Kicking can improve. Desire, will to train hard and compete are generally not taught. We just delisted or watched skilled players walk away without having a dig. We've got or had blokes that could kick but had no interest. Andrew Swallow couldn't kick for **** all but he made a career out of giving his all. I'd much rather have Urquhart over some of our first round blunders over the last five years.
Player Watch #14: Luke 'Gav' Urquhart - selected with Pick 57 in the ND - Welcome to North Melbourne
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He really wasn't. Could hit a good short kick and was good infront of goal, under 40m.
I like how stoked the kid is to be coming to North! As are our other draftees. Really starting to get a sense the excitement about the club is real.
hotchilli
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Great video with Clarko, comes across as a very confident young man.
Gets on base.
Ocha905
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My favourite acquisition this off-season other than Parker. Wouldn’t say he has star quality (otherwise he wouldn’t be taken at 57) but has all the attributes, except the glaring kicking deficiency, to be a valuable long term player.
reckon he will be knocking the door down by midway through the year! just looks like a bloke that will tear it up at VFL level
I can assure you, the one I had after that fateful night back in ‘97 certainly didn’t have a silent “ck”!
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Reckon that’s exactly what Norths been doing over the last few years
Im going to learn not to take this club seriously any longer. To me, they are now a comedy skit. I will use them to laugh at and get some sort of entertainment value from them. Im done with caring.
hotchilli
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Jog on then.
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Optimistic this could be a good draft steal.
6:10 2km prior to any AFL level preseason from a bigger bodied defensive mid? Sign me up
6:10 2km prior to any AFL level preseason from a bigger bodied defensive mid? Sign me up
shintemaster
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He might not have had 55m in him, but that doesn't change that he was a very clean kick. In no world would I describe him as a bad kick, very reliable even off one step, good in front of goal, rarely wasted it.
We spend PICK 57 on a 186cm midfielder who runs a sub 3second 20m sprint, has great work ethic leading him to work his ass off with a national steeplechase team in the preseason to develop a top-end tank, is powerful and has leadership traits which led to him captaining WA. He's also a contested beast who loves the rough stuff.
Response: "Has a weakness though: seems a shit kick. North have done it again."
You realise if he could kick he's not going at pick 57 but pick 7?
No shit he has a weakness, every player at pick 57 does. We'll back in Barlow and co. to work on his weaknesses and accentuate his strengths.
EDIT: Size
Response: "Has a weakness though: seems a shit kick. North have done it again."
You realise if he could kick he's not going at pick 57 but pick 7?
No shit he has a weakness, every player at pick 57 does. We'll back in Barlow and co. to work on his weaknesses and accentuate his strengths.EDIT: Size
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That's probably the worst possible thing to ask of him. If he's going to improve his kicking, the lowest risk and best place to do so is in the VFL where he does so under pressure in an actual game so he can improve.
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From DuckYeah to DuckMeh?
Shermanator
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The Talent Scout great call on this one mate.
I remembered him from the championships (obviously watching a lot of WA games) he seemed like he was everywhere at times.
I thought he moved like an AFL footballer and with the testing results plus the work he’s put in to get here, I personally love the selection.
He looks and plays similar to Clint Jones the blonde St Kilda lad who got picked up as a rookie and had a very good career getting to 150 games.
Hope he has a similar career.
I remembered him from the championships (obviously watching a lot of WA games) he seemed like he was everywhere at times.
I thought he moved like an AFL footballer and with the testing results plus the work he’s put in to get here, I personally love the selection.
He looks and plays similar to Clint Jones the blonde St Kilda lad who got picked up as a rookie and had a very good career getting to 150 games.
Hope he has a similar career.
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Joel Selwood was an average kick and look at the impact he had on games through hardness and desire.
He could be that battering ram we desperately need.
He could be that battering ram we desperately need.
Jasemon
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Disagree. The difference between the two players in terms of disposal from those highlight reels looks night and day. Will’s disposal is elite.
4cunningTonneTruck
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I don't think he is 190cm. Everywhere has him listed as 184 or 185 including Rookieme that get their measurements from the combine, except for WAFL which has him at 190cm but people are saying that is incorrectWe spend PICK 57 on a 190cm kid who runs a sub 3second 20m sprint, and work ethic leading him to work his ass off with a national steeplechase team in the preseason to develop a top-end tank, is powerful and has leadership traits which led to him captaining WA. He's also a contested beast who loves the rough stuff.
Response: "Has a weakness though: seems a shit kick. North have done it again."
You realise if he could kick he's not going at pick 57 but pick 7?
Thursfield: "We think we can mould him into a more defensive-style inside mid. He tackles really well. He's got genuine speed and power, so we're really excited about him."
Without a doubt Clarko want's this player in the side. He's tried to play Phillips there, I think he'd like to play Powell there, but it's not his go. Wardlaw is too good at using his speed to get on the outside of stoppage and link up to play this role.
Parker will be the interim player in that role imo.
He's been recruited for that Dunkley/Crisp/Yeo role.
We've amassed the most attacking/talented young midfield group you could imagine.
McKercher, Sheezel, FOS, Duursma are all goal kicking, attacking, mecurial young mids. LDU is already there and one of the most damaging and attacking clearance mids in the game.
Harry has really high pressure numbers, but in reality Wardlaw is the only elite two way midfielder in that group around stoppage. He has the speed and the defensive intent to get after others. LDU has the speed but not the same defensive instincts. When he was out of the side, we lost that defensive edge massively.
We absolutely need someone to play this role in the team long term.
I think it's excellent recruiting. The club will get criticized for another midfielder no doubt, but this is a different type.
He's not here to be Patrick Cripps, he's here for that Worpel/Crisp, 20 disposals, 4-5 clearances and 4-5 tackles a game and to be accountable for the oppositions most damaging mid around stoppage.
He's a guy that will be able to run with and match the running power in and out of stoppage for likes of Daicos, Ashcroft etc
I genuinely think he will be a long term player once in an AFL system.
Without a doubt Clarko want's this player in the side. He's tried to play Phillips there, I think he'd like to play Powell there, but it's not his go. Wardlaw is too good at using his speed to get on the outside of stoppage and link up to play this role.
Parker will be the interim player in that role imo.
He's been recruited for that Dunkley/Crisp/Yeo role.
We've amassed the most attacking/talented young midfield group you could imagine.
McKercher, Sheezel, FOS, Duursma are all goal kicking, attacking, mecurial young mids. LDU is already there and one of the most damaging and attacking clearance mids in the game.
Harry has really high pressure numbers, but in reality Wardlaw is the only elite two way midfielder in that group around stoppage. He has the speed and the defensive intent to get after others. LDU has the speed but not the same defensive instincts. When he was out of the side, we lost that defensive edge massively.
We absolutely need someone to play this role in the team long term.
I think it's excellent recruiting. The club will get criticized for another midfielder no doubt, but this is a different type.
He's not here to be Patrick Cripps, he's here for that Worpel/Crisp, 20 disposals, 4-5 clearances and 4-5 tackles a game and to be accountable for the oppositions most damaging mid around stoppage.
He's a guy that will be able to run with and match the running power in and out of stoppage for likes of Daicos, Ashcroft etc
I genuinely think he will be a long term player once in an AFL system.
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- Dec 18, 2014
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I’m just glad he was still available at Pick 57We spend PICK 57 on a 190cm kid who runs a sub 3second 20m sprint, and work ethic leading him to work his ass off with a national steeplechase team in the preseason to develop a top-end tank, is powerful and has leadership traits which led to him captaining WA. He's also a contested beast who loves the rough stuff.
Response: "Has a weakness though: seems a shit kick. North have done it again."
You realise if he could kick he's not going at pick 57 but pick 7?
It's probably worth it's own separate thread, but Thursfield definitely values athleticism, speed, power (agility/vertical) ,competitiveness above just about everything. You can now start to map the types of players he will be looking at in the future.
I feel like the direction is "We can develop these players skills, or ability to find the ball" - "We can't make them fast enough or athletic enough for the absolute elite end of the game."
I'm not sure he drafts someone like Powell in his draft year and it would be very interesting to know what he would have made of Sheezel (elite tank aside). I feel he would have loved Tsatas and Ginbey in their years.
It's an interesting profile, as it's at odds with what Clarkson did at Hawthorn. He very much was "if you can't kick, you aren't on our draft board".
Although in saying that, not many of the below are poor kicks at all.
Since in charge, he's drafted:
Colby McKercher
Zane Duursma
Taylor Goad
Will Dawson
Riley Hardeman
Finbar Maley
Geordie Payne
Finn O'Sullivan
Matt Whitlock
Luke Urquhart
River Stevens
Pretty much every single player on that list is an amazing standout athlete, with exceptional speed or a massive vertical/elite agility.
The only non standout athlete is Dawson, however he's 203cm, has some of the longest arms as a % of his height and biggest hands measured in the combine in the last 4-5 seasons. Physically, he's a standout for a KPD prospect.
River isn't a standout athlete, but he didn't pick him openly obviously.
I feel like the direction is "We can develop these players skills, or ability to find the ball" - "We can't make them fast enough or athletic enough for the absolute elite end of the game."
I'm not sure he drafts someone like Powell in his draft year and it would be very interesting to know what he would have made of Sheezel (elite tank aside). I feel he would have loved Tsatas and Ginbey in their years.
It's an interesting profile, as it's at odds with what Clarkson did at Hawthorn. He very much was "if you can't kick, you aren't on our draft board".
Although in saying that, not many of the below are poor kicks at all.
Since in charge, he's drafted:
Colby McKercher
Zane Duursma
Taylor Goad
Will Dawson
Riley Hardeman
Finbar Maley
Geordie Payne
Finn O'Sullivan
Matt Whitlock
Luke Urquhart
River Stevens
Pretty much every single player on that list is an amazing standout athlete, with exceptional speed or a massive vertical/elite agility.
The only non standout athlete is Dawson, however he's 203cm, has some of the longest arms as a % of his height and biggest hands measured in the combine in the last 4-5 seasons. Physically, he's a standout for a KPD prospect.
River isn't a standout athlete, but he didn't pick him openly obviously.
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year of the roo
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Has Rory Sloane vibes IMO. Seems like there is a bit to work with here.
im hearing 191cm
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