Can the Kangaroos put the off field dramas behind them?
After what has been the biggest off season in the North Melbourne Football Club’s history, James Brayshaw and his team have made their decision to stay in Melbourne and the North fans are rejoicing while others are not so sure. The question is can the Kangaroos player and coaching staff get them selves up for the 2008 season and build on what was an impressive 2007 where they unexpectedly made the Preliminary Final, this was on the back of them being touted as Wooden Spooners. I have posted previously about some great highlight packages of the Kangaroos to get the adrenalin going.
Let’s go through their additions and deletions from the list:
ADDITIONS:
Exchange period – received: Ben Davies (Collingwood), Sam Power (Western Bulldogs)
Rookie elevation: Leigh Adams, Matt Campbell
NAB AFL Draft: Levi Greenwood (Port Adelaide Magpies), Blake Grima (Kangaroos), Josh Smith (West Perth), Robbie Tarrant (Bendigo Pioneers), Scott Thompson (Geelong VFL)
DELETIONS:
Retired: Glenn Archer (veteran – outside list), Kasey Green, Jonathan Hay
Exchange period – traded: Brad Moran (Adelaide)
Delisted: Blake Grima (second list lodgement), Daniel McConnell, David Trotter, Callum Urch, Djaran Whyman, Ben Hughes (rookie), Tim Hutchison (rookie)
With a finishing ladder position of 4th in 2007 the Kangaroos will not be expecting anything less than another top 4 finish in 2008. Dean Laidley has got this team gelling together as a unit very nicely. The don’t have the superstar players that other teams have, unless you can put Brent Harvey and Daniel Wells in that category, but what they do is play as an old fashioned team as you would expect given they are the “Shinboners”.
In 2007 the Kangaroos seemed to have the better of the teams outside the eight but were found out a bit by the teams inside the eight as illustrated by the fact that they only won 4 of 13 games against these teams, this is something that I am sure Laidley has discussed at length with the playing group.
In 2007 Laidley produced a more attacking game plan and the Kangaroos now play an exiting attacking, high scoring style of football which from a spectators point of view is good to watch. Laidley’s faith in a couple of players in Michael Firrito, who was exceptional at holding down full back and the emergence of Josh Gibson in the back half was great to see. These two will be the leaders in defence along with Daniel Pratt now that the Shinboner of the Century has retired and his on field presence will be missed. A youngster by the name of Levi Greenwood may just slot straight into the great mans shoes and from all reports bares a striking resemblance to the way Archer played.
Last year saw what I would rate as career best form from the likes of Brent Harvey, Corey Jones, Shannon Watt, Jesse Smith and Hamish McIntosh. It will be interesting too see if this group of players and along with the likes of Andrew Swallow and Scott McMahan can back up their exceptional years and have another fantastic season because that will go along way to determining the outcome of the season for the Kangaroos. Let’s not forget the Kangaroos had 9 players in the finals series that had played under 50 games so those players should now be ready to take a big step forward.
Is Aylett jumping off a sinking ship?
Are the Kangaroos a sinking ship and Rick Aylett is smart enough to get off? That is what it looks like to me. James Brayshaw may put on a confident and brave face in the media for the benefit of all the Kangaroo supporters, but behind closed doors he must be literally crapping himself. Aylett may have cited personal reasons for his resignation but there is no way that is the truth ! He doens’t think the North Melbourne Football Club will survive here in Melbourne and that the Brayshaw business model is not going to succeed. We should all applaud Rick Aylett, not for his thoughts about the club but at least he has the North Melbourne Football Club at the front of his mind and left in the best interests of the club.
Brayshaw has announced his new board on Wednesday, they include former coach Denis Pagan, Melbourne QC Will Horton, Perth businessman Geoff Lewis, Mark Brayshaw, Ron Joseph and Stephen Head. At least they now have a board that is unified in the cause and all want the same thing.
The Kangaroos massive job certainly isn’t getting easier, while the AFL said publicly that they would support the decision either way they definatly have a weird way of showing it. For starters the AFL have swapped their round 1 NAB Cup clash against Brisbane from Cararra and they are now playing the Western Bulldogs in Darwin. They have moved their community camp from the Gold Coast to East Gippsland.
Brayshaw is kidding himself if he thinks this is not “Payback” for their decision. They certainly won’t get any help from the AFL from now on. As I have said before there is a great deal of apprehension associated with the Brayshaw plans be we all hope they succeed
How will they go? “Time will Tell”
