Collingwood v North Melbourne pre-season match: Key stats, centre bounces, clearances
Jordan De Goey continued a blistering off-season but North Melbourne spearhead Nick Larkey stole the show as preparations for round 0 went up a notch. Check out all the key stats here.
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Spearhead Nick Larkey has franked his Coleman Medal credentials with a dominant haul of five goals in three quarters as his Roos pushed past an undermanned Collingwood.
Larkey had five majors at three-quarter time, largely against Pie tall Billy Frampton, in a standout effort of Wednesday’s match simulation clash at the AIA Centre.
After bagging 71 goals to finish behind Charlie Curnow and Taylor Walker in last year’s goalkicking, Larkey should be right up in the count again if he gets enough supply.
He found able support from an improved Paul Curtis (three goals, plus one in scenario play), and Cam Zurhaar had his moments in attack as well.
Collingwood opted to sit out a host of senior players from the clash and pulled more – such as Jordan De Goey, Nick and Josh Daicos and Isaac Quaynor – out at halftime.
The Roos won the clash by 34 points when not accounting for two scenario play periods.
ALL OUT ATTACK
The guns were blazing off North Melbourne’s halfback line to start the contest as Harry Sheezel was joined by Zac Fisher and Colby McKercher at the first bounce. Fisher was desperate to run and carry at every opportunity, even if his early disposal let him down. McKercher had an early wobble trying to find Fisher with a handball deep in defence but made up for seconds later with a pinpoint pass out of the back 50. The Roos clearly wanted to play with dash and speed even in the sweltering heat on Wednesday morning. Sheezel was pushed into the middle for the third centre bounce of the game. Defensively, the trio were put on skates by Collingwood’s slick ball movement at times. Fisher and onballer George Wardlaw were pulled out of the game at halftime. With Aidan Corr and Griffin Logue both nursing knee injuries, the Roos ran with Toby Pink, Bigoa Nyuon and Kallan Dawson as tall defenders to start.
DE GOEY DOMINANT
After smashing Collingwood’s intraclub clash last week, Jordan De Goey was again everywhere early against North Melbourne. The star appeared to play a centre square role in the opening two quarters, rarely leaving the middle third of the ground. This allowed him to link up when the Pies frequently attacked the corridor and deliver the ball inside-50. After playing across halfback for much of his first two seasons, Nick Daicos was used through the middle on Wednesday and that allowed him to deliver the ball inside-50 more, which will be frightening for opposing defences. Both prime movers hit the pine after halftime.
LIP SERVICE
SuperCoach players looking for a forward option should take heed of Pat Lipinski, who has flown through this pre-season. He was involved in countless attacks for the Pies in the early stages and bagged two first-quarter goals. Another cut-price option for coaches is Charlie Lazzaro, who showed good signs in the same position for North Melbourne.
SCENARIO PLAY
The masters of the close finish were beaten twice. At the end of the second and fourth quarters, the game was turned into two opposite scenarios. In the first instance, North Melbourne were in front by seven points with five minutes to play. The Roos dominated this period outside of one coast-to-coast play that led to a McInnes goal. The wooden spooners held off the reigning premier by three points. In the second scenario, the roles were reversed for five minutes of play and North Melbourne ran over the top of Collingwood. Zurhaar kicked a goal with under a minute to play to secure the win for the Roos. Craig McRae has been famous in his tenure for manufacturing thrilling wins but his Pies couldn’t get it done in February.
MIDFIELD MOVEMENTS
Despite the heat in helmet, Tristan Xerri was the best ruck on the ground as he aims to lock down the No. 1 big man role at North Melbourne. Darcy Cameron and Mason Cox played a half each in the ruck against Xerri. Magpie Fin Macrae won the first centre clearance but didn’t have a huge amount of impact. Beau McCreery had a run in the middle in the last quarter but also didn’t have much sway. Roos co-captain Jy Simpkin rotated from a half-forward role into the middle at stages.
REEF GETS FIRST CHANCE
Reef McInnes has firmed to start in opening round as a Dan McStay replacement. The 11-game forward started in the goalsquare on Wednesday and was lively, kicking two first-quarter goals, and he added one more in the first bit of scenario play. Nathan Kreuger and Ash Johnson both started forward, with Kreuger unable to make much impact. Johnson chimed in with a goal, but it was McInnes who was most impressive.
FINAL SCORE (NOT COUNTING SCENARIO PLAY)
Collingwood 6.4 6.5 8.6 10.8 (68)
North Melbourne 4.4 9.6 13.8 15.12 (102)
Goals: Collingwood – McInnes 2, Johnson 2, Hill, Macrae, Schultz, Sullivan
North Melbourne: Larkey 5, Curtis 3, Stephenson 2, Stephens, Zurhaar, Harvey, Drury, Hansen Jr
NORTHBALL UNLEASHED
The Kangaroos not only unearthed a new electric style in Wednesday’s match simulation win over Collingwood, they have already given it a name.
Dubbed ‘Northball’, the Roos played with a freewheeling style against a depleted reigning premier side, with half-backs Zac Fisher, Harry Sheezel and Colby McKercher happy to run-and-gun.
Youngster George Wardlaw had little idea where the ‘Northball’ moniker came from, with it likely alluding to the English cricket team’s ‘Bazball’ or Ange Postecoglou’s successful ‘Angeball’.
“I don’t know what Clarko (head coach Alastair Clarkson) does … not sure which of the coaches picked that name,” Wardlaw said.
Spearhead Nick Larkey soaked up the new play on Wednesday, bagging five goals, while Paul Curtis snagged three of his own in a 34-point win.
The name was not just a throwaway after a February match simulation hitout, with Wardlaw declaring Clarkson has installed a more offensive style ahead of his second season at North Melbourne.
“We kind of have a big focus on our offence as well as defence and we have kind of shifted the way we play,” he said.
“We are liking the speed on the ball and as you saw out there (against Collingwood) it has been good for us so far.”
Wardlaw said Clarkson has simplified his style after getting a chance to settle as coach after an interrupted 2023.
“Now Clarko has had a full pre-season with us and the back-half of last year, the game plan couldn’t be any more straightforward and we really understand it,” Wardlaw said.
Roos defensive coach Jed Adcock said there were some “nice moments” on Wednesday as his side booted seven goals on the trot after conceding six in the first quarter.
It was enough for Magpies assistant coach Jordan Roughead to ponder a slip in team defence post-match.
“I think most teams want to go pretty quick where they can,” Adcock said.
“First quarter it is fair to say we were probably too quick at times and turned the ball over, which probably played into Collingwood’s style off half-back.”
Adcock said the attacking shift was simple in a bid to get more opportunities for forwards Larkey, Curtis and Cam Zurhaar.
North Melbourne lost the inside-50 count by an average of 11.6 per game last season, the second-worst mark in the league.
“Trying to get an extra 5-10 inside-50s a game will help (scoring), it allows you to defend a little better behind the play,” Adcock said.
The Roos came out of the Pies clash with a clean bill of health, with Wardlaw playing just the first half after an ankle roll at training last week.
Zac Fisher (hamstring) also played only a half but that was planned, while Charlie Comben missed the game due to foot soreness.
All three are expected to play in North Melbourne’s community series clash with St Kilda on March 3.
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