North Melbourne struggles highlighted by continued reliance on champion Brent Harvey
FOR all North Melbourne’s promise mixed with fragility, the key to its success still rests on the shoulders of a 36-year-old.
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FOR all North Melbourne’s promise mixed with fragility, the key to its success still rests on the shoulders of a 36-year-old.
And while that may be testament to the sustained brilliance of Brent “Boomer” Harvey, it’s an unhealthy reliance that reflects poorly on many other members of the team.
The ladder says the Kangaroos have improved significantly given a win/loss of 10-7 compared with 7-10, but respective percentages of 122.8 per cent last year against 112.5 per cent now tell the real story.
Last season they lost close games to good sides; this year they lose by big margins to average ones.
North Melbourne has huge discrepancies in output from winning to losing games. Natural enough maybe, but not to the extent of some key Shinboners.
THE GOOD
Nick Dal Santo has been everything they could have hoped for after joining from St Kilda while Harvey has exerted a rare level of influence.
Todd Goldstein is a ruckman better than most and competitive with the elite while Ben Cunnington and Levi Greenwood have produced to a level generally expected.
Luke McDonald is a shining star for the future, a 19-year-old who has played 16 games and at times, such as last Friday’s loss to Carlton, shown far more than some of his senior teammates.
THE POOR
Ryan Bastinac and Jack Ziebell finished sixth and seventh in last year’s best and fairest and at 23 seemed set to stamp their authority on the competition. Unfortunately both have gone backwards.
Same for Aaron Black who appeared ready to repay North’s patience following 33 goals in 18 games last year. There have been glimpses only and it isn’t as if he hasn’t been given plenty of chances.
Scott Thompson set very high standards after winning the club’s best and fairest award and being named full back in the All-Australian team. His fall at age 28 after five years of stellar defence wasn’t expected.
Aaron Mullett, who is six years Thompson’s junior, was a revelation in 2013 with his creativity and dash off half-back. Maybe his year is reflective of an interrupted pre-season.
Then there is one of the club’s most respected figures in Drew Petrie who has been well down on last year, plus Leigh Adams, a really important role player for North whose form has dropped right off.
WHO MYSTERIES
Sam Gibson is capable of playing good football and has done so in several of North’s wins but when the scales tip the other way he is a glaring example of massive gaps between best and worst.
Lachie Hansen is a very good player when used as a loose man in defence and a fair player when one on one.
Shaun Atley at his best is a pleasure to watch but those sightings have been all too rare this year. Then again he has the ability to win his own football and burst so why doesn’t he get more time in the middle?
HIGH AND LOWS OF THE KANGAROOS
Selected SuperCoach scores - 2014 2013
MOVING UP
Michael Firrito 75 from 63
Brad McKenzie 50 from 41
Brent Harvey 111 from 104
Lachie Hansen 79 from 73
Levi Greenwood 95 from 92
TRENDING DOWN
Ben Cunnington 92 from 96
Todd Goldstein 102 from 113
Leigh Adams 65 from 79
Aaron Mullett 61 from 77
Scott Thompson 79 from 98
Jack Ziebell 76 from 95
Aaron Black 57 from 76
Ryan Bastinac 69 from 93
Drew Petrie 72 from 102
Source: CHAMPION DATA
Originally published as North Melbourne struggles highlighted by continued reliance on champion Brent Harvey
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