Past #14: Gavin Urquhart - delisted at end 11 season, re-listed as rookie, re-de-listed at end '12 season

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Interesting read on harper:
http://www.nmfc.com.au/news/2014-05-30/believe-and-succeed

One of North’s most impressive youngsters in 2011 and 2012, Kieran Harper has only played three senior games since the start of last season.

A road full of injuries, time on the sidelines and VFL spells has curtailed a promising career with just 40 games under his belt.

But the 21-year-old is starting to make inroads, with a senior recall perhaps not as far away as many would think.

Harper’s recent stint for Werribee has proven to be more fruitful than most. Under the guidance of senior coach John Lamont (former North Melbourne development coach), he's starting to find form.

“He’s (Lamont) had a big influence on my career,” the North youngster told NMFC.com.au.“He’s really instructive in what he says to do and he gives you the confidence to go out there and play.”

Lamont worked with Harper at North as recently as last year, with his move to the club's VFL affiliate meaning he still has close contact with club's emerging talent.

“I had a lot of development coaching from him when he was here (at the Kangaroos). Now that he’s gone to Werribee it hasn’t been hard to transition at all.

“He helps me out more because he knows where you’ve been, where you’ve come from. Hopefully he knows my potential and where I can be at and he’s pushing me hard to get back into the senior side and better myself.”

For Lamont, the situation with Harper can be simplified to a very straight-forward trait, going back to the time the two spent together at Arden Street.

“It’s about belief for him,” he said.

“It’s about the belief that he’s a good player and his strengths are hard to combat for any opposition side.

“Part of it is about staying in the game. It’s about seeing the ball, joining in at the appropriate time and then using his speed, change of direction and good kicking skills to benefit the team.”

As the Tigers' coach, Lamont no doubts harbours his own ambition to push into the finals, but he'll be more than happy to see Harper take the step up to AFL level.

“We just want him to play well, get through the games and then have good weeks on the training track. That’ll mean he can put plenty of hard work in, and with that work comes the understanding that he’ll play well.

“We’re seeing overall improvement. Hopefully he’s not too far away from having that consistency that means he’ll be right in the firing line for selection (for North).”

Considering Lamont saw the number 23 firing as a dangerous goal sneak before succumbing to an ankle injury, he's better placed than most to know what he can produce.

It’s an ankle that has troubled Harper for the better part of the last 12 months. He had surgery to debride scar tissue. In layman’s terms, debridement is the process of removing unhealthy tissue.

It was an issue caused by what basically boiled down to an overprotective body function.

“I over-scar compared to most people. So after games as a healing process it produces more scar tissue,” Harper revealed.

“The scar tissue tends to jam up a joint, so it creates less movement in the ankle. It’s a matter of doing all my recovery processes to keep it clear. Generally speaking, eventually it’ll get right.”

While some injuries are easier to play with than others, anything related to an ankle can rob a player of their explosiveness, a feature of Harper's game when he's at his best.

“It mainly affects side to side movement. Going in straight lines isn’t too bad, but when I go to my left it’s the strength and mobility that’s just hampered a little bit.

“It’s just about getting that last little bit out of the ankle.”

Harper’s most recent clean-up was in early February. While the thought process was initially to make sure the ankle was clean and ready to go, other factors intervened to make it a bigger job.

“They found a bit of cartilage that had calcified (hardened) when I went for my clean out. It was about the size of a pea so they took that out.

“It didn’t show up on the scan so it was sort of a blessing in disguise that we did the operation. They ended up finding something they didn’t think was in there.

“That’s been taken out as well as the excess scar tissue that was floating around.”

Harper has played six VFL games this season, and with each week the increased confidence in his ankle has been noticeable.

However, a minor setback, although not costing any game time, illustrated the toughness in coming back from a re-occurring injury.

“Down the track, in a couple of weeks, it won’t be an issue anymore. Like, I felt really good in it two weeks ago but then there was a slight incident with five minutes to go in a game.

“I got caught in a tackle and my ankle was jammed a little bit. But we’re nearly there and back to 100 per cent.”

In his time at Werribee, Harper has worked his way back into the role he likes to play in the royal blue and white. Spending the majority of his time at half-forward, he has shown flashes of the speed which made him a human highlight reel during the early part of his career.

There has been an extra addition to his game in the last fortnight, all in the name of helping him long-term.

“I’ve played a lot more wing the last couple of weeks just to try and get my aerobic capacity back up to scratch,” Harper added.

“It was a little bit down in previous weeks so I’m doing extras on the track to get that back up.”

Considering so much of Harper’s game is based around the ability to burst off the mark regularly, it's an area pivotal to cutting it at AFL level.

“I’ve had some good first halves, dropped away in the third quarter and then come back in the last.

“It’s a matter of being consistent over four quarters. And I can feel it in my body, in the third I can feel a bit flat and then I come back out and I feel OK because I’ve had a bit of a recovery in a way.”

The half-forward role is often regarded as one of the tougher challenges. Possession counts are often of secondary importance.

“It’s a role where you can either have a really good day or a really bad day. You can be in the right place at the right time but still not get the ball.

“I’m going into games focusing on tackling pressure, and that’s what’s getting me a game. If I’m doing the right stuff defensively the rest of it will come.”
 
I actually played rep footy with him - nice bloke, just a real air head.


Now that's surprising! Most around here think of....








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Never really rated him. People got carried away with his speed because he once ran down a turtle. People got carried away with his elite kicking skills that were only ever evident under zero pressure on the training track. Had no history at any level of being a ball magnet. Was selected as a bottom age recruit from QLD, in other words, he'd never played at a decent level. Was quite simply a speculative but ultimately wasted second round pick.
 

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Never really rated him. People got carried away with his speed because he once ran down a turtle. People got carried away with his elite kicking skills that were only ever evident under zero pressure on the training track. Had no history at any level of being a ball magnet. Was selected as a bottom age recruit from QLD, in other words, he'd never played at a decent level. Was quite simply a speculative but ultimately wasted second round pick.

Pretty fair summary. I thought there may have been more to it.

As much as we don't want to admit it, our draft flops are starting to stack up.

Second and third round picks are what builds your nucleus and premiership teams get these right.

Since 2006 we now have proven duds in Urquhart 21, Richardson at 35 and Kennedy at 41.

Then there is this group of underachievers and under performers: Wright at 28, Harper at 27, McKenzie at 18, Jacobs at 37 and Liam Anthony at (43).

Greenwood at 31 and Bastinac at 21 are probably JUST above that group as well.

Then there is Tarrant (15) and Curran (37) constantly injured.

Urquhart is no orphan here...
 
another one of Scotts failures. How many more quality players will go by the wayside (while we'll continually finish 8th or 9th) until people realize that Scott can't coach?

Regardless of what you think of Scott, the claim that spud coaches ruin quality players is pretty flimsy. Nathan Buckley was coached by Tony Shaw.
 
Pretty fair summary. I thought there may have been more to it.

As much as we don't want to admit it, our draft flops are starting to stack up.

Second and third round picks are what builds your nucleus and premiership teams get these right.

Since 2006 we now have proven duds in Urquhart 21, Richardson at 35 and Kennedy at 41.

Then there is this group of underachievers and under performers: Wright at 28, Harper at 27, McKenzie at 18, Jacobs at 37 and Liam Anthony at (43).

Greenwood at 31 and Bastinac at 21 are probably JUST above that group as well.

Then there is Tarrant (15) and Curran (37) constantly injured.

Urquhart is no orphan here...

Fair point, but I reckon you need a bit of balance - Goldstein at 37 and Lindsay thomas at 53 in the same draft as urquhart; then there's Levi at 32, Black at 25, Macmillan at 37; and with a crystal ball, I reckon Mason Wood at 41 will be a steal
 
My brother and I were sitting on the wing one game he was playing and I was eagerly looking forward to the BF claims of superb long kicking. His kicks were raining down on us like mortar fire and my brother almost lost his beer with one rocket sent at us. I turned to look at my brother and he grimaced and just shook his head, I think I had tears of laughter. Thanks Gav for the memories.
 
Fair point, but I reckon you need a bit of balance - Goldstein at 37 and Lindsay thomas at 53 in the same draft as urquhart; then there's Levi at 32, Black at 25, Macmillan at 37; and with a crystal ball, I reckon Mason Wood at 41 will be a steal

Black, Goldstein and Thomas were good drafting.

Macmillan, most wanted him dropped last year, but was good this year before getting injured.

Levi is playing well now but the jury is still out.

It's too early to call yet perhaps, but there is some stinkers there or emerging as stinkers.

If Wood, Garner, Dumont and Turner emerge, then it clearly swings it back the other way.
 
I know, just look at Gav killing it at another AFL club........:rolleyes:

I just wanna say this. Do you think that they whole footy world knows that the coach doesn't think much of him, and there fore are a little more weary? I honestly think this happens to a few players.

The thing with Gav is that he didn't go out & prove them wrong.
 
I just wanna say this. Do you think that they whole footy world knows that the coach doesn't think much of him, and there fore are a little more weary? I honestly think this happens to a few players.


Absolutely not. Clubs will not regard an opposition coach's prejudices as gospel truth. Even the best coaches are blind to the talents of players on their own list as well as opposition lists and that is well known throughout the system. Each club will back itself to bring the best out in a player if the recruiting manager still believes the talent is there. We drafted Jacobs and Gysberts on the basis of their Under 18 reputation rather than exposed form in the AFL. There is an implied assumption that the talent was still there but their original clubs did not get the best out of them. So far, Jacobs is 50/50 but Gysberts has proven Melbourne correct in offloading him. I don't think poor coaching had any impact at either Melbourne or North. He just wasn't up to it. Both Gysberts and Jacobs were originally drafted in the first round but subsequent results have shown that neither warranted such expectations.
 

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Pretty fair summary. I thought there may have been more to it.

As much as we don't want to admit it, our draft flops are starting to stack up.

Second and third round picks are what builds your nucleus and premiership teams get these right.

Since 2006 we now have proven duds in Urquhart 21, Richardson at 35 and Kennedy at 41.

Then there is this group of underachievers and under performers: Wright at 28, Harper at 27, McKenzie at 18, Jacobs at 37 and Liam Anthony at (43).

Greenwood at 31 and Bastinac at 21 are probably JUST above that group as well.

Then there is Tarrant (15) and Curran (37) constantly injured.

Urquhart is no orphan here...

what...Harper will make it, Bastinac and Greenwood have made it

Bastinac is having a off year but he'll bounce back.

Wright = dud
Mckenzie will make it.
Jacobs will too.
Liam Anthony can make it and this could be the start of him making it.
 
Absolutely not. Clubs will not regard an opposition coach's prejudices as gospel truth. Even the best coaches are blind to the talents of players on their own list as well as opposition lists and that is well known throughout the system. Each club will back itself to bring the best out in a player if the recruiting manager still believes the talent is there. We drafted Jacobs and Gysberts on the basis of their Under 18 reputation rather than exposed form in the AFL. There is an implied assumption that the talent was still there but their original clubs did not get the best out of them. So far, Jacobs is 50/50 but Gysberts has proven Melbourne correct in offloading him. I don't think poor coaching had any impact at either Melbourne or North. He just wasn't up to it. Both Gysberts and Jacobs were originally drafted in the first round but subsequent results have shown that neither warranted such expectations.
Understand what you are saying, buy don't think it is entirely true. (Jacobs was a trade?)

It has to have some impact on the players prospects. If given the chance who knows what these sort of players might produce. I do think that it goes a fair way to other management teams evaluating players.
 
Understand what you are saying, buy don't think it is entirely true. (Jacobs was a trade?)

It has to have some impact on the players prospects. If given the chance who knows what these sort of players might produce. I do think that it goes a fair way to other management teams evaluating players.

Jacobs was drafted with Pick 37. Gysberts was a trade (Pedo).
 
what...Harper will make it, Bastinac and Greenwood have made it

Bastinac is having a off year but he'll bounce back.

Wright = dud
Mckenzie will make it.
Jacobs will too.
Liam Anthony can make it and this could be the start of him making it.

Liam Anthony? The guy is 27 this year and an absolute liability with ball in hand. He also makes Dyson Heppell look like Glen Archer. No surer player to be delisted.

Tell me exactly what Bastinac and Greenwood have made it at? Neither would be a starter in any of the decent 22's and Greenwood wasn't even a starter in ours for the first few rounds.

Harper will make it? McKenzie will make it? How do you know this? Both have been on the list 3 or 4 years and currently aren't in the 25. The fact that Liam Anthony is getting a game front of them says enough.

And why are you so glowing of all of the above and then you say Wright is a dud (which I agree with)?

I think there is major questions over some of our recruiting, Urquhart was the first pin to fall.
 
Liam Anthony? The guy is 27 this year and an absolute liability with ball in hand. He also makes Dyson Heppell look like Glen Archer. No surer player to be delisted.

Tell me exactly what Bastinac and Greenwood have made it at? Neither would be a starter in any of the decent 22's and Greenwood wasn't even a starter in ours for the first few rounds.

Harper will make it? McKenzie will make it? How do you know this? Both have been on the list 3 or 4 years and currently aren't in the 25. The fact that Liam Anthony is getting a game front of them says enough.

And why are you so glowing of all of the above and then you say Wright is a dud (which I agree with)?

I think there is major questions over some of our recruiting, Urquhart was the first pin to fall.

Greenwoods been averaging close to 24 touches a game and his kicking has improved, he has also made more of an effort to link up and get some outside ball, which is why he can keep his place while the likes of Swallow, Ziebell and Cunnington are also in the team.

Bastinac has been solid for us since he started, his been out of form this year, yes but his still had a solid career to date...Bastinac isnt going to be a top 50 AFL player, hell he probs wont even be a top 10 North Melbourne player in any given 22, but what he is, is a solid contributor and someone who you knew would work his butt off and get possessions and get on the outside, maybe chip in with a few goals here and there.

They both can play 150-200 games for North Melbourne and will be very important parts of the team, never superstars but very important players.

Harper and Mckenzie have shown signs, they have shown they can make it and all they need is an extended run..it's all about expectations, I feel you want all our players to be top 10 standard AFL players, thats not going to happen, every team needs foot soldiers who can play a role and help us succeed, thats what players like Bastinac, Greenwood, Harper and Mckenzie will be.

Our top end talent will come from the likes of Ziebell, Swallow, Cunnington, Atley, Wells, Luke Mac.

Im not saying they all will make it, I reckon only Cunnington and Swallow will...Swallow almost got there before his injury not sure how much his injury will push him back, Wells is right on the cusp of being a top mid, but lacks that last bit of consistency and its way too early to make a judgement about Luke Mac.

Every team needs players who will play over 150 games and be strong contributors but wont ever be classed as superstars or even really good players, they will be just above average, from our 90s team I can think off a couple of the top of my head but there will be more, Anthony Rock, Brett Alison and David King...none I would classify as top end talent all did a role and helped us succeed.

As for Wright, He hasn't showed me anything (besides a few good tagging roles, but I believe tagging is more about mental strength than actual football ability) thats why I have written him off.
 
The jury is still out on some guys. Im prepared to wait on a couple. Harper showed speed, class and some real desire to compete in his brief AFL stint he has just struggled with injury since. Seems to be coming out the other side now so good luck to him. Jacobs is showing now after a run of continuity in training and games why he was a first rounder, absolutely tearing up the VFL as a first round pick should, he may take another 12 months to find a niche in our best 22 but there is obviously something there. Mckenzie is the one I am not sure on. Has some great skill and could be a solid footballer for us but is just off the pace for the moment. Thats not saying another pre season won't fix that extra couple of percent he needs.
Wright- like him at his best but treading water
Anthony- good depth player to have but can't see him being a regular from here on
We aren't going to get them all right but the 3 guys above can certainly have an impact going forward and their ceilings at the moment are unknown. I think we have seen the best Wright and Anthony have to offer
 
The jury is still out on some guys. Im prepared to wait on a couple. Harper showed speed, class and some real desire to compete in his brief AFL stint he has just struggled with injury since. Seems to be coming out the other side now so good luck to him. Jacobs is showing now after a run of continuity in training and games why he was a first rounder, absolutely tearing up the VFL as a first round pick should, he may take another 12 months to find a niche in our best 22 but there is obviously something there. Mckenzie is the one I am not sure on. Has some great skill and could be a solid footballer for us but is just off the pace for the moment. Thats not saying another pre season won't fix that extra couple of percent he needs.
Wright- like him at his best but treading water
Anthony- good depth player to have but can't see him being a regular from here on
We aren't going to get them all right but the 3 guys above can certainly have an impact going forward and their ceilings at the moment are unknown. I think we have seen the best Wright and Anthony have to offer
 
lol didnt you see Gav on the news early this year in court for possesion and selling Meth, has a body of an overwieght thug and head to match. i still have his player sponsor portrait from the early shinboner spirit days, i dont know why??
 
lol didnt you see Gav on the news early this year in court for possesion and selling Meth, has a body of an overwieght thug and head to match. i still have his player sponsor portrait from the early shinboner spirit days, i dont know why??

Are you sure this was Gav. I know Callum Urch got himself in a spot go bother but hadn't heard anything about Gav.
 
Are you sure this was Gav. I know Callum Urch got himself in a spot go bother but hadn't heard anything about Gav.

It was definitely Urch. I thought I read that Super Gav was going to try his hand at American Football?
 

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Past #14: Gavin Urquhart - delisted at end 11 season, re-listed as rookie, re-de-listed at end '12 season

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