North Melbourne

[Booney]

I see Ziebell is the leader of a 4 man leadership group at North.

A positive for him is he gets to toss the coin every week, at least he's a chance of winning that.

[MW]

I see Ziebell is the leader of a 4 man leadership group at North.

A positive for him is he gets to toss the coin every week, at least he's a chance of winning that.

Only on the weeks he's not suspended

[Spargo]

I see Ziebell is the leader of a 4 man leadership group at North.

A positive for him is he gets to toss the coin every week, at least he's a chance of winning that.

Only on the weeks he's not suspended

He’s missed 1 game through suspension in the last 4 years
Come on emdub, you’re not even trying...

[Dutchy]

[MW]

I see Ziebell is the leader of a 4 man leadership group at North.

A positive for him is he gets to toss the coin every week, at least he's a chance of winning that.

Only on the weeks he's not suspended

He’s missed 1 game through suspension in the last 4 years
Come on emdub, you’re not even trying...

But it felt like more!

[Corona Man]

Yep

[Booney]

He said it out loud..... Strange? It's ******* ridiculous!

Of course AFLX suits him, it only goes for 1 week!!

_________________________________________________________________________________________

He is the AFL’s fourth-oldest player, yet Jarrad Waite’s best football is in front of him, according to North Melbourne coach Brad Scott.
The veteran forward turned 35 earlier this month and was an outlier in the Kangaroos’ squad for Friday night’s AFLX hit out, with most sides, including the Roos, having named a healthy smattering of youth in their squads for the modified game,

Waite played 10 games last year, typical of a long career which has repeatedly met the roadblocks of injury and suspension. But Scott spoke optimistically about the former Carlton star’s prospects in 2018, suggesting that Waite could have a big impact in a North side in the process of rebuilding.

“Waitey wants to play every [game],” Scott said at Arden Street on Wednesday

“It’s a strange thing to say about someone of his age, but he really feels, and I agree with him, that his best footy is ahead of him.

“We’ll probably manage his pre-season games to a certain extent, but I think the AFLX game will suit him. He wants to get out and play.”
Waite is one of the few players aged 30 and over to remain at North, who have turned over their list dramatically in the last 18 months.

The Roos narrowly avoided the wooden spoon last year after making the finals in four of the previous five campaigns, and are widely tipped to again be down the bottom this season. Scott committed to overseeing the club’s rebuild when he signed a two-year contract extension late last year, tying him there until the end of 2020, and said he felt excited about what his young outfit could produce this year.

“Youth always brings exuberance and excitement,” he said.

“There’s a sense of the unknown in terms of what these guys can do. I’ve got a lot of faith and confidence in what our recruiters have been able to bring into the club, and what our list management team have done. And there are some other players who have been around for a couple of years who are probably over the hump in terms of their development and ready to show what they can do at senior level.”

Asked how the change in his list profile had affected his coaching style, Scott said he had become more of a hands-on operator.
“[I’m] more of a factory floor coach now, trying to teach and educate,” he said.

“Probably back to when I first started as a senior coach ... when you’ve got senior players and very experienced players, you’re looking to them to drive the standards, and to really direct the way you play. We’re back on the factory floor, which is where I enjoy it.
“We’ve got a great coaching team, and we’re going to have our work cut out for us because of that inexperience, but I think North fans will like watching these young guys there.”

Scott was also upbeat about the prospects of ruckman Todd Goldstein, who is hoping to bounce back after a poor 2017.
“He’s a really proud footballer,” Scott said.

“He’s been All-Australian. He holds himself to a very high standard, and he was really disappointed with last year. He’s a better competitor than to give himself an alibi for that poor season. So he’s really looking forward to putting into practice what he’s worked on through the pre-season, and all signs are positive at the moment. But talk’s cheap this time of year.”

Scott said captain Jack Ziebell was on track to play in round one after an injury-affected 2017. The Roos have also been buoyed by the impending returns of Paul Ahern and Ben Jacobs, both of whom have been dogged by injuries in recent seasons, while Sam Wright remains on a modified program, but has been taking part in some full sessions.

Mason Wood could still play the club’s first JLT series game despite his recent thumb setback, and Declan Mountford had surgery on Tuesday after rupturing his AC joint, but is expected to be back playing sometime in the back half of March

[Spargo]

My Round 1 lineup

F Simpkin Brown Wood

HF Garner Waite Clarke

C Ahern Higgins Davies-Uniacke

HB Atley Tarrant McDonald

B Macmillan Thompson Wright

R Goldstein Cunnington Ziebell

I Jacobs Williams Dumont Hartung

I consider myself an extremely hard marker of my club but if this side is on the ground each week we win a minimum 8 games this year.
With the players coming back as well as a couple of new faces, I have no doubt we can be more than competitive & surprise the knockers.
Finish 9th-13th

[Brodlach]

No way will that team win a minimum of 8 games


#GoLions

[Spargo]

No way will that team win a minimum of 8 games

Brisbane twice, Gold Coast twice & Carlton, there’s 5 wins straight off. We beat Melbourne every time, do we play the Crows in Tassie again?
Hell, I may have underestimated with only 8

#MelbourneBitterCans

[Brodlach]

Your biggest issue is keeping these blokes on the park. Waite (like a tampon in for one out for three), Ahern (the great white hope), Wood (injured already), Garner.

Placing a lot of faith in your kids that haven't even played two years of senior footy.

[Corona Man]

It's almost time for the annual ladder predictions thread... Kangas in the bottom 4 for me, sorry Spargo.

[Spargo]

Your biggest issue is keeping these blokes on the park. Waite (like a tampon in for one out for three), Ahern (the great white hope), Wood (injured already), Garner.

Placing a lot of faith in your kids that haven't even played two years of senior footy.

A much softer draw in comparison with previous years plus we couldn’t possibly have another horror run with injuries as the last 2 seasons.
Not sure why the “white hope” comment. North have been very low key with Ahern, yes he’s a first round pick but there’s certainly no big talking or spotlight on him that I’m aware of.

[Spargo]

It's almost time for the annual ladder predictions thread... Kangas in the bottom 4 for me, sorry Spargo.

Don’t be sorry mate, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest that no one thinks we’ll finish higher than bottom 4.

[MW]

It's almost time for the annual ladder predictions thread... Kangas in the bottom 4 for me, sorry Spargo.

Don’t be sorry mate, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest that no one thinks we’ll finish higher than bottom 4.

Correct. What should bother you is you will finish in the bottom 4.

[Lightning McQueen]

If you aim low your goals are easier to achieve.

[bennymacca]

My Round 1 lineup

F Simpkin Brown Wood

HF Garner Waite Clarke

C Ahern Higgins Davies-Uniacke

HB Atley Tarrant McDonald

B Macmillan Thompson Wright

R Goldstein Cunnington Ziebell

I Jacobs Williams Dumont Hartung

I consider myself an extremely hard marker of my club but if this side is on the ground each week we win a minimum 8 games this year.
With the players coming back as well as a couple of new faces, I have no doubt we can be more than competitive & surprise the knockers.
Finish 9th-13th

Can’t believe you think that team looks good. Real chance of finishing bottom, reckon Gold Coast will though. But they have more upside than this team

[Brodlach]

Your biggest issue is keeping these blokes on the park. Waite (like a tampon in for one out for three), Ahern (the great white hope), Wood (injured already), Garner.

Placing a lot of faith in your kids that haven't even played two years of senior footy.

A much softer draw in comparison with previous years plus we couldn’t possibly have another horror run with injuries as the last 2 seasons.
Not sure why the “white hope” comment. North have been very low key with Ahern, yes he’s a first round pick but there’s certainly no big talking or spotlight on him that I’m aware of.

I listen to a bit of Victorian radio and they have mentioned many times how good this kid will be with a good run with injuries.

[bennymacca]

Hope he does get a good run at it. nobody likes seeing kids continually injured.

[Booney]

Goldstein, Cunnington, Ziebell and Higgins in the centre? Hope they win the ball or whooosh goes the opposition away from them.