Roos woes exasperated by out-of-form leaders

Is his spot secure and can you guarantee that a captain remains in the team regardless of how they’re playing? Well this is a decision for North Melbourne. Is there someone replacing him? Have they got those players there? And we look at the out of form Rouge leaders which Luke McDonald highlighted. Joy Simpkin since being concussed, he’s been out of the midfield rotation, he’s been parked on the forward line. Aiden Connor Aiden core sorry and Luke McDonald been defending about 50 to 60 inside forward 50s and Zerhar not much supply. And Davey Zhuniaki, we still haven’t seen whether he signed or not. Yeah. My question to you, Lee, is you’ve got a captain of a footy club who’s really honest, he’s a really well liked member of the team. But at what point does Alastair Clarkson say actually this isn’t working, we’ve got to move in a new direction. Well, who you got to bring in? That’s the point. You can always leave out an experienced player who’s struggling. But are you bringing in another 18 year old? I don’t think you’re going to be any better if you just bring in the kids. That’s what I’m saying. You’ve got to actually persevere with the Luke McDonald’s and and the players who’ve got a little bit of experience because we we think they haven’t got enough experience so they should be the last people you’re leaving out. All those players would be fantastic on that at least senior mid year out of contract but then you’ve got to they’ve actually got to want to go as well. That’s it. That’s the other thing they’re a lot of those guys are at clubs that are going to probably play finals or are very competitive at the moment and still have a big role. But for me Tom I think where the AFL when they step in and and give them a hand it’s not about draft picks they can hold the checkbook it’s around the football department. So if you’re going to keep surrounding North Melbourne with young talent and help Alistair Clarkson and North Melbourne build, and football is your main driver, your main economic driver, the actual cost of trying to put money into the football department will be a lot cheaper than the annual distributions that every club get. Because North Melbourne has been good, got good community connection, done well off the field with their sponsors and their membership. But how can we get their football absolutely thriving? And so, So what? What do you do then? If the AFL ’cause it’s a problem? I I think clubs would be more open. And this is just me and Lee, you could tell me if I’m wrong here. I think clubs would be more open to assistance around your football department than impacting the draft. So a larger soft cap or what people from the AFL going in and helping them on on an advisory basis. Lee, how does it look? Well, I mean the the best clubs don’t want to help their what positions if they can. But that’s where the AFL and the Commission and the hierarchy of the AFL as we know the whole priority pick concept is that it’s there’s no set rules. The Commission have to decide does the club need help in that area. So in any other area of help potentially that you’re referring to Jenny Jimmy from like guys coming in from the AFL to to help out. I mean I guess it’s it’s whether the what the North Melbourne hierarchy. Yeah I mean that is from the chairman or the president down. Do they think they’ve got the right people apart from the players. MMM. I mean that that’s the bottom line and my understanding is that they are looking for not just a defender but also a senior midfielder to to help share the load from the young players. So whether it’s a Shield or a Ward or a Presti or a Ross and Port Adelaide might say to Travis Boak, there’s no room for you here next year and the only way he can continue his AFL career is to go to a North Melbourne. And it’s a short term solution, but it does ease the burden on these younger players, so that’s certainly one to watch for at the end of the year.