Past #4: Daniel Harris - 149 games for NMFC - delisted end '09 - 11 games for GCFC

[benno87]

As you know I like to throw up a player profile every now and then, with David King and Brent Harvey last week. Lately I have been super impressed with one of our favourite sons here at North Melbourne; Daniel Harris.

'Harro' has been the solid midfielder following the consistant footsteps of Adam Simpson of late with three solid performances, and is now being given some better oppertunities as Anthony Stevens spends more time on the pine and in the backline.

2004 Statistics
First 5 Games; Averages
5.4 Kicks
5.6 H/Balls
11.0 Disposals
1.8 Marks
2.0 Goals (Total)

Previous 3 Games; Averages
10.0 Kicks
10.0 H/Balls
20.0 Disposals
3.3 Marks
3.2 Goals (Total)

Harro has been able to double his output in the last three games, due to more oppertunities and simply form and attack on the pill. ust wanted to show Harris' new lift in importance at our club, now ranked 10th in Disposals, even more importantly 4th in Handballs, setting up many plays with his small handballs after hard work under the packs.

Anyone want to thow their opinion in on Harro?

 

[Dingster]

There's no doubt that Harro has established himself in the midfield now. Both Harro and Simmo have been the shining lights in the middle in the past month. It was good to hear Laidley pleased with Shagga across half forward. That might mean more minutes in the engine room for Harro.

 

[Yianni]

I just posted a thread on the main board asking what opposition supporters thought of Harro.

Should be interesting

 

[scottywiper]

ENJOY...
At a time when athleticism seems to rule the football world, emerging young Kangaroos midfielder Daniel Harris is something of an anomaly.
The nuggety 21-year-old doesn’t run like the wind and he is unlikely to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
But he does possess the most important quality of all – the ability to find the football.
A classic in-and-under rover with a good football brain, quicksilver hands and clever disposal, some at Arden Street have already dubbed Harris ‘Diesel’ because of similarities between his playing style and that of dual Brownlow Medallist Greg Williams.
Given that the ambling Williams was arguably the best in-close player the AFL has seen in the last 20 years, Harris says the moniker is flattering but premature.
“I’ve heard a few people saying the blonde Greg Williams,” he said.
“I’m nowhere near in his league just yet.
“I’d be very happy to have a career like his.”
In fact, Williams gave Harris an early lesson in the determination that would be needed to succeed at AFL level.
“I remember, before I was drafted, going down to Carlton and doing one-on-ones with Williams and Wayne Brittain,” he said.
“Brittain was kicking the ball and Williams and I went against each other.
“I pushed ‘Diesel’ out of the way and took a mark.
“The next one he whacked me straight in the guts and left me kneeling on the ground in front of my mum and dad – he didn’t like being beaten.
“I think he was seeing how I would react.”
The Blues overlooked Harris with their first two picks at the subsequent 2000 draft and he was taken by the Kangaroos with their second selection and the 14th pick overall.
He won a Rising Star nomination in his second game, but wasn’t an overnight success.
Although he made an immediate impact when he played the first six games in 2001, the next two years saw reduced opportunities.
Harris, who played just four games in 2002 and was in and out of the side in adding another 14 matches last season, often wondered whether he would make it at AFL level.
But this season he has missed just one game and proven what many Kangaroos fans were saying last year – that the kid could play and just needed the opportunity to show it.
Harris said his improved form also had a lot to do with an improving fitness base.
“My second year was pretty disappointing and my footy was at the crossroads a bit,” he conceded.
“I was a bit worried, but then Dean (Laidley) came over and it was a bit of clean slate.
“I worked pretty hard in the 2003 pre-season, got a bit of a crack at it and did okay in two or three games.
“Heading into my fourth year, I knew I would have to step it up and make inroads.
“This year, my pre-season was pretty big and I did a lot of work on my running and it has improved a fair bit.
“I think my main issue was getting my fitness up.
“In the last five or six weeks, I have been doing alright but I still have a long way to go to get where I want to be.”
Harris said it had been “phenomenal” to learn his craft by playing and training alongside decorated midfielders such as Brent Harvey, Adam Simpson, Shannon Grant and Anthony Stevens, who took the youngster under his wing when he joined the Shinboners.
He has become an increasingly important component of the Kangaroos’ midfield configuration this season and averaged 19 possessions a game over the last two months.
The stand-out feature of his game has been the ability to extract centre clearances for the ‘Roos.
“Every player has to have one quality you can use each game and if I can get in and under and use my quick hands, that is where I have to excel in my footy,” he said.
Harris said assistant coach Brian Royal had also played an important role in honing the Kangaroos’ midfield unit.
“He has really taught us a lot and if we can get right, we can be as good as anyone and I think we’ve proven that this year,” Harris said.
Part of the changing of the guard at Arden Street, Harris displays complete confidence in Laidley’s new game plan and said chairman Allan Aylett’s recent claims that the Kangaroos were within reach of another premiership illustrated the growing confidence at the club.
“We’ve got a good mix of youth and experience,” he said.
“We’ve got some older players, some who have been around for a while and will be for quite a while yet and a good batch of kids coming through.
“It is pretty positive around the club.”
Harris wasn’t in the Kangaroos side that lost a Round 19 thriller to Fremantle last year by one point and bowed out of finals contention as a result.
The stakes are almost as high again when the two sides meet again on Saturday night at Subiaco Oval and Harris said it was a crunch game for a team with finals ambitions.
“If we win this week, we’ll take Fremantle’s spot pretty much,” he said.
“We have to win two of our four interstate games and we are pretty much focusing on this one.”

 

[tashibatts]

Go Harro

That was good reading.

Thanks Scott.

Go Roos

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Good to see Brian Royal's influence noted.

 

[GoNorth]

Is this one of your articles, scotty? A very interesting read! Thanks.

 

[scottywiper]

Yeah, one of mine.Shorter version appeared in The Australian today.
SPoke to Wellsy after game tonight for the Sunday Times here in Perth.
Still on a high!

 

[benno87]

Patience and pluck help onballer stand taller
July 30
The Age
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/07/29/1091080378411.html

The Real Wizard of Arden St
July 30
The Herald
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,10284348%5E19742,00.html

 

[R00StaR]

Great read, he sure has come along beautifully and obviously works very hard. A couple of points from the articles I particularly liked:

*In terms of minutes played Harris is the most productive player in the AFL in clearances, hardball gets and tackles.
Think about that for a moment: when he's on the ground he has had more clearances and hardball gets than Simon Black, Chris Judd or Scott West and more tackles than Brett Kirk, Nigel Lappin or Lenny Hayes.

*In his second year at Bendigo, he was told that AFL clubs did not regard him as being quick enough, so he hired a sprint coach, who refined his technique over the off-season. The following year at the national draft camp, he clocked the fastest time among the midfielders over 20 metres.

 

[Event Horizon]

I hope all these articles won't have the same effect on Harro as the signing of a new contract seems to have on a lot of players. We need him at his absolute best if we are to scrape into the finals...

 

[Kimbo]

COLOR=blue]It is so gratifying to finally hear Daniel get the plaudits he so richly deserves! So many of us have, for so long now, been praising his efforts and his potential, and bemoaning the fact that the coaching staff and the media did not appear to share our view. How wonderful that this has finally changed!

Roostar, I also noticed the Herald-Sun comment that "In terms of minutes played Harris is the most productive player in the AFL in clearances, hardball gets and tackles... Think about that for a moment: when he's on the ground he has had more clearances and hardball gets than Simon Black, Chris Judd or Scott West and more tackles than Brett Kirk, Nigel Lappin or Lenny Hayes." How many times have we spoken about the momentum of the game shifting when Harro has been benched? It is the sort of thing that opposition supporters don't notice (why would they?) and perhaps more impartial observers in the media too. Not anymore, however!

Congratulations on receiving this well-deserved media credit Daniel! I trust that your trademark humility will prevent this from going to your head... Wizard!!
[/COLOR]

 

[Woodson]

Originally posted by Kimbo
How many times have we spoken about the momentum of the game shifting when Harro has been benched? It is the sort of thing that opposition supporters don't notice (why would they?) and perhaps more impartial observers in the media too. Not anymore, however!

Who ever thought we would see the day ...I was banking on Harro winning the Norm Smith before getting the kudos in the media.

damn, he may be a marked man now.

 

[Shinboners]

Enjoyed the articles - paid credit to Harris without going over the top about it.

It seems to me that the youngsters are all maturing quite well as a group. And it seems that JYD is handling their development very well too - allowing their bodies and stamina to develop and giving the youngsters game time accordingly. I know that a few of us want to rush things, but patient development is the key. Hopefully by doing things at a steady pace, we can avoid the injury plagues that can rip though the a club's list.

 

[Yianni]

Originally posted by Shinboners
I know that a few of us want to rush things, but patient development is the key. Hopefully by doing things at a steady pace, we can avoid the injury plagues that can rip though the a club's list.

Agree Shinners, and we've done that brilliantly this year, for most of the year we've had pretty much a full list.

As I recall last year we did pretty well with injuries as well. Maybe it's something in the water?!?

 

[scottywiper]

Our Daniel,
Who art in the midfield,
Harro be the name,
Thy time has come,
Thy will be a gun,
On turf and with the leather,
Give us this day the touch that puts us ahead,
And dish off those handpasses,
As we punish those who handpass against us,
Lead us not into oblivion,
But deliver us into finals,
For the AFL is your kingdom,
And the Roos,
Will have glory,
For ever and ever,
Amen.

 

[KingyOrTheKing]

Great sh_it man!!

 

[bluewhiteblood1]

Great Player and to see pagan hold him back a lot but probably has made him a tougher player you can see by the Gary Lyon voice when he speaks that Harris will be playing against Ireland

 

[scottywiper]

What a last quarter by the man.

 

[Boro]

He just keeps getting better every week! I put a silly 5 each way on him to win the Brownlow earlier in the year at 1000/1. Probably not a chance this year, but with the blonde tips and his ability to find the ball, would have to be a chance in the future if he keeps improving. Love the way he plays.

 

[Woodson]

What a last quarter by the man.

Interesting how the tap out ledger was in the second half... I don't pay much attention to minor things until I realise our guys are moving the ball out with some authority and Harro is one wizard who knows how to do that. Great move by JYD to get Simmo out of the square...amazing move and no helicopter thrusts ...wonder if JYD has learned that Simmo isn't the answer as a centre square player.

 

[Boro]

Fantastic prayer by the way scottywiper! top stuff

 

[Woodson]

He just keeps getting better every week! I put a silly 5 each way on him to win the Brownlow earlier in the year at 1000/1. Probably not a chance this year, but with the blonde tips and his ability to find the ball, would have to be a chance in the future if he keeps improving. Love the way he plays.

I agree....but as you know, when it comes to loading up on one of our own, best to keep it a BIG SECRET until PAYDAY...then you can brag all you like. I recall this guy named Paul who I run into at the TAB before the 96 season stating that Corey was going to win the Brownlow and got him at 60-1 ...

 

[tashibatts]

Harro is brilliant.. so tough, so calm.. and such a hard worker.

Go Roos

 

[scottywiper]

Had Corey at 33s that year. Friggin joke of a tribunal. Also had Voss at 40s, got 20s because he tied for it.