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.
The Kangaroos have drafted well and their draftees look more physically mature than most and look ready to step straight into the frey. Nathan Thompson (missed the entire year), Daniel Wells (only played 10 games) and Josh Gibson (13 games) will be three more you would consider “draftees”.
I think the Kangaroos back half is very stable with the likes of Firrito, Gibson, Pratt and Jesse Smith will form the nucleus of the defence and throw
in Levi Greenwood to replace Archer and things are looking good in the back half of the ground. Then you look at the midfield and you have Brent Harvey, Adam Simpson and Daniel Harris leading the way and Andrew Swallow showing that he is ready to take the next step and become a quality midfielder. If you then consider the come back of Nathan Thompson and Corey Jones into the forward line and the emergence of Aaron Edwards as a good lead up forward to work alongside “Shagger” Grant then the forward line looks capable of generating some big scores.
There is a lot to like about the Kangaroos in 2008 and given the fact that they have got a huge task ahead of themselves off the field the players certainly have got a lot to play for.
Ladder Position: 4th -5th
