North Melbourne youngsters visit US in bid to prove doubters wrong
AN impromptu chat around a campfire in Utah, sharing stories of hardship, courage and determination, has steeled North Melbourne’s generation next to defy critics in 2018.
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AN impromptu chat around a campfire in Utah, sharing stories of hardship, courage and determination, has steeled North Melbourne’s generation-next to defy critics in 2018.
Many expect the Kangaroos, in the midst of an aggressive rebuild, to fall further behind the pack next season after finishing 15th with six wins this year.
“We see social media and stuff (people) always trying to write us off, but the feeling around the group is good,” Kangaroos livewire Jy Simpkin told the Sunday Herald Sun from Salt Lake City.
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“It definitely gives all of us more motivation to work harder and prove everyone out there that we’re a lot better than they all think we are.”
The Kangaroos have spent the past week at the US Ski & Snowboard Association headquarters completing an intensive high-altitude training program.
A 12km mountain hike followed by hill sprints and an upper-body circuit for players on modified programs tested the 19-man first-to-fourth-year convoy.
Such is the generational change at Arden St that about half will be seriously considered for senior selection when coach Brad Scott sits down to pick the 22 to play Gold Coast in Round 1 on March 24.
Classy Kangaroos midfielder Paul Ahern, taken by the GWS Giants in 2014 with pick No. 7 in the national draft, has untapped potential following two knee reconstructions.
Second-year players Simpkin, Declan Mountford and Mitch Hibberd crave opportunity and success, while Ed Vickers-Willis, Sam Durdin, Ryan Clarke and Daniel Nielson can stake their claim following the departures of Lachie Hansen, Sam Gibson, Aaron Mullet, Lindsay Thomas and Corey Wagner.
Luke McDonald, Trent Dumont, Braydon Preuss, all 22, and Jed Anderson, 23, are the oldest on this year’s camp.
Simpkin said the fireside chat this week had a profound affect on the touring party.
“It just gives you a sense of who they are and makes you feel like you know them a lot more,” Simpkin said.
“You only really know people superficially. You don’t really know them deep down. When a couple of the boys speak out and tell everyone what they’ve been through you respect them a lot more.
“A few boys have had some tough roads to get where they are today, so you feel for them and that just shows how much respect and how determined they are to get where they want to be.”
At 19, Simpkin has endured a fair share of setbacks.
A top-10 prospect, Simpkin only managed only a handful of games in his draft year after snapping his leg playing school football.
The injury allowed the Kangaroos to swoop on the creative goalkicker with pick No. 12 in the 2016 draft and he played 13 games this year in an injury-interrupted debut season.
Simpkin said the Kangaroos had learned from mistakes last year, especially frustrating early losses.
The Kangaroos dropped the first five games including three by five points or less.
“We’ve gone back and watched a lot of the footage (this week) from when we lost those close games,” Simpkin said.
“If we’re ever in that position again we know what to do … keep playing the way we play and lock those games out.
“We’re hoping to prove a lot of teams wrong. A lot of people are going to doubt us but we’ll bounce back.”
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