Essendon legend-turned-Nine expert Matthew Lloyd believes North should have found a way to lose that game, even if it meant resting stars such as Nick Larkey, who polled three Brownlow Medal votes after a nine-goal day.
“I’ve been adamant, and against that [tanking],” Lloyd said on Footy Classified.
“But for one win versus catapulting your club up the ladder … I’ve never thought this way in my whole life, until I’m seeing what Harley Reid’s going to do for West Coast for the next 15 years.”
The worrying state of the Roos’ list
There are still gaping holes in their key-position stocks at both ends, at least beyond All-Australian spearhead Larkey – and no one could state, with any certainty, when the Roos will contend for finals again.
Ben McKay’s free agency departure to Essendon last year might have delivered a high draft pick, which became Zane Duursma, but exacerbated the issue.
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The headache for North Melbourne’s recruiters, headed by list boss Brady Rawlings, is the elite prospects in this year’s draft class are midfielders, from No.1 pick-elect Josh Smillie to Finn O’Sullivan, Levi Ashcroft – who will likely follow brother Will to Brisbane as a father-son selection – Sid Draper, Jagga Smith and Christian Moraes.
Smillie is a 194-centimetre contested beast in the Patrick Cripps mould who can also go forward, but O’Sullivan and Ashcroft are right in the mix to be the top pick.
The Kangaroos already invested heavily in on-ballers in the first round, including McKercher, George Wardlaw, Harry Sheezel, Will Phillips and Tom Powell, as well as older peers Jy Simpkin and Luke Davies-Uniacke.
The Age spoke to four rival recruiters, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing another club, and the consensus was the Kangaroos needed to strongly consider targeting needs.
There were various thoughts on how they could do that, from “splitting” their highest pick to move down the order with multiple selections, to possibly dangling it for a high-profile – but age-appropriate – key defender in the trade period, given there are few appealing free agents this year.
Convincing recruits to come will be the hard part.
North have not spent a top-20 pick on a key-position prospect across the four years since their deep player cuts at the end of a wretched 2020 season.
Charlie Comben has shown genuine promise for the Kangaroos.Credit: AFL Photo
They offloaded the dux of the 2021 draft, Jason Horne-Francis, and the 2022 No.1 selection two years ago as part of a four-club mega deal, as good as knowing the Giants planned to use it on key forward Aaron Cadman, who has kicked 10 goals in six matches in an exciting start to his second season.
The Kangaroos rated Wardlaw, Sheezel and future Essendon midfielder Elijah Tsatas ahead of Cadman.
Rawlings and co. used the No.22 selection in last year’s draft on 201-centimetre key defender Wil Dawson, but he will take time to develop into the full-back they desperately need, with Griffin Logue still recovering from an ACL rupture and none of Toby Pink, Kallan Dawson or Biggy Nyuon proving they can be even a short-term fix.
Swingman Charlie Comben has battled injuries but has shown promise down back this season, highlighted by taking 15 intercept marks in three matches.
So what are North’s draft options?
Unearthing a key defender should be the club’s priority, according to the same recruiters, but there are few candidates even in the late first-round mix, when drafting starts becoming riskier.
Sandringham’s Luke Trainor is emerging as a top-10 contender, but at 195 centimetres is not the height AFL scouts covet for a lead role and projects more as an interceptor and mobile third tall.
One who could become that is Dandenong Stingrays’ Noah Mraz (198cm), who North Melbourne recruiters spoke to on season eve, while other tall defenders on the radar include Harry O’Farrell (196cm) and Matt Whitlock (199cm).
Finding a long-term sidekick for Larkey with an early pick might be easier, but equally none is considered in the top handful of selections at this stage.
Whitlock’s twin, fellow Murray Bushranger Jack (200cm), is rapidly climbing and might be the brightest key forward prospect, ahead of Greater Western Victoria’s Jonty Faull (195cm) – who is nursing a back stress fracture – West Perth’s Kayle Gerreyn (199cm) and Bendigo’s Jobe Shanahan (194cm).
However, there are no “can’t miss” prospects among them, and they are all raw, according to scouts.
North Melbourne and everyone else knows what they need, but finding it continues to be elusive, much like success on the field – and it is not a coincidence.
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