Opinion 2024-25 off-season and wish ist.

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Mar 23, 2001
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North Melbourne
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Wildcats/Pacers/Chelsea/Scorchers
Our midfield is so SLOW on the spread. Absolute ****in treacle..

Powell needs to swap with McKercher.
Simpkin needs to be a full time FP.
Phillips part of the trade for Jack Macrae.

Our forward line has zero marking targets and legitimate crumbers, on top of Simpkin, Curtis and RHJ we need 2 or 3 high pressure mosquito fleet.

Our backline is reasonable when everyone is fit but I would like to see Zurhaar train with the backs over the summer and replace McDonald.

We need to replace some of the plethora of forward flankers and Zurhaar just isn’t getting his hands on the pill, if we’ve got him for another 5 years he needs to be involved and use that tackling pressure again.

Chom, Arch and Bull gives us a hardness and athleticism. They all have reasonable skills.

A midfield line of McKercher. Sheezel. Macrae is extremely damaging.

We need major changes to our bottom 6-7 players and bring in upgrades.

Draft targets Armstrong, Berry (if pick 2 is split) Draper or FOS if we keep it.

Throw your thoughts in here.
 

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Lol midfield slow so you wanna trade for Macrae?

There’s a reason Bevo ain’t playing him.
We move Powell, Simpkin and Phillips out and bring in McKercher, Sheezel full time and Macrae goes to a wing.
 
In order of importance, in my humble and extremely handsome opinion;
  1. Talent and skills
    We badly need to improve our worst 10 players. We have no chance each week with the absolute dregs who are getting games for us regularly
  2. Leadership
    New captain. New leadership group. New standards. New era
  3. Fitness and availability
    We need to fire our medicos, strength, and conditioning coaches and bring in upgrades. For the last 5~ years we've had too many 'best 22' players unavailable for big stretches of the season. Once or twice is a coincidence, but this is a consistent pattern that needs to be addressed
  4. Accountability
    This goes for both the playing group and the match committee. Too often we've seen repeat crap performances from certain players who never get dropped. Meanwhile players who have been anywhere from 'okay' to 'legitimately good' have yo-yo'd in and out of the squad. It's unacceptable. And given our ladder position again this season, our list personnel team and leaders should be sent packing
  5. Membership improvements
    Last on this list for a reason, because obviously on-field results matter above all else. But North members really are not getting value for money from our memberships. We pay some of the highest per-game prices out of any Melbourne-based clubs, and yet our membership packages and perks are by far the worst out of the bunch. I've seen first hand from mates what they get in their Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, and Melbourne Demons membership packs each year and we are miles and miles behind. It's not good enough
 
We move Powell, Simpkin and Phillips out and bring in McKercher, Sheezel full time and Macrae goes to a wing.

McKercher will need to add a lot of muscle to solidfy himself in our midfield.
 
A bigger-bodied defensive veteran midfielder and a proven goal-kicker are absolutely our biggest needs that we need to be addressing in this trade period.

At times you could tell LDU had a complete lack of mature support around him, as our other midfield options were either too young, or too old and/or broken down. If we were able to recruit somebody like Wines or Parker, I'd be betting on seeing career-best years out of both LDU and Sheezel.

Up forward, we haven't had more than three players average a goal per year since 2019, which is completely embarrassing. That absolutely has to change next year, and to ensure it does I'd be recruiting at least two players who have proven themselves as goal-kickers.

We have issues down back, but have recruited pretty heavily in that space, and need to test out internal options like W. Dawson, Bergman, Hardeman, and Goater, who could be the missing pieces down back next to Archer, Logue, and Comben. It's probably an area we need to recruit over the next two years, but I don't have it as a priority for this coming trade period.
 
Luke Parker
Josh Smillie

Get bob Murphy as an assistant coach

Or bring back simmo to be the senior assistant
 

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1. Small defender with pace and actual defensive skills;
2. Hopefully Goater gets back within 95% of his previous athletic profile
3. Young wingman with 2-way speed and accurate kick
4. Another George type, preferably with a more skilful attacking side
5. Inside mid with size
6. Small forward with pace and agility
7. Small forward with electrifying pace and agility
8. A forward coach who knows to, you know, coach forward. Lead, lead, lead.
 
It probably is too early, but I think he might already be the symbolic captain and person most admired in the playing list.

He is smart, skilled and a great communicator. Just give him the job.

I'm generally against thrusting it on him at 20 but the season genuinely went to complete shit the moment he got injured three weeks ago; everyone gave up after he left the side. Pathetic from the team, but says a lot about his influence - much more than the lip service that Simpkin and McDonald receive.
 
In no particular order:
1. A kicking coach
2. The group to grow a spine and start being accountable for their own performances.
3. Small pressure fowards - No, not more flankers who don’t chase Brady you toss bag.
4. Some capable experience in midfield; Parker should be the prime target, overpay him if we have to.
5. Draft a tall for both ends, ONES WHO ARE ATHLETIC AND CAN GET OFF THE GROUND.
6. Rip up the plans for the forwards and start again, it ****ing stinks.
7. Luke McDonald to play 22-23 games in the VFL..

Not asking much.
 

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Opinion 2024-25 off-season and wish ist.

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