North Melbourne premiership coach Denis Pagan says list rebuild is right path for Roos
The rebuild is approaching for North Melbourne. And with any big list changes, tough calls will need to be made. For the Kangaroos and their 23 out-of-contract players, that starts now.
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North Melbourne premiership coach Denis Pagan suspects the Kangas will bottom out “for the first time’’ as it embarks on a savage rebuild of its list.
Up to 16 out-of-contract players are fighting for their careers as reality hits coach Rhyce Shaw and the list/recruiting managers.
The Kangas have 23 players coming out of contract at the end of the season and it’s believed only seven of those players are set for contracts going into the 2021 season.
The players who could be delisted or traded out of Arden St include Ben Brown, Mason Wood, Jamie Macmillan, Majak Daw, Taylor Garner, Mason Wood, Ben Jacobs, Jasper Pittard, Marley Williams, Paul Ahern, Sam Durdin and Ed Vickers-Willis.
Some of those players have struggled with injury, others ran out of chances, and others could be put up for trade.
Players in contract but also set to be discussed at end of the season include Shaun Atley, Aaron Hall, Dom Tyson.
It’s possible contract buyouts could be presented to Hall and Tyson, the latter being unable to shake calf issues since his recruitment from Melbourne.
The players who should be given new deals, and have shown varying levels of promise, are Josh Walker, Kyron Hayden, Jed Anderson, Tristan Xerri, Curtis Taylor, Kayne Turner and Bailey Scott, although Turner, who has missed all of this season with a foot injury, is not as assured as the others.
It has to be also noted, though, 28-year-old Tom Campbell was named as an emergency against Melbourne ahead of the developing ruckman Xerri.
North’s tumultuous season, which has been beset by injury and poor performances, was laid bare by Shaw after the team’s shambolic loss to Melbourne last Sunday night.
“I think with six games to go, we’re going to find out a lot about our players and our list,” Shaw said.
“We‘re at that stage now – it’s just the reality of it. I don’t think I’m saying anything that’s going to be a shock to anyone now. But in saying that I don’t give up.”
Pagan believes the club has decided to bottom out.
“I think they’ve already made their mind up — they’re going to rebuild again and I suspect this will be the first time the Kangas will bottom out and try to rebuild from the ground up.
“The time’s come, and if you look at the quality of the list, it’s time to put your future in youth.
“With Scotty Clayton (head of player personnel) and Glenn Luff (list manager), I’m confident they will pick the right sort of players and it will give the club the chance to get quality kids in there.
“They have got a few. I like Zurhaar, Simpkin, Tarryn Thomas, I like Larkey … that’s North Melbourne’s future, those four or five names there, and there are others.”
North Melbourne has had five rising star nominations since the start of 2019 — Curtis Taylor, Thomas, Bailey Scott, Zurhaar and Larkey.
Other youngsters who could see more game time in the run home include Will Walker, mid-season draft pick-up Lachie Hosie, Tom Murphy and the left-footed mid-forward Matt McGuinness.
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The impending player cull would be made easier for North Melbourne if the AFL decreed list sizes would be reduced to 35, which has been mooted in the industry.
That means seven spots would be automatically lost.
To replenish the list, North would go to this year‘s draft with two-first-round picks (they have Melbourne’s first-round selection), their other draft selections and possible selections acquired via trades. They would also try to pursue free agents.
This deep-dive list rebuild has been coming for several years.
The Kangas have been rebuilding since the end of the 2016 season when Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo were retired.
The new regime at the club, headed by Shaw, football boss Brady Rawlings and the list management team, should now be assessed after the next three years of drafts and trades.
“With Scotty there, I feel confident he will get a good group of players, but it’s not going to happen next year, it’s going to happen over a couple of years,” Pagan said.
“North has never bottomed out or done this, I can’t remember North being in a situation like this,
“It’s probably the right way to go now.”
Originally published as North Melbourne premiership coach Denis Pagan says list rebuild is right path for Roos
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