Player Watch #40: Eddie Ford - re-signed until end of 2025

[Better Loosen Up]

We still haven't given Ford a new contract yet have we?

 

[Blightys Barrel]

I placed this in stat observations and Zurhaar's thread, I will put it in Fords thread for reference back in a few years:



I will also put it in here:

I decided to do an exercise when assessing the Zurhaar contract situation.

Eddie Ford is definitely one of the more underrated players in the competition at the moment.

I think in general, the coaching staff have been misusing him quite badly.

So I've decided to prove why I think Zurhaar shouldn't be on anything but a standard playing contract comparable to what Ford or Curtis would be offered.

I've compared CZ/Curtis/Ford and adjusted their season averages per 120 minutes (100% TOG). Now obviously a players ability to run out more TOG is important, but Fords season stats are all over the place because of 5 sub appearances.

There's also an element of Zurhaar being a senior player and having right of way currently over Ford also.

This is purely to assess like for like, their impact when they are on the ground for the same time.

All of them are extremely comparable:

• Ford has the best football IQ. He gets the most of the ball per 120 minutes.
• Curtis is the most damaging per possession, he also puts on the most pressure, the eye test would back that up.
• Zurhaar kicks just slightly more goals than Curtis/Ford. I think Ford plays higher up the ground on average so is more dangerous per minute spent I50 than probably both Curtis and Zurhaar. It's because of his overhead ability.
• I think most people would be surprised at Fords scoreboard impact vs Curtis/Zurhaar. He's already as good as both.
• Ford is the best overhead of the 3.
• Fords goal assist and score involvements are good considering his ratio of disposals per inside 50 vs Curtis and Zurhaar.

- Zurhaar is 4 years older than Ford and 5 years older than Curtis.


Now, based on the below, would you be offering 5 or 6 years at $700k+ to Zurhaar, if so, are you prepared to offer that to all 3 of them over the next 2 years?

Based on the below, it's absolutely incredible that Ford has been the sub as much as he has. Curtis and Zurhaar are statistically in our best 10 players, how the coaches have deemed Eddie isn't in the best 22 for 1/3 of this season is almost alarming. How Stephenson has played so much football at half forward over him is mind boggling.

Adjusting TOG back down to 80% for a medium forward, the coaches have basically been miss handling a 22 year old, 15 disposal a game, 35 goal a season medium forward.

Tom Papley averaged 15 disposals a game and kicked 36 in 2023. Kosi Pickett averaged 11 dispoisals and kicked 37.

No player under the age of 23 kicked 35 goals and averaged 15 disposals per game in 2023.


If Ford was afforded the same game time and opportunity as Zurhaar and Curtis, he'd be averaging those numbers in 2024 based on the per minute stats across a big sample size, in a side with the lowest i50 count in the league and having won 1 game for the season.

Some of Fords stats comparatively are as good as Sheezel and Wardlaw for his age and position.

Player

Age

Age_Decimal

Matches

Kicks

Handballs

Disposals

Inside50s

ContestedPossessions

Marks

ContestedMarks

MarksInside50

Tackles

TacklesInside50

Goals_Total

Goals_Avg

Behinds

ShotsAtGoal

GoalAssists

ScoreInvolvements

ScoreInvolvementPercentage

OnePercenters

Tackles

PressureActs

Cameron Zurhaar

26​

26.61​

14​

9.4​

6.5​

15.8​

3.2​

6.8​

4.2​

0.8​

1.8​

3.2​

1.8​

27.0​

1.9​

1.2​

3.6​

0.5​

5.9​

33.5​

1.3​

3.2​

14.3​

Eddie Ford

22​

22.52​

12​

9.6​

7.7​

17.4​

1.5​

6.9​

6.4​

0.9​

2.2​

3.0​

1.5​

21.2​

1.8​

0.7​

2.8​

0.5​

5.7​

33.2​

1.2​

3.0​

14.8​

Paul Curtis

21​

21.82​

15​

8.7​

5.3​

14.0​

2.3​

6.8​

4.3​

0.8​

1.4​

3.3​

1.6​

26.4​

1.8​

1.1​

3.4​

0.7​

6.2​

35.9​

1.0​

3.3​

17.4​

Nice work there Sphynx

 

[DarkPhoenix]

 

[amaz199]

He's such a character haha

 

[LB2Snake]

I love this bloke. Cult figure incoming.

 

[Twinkletoes]

I love this bloke. Cult figure incoming.

He’s a ripper.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

Once he sorts his set shot kicking and decision making out, he could be anything.

I can picture a game in the future where he takes mark of the year, and kicks goal of the year in the same game. All with perfectly waxed Elvis sideburns, while humming All Shook Up and wearing Blue Suede Puma boots.

We all can’t help falling in love with Eddie

 

[Rooniversity]

Once he sorts his set shot kicking and decision making out, he could be anything.

I can picture a game in the future where he takes mark of the year, and kicks goal of the year in the same game. All with perfectly waxed Elvis sideburns, while humming All Shook Up and wearing Blue Suede Puma boots.

We all can’t help falling in love with Eddie

Ça plane pour moi absolutely reverberating

 

[Horizons_00]

Can we bloody sign him already?

 

[The acurate one]

Gunna be a squeeze aye,
No particular order
1. Larkey
2. Zurhaar
3.Curtis
4.Duursma
5.Teakle
6.Pink
7.Comben
8.Ford
9. Small undrafted/ recruited small fwd.

You don't have 75 early draft picks and not have list management issues in the future.

 

[Ashley B]

There is a few we are deciding on it seems . But I am on the Eddie Mazda train.

 

[Ashley B]

Gunna be a squeeze aye,
No particular order
1. Larkey
2. Zurhaar
3.Curtis
4.Duursma
5.Teakle
6.Pink
7.Comben
8.Ford
9. Small undrafted/ recruited small fwd.

You don't have 75 early draft picks and not have list management issues in the future.

I think Big Al is aiming for a list so strong that our reserves could beat any senior team on their day lol

 

[The acurate one]

I think Big Al is aiming for a list so strong that our reserves could beat any senior team on their day lol

LOl I like it, maybe our VFL side could be the 20th team in the comp.

I was thinking about it just last yesterday, you can't be given extra draft picks and not find yourself with list management issues.

We spent ten ****ing years under General B Scott where we got picks 12-18 and 24-30.

Now the last few seasons we've had

69 first rounders.

 

[Ashley B]

Paul Roos also likes this idea lol

 

[shinboner magic]

I think Big Al is aiming for a list so strong that our reserves could beat any senior team on their day lol

But can they beat the bluws reserve sides of the 80s

 

[Merlin007]

I think Big Al is aiming for a list so strong that our reserves could beat any senior team on their day lol

it worked in '96

 

[CURVE]

I think Big Al is aiming for a list so strong that our reserves could beat any senior team on their day lol

2026 - North Melbourne AFL, AFLW, VFL & VFLW Premiers.

 

[ferball]

Gunna be a squeeze aye,
No particular order
1. Larkey
2. Zurhaar
3.Curtis
4.Duursma
5.Teakle
6.Pink
7.Comben
8.Ford
9. Small undrafted/ recruited small fwd.

You don't have 75 early draft picks and not have list management issues in the future.

Only one of those players was picked in the top 30 of the draft.

 

[The acurate one]

Only one of those players was picked in the top 30 of the draft.

Yep I know and the backline is similar. So it was actually going to be a part of a bigger post, ( but not really for this thread) called the 'upcoming squeeze'.
A great problem to have, and of course finding good quality footballers with late picks, is the quickest way up the ladder.
Then you add in all the early picks we've had and of course, rightly we expect them to be successful.

I said finals in 2025 about 4 years ago, might not be far wrong .

 

[ferball]

Yep I know and the backline is similar. So it was actually going to be a part of a bigger post, ( but not really for this thread) called the 'upcoming squeeze'.
A great problem to have, and of course finding good quality footballers with late picks, is the quickest way up the ladder.
Then you add in all the early picks we've had and of course, rightly we expect them to be successful.

I said finals in 2025 about 4 years ago, might not be far wrong .

I think next year is a good chance if we keep up this level of intent.

 

[Samsquanch]

I think Big Al is aiming for a list so strong that our reserves could beat any senior team on their day lol

Or at least the Carlton senior side of the 1980s

 

[chubbspeterson]

Yep I know and the backline is similar. So it was actually going to be a part of a bigger post, ( but not really for this thread) called the 'upcoming squeeze'.
A great problem to have, and of course finding good quality footballers with late picks, is the quickest way up the ladder.
Then you add in all the early picks we've had and of course, rightly we expect them to be successful.

I said finals in 2025 about 4 years ago, might not be far wrong .

I can't see it next year. I think we'll be bottom 6 with more wins a bit like the Hawks/Crows type teams.
However, finals next year would be classic North. Get way ahead of where the list build is actually at.
As you've said before, there's still a lot of potatoes on this list that need to be turned over.
Two more draft and trade periods and that's probably corrected and the list is a bit more balanced hopefully.

 

[Psicosis]

Apologies if already posted:

 

[franjon]

I think Big Al is aiming for a list so strong that our reserves could beat any senior team on their day lol

I think that's exactly what he's doing. He's implementing a system where it's not important who the opposition is, we'll be competitive. Supporters talk of trading Ford or whatever was ridiculous. He obviously needs to work a bit on his finishing but you don't let players with talent and flair go. And I'm sure it's never entered their thoughts.

 

[ferball]

I can't see it next year. I think we'll be bottom 6 with more wins a bit like the Hawks/Crows type teams.
However, finals next year would be classic North. Get way ahead of where the list build is actually at.
As you've said before, there's still a lot of potatoes on this list that need to be turned over.
Two more draft and trade periods and that's probably corrected and the list is a bit more balanced hopefully.

If we play finals next year it will be:

a/ the first time in nine years.
b/ because we're good enough.