Opinion 2024 AFL SuperCoach Planning Thread
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https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/02...ack-as-roos-assistant-reveals-mckercher-plan/
SHEEZEL TO REMAIN DOWN BACK AS ROOS ASSISTANT REVEALS MCKERCHER PLAN
North Melbourne assistant coach Leigh Adams has given Kangaroos fans an idea of what to expect from No.2 draft pick Colby McKercher in his first AFL season.
While the Tasmanian was drafted as a classy and prolific midfielder, Adams says McKercher will be deployed in a half-back role to utilise his speed and kicking much in the mould of teammate Harry Sheezel and Nick Daicos in their Rising Star years.
After the youngster impressed in North Melbourne’s intra-club game on Wednesday, Adams was excited about what the club’s half-back line could look like with four genuine options offering some dash and ball use from defensive 50.
“We've been looking to probably get a little bit more run, carry and ball use off our half-back line,” Adams told SEN Afternoons.
“At this stage, it looks like (Colby) McKercher will come off at half-back and (Harry) Sheezel will probably start there as well.
“It looks like Bailey Scott will probably come off half-back and play wing from there and I'm hoping maybe Zac Fisher – who didn't play today - when he's up and running that he might go through there (half-back) as well.
“So, there's plenty of options for us with speed and ball use off half-back.
“A mixture of those four guys you should see playing through those roles.”
Adams, who is the club’s midfield coach, admits he’d like to have both McKercher and Sheezel in his line group but says the thinking behind leaving the young duo in defence is to provide some balance around the ground.
The assistant also expects McKercher to find a half-back role easier to adapt to at the start of his career even though he’ll eventually become a midfielder, much the same as Sheezel.
“There’s definitely plenty of fighting going on between the assistant coaches trying to get the best players into their line,” Adams said.
“I'd love to have Sheezel and McKercher inside, but we’ve got to balance up the team as best as possible to make sure that we've got all lines covered.
“So, there's a bit of that and I think how successful Sheezel was being able to come off half-back last year and see the game coming at him a little bit instead of getting hit by those bigger bodies all season, probably allowed him to have a really consistent (season).
“It probably let him stay a little bit fresher than if you had to play midfield.
“I think that's a little bit of the thinking behind it with McKercher - allow him to pick up the speed of the game, allow him to probably not get crashed and bashed as much in his first year of footy.
“But no doubt at some stage throughout their career, both of those guys are going to play some midfield time.
“But at the moment when we've got the likes of George Wardlaw, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Jy Simpkin, Will Phillips and Tom Powell that can go through there, there's probably not that need to rush them straight into the middle straight up.”
While a backline including McKercher, Sheezel, Fisher and Scott offers a lot with ball in hand, Adams isn’t certain whether they’ll all be deployed there at once as they look to get the right blend between attack and defence.
“We've got to get that mixture right,” Adams said.
“You've still obviously got to have guys that can defend off half-back as well.
“We feel like the guys that we've got coming off at the moment, they definitely give us some speed and some polish off there and hopefully we can get the balance right of being able to defend the ground if we do turn it over.
“But I think these days defence has just been so strong across the competition that the teams are trying move the ball as quick as they can before that defence is able to get set.”
That's exactly what I wanted to hear re Sheezel
SHEEZEL TO REMAIN DOWN BACK AS ROOS ASSISTANT REVEALS MCKERCHER PLAN
North Melbourne assistant coach Leigh Adams has given Kangaroos fans an idea of what to expect from No.2 draft pick Colby McKercher in his first AFL season.
While the Tasmanian was drafted as a classy and prolific midfielder, Adams says McKercher will be deployed in a half-back role to utilise his speed and kicking much in the mould of teammate Harry Sheezel and Nick Daicos in their Rising Star years.
After the youngster impressed in North Melbourne’s intra-club game on Wednesday, Adams was excited about what the club’s half-back line could look like with four genuine options offering some dash and ball use from defensive 50.
“We've been looking to probably get a little bit more run, carry and ball use off our half-back line,” Adams told SEN Afternoons.
“At this stage, it looks like (Colby) McKercher will come off at half-back and (Harry) Sheezel will probably start there as well.
“It looks like Bailey Scott will probably come off half-back and play wing from there and I'm hoping maybe Zac Fisher – who didn't play today - when he's up and running that he might go through there (half-back) as well.
“So, there's plenty of options for us with speed and ball use off half-back.
“A mixture of those four guys you should see playing through those roles.”
Adams, who is the club’s midfield coach, admits he’d like to have both McKercher and Sheezel in his line group but says the thinking behind leaving the young duo in defence is to provide some balance around the ground.
The assistant also expects McKercher to find a half-back role easier to adapt to at the start of his career even though he’ll eventually become a midfielder, much the same as Sheezel.
“There’s definitely plenty of fighting going on between the assistant coaches trying to get the best players into their line,” Adams said.
“I'd love to have Sheezel and McKercher inside, but we’ve got to balance up the team as best as possible to make sure that we've got all lines covered.
“So, there's a bit of that and I think how successful Sheezel was being able to come off half-back last year and see the game coming at him a little bit instead of getting hit by those bigger bodies all season, probably allowed him to have a really consistent (season).
“It probably let him stay a little bit fresher than if you had to play midfield.
“I think that's a little bit of the thinking behind it with McKercher - allow him to pick up the speed of the game, allow him to probably not get crashed and bashed as much in his first year of footy.
“But no doubt at some stage throughout their career, both of those guys are going to play some midfield time.
“But at the moment when we've got the likes of George Wardlaw, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Jy Simpkin, Will Phillips and Tom Powell that can go through there, there's probably not that need to rush them straight into the middle straight up.”
While a backline including McKercher, Sheezel, Fisher and Scott offers a lot with ball in hand, Adams isn’t certain whether they’ll all be deployed there at once as they look to get the right blend between attack and defence.
“We've got to get that mixture right,” Adams said.
“You've still obviously got to have guys that can defend off half-back as well.
“We feel like the guys that we've got coming off at the moment, they definitely give us some speed and some polish off there and hopefully we can get the balance right of being able to defend the ground if we do turn it over.
“But I think these days defence has just been so strong across the competition that the teams are trying move the ball as quick as they can before that defence is able to get set.”
That's exactly what I wanted to hear re Sheezel
Fisher isn't in the team for his defence, he's in there for rebound / ball use.
If he's not in the team, it's a non-issue of course.
Sheezel can play basically anywhere, which is probably a bad thing.
Just my thoughts as someone who has no interest in Sheezel
If he's not in the team, it's a non-issue of course.
Sheezel can play basically anywhere, which is probably a bad thing.
Just my thoughts as someone who has no interest in Sheezel
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Don't think they traded for player with 2 years left on his contract just to sit in the VFL. Also don't think he would've left Carlton if wasn't assured of being an AFL starter.
Always a chance he performs poorly and loses his spot, but I'm fairly sure he'll be in the Round 1 team if fit, which would be a red flag for mine for Sheezel at his price.
If people think Fisher won't play much AFL, then no red flag for Sheezel.
Always a chance he performs poorly and loses his spot, but I'm fairly sure he'll be in the Round 1 team if fit, which would be a red flag for mine for Sheezel at his price.
If people think Fisher won't play much AFL, then no red flag for Sheezel.
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