Entering 2017, no team was more widely predicted for a fall than North Melbourne after their abysmal second half of last year.
After turning for home on top of the AFL ladder, they slumped to a humiliating first week finals defeat which marked the end for club stalwarts Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo.
Coach Brad Scott copped his fair share of criticism for ending these players’ storied careers, but after eleven rounds the decision has been justified.
Sitting 4-7 at the bye with a percentage of 93.8%, North could be sitting in the eight if not for three horror last-minute losses to Geelong, Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs earlier in the year.
Questions were raised in the pre-season over North’s stock of young players, but they’re certainly on their way to proving their worth.
Luke McDonald, Taylor Garner, Mason Wood, Trent Dumont, Kayne Turner, Ryan Clarke and Ed Vickers-Willis have all taken their opportunities and impressed. Marley Williams and Nathan Hrovat have been more than handy recruits and Ben Brown is relishing his role as the team’s number one forward.
They’ve also unearthed a monster named Braydon Preuss who looks set to rattle some cages in the next few years.
The club should receive credit too for the decision to drop club legends Andrew Swallow and Lindsay Thomas. Both were hopelessly out of form and face a tough road back to the senior team.
If North can entice Josh Kelly and perhaps another quality player or two down to Arden St this off-season with their reportedly huge war chest, their supporters should be confident that they could return to September action much sooner than previously thought.
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