North Melbourne skipper Jack Ziebell might spend even more time close to goal in 2019. Photo: AFL MEDIA

NORTH MELBOURNE
2018 record: 12 wins, 10 losses (9th)
List age ranking (oldest to youngest): 7th
List experience ranking (most to fewest games): 9th
Footyology draw ranking (easiest to hardest): eq.7th

THE INS
Jared Polec (Port Adelaide), Jasper Pittard (Port Adelaide), Dom Tyson (Melbourne), Aaron Hall (Gold Coast), Tarryn Thomas (North Launceston), Curtis Taylor (Calder Cannons), Bailey Scott (Broadbeach), Joel Crocker (Sandringham Dragons), Tom McKenzie (Northern Knights), Tom Wilkinson (Southport), Red Og Murphy (Sligo – GAA), Tom Campbell (Western Bulldogs)

THE OUTS
Ryan Clarke (Sydney), Braydon Preuss (Melbourne), Jarrad Waite (retired), Billy Hartung (delisted), Daniel Nielson (delisted), Josh Williams (delisted), Oscar Junker (delisted), Gordon Narrier (delisted), Tom Jeffries (delisted), Mitch Hibberd (delisted), Declan Mountford (delisted), Alex Morgan (delisted)

THE BEST 22
B: Majak Daw, Robbie Tarrant, Marley Williams
HB: Jasper Pittard, Scott Thompson, Trent Dumont
C: Jared Polec, Ben Cunnington, Aaron Hall
HF: Jed Anderson, Mason Wood, Dom Tyson
F: Jy Simpkin, Ben Brown, Jack Ziebell
R: Todd Goldstein, Ben Jacobs, Shaun Higgins
Inter: Shaun Atley, Jamie Macmillan, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Paul Ahern
Emerg: Luke McDonald, Sam Wright, Ed Vickers-Willis, Bailey Scott

THE PROGNOSIS
It goes without saying the football world got North Melbourne wrong last year. Badly. The almost universal prediction was for a bottom two finish. The Roos finished ninth, only one win away from finals.

We’d like to point out here that Footyology was a little more bullish about North than most, but a tip of 14th was hardly going overboard.

But this time, we’re ready to jump on. I liked how the Roos went about it last year, the continued development of their younger players, the rapid emergence of the likes of Jed Anderson and Paul Ahern. And I reckon their post-season recruiting drive struck gold.

Plenty gets made of North’s failure to lure a Dustin Martin, Josh Kelly or Andrew Gaff. I’m of the alternate view that a quartet comprising Jared Polec, Aaron Hall, Dom Tyson and Jasper Pittard might actually end up giving them a fair bit more than just one big fish from another pond.

That’s a group which adds plenty of pace, some polish and more ball-winning ability to an already-sound structure. And while there’s been some pre-season angst about the Roos’ undermanned defence, both Scott Thompson and Robbie Tarrant should be back in harness by round two, and while Majak Daw’s return remains an unknown, physically his recovery from a serious pelvis and hip injury has been ahead of schedule.

I like North’s scope for further improvement, bearing in mind that six of their 10 losses last year were by just 17 points or less. I like their strength for contested ball, the Roos ranked fifth on the differentials. Their efficiency up forward, ranked fifth for percentage of goals per inside 50 entry.

I like their demographics a lot more headed into 2019, too. Last year, North in terms of games played had the least experience of any list in the competition. This year, the Roos will be mid-table.

Think of what Anderson and Ahern were able to do last season, and consider the very real possibility of a number of other players taking similar steps this season.

Highly-rated draftee Luke Davies-Uniacke is an obvious example. He played only seven games in his debut season, but has already looked a likely big improver during the JLT Series.

Bailey Scott has looked more than capable of making an immediate impact at senior level. And Jy Simpkin, entering his third season in the system, continues to improve at a steady rate of knots.

Then there’s the group who have been around Arden Street for some time, but have been inhibited as much by injury and lack of continuity as any shortfalls in their game. Taylor Garner and Kayne Turner are two very good examples in that category.

That pair is also symptomatic of the extent to which the football world beyond the Roos themselves remains largely oblivious to their potential.

To me, it all adds up to a side which, far from having pulled a swifty on the competition last year, is actually at the start of what could be a concerted rise up the ladder. It shouldn’t surprise the experts if that eventuates over the next six months. But the Roos are well used to the fact that it probably will.

THE PREDICTION
7th. Solid all over the park, undoubted greater depth via the off-season trade-ins, and a decent-sized group of players whose best is still in front of them, seventh could actually be a conservative tip when it comes to North in 2019.

THE LADDER SO FAR (click on team to read)
7. NORTH MELBOURNE
8. GEELONG
9. GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
10. HAWTHORN
11. SYDNEY
12. BRISBANE LIONS
13. PORT ADELAIDE
14. WESTERN BULLDOGS
15. FREMANTLE
16. CARLTON
17. ST KILDA
18. GOLD COAST