PART THREE: RISING UP AND FALLING APART
We’ve made our way out of the bottom four, and now we come to Part Three of our series. This time, we’ll focus on two teams at the opposite end of the scale. One is making its way up after years of mediocrity, the other is as inconsistent as they come, with an on-field leader that could be their greatest ever, and an off-field leader that is too stubborn for his own good.
There’s plenty of positivity around the list of one team, and while the other team is still littered with top liners, the inconsistencies the others show paint a picture of a list that is beginning to lose faith in the man in charge.
List Analysis Part Three, North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.
NORTH MELBOURNE:
2025 Best 23:
B: Jackson Archer, Aidan Corr, Luke McDonald
HB: Colby McKercher, Griffin Logue, Caleb Daniel
C: Tom Powell, Harry Sheezel, Jy Simpkin
HF: Cam Zurhaar, Charlie Comben, Luke Parker
F: Jack Darling, Nick Larkey, Paul Curtis
RK: Tristan Xerri, Luke Davies-Uniacke, George Wardlaw
INT: Zane Duursma, Bailey Scott, Dylan Stephens, Darcy Tucker, Zac Fisher (sub)
ANALYSIS:
After what has seemed like an eternity super glued to the bottom of the ladder, has the tide finally started to turn for North Melbourne? Sure, they still got belted from pillar to post on occasions, and yes, they still finished in the bottom two, but for the first time in a long time, there was something to cling to for Roos supporters.
I’m not one to completely sugar-coat things, however. There is still some pain to be felt at Arden Street, but this list is starting to come together after so many throws at the draft dartboard. Veterans who can actually add some value have made their way in, and while it’s still a few years before they start seriously challenging for a premiership, the time has now come to make the climb.
In defence, and in terms of tall timber, the Roos are still a little light on. Aidan Corr is still their most reliable big man, and if all goes well, Griffin Logue is a more than handy second banana, but reality says that while Logue’s best is very good, he simply hasn’t been on the park enough to make a real impact. Toby Pink was brought in at the start of last season and showed some good early signs before dropping away, Kallan Dawson strung some good performances together as an injury backup and Wil Dawson managed to step up to the highest level but is still developing and is a long-term prospect.
The swingman, Charlie Comben may well provide the answer, as he was able to fill the hole for the Roos in 2024, but a checkered injury history still has some doubts lingering over him. It was difficult not to like what we saw from him in 2024. So, why is he not in the Best 23 as a defender? I suppose you’ll see in a minute or two.
North’s smaller brigade is much more exciting. Jackson Archer came on in leaps and bounds last season, proving that he is far more than the token father-son selection that many labelled him as. For all the criticism that goes his way, Luke McDonald has proven himself to be a very good rebounding defender on his day, and his leadership behind the ball helps out his younger teammates. The same can be said for recruit Caleb Daniel, whose arrival allows those same younger teammates to move up the ground and make their way as fully-fledged midfielders. Darcy Tucker also provides the same rebounding ability to go with handy experience, and while his name doesn’t carry the same status as premiership recruit Daniel, and former captain McDonald, he is still very important to North’s defensive structure.
Those young guns I’m referring to are Colby McKercher, Miller Bergman, and to a lesser extent, Riley Hardeman. McKercher followed the path set by Harry Sheezel, looked exquisite as a half-back flanker, and showed that he too could step up to the midfield like Sheezel. Bergman and Hardeman are still long-term prospects, Hardeman more so, but both have shown plenty at the top level to suggest that they could forge solid careers in the backline and are more than capable of moving into the middle. In terms of depth, both players here, Josh Goater and Brayden George, are working their way back from long-term injuries. Goater lasted less than a match before snapping his Achilles, and George had his moments in the VFL before injuring his knee.
In the middle, Tristan Xerri exploded in 2024, becoming one of the best ruckmen in the competition. Since Todd Goldstein was moved on, Xerri took complete control of the division, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more complete ruckman that can dominate for the next decade plus.
Unfortunately, the Roos haven’t exactly done the best job in shoring up the stocks underneath Xerri. They managed to find Brynn Teakle in the mid-season draft, but he was also needed up forward and only played limited minutes in the middle. That only leaves the still-raw Taylor Goad as the “break glass in an emergency” option. Simply put, Xerri is vital to North Melbourne. Sure, Teakle can do the job, but if Xerri goes down early and misses large chunks of the season, any optimism North had might go down with him, and it’s the fault of the list management team for not seeing this potential gaping hole.
Like most of North’s list, the midfield has always been sketchy at best. The pieces were there, but for whatever reason, they simply couldn’t put it all together. But once Harry Sheezel made the permanent move from half-back into the middle, aligning him with fellow wunderkind George Wardlaw, Best & Fairest Luke Davies-Uniacke, and captain Jy Simpkin, North’s midfield quartet now looks like a group that could dominate the league for the next decade. Sheezel is undoubtedly the best of the bunch, as he combines inside grunt and outside precision perfectly. Simpkin provides the run and carry, Davies-Uniacke the contested force, while Wardlaw provides the forward presence North’s midfield has been lacking.
On the periphery, Bailey Scott is the underrated gem, Tom Powell the inside depth, Will Phillips the defensively minded tagger, Dylan Stephens the half-forward smooth mover, draftee Finn O’Sullivan has all the tools to feature early and often, and recruit Jacob Konstanty the young gun desperate for a fresh start.
Up forward, it’s simply been a case of leaving far too much to far too few. Since being taken very late in the 2016 draft, Nick Larkey has been a revelation. Arguably one of the best young key forwards in the competition, Larkey has been everything the Roos needed in the forward line, but until now, there hasn’t been anyone that can stand up alongside Larkey to give North something to kick to.
That all changed with the move of Charlie Comben. I will go on record in saying that Comben has the potential to be one of the great intercept defenders of his generation, as indicated above. But in moving Comben forward, it has given the Roos a secondary target, a strong mark, and a reliable set shot. Comben is a lot like Noah Balta in many ways. For the 2025 season, Comben’s best position is forward, and there is potential for that move to become permanent. Brynn Teakle and Callum Coleman-Jones make up the depth at key forward, and both are also capable of performing handy minutes in the ruck. CCJ is still a while away, however.
North also traded away their 2025 1st round pick to move up this year’s draft order, taking 197cm Matt Whitlock at pick 27. It was undeniably a very bold call, considering they essentially traded away a potential (if not likely) top-five draft pick next year to only move into the back end of this year’s first round, but if they see money in Whitlock, I love that they took the big chance on him.
Although his best came and went a while back, the recruitment of Jack Darling will do wonders for North’s forward line. I liken it to Jack Gunston at Hawthorn. Sure, he may not play every game, and it’s unreasonable to expect the Darling of five years ago to resurface just because he’s had a change of scenery. But the experience and wisdom that Darling will be able to impart on North’s tall targets will have an enormous benefit, not only this season but well into the future. When Darling does play, his presence takes a key defender away from Larkey and Comben, ensuring that both should get easier looks in front of goal.
North’s smaller forwards have always faced the same issue. A simple lack of getting themselves into the game. With only Larkey to kick to, opposition defenders had a much easier time in preventing any loose ball from entering the mosquito fleet’s area, and rebound it smoothly. But with Darling at the club and Comben at the right area of the ground, the likes of Zac Fisher, Cooper Harvey, Eddie Ford, and Paul Curtis will be much more at home at the tall forwards’ feet. This also helps the medium forwards Cam Zurhaar and Zane Duursma, with both benefitting from the easier aerial ball and less defence on the ground, and if that wasn’t enough, there’s recruit Luke Parker, whose 293 games of experience will assist all over the ground.
North’s rebuild is almost the mirror of fellow recent cellar-dwellers West Coast. Wins are important, yes, but what is more important is the development of their young players that will drive the success of this club well into the future.
WESTERN BULLDOGS:
2025 Best 23:
B: Buku Khamis, Liam Jones, Taylor Duryea
HB: Lachlan Bramble, Rory Lobb, Bailey Dale
C: Bailey Williams, Marcus Bontempelli, Caleb Poulter
HF: Rhylee West, Aaron Naughton, Matthew Kennedy
F: Sam Darcy, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Laitham Vandermeer
RK: Tim English, Ed Richards, Adam Treloar
INT: Tom Liberatore, Ryley Sanders, Cody Weightman, Joel Freijah, Anthony Scott (sub)
ANALYSIS:
The pressure is on at the Whitten Oval. Having been wiped off the park in their last Grand Final appearance, many thought the Dogs would be thereabouts for the next five years at least. And when you look at the list that Luke Beveridge has at his disposal, they really should be contending right to the very pointy end of the season. But while we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Dogs in Preliminary Final weekend, we also wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the bottom six. So why the inconsistency? Has Beveridge lost the players? Is he too reliant on too few elite-level talents? Are they wasting the Bont’s best years?
Put simply, the Dogs have a key defensive issue. It’s an issue so dire they had to send failing forward Rory Lobb to the backline to solve the problem. Granted, this solution has thus far worked a treat, but when the solution is a 31-year-old former key forward, you know you’ve got problems. And don’t think it’s just Lobb that is part of the problem. His partner in crime, Liam Jones, is still one of the team’s most important players, and at 33 years old, it paints a picture of a severe lack of long-term planning from the coaching staff.
It’s not like they aren’t possessed with young tall defensive talent either. Supporters have been clamouring for untried Jedd Busslinger to be given a chance to show what he can do, but for whatever reason, Beveridge remains averse to trying anything new. James O’Donnell has been given a chunk of time to develop and he’s shown some promising signs going forward, and Ryan Gardner still has more years of football left in him.
But take all of what I just said and compound it, thanks to the hamstring injury Jones suffered in the pre-season. He’s now out for 8-10 weeks, which not only interrupts the start of his campaign but means that a 33-year-old is entering a crucial year underdone, which will hamper him all season long.
Thankfully, the Dogs’ medium and small defence is much more stable. Even with Ed Richards moving into the midfield full-time, there’s enough elite talent here to trouble even the best forward lines. Bailey Dale is the best of the bunch, and I think he can join Richards in the midfield move if the Dogs didn’t already have a stacked midfield group. And I say this knowing the asset that Dale’s kicking skills give the Dogs’ half-back line.
Former Hawks Taylor Duryea and Lachlan Bramble have become the ever-reliable defenders that every team needs, as their defensive nous allows third-tall defender Buku Khamis to do what he does best, which is float across the pack to take an intercept mark and rebound the ball effectively. Nick Coffield and Jason Johannisen bring the experience, although both have a long injury history, Joel Freijah has shown that even at 19 years of age, he is already an important cog in the Dogs’ defensive setup, and Luke Cleary and Lachie Jaques bring youthful enthusiasm from the level below.
On the surface, the Dogs’ ruck division is set and forget. It’s Tim English, and everyone moves on. But if we look at things deeper, it is very clear that not only do the Dogs have a very big issue with depth, but if clubs in Western Australia have their way, their main man might be gone as well. Putting aside the contract and assuming English is here for the long haul (he is under contract until the end of the 2029 season), it’s a classic case of what happens if… What happens if English goes down with a significant injury?
It’s a question that may need to be answered sooner rather than later, given that English is currently dealing with an abdominal injury and was nursed through this week’s match sim against Essendon, leaving the bulk of the work to a clearly out-of-shape Brayden Crossley, who is not even on the Dogs’ list. But if English does go down, it forces Beveridge to take one of three options. Ryan Gardner, who is fine, but no more than that; Sam Darcy, but then you’re robbing the forward line of perhaps its most talented player; and Lachlan Smith, a project player nowhere near ready for that spotlight.
They’ll sign Crossley. they almost have to.
On paper, the Dogs have one of, if not the strongest, midfields in the competition. This group bats so deep that two of its mainstays, Jack Macrae and Bailey Smith, are now both at other clubs. They possess talent and depth everywhere you need it. There are bulls in Tom Liberatore, Matthew Kennedy and Anthony Scott for the in-and-under grunt work. Bailey Williams and Caleb Poulter give you the outside run and carry. Ryley Sanders will give you pretty much everything, at least in time (which, judging by his pre-season form, doesn’t look far away).
And in Ed Richards, the Dogs have found the unlikely hero that can carry the midfield forward when the MVP is plugging holes elsewhere. Oskar Baker and James Harmes are your experienced depth and Luke Kennedy, Harvey Gallagher and Cooper Hynes are the long-term prospects biding their time.
But again, injury strikes at the worst possible time, because Adam Treloar, one of the Dogs’ best and most important players, is on the sidelines with a calf injury, which will affect his season in the same way as teammate Jones.
When you look at the Dogs’ key forward stocks, it’s simply incredible. Three players that would all be the best forward at any other club and an untried son-of-a-gun that could be even better. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is the number one man, leading the goal-kicking last season and fully stepping into the spotlight that comes from being a number one draft pick. There’s the supremely talented Sam Darcy, who took the competition by storm in his second season and might already be the best Darcy the AFL has ever seen. There’s Aaron Naughton, a maligned forward, who has consistently contributed 45-55 goals from 2021-2023 before an injury hampered his 2024, in which he kicked 35 goals in support of Ugle-Hagan and Darcy.
But like key defence and ruck, the Dogs find themselves hampered, although this time it’s through both injury and personal setbacks. English’s layoff means that Darcy is likely to spend far more time in the ruck than the Dogs would like, and to top it off, Ugle-Hagan is dealing with personal issues that the club says are “longer term”. Ugle-Hagan is back training, but only with the reserves side, suggesting he won’t be on the field much in the early part of the season.
The Dogs possess some key weapons underneath the big boys, but they haven’t needed to lean on them like other clubs, such is the talent of the tall targets. Cody Weightman is the best small forward on the list, and as we saw early in the season, he can change a game with his marking ability and goal sense. Rhylee West is another like this, although he was drafted to play in the midfield, and had to find his niche as a forward simply out of necessity. Of the remaining depth players, Laitham Vandermeer, Riley Garcia, and Lachlan McNeil have shown the most potential, although Vandermeer is often a target of supporters’ anger, and Arthur Jones has done some nice things, just not consistently enough.
But again, injury has struck at the worst time, with Weightman to miss the next three months with surgery set on his knee. You would’ve noticed that Weightman is still listed in the Dogs’ best team, as I have calculated a return date of around Round 8. Maybe I’m being optimistic, but let’s not forget that Weightman is only 24, and doesn’t have the miles in his legs that would slow his recovery down.
We’ve said all of this, and we still haven’t talked about the Dogs’ most valuable asset. In Marcus Bontempelli, we are witnessing the career of perhaps the greatest player in Footscray/Western Bulldogs history. But where should the Dogs’ actually play him? Now, your instinct immediately says midfield, especially since Treloar won’t be there for the early parts. But remember, English might not be around either, and if Ugle-Hagan’s absence lingers and Weightman’s injury layoff takes longer than expected, the Dogs are suddenly short of options in attack. But as we saw in the Elimination Final, Bontempelli can waste away plugging a hole up forward, if the midfield tide is working against him. It’s a delicate balance that Beveridge needs to get absolutely spot on, otherwise, he risks alienating his best player if another year is wasted.
Put simply, the Dogs need to figure out whether the list they currently have is good enough. Because with each year that passes without achieving anything meaningful, it wastes the talents of one of the club’s all-time greats. Their actions give the impression of a contending club, but the actual list says anything but.
And North Melbourne needs to figure its own list out as well, but theirs is a much more positive question. How much longer than they take the pain? When will this club begin to flex its growing muscles and start to make the climb? They’ve been down for far too long, and their time to stand up has arrived.
MATT OMAN’S PROJECTED 2025 LADDER
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13 – Western Bulldogs
14 – North Melbourne
15 – Essendon
16 – West Coast
17 – St Kilda
18 – Richmond
