Player Watch JHF - Jason Horne-Francis

[PrisonBars4life]

Don't enter a draft then, the sooner top 10 picks are on 5 year deals the better

I actually agree with this (sort of) should be 4-year contracts for top 5 picks, 3 for first rounders, 2 for everyone else (to give clubs freedom to cut spuds). Just spare me the faux outrage at someone doing the same/ similar thing that plenty of others have now that the shoe is on the other foot. Some of the more normal Crows supporters have been onto our board to congratulate us noting that this is the best thing that could happen for the Non-Vic clubs. 3 high profile players coming home in the same trade period. Port/ Adelaide are going to go really hard at Pickett (and the 2 WC teams I assume as well). Clubs should be afraid to pick our best young talent. Adelaide have had in the back of their mind for the past decade that anyone they pick is a reasonable chance to leave. It's widely accepted that Vic Country kids that live nowhere near Geelong are fair game, but you take Vic Metro kids at your own risk.

If there is discussion around rule changes. I bet you JHF is front and centre and Tanner Bruhn and Ollie Henry don't rate a mention.

 

[PrisonBars4life]

Yep, they need to be severely punished. That will stop this s**t going forward.

Tell us where the Port Recruiter touched you.

 

[Matto01]

Wouldn't be surprised if Port have been in his ear from the day he was drafted. If true they should be held accountable.

Could say the same then about danger and boak. One you got the other you didn't but tried really hard.

 

[caveman72]

Could say the same then about danger and boak. One you got the other you didn't but tried really hard.

At least Danger hung around for a bit before moving home. Can't really blame him or any other who does but after one year is a bit poor. Will be interesting to see what sort of reception he gets from the few North fans who turn up first time against them in Tassie

 

[pjcrows]

Nathan Buckley 2.0

 

[Ricketz]

Tim English, Jack Watts, Buddy when he plays on Stephen May, Stephen May when he is a twat to Jake Melksham

18

Jake Melksham

Age

33

Ht

186cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.2

2star

K

5.8

2star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.2

3star

G

0.8

4star

D

9.2

2star

K

5.8

2star

HB

3.3

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.2

2star

G

0.8

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.2

3star

G

0.8

4star

, the entire Sydney team in a grand final, the entire West Coast team all season.

Plenty.

 

[PrisonBars4life]

Poor Old North

 

[Milanista28]

Don't enter a draft then, the sooner top 10 picks are on 5 year deals the better

But he wants to play AFL footy, why would he not enter?

 

[Sherrinator]

Tell us where the Port Recruiter touched you.

Tampering is no laughing matter

 

[Toump Ass]

it kinda has been happening to the suns and giants

they've become incubator clubs

How good is pillaging nice players from the franchises? All the premiership teams are doing it.

cats with cameron. dees love stevie may. richmond with tommy lynch.

gcs are so pointless as a club they literally give top 10 picks away now, righto, why are we giving them priority picks again? they just hand them out to the rich clubs anyway. loae lyons, that greenwood guy cbf trading we’ll just delist some best 22 players instead.
I hope Touk leaves next.

Hope tassie can keep some players otherwise it will just be another legup for the cats.

 

[Engimal v3]

Yes

1. the North Melbourne players who waited until the trade was done before making snide comments on social media. Cam Zurhaar the main cuprit.
2. the North Melbourne supporters crying about / wishing injury upon a 19yo

3. the girl reading this

 

[Milang_Panthers]

Ollie Henry owns this thread

Homesick living 50 minutes away.

Haha so much this. Henry's a joke

 

[Del28562]

But he wants to play AFL footy, why would he not enter?

Because he wanted to stay in Melbourne, it's becoming too common, how can clubs invest in the draft

 

[Del28562]

How good is pillaging nice players from the franchises? All the premiership teams are doing it.

cats with cameron. dees love stevie may. richmond with tommy lynch.

gcs are so pointless as a club they literally give top 10 picks away now, righto, why are we giving them priority picks again? they just hand them out to the rich clubs anyway. loae lyons, that greenwood guy cbf trading we’ll just delist some best 22 players instead.
I hope Touk leaves next.

Hope tassie can keep some players otherwise it will just be another legup for the cats.

At least Prestia, Lynch, Cameron, danger stayed until they were free agents, which is the point of free agency.

Maybe the AFL need to set up an academy in Canberra, where the top 25 projected in their draft year live in Canberra a year and play in the vfl league, go to school in Canberra. They do for all other sports.
5 years, for top 10, 4 years for first rounders, with a no trade clause until after they've played 3 years and they choose the state not club

 

[Milanista28]

Because he wanted to stay in Melbourne, it's becoming too common, how can clubs invest in the draft

That's the AFLs issue not the individual.

 

[PrisonBars4life]

Tampering is no laughing matter

You're a laughing matter.

 

[juss]

I shouldnt but i will . His comparison to Nick Daicos makes them seem such different players. Professional wise.

I feel for North, im gutted Henry is leaving. Let alone a #! draft pick. Must be hard for clubs to recognise those sort of mental attributes that will see them ride out the lows or be away from home

It's easy to make that assumption, but remember that Nick has known for years he's going to his family club, where the name is royalty, where his father was a great, where his brother plays, and without needing to leave home. NDaicos also drafted to a rising club that made top 4, vs JHF getting drafted to what is frankly a terribly run club and has a terrible record over recent years, one of the worst in memory. Daicos is playing under a much loved, highly rated coach, JHF had his coach sacked and the one they just hired might not ever coach again pending an integrity investigation.

Who knows how the 2 would compare if the roles/situations were reversed?

It's a bit of a harsh comparison considering their very different situations.

 

[WillHayward]

Honestly not sure why North fans are upset.

 

[Catsace]

Ollie Henry?

23 seasons ago Geelong gave the captaincy to Leigh Colbert, he got injured in a pre-season game in 1999 and never led the club in a day game. End of 1999 North Melbourne, the Premiers and fresh from seven consecutive PF's and two Flags looked a much better option for the future than the Cats who had not renewed Ayres' contract and had Costa and Cook discovering a big black hole at the club finance-wise.

Fast forward a couple of decades and thanks to canny management from those two, faith in Bomber and Wells over the years, and faith in Chris Scott has seen Geelong become the destination club. You couldn't concieve in a million years a player wanting away from the Pies to join Geelong a generation ago. Nothing to say the wheel cannot turn a full circle again with North getting their act together on and off-field. But it does seem that there are swings and roundabouts, and even full circles where players may again seek to join clubs that were considered basket cases. After the failed recruitment of a cooked Mitchell White the illustrious visage of Ray Hall was sought out to join Geelong in 2002..and he refused.

And i can't really hang it too much on a 19 y/o kid who just didn't ever get into being at Nth Melbourne. It's probably better to have moved on as they have, start again with picks 2 and 3, and JHF go back to his home state and see what he can produce there. At least JHF has been a better recruit for North than Geelong singular #1 pick in their history, Stephen Hooper, who had knees that made Mitchell White's look like Joel Selwood's.

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

Not every young kid is going to perform to everyone’s expectations when entering the afl environment like a duck to water regardless of how much skill they have.

However that’s where leadership comes into it which North was clearly lacking this year.

Noble was well reported to have had issues with the playing group before he left.

They have few experienced and strong leaders within the playing group (from the outside), lacking a Boak type leader.

Club was falling apart at the seams and getting hammered every week from pillar to post.

Cunnington would have been an excellent mentor to have by his side each game and he wasn’t there for obvious reasons.

Then there’s the whole Clarkson debacle.

He will be fine and adapt to being in a professional sporting environment and surrounded by some strong leaders he can learn from.

 

[RUNVS]

However that’s where leadership comes into it which North was clearly lacking this year.

Admittedly I don't think about Port Adelaide that much but when I do their strong leadership and strong culture isn't the first thing that comes to mind. To be honest without looking it up I am not entirely sure who Port's captain is.

 

[Frank Grimes]

There’s absolutely no reason at all why he’d stay at North.

Port is home
Long contract / security
More money
Better team
They have a coach

Once Port showed interest it was the biggest no-brainer in the history of the sport, 100% of people would’ve done the exact same thing - and the rest are lying.

I agree with the points of why he'd want to play for Port, but it appears that he didn't even make a proper effort to try to a part of North Melbourne from day 1. He sooked it up before even going through the doors.

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

Admittedly I don't think about Port Adelaide that much but when I do their strong leadership and strong culture isn't the first thing that comes to mind. To be honest without looking it up I am not entirely sure who Port's captain is.

That may be the case however we very rarely have best 22 players request to leave or have players want to ‘return home’. Again this year, no players wanted to leave the club in any form to ensure this trade went through.

This points to a strong team, bond and leadership from within the club as a whole.

 

[dean33]

Have you listened to the bloke speak?

I really hope for his sake football works out, otherwise it's the fast lane to Methville if not.

Good to see you north fans are not holding any grudges

 

[numbat06]

You can be homesick, but it's a 2 year contract, not hard to tough it out