Kangaroos looking for Majak Daw to make a mark as a key defender

North Melbourne’s Majak Daw is probably the Australian football’s best physical specimen.

Majak Daw training with North Melbourne at Arden Street last month.

North Melbourne’s Majak Daw is probably the code’s best physical specimen. The ball of muscle is far from the heaviest player and no giant, standing five centimetres short of 200.

We’re not sure if he’s faster than a speeding bullet or whether he can bend steel with his bare hands. However, he can take a pack mark and kick a football long and straight.

But can he play consistently at a high level? That question is about to be answered as the 27-year-old enters his sixth season in the big time.

After five years as a back-up ruckman and forward, Daw is entering a new phase of his 32-game career — as a key defender. And it’s probably his last chance to break into the Kangaroos line-up on a regular basis.

Next Friday night at Etihad Stadium could be Daw’s debut at centre half-back for the Kangaroos as they play their inaugural AFLX games against Carlton and Melbourne. If not then he will certainly play in the club’s JLT Community Series fixtures, which start a week later.

After playing bit roles, with the occasional touches of brilliance, North’s focus on Daw this pre-season has been in defence because he is unlikely to take the No 1 or No 2 ruck spots from Todd Goldstein or Braydon Preuss.

And according to North Melbourne general manager of football operations Cameron Joyce, it’s been a case of so far so good.

“We wanted to see if we could get something out of him and our list,” Joyce told The Australian yesterday. “We know that if he gets it all together, he can play more regularly.”

In a hit and miss start to his career — with most of his games in the VFL — Daw’s 32 senior games have produced 30 goals and almost 300 hit-outs. The highest number of AFL games he’s played in a single season was nine in 2016 before playing seven last year.

“He’s certainly been keeping up with Ben Brown lately,” Joyce said. “Brown has been his opponent in most of the match simulation drills and Majak’s athleticism, closing speed and his reach was been noticeably good.”

After 77 games in four years, Brown is the Kangaroos’ tallest (200cm) and best key-forward, with 154 goals and a personal-best tally of 63 last year.

“So Majak’s stuff at training has been very good and he’s been competing well with Brown,” Joyce said.

North’s best key defender is Robbie Tarrant, followed by Scott Thompson and up-and-comers Ben McKay, after he started out as a forward, Sam Durdin and Daniel Neilson. Many players have made the unlikely transition from other positions to defence, with Tarrant being a prime example.

North need to be defensively better after finishing last year 16th for points against, in front of only Gold Coast and Brisbane.

The pre-season matches will also shape the status of North’s No 1 big man, with the club unlikely to play both Goldstein and Preuss in the same 22 during the premiership season.

Goldstein, who is entering his 11th senior season, has been in good touch on the track this year, as has Preuss. “Goldie hasn’t missed a beat and is in the best shape he’s been in for several years,” Joyce said.