.

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Eade said last year’s surge may have papered over some cracks in the list, and urged the club to go back to the draft this year with the view of “having a crack at it” from 2021.

“I think North over-achieved last year,” Eade said on Triple M.

“They did extremely well, they were terrific, because everyone thought they would be bottom-four.

“Internally, they need to say we have over-achieved, because we won some close ones, and they can go against us, so where is our list at?

“This draft is OK without being great, so did they miss the chance last year of really targeting (the draft) heavily to get some more kids in?”

North Melbourne slumped to their fifth loss of the season against Port Adelaide. Picture: AAP

Schwass, who won two best and fairests at North, said the Roos had to reassess the list.

“The decisions North made at the end of last year to the cynical people would suggest that perhaps North thought they werefurther advanced,” Schwass said.

“They went and got players like (Jasper) Pittard and (Jared) Polec, and with the benefit of hindsight - and all due respectto those players because I don’t know them personally - maybe that was the opportunity where they took a collective deep breath,and said realistically and unemotionally, where are we?”

So, what’s their situation?

GAME PLAN

Week-to-week changes make it hard to establish how the Roos want to play. At least, that’s how it looks.

Against Adelaide we liked the forward pressure, and the kick-and-catch style caught Hawthorn off guard early.

Largely, the overlap handball and run from the back half doesn’t suit the list’s strengths because the Roos lack polish in this part of the ground.

The problem with a longer, direct kicking game is they lack marking power.

Perhaps the best plan should be slow tempo build-up to protect the back half, ala St Kilda and Western Bulldogs.

SCORING

The Roos are simply too reliant on Ben Brown.

They tried to partner him with Tom Campbell, which didn’t work, while Mason Wood plays more like a third option than a key target.

The small men have had little impact on the scoreboard. Jy Simpkin has not kicked a goal in five games and Kayne Turner has just three from five.

The best chances the Kangaroos seem to create are around forward-50 stoppages where Jack Ziebell and Ben Cunnington can flex their muscle.

Ben Brown needs more help in attack. Picture: Sarah Reed

DEFENCE

Other than the win over Adelaide when the Roos appeared to press harder up the ground, forward pressure has been lacking.

North’s forward pressure is ranked 17th overall, according to Champion Data.

Recruits Aaron Hall and Jared Polec are not strong defensively, and Ben Cunnington is another whose focus is winning the ball.

Opposition teams have scored heavily from centre clearances.

Veteran Scott Thompson and Robbie Tarrant have battled manfully in defence, but have been under siege.

THE LIST

North made some bold calls at the end of 2016, cutting six veterans.

It went for youth as part of a 2017 rebuild, and snapped up Luke Davies-Uniacke with pick four. But did its approach change after winning 12 games last year?

North topped up with some senior talent in the trade period, adding Polec, 26, and Jasper Pittard, 28 (in exchange for pick 11) and Dom Tyson, 25 (for Braydon Preuss) making last week’s team the fifth-oldest in the AFL.

Bailey Scott was a steal and Tarryn Thomas looks like a jet.

On Sunday, they face a crossroad of sorts when the Roos take on an improved Carlton side that has languished at the bottom for years, but now has the makings of an elite midfield.

North topped up its list last year with players such as Jasper Pittard. Picture: Sarah Reed

THEY NEED …

Some key-position depth and, in particular, replacements for Todd Goldstein, Tarrant and Brown. If any of those big men go down, the Roos are in deep trouble.

Ben McKay and Sam Durdin still have work to do as developing talls, and Drew Petrie clone Nick Larkey should play the rest of the season in the seniors.

They have missed Majak Daw badly.

The Roos also need to find midfield guns to replace Cunnington and Ziebell. There is a lack of competition for spots at present.

HARD CALLS

Senior coach Brad Scott is contracted for next year but, to his credit, he has always said he would be happy to step away if he felt the group needed a fresh voice.

One of his key mentors, Leigh Matthews, has said 10 years is probably long enough for a senior coach at any club.

The recruiting department will also consider its trade options from every angle. It’s not as though it hasn’t tried to land a big name.

Simpkin, 21, and Luke McDonald, 24, could be names tossed up for trade, while clubs in premiership contention could inquire about Cunnington, 27, Sam Wright, 28, and Goldstein, 30.