North fans have had little to cheer about in recent years, but Harry Sheezel has been one incredibly bright spark for them. Photo: Michael Klein

NORTH MELBOURNE
2023 record: 3 wins, 20 losses (17th)

THE INS
Zac Fisher (Carlton), Dylan Stephens (Sydney), Bigoa Nyuon (Richmond), Toby Pink (Glenelg), Colby McKercher (Tasmania Devils), Zane Duursma (Gippsland Power), Taylor Goad (South Adelaide), Wil Dawson (Gippsland Power), Riley Hardeman (Swan Districts), Finnbar Maley (Northern Bullants), Tyler Sellers (North Melbourne VFL)

THE OUTS
Todd Goldstein (Essendon), Ben Cunnington (retired), Jack Ziebell (retired), Ben McKay (Essendon), Daniel Howe (retired), Aaron Hall (retired), Jack Mahony (delisted – Gold Coast), Kayne Turner (delisted), Aiden Bonar (delisted), Lachie Young (delisted), Flynn Perez (delisted), Phoenix Spicer (delisted), Jacob Edwards (delisted)

THE STRENGTHS
As good as Harry Sheezel is, the brightest star on North Melbourne’s list is Nick Larkey. Quality key forwards are rare as hen’s teeth, and the fact that the best season that Larkey has produced by some margin occurred while playing for one of the worst teams in modern times speaks volumes of how talented the 25-year-old is. Larkey booted 71 goals, including two bags of six and a career-best nine in the final round against Gold Coast, playing for a side that only won three games and endured a 20-game losing streak. Last year, the Kangaroos ranked 17th for inside 50s, marks inside 50 and scores per inside 50, further highlighting how tremendous Larkey’s efforts were. It’s little wonder he earned himself a five-year contract extension which ties him to Arden Street until 2029. But Sheezel isn’t far behind Larkey in terms of the few positives that North can hang its hat on. In similar fashion to Nick Daicos the year before, Sheezel took to AFL footy like a duck to water in his debut year, winning the Rising Star and club best-and-fairest. He averaged 27 disposals out of defence and ranked a clear-cut No.1 at North for touches, second for rebound 50s and fourth for contested possessions while also coming in fifth for tackles and inside 50s. The kid is a superstar in the making, and when he eventually graduates to his natural habitat of forward-midfield – watch out. Meanwhile, Luke Davies-Uniacke stamped himself as a genuine star last year, collecting 13 Brownlow votes from just 14 games to ascend to the status of North’s No.1 midfielder. The Kangaroos have quite a bit of potential in the small forward department with guns Cam Zurhaar and Jaidyn Stephenson as well as the promising Paul Curtis and Eddie Ford. Like Gold Coast, the Kangas reaped a bumper draft haul with five first-round picks in McKercher, Duursma, Goad, Dawson and Hardeman. Adding them to the 23-and-under core of Sheezel, George Wardlaw, Bailey Scott, Will Phillips, Tom Powell, Paul Curtis, Curtis Taylor, Josh Goater, Ford and Miller Bergman will give long-suffering North fans cause for optimism.

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THE WEAKNESSES
There’s no delicate way to say this: North has been one of the laughing stocks of the league for the past four years. With just 12 wins from their last 84 games, four bottom-two finishes and two wooden spoons to boot, it has been one, long, excruciating nightmare for the Kangaroos faithful. Six coaches in five seasons has exacerbated the instability and stench of failure that has racked the club. And while they can finally look forward to a full season from their newest coach Alastair Clarkson in 2024, after he took extended personal leave last year as a result of the scrutiny from the Hawthorn racism allegations, the Kangas have been struck by a fresh off-field bombshell with talented but troubled Tarryn Thomas reportedly set for a whopping five-month ban for alleged inappropriate behaviour. And when you switch the focus to on-field, it doesn’t get much better. The Kangaroos had both the second-worst attack and defence last year, behind only West Coast which resembled Fitzroy in its final year for large portions of 2023. Not only does Larkey have to put up with dire supply from his midfield, but he has very little support from a key forward perspective, especially with Charlie Comben earmarked for a defensive role this year. It’s not much better down back where North’s key defensive stocks are a mess. With Ben McKay gone and Griffin Logue set to miss a huge chunk of the season due to an ACL rupture, Comben, Wil Dawson and Toby Pink, none of whom have ever played a senior game in defence (or a senior game at all in Dawson’s and Pink’s cases), and maybe Kallan Dawson, will have to be called upon to assist Aidan Corr. And after Todd Goldstein’s departure, the ruck depth is thin as well. If Tristan Xerri goes down, there are few quality back-up options. North has a few decent midfielders in Davies-Uniacke, Scott and Jy Simpkin, but with so many players in that part of the ground for them in the “potential/development” category, they were smashed in disposals, contested possessions and tackles last year, coming in 17th, 17th and 16th respectively in the AFL, while finishing dead last for marks. It’s bad enough the Kangaroos were ranked 13th for contested marks last year, but with three of their top four in that department either no longer at the club or out for an extended period – McKay, Goldstein and Logue – they could really suffer in the packs in 2024. A rare glimmer of hope for them is their stoppage work. Ordinarily, being 10th for clearances isn’t something to write home about, but by North’s standards, that’s something they can build on, and will be looking to Davies-Uniacke, Simpkin and Phillips to lead the charge again in that department. Hopefully McKercher can hit the ground running like Sheezel did last year.

ONE TO WATCH
After just 23 games, Sheezel has quickly become a fan favourite, and it’s easy to understand why. His decision-making, silky-smooth disposal and pace ensured his standing as one of the most exciting young players in the competition. With a Nick Daicos-esque platform from which to build, do not be surprised if he pushes for All-Australian honours in his second year, as the star Magpie did last season.

UNDER THE PUMP
Season 2024 looms as a huge year for Charlie Lazzaro. The young midfielder-forward is out of contract, and coming off a year where he struggled badly to get a foothold in a team that was crying out for help. After failing to break into the side until Round 8 last season, he was dropped four times and managed just six games. The youngster is fighting for his career this year.

BEST 22
B: Luke McDonald, Aidan Corr, Charlie Comben
HB: Zac Fisher, Wil Dawson, Harry Sheezel
C: Bailey Scott, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Liam Shiels
HF: Cam Zurhaar, Callum Coleman-Jones, Jaidyn Stephenson
F: Paul Curtis, Nick Larkey, Eddie Ford
R: Tristan Xerri, Jy Simpkin, George Wardlaw
Inter: Will Phillips, Darcy Tucker, Colby McKercher, Curtis Taylor
Emerg: Zane Duursma, Tom Powell, Josh Goater, Miller Bergman

Logue has been left out due to his knee injury, and so has Thomas as a result of his serious sanction that appears to be imminent. Comben will be hoping for a clear run at it down back after a raft of injuries restricted the former forward to just nine games in four years. So dire is North’s depth down back that we’ve gone against Footyology’s usual stance on fresh draftees and plopped Wil Dawson straight into the starting 18, while McKercher also gets parachuted into the 22. Their fellow first-round pick Duursma won’t likely have to wait long to get his chance.

*all team stat rankings mentioned are based on differentials, not totals (apart from overall offence and defence).