One of the AFL’s most famous ex-coaches believes at just 20 Harry Sheezel should be Roos’ captain

Two-time North Melbourne premiership coach Denis Pagan chats with JON ANDERSON about why he thinks Harry Sheezel should be the Roos’ captain, his winner during the week, a Harley Reid comparison and more.

Jon Anderson

3 min read

April 27, 2024 - 2:39PM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

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Denis Pagan was back in the winner’s stall during the week, his consistent gelding Georgie Get Mad saluting at $14 for Dakotah Keane in a Geelong benchmark 64.

Pagan, 76, is in the second phase of a dual-pronged sporting career, one that has included a VFL grand final as a player, two AFL premierships as a coach and a VRC Derby winner as a trainer.

JA: Another one of your quirky names and happily another winner.

DP: In his jumpout at Werribee, and I know they can be like dancing with your sister, he beat horses like The Astrologist, Gentleman Roy and Midwest. He beat them over 800m and Troy Corstens suggested dropping him back from 1400m to 1200m. He excites me the way he races and you still get that crazy winning feeling when it happens.

JA: It seems a long time ago when you did what Bart Cummings and T.J. Smith couldn’t do by winning the 2020 VRC Derby in your first training season.

DP: It was the biggest fluke of all time. I’d only had my license five minutes with one or two blokes pushing for me and the rest were saying, “What are you letting this peanut in for?” Johnny Get Angry just couldn’t let down again after the Derby. Every time I see Young Werther running around I think what could have been given we beat him in the Derby. “Johnny” is now retired to Living Legends.

JA: If I get a few owners could we race a horse with you?

DP: I don’t want to take on owners. I see people with two per cent in a horse ringing up the trainer telling them what jockey to put on or where to run it. I just couldn’t do it and can’t believe their audacity.

Denis Pagan after Georgie Get Mad won during the week. Picture: Getty Images

JA: I’ve been watching Carlton thinking how different the Blues were 20 years ago when you were coach.

DP: Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay up forward, Jacob Weitering up back, Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh and Co in the middle, they have the most talented list. I might be doing Geelong and GWS a disservice and the Cats have a very, very good coach in Chris Scott.

JA: What about your old side North?

DP: We have too many midfielders, not enough big-bodied defenders and need a bigger forward to support Nick Larkey, although it can change quickly. In 1972 I played with North and we won one game for the year, two years later we were in a grand final. But I wouldn’t be too confident with North changing quickly.

JA: I keep thinking of that round 24 win last year over Gold Coast that cost North Melbourne access to Harley Reid.

DP: How do you win one game in 27 weeks by defeating Gold Coast in the last game of 2023? I look at that kid Harley Reid. He’ll be controlling the league in 12 months. But they couldn’t do anything. The law of averages says every game you lose means you’re closer to your next win but, geez, I wished they had got beaten by a point.

Harry Sheezel be captain? Picture: Getty Images

JA: What obvious change would you make at North Melbourne?

DP: It’s a brutal game so maybe push might come to shove for co-captains Jy Simpkin and Luke McDonald. I would take a punt with Harry Sheezel and make him captain next year at age 20. Just the way he speaks, the way he carries himself, the way he plays his football.

JA: At age 20?

DP: Everyone looks up to him. Get him in the midfield and make him captain next year. He’s not a ratbag or socialiser, a perfect role-model example for young players at that club. He’ll be exciting to watch.

JA: Does Harley Reid remind you of a young Sam Kekovich?

DP: Yes he does. I remember Sam, who had the best natural physique of any player I’ve seen, running through Francis Bourke and breaking his collarbone. Sam didn’t even try to do it. Harley Reid is already lifting older players to better performances.

JA: One right out of the box?

DP: And he kicked a goal from the forward pocket last week in normal fashion. Rather than kicking around the corner he kicked an orthodox drop punt.

A popular speaker at North Port Oval on Saturday was James Hird, whose connection to the club is via his son, Tom, who is playing with the Borough.

Not that Hird has expressed any interest in ever coaching again, a vocation some at Essendon still think he was extremely suited to, but clearly, Port Melbourne could do a lot worse when next in the market for a coach.