The Team:

It was great to get to watch North Melbourne go about their business on the weekend before giving an insight on them here as I was very surprised at how well tuned Brad Scott has them. I have never particularly rated North (at least in the past few years), nor their squad of kids, until watching everything just click on the weekend - Brad Scott has them flicking the ball around in a high-disposal, high intensity game plan which will not only reap rewards for the football club, but also for us Dream Teamers who have a few of the younger Roos in our team. Whilst from the outside, 2010 looks like it should be a rebuilding year for North, captain Brent Harvey has made very clear that they are still aiming for top-8. Whilst up until a week ago I would have sarcastically uttered “good luck with that,” their game on the weekend has given me some faith it all may be possible - and whilst I’m not one to get all gushy about a NAB cup win, I was mainly impressed with their ball skills - one trait which can’t be faked in the pre-season. Although they aren’t rebuilding, according the Harvey, Brad Scott will play many of the kids this season, giving them a taste of the AFL experience. Therefore, don’t be afraid to sample the North youth - they especially have a few beauties between $200k and $300k - as they should all get plenty of experience in 2010, and by the looks of it, Brad Scott’s high possession game plan should see them score you a few points too!

Who’s Hot?:

Sam Wright ($198,800): After only playing a couple of games in 2009, Wright has really impressed the new coach and was trialed in several roles on Sunday night, looking especially good through the midfield.

Ben Warren ($234,800): Has bulked up majorly in the off season, indicating that 2010 could be the twenty-year-olds year. He looked fantastic against the Cats in the first NAB game, kicking 3 goals on Andrew Mackie.

Jack Ziebell ($285,600): Trained purely through the midfield and has put on some bulk to help compete with the bigger bodies. He looked like a star in the making in 2009 and I doubt it will take him very long to show us what he is really made of.

Robbie Tarrant ($94,500): North’s first selection in the 2007 draft has finally gotten his body fit after a few frustrating years riddled with injuries. He has trained as a defender, which is disappointing from a DT perspective as it will definitely limit his output. Judging by his game against Geelong, his role will be purely negating. 

Who’s Not?:

Ben Cunnington: Had a hot spot in his foot, forcing him to wear a moon boot for the month of January. It was discovered early, so there is a chance he could still play round one.

Daniel Wells: Is on the slow road back from OP surgery. They won’t rush him as OP can flare back up very easily. He will be very underdone for the start of the season.

Andrew Swallow: Missed the first half of the pre-season with groin problems, however has been in training since mid-January and played against the Cats. Should be fine for round one, albeit a bit underdone.

The Bargain:

Jack Ziebell ($285,600): It’s hard to classify a bargain in the North Melbourne lineup, so instead I have picked the player I imagine will have the biggest dollar increase in the 2010 season - Ziebell. Ziebell proved to us in 2009 that he is no DT slouch, averaging a reasonable 65 points in his debut season. Unfortunately, his year was cut short by a broken leg in round 12, forcing him to sit out the remainder of the season. There are several things which make Ziebell a potential DT star - firstly, his love for kicking the ball (aka. 3 points) is fantastic, using his boot more than two times for every time he handballed it - the reason? - he has a great football brain and a long, accurate kick, able to pinpoint teammates from 50 meters away with great precision. Ziebell was also a good ball winner in juniors, averaging 18 disposals and 7 marks per game - he also kicked just under a goal a game, showing he is damaging up forward too. There is no chance that Brad Scott will not play him for 22 rounds if possible and I expect his average to jump significantly from 65 to 85 whilst running through the midfield. Get on early whilst his price is still low! 

The Kid:

Ben Cunnington ($141,500): If Dream Team was played in the TAC cup, Ben Cunnington would be Dane Swan. As an example, he averaged 98 DT points across his 13 games - he averaged 22.4 possessions, 5 tackles, 6 marks and nearly 2 goals per game. He is an inside midfielder who relishes a contest, winning 44% of his disposals from under a pack. Despite a minor injury setback this preseason, the labeled ‘very professional footballer’ did everything required of him to get back on the track - he is now training with the main group and I hope we will get a chance to see him this NAB cup before round one. He will certainly be in Brad Scott’s plans for his 2010 midfield, so I see him getting plenty of opportunities with a reasonable game time. And judging my the Roos first game on the weekend, they will be a very quality outfit this year, hopefully winning quite a number of games - this certainly bodes well for scoring potential as players in winning teams always score better. We need to see him play before he is a lock for round one, but I would be betting that Cunnington will make quite an impression in 2010 and is more than worth considering for your opening squad. 

The Premium:

Liam Anthony ($422,700): It seems somewhat surprising to be putting up a name of a player to have only played 10 career matches as my premium, however he certainly deserves the tag. Anthony burst onto the scene in 2009 (much later than many would have hoped, mind you!) as a mature aged recruit, averaging 96 DT points in his 10 games. He is predominantly used as an outside midfielder, however does win about a quarter of his possessions from a contest. In his 10 games for North last year, Anthony was the highest disposal winning Roo, as well as having the highest disposals per minute ratio at the club - two great DT indicators! In short, Anthony proved in 2009 that he is a DT freak. However, the worry often is after a debut season like this, how will it be backed up? And can I really spend over $400,000 on a second year player? Well, after one pre-season game this year, Anthony has worked hard to squash any fears that we in DT land may have had - although hurting his ribs in the second quarter, Anthony played out the game, racking up 38 disposals and 5 tackles in a clearly best-on-ground display. Many more of these games may see his $422K price tag put him in the bargain category! At the end of the day, it won’t be those who pick Gary Ablett from round one that win dream team 2010 - it’ll be those who take risks and gambles and find themselves the next Gary Ablett. Now I’m not saying Anthony is the next Gary Ablett, but I know I wouldn’t want him averaging 110 points and not be in my team… 

The Smokey:

Lindsay Thomas ($268,000): Thomas in now approaching his fourth AFL season, a career to date which has seen him play purely as a small crumbing forward. However, a potential role change looms for Thomas as he has had his best pre-season to date - he is running personal best times in all the trials and has gotten his skin folds down very low. Due to his hard work, there is a strong chance he will be moved to the midfield in 2010 - a position which he was initially drafted to play in 2006, until a shortage of small forwards saw him lining up in the Kangaroos forward line instead of on the centre square. The exciting thing about this move is the fact that Thomas was such a good ball winner as a junior, averaging 28.5 disposals in the SANFL with a kick to handball ratio of 2:1. If he is able to convert his junior stats to an AFL midfield, he could certainly be a bargain pick for 2010. Unfortunately, he did not play the game against Geelong and therefore this move is still speculative, and hence making him a smokey rather than a bargain. But keep a very close watch - if he so much as touches that centre square, pounce immediately!