Gary Buckenara analyses North Melbourne’s list after the 2020 season
Shaun Higgins looks set to depart North Melbourne but the Kangaroos should drive a hard bargain on a player who is still an A-grader. List expert Gary Buckenara analyses the Kangaroos’ list.
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North Melbourne supporters are in for years of pain and are facing at least half a decade without the possibility of playing finals as the club pays a heavy price for poor recruiting and list management.
In 2017 I wrote in the Herald Sun that North Melbourne was 10 years away from challenging for a premiership and three years later the Kangaroos are in a worse position. They’ve reached rock bottom, or somewhere near it. In 2016 I wrote they needed to undergo a list rebuild.
The North Melbourne board, players and officials were very upset about my analysis but the proof is in the pudding. The board and administration must accept some blame for the position the club finds itself in because it not only overrated the list and made poor recruiting and list management decisions based off that, but they failed to have the right people in place who could have made a difference. People strong enough to make bold calls like Geoff Walsh, who in my opinion is one of the best operators in the game. Why did they allow him to go to Collingwood?
Accepting your list isn’t good enough to win a premiership is one of the hardest things to come to terms with in football. Rebuilding is painful both on the field and off it and many tough decisions need to be made on players who have been stalwarts of your football club. But these decisions are necessary.
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Three years ago I called for the Kangaroos to be bold and courageous and consider trading Todd Goldstein. They didn’t do it. Consider trading Shaun Higgins. They didn’t do it. Consider trading Robbie Tarrant. They didn’t do it. Consider trading Ben Brown. They didn’t do it.
It’s now 2020 and the Kangaroos are facing the same questions on the same players, only their currency has significantly diminished.
Brown has been told he needs to look for a new club. Why have the Kangaroos all of a sudden fallen so out of love with a player who kicked 60+ goals every season from 2017-19? North Melbourne has shown its hand by making public its desire to trade him and will now be lucky if a club offers a top-25 pick for him. What a mess.
Goldstein and Tarrant still have trade value and several clubs would be interested but ruckmen and key defenders are hard to find so I wouldn’t entertain any trades. When you’re rebuilding it’s critical to keep a few great leaders and experienced players to guide the next generation, especially in key positions.
LIST NEEDS
Young talent with elite skills and decision making, midfielders with pace, endurance and skill and another key forward, key defender and forward-ruck. Essentially, more of everything.
TRADE TARGETS
How is North Melbourne going to attract guns from rival clubs? It’s not a destination club. They offered big money to Zac Williams who chose Carlton and while his teammate Aiden Corr looks set to join the Kangaroos as a free agent, my concern is they’re going to overpay and offer too much money and a long-term deal but won’t get value in terms of what he can actually produce. Corr is a handy defender but not much more.
In recent years the Kangaroos have brought in Marley Williams, Dom Tyson, Jasper Pittard, Aaron Hall and Tom Campbell from rivals – all players who were discards. I’d even throw Aiden Bonar in there as GWS didn’t exactly try and keep him, nor did they play hard ball in a trade, which tells you something. Stop recruiting discards from rival clubs. Invest in the draft and even scour the VFL/SANFL/WAFL with late picks for untapped talent.
UNTOUCHABLES
Ben Cunnington, Jed Anderson, Robbie Tarrant, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Trent Dumont, Todd Goldstein, Luke McDonald, Jy Simpkin, Ben McKay, Nick Larkey, Curtis Taylor, Tarryn Thomas, Jack Ziebell and Cameron Zurhaar.
TRADE BAIT
Brown is on the table and the Kangaroos will be lucky to get a top-25 pick for him after what’s occurred. Clubs will see an opportunity to get him cheaply, although I believe he’s worth a top-25 pick.
Polec is an interesting situation. He’s on a good contract so that complicates things. If I was list manager I would want to keep him. But if Rhyce Shaw wants him out and a club is willing to pay his whole wage, then the Kangaroos will basically trade him for nothing. In other words, a salary dump. If the Kangaroos still pay some of his wage, then a pick around 40 would be a decent deal. This is how poor list decisions hurt.
Higgins still has a few good years left and if he wants to chase a premiership with a rival then let him go. He’s contracted and still an A-grader, so the Kangaroos can expect a first-round pick in return. He’s definitely worth that, then draft a classy midfielder to replace him.
RATING THE LIST
A-grade: Higgins
B: Anderson, Brown, Cunnington, Goldstein, McDonald, Simpkin, Tarrant, Ziebell
C: Atley, Bonar, Campbell, Dumont, Garner, Hall, Larkey, McKay, Polec, Turner, Tyson, Vickers-Willis, J.Walker, Zurhaar
Developing (with A or B-grade potential): Davies-Uniacke, Taylor, Thomas
Developing: Comben, Hayden, Mahony, McGuinness, Perez, Scott, W.Walker, Xerri
What the ratings mean:
A-grade: Elite player on any AFL list
B: Top 10-18 player on most lists
C: An 18-30 player on a list
Developing: Aged 21 or under
CRYSTAL BALL
North Melbourne is destined to be a cellar dweller for a significant period and success is a long way away, with only nine A and B-ranked players and just three players under 21 with the potential to develop into A or B-graders. A complete and brutal rebuild is needed and hard decisions must be made on players, no matter their reputation. Even the thought of playing finals is a long way away – at least five years. It’s time for the club to suck it up, accept reality and get to work on stockpiling young talent with elite skills to build a team from the ground up that can achieve sustained success.
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Originally published as Gary Buckenara analyses North Melbourne’s list after the 2020 season
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