With Longmire back on the market, is Clarko running out of time?

North Melbourne were condemned to an ignominious fifth consecutive bottom-two finish in 2022. However, unlike previous years, there were some signs of forward momentum for long-suffering Roos fans.

But I am not in an optimistic mood at the moment. Twenty years of ineptitude from my own club (Essendon) has left me vicious, and I am going to drag the rest of the competition down to my level.

North are not an unlikeable club, but their suffering has become a joke at this point, as they fail to land big fish at the trade table, and their membership dwindles ever smaller and smaller.

Who do I expect to be feeling the heat this coming season at North Melbourne?

5. Alastair Clarkson

Clarko has fed into the Roos’ messianic complex, coming in when they most needed a big coaching fish to drag them out of the quagmire, with successive failures in Brad Scott, Rhyce Shaw, and David Noble all failing to get the best out of the list.

Now entering his third season in charge at the Kangas, it is a testament to how bad the malaise was that he has only won six games of a possible 36 in charge and yet has faced little pressure. However, the patience of the North supporter base is not limitless, and with beloved former son John Longmire now available, it remains to be seen how much grace they will extend to the master coach without serious improvement.

I think Clarkson should survive but there is a growing sense that the proverbial Sword of Damocles is hanging over his head as North remain stuck in the unenviable position of bottom two.

Pressure gauge: 7/10

4. Matt Whitlock

Is it a bit harsh to have draftees in the top five of players most under pressure? Yes, it is.

However, Matt Whitlock is here not because he is a bad player, but because of what he represents to the Kangaroos.

North have always had a trend of taking inside midfielders over key position talent, and 2024 was no exception as there was no player that precisely met their needs available at pick two, so they took the best available player in Finn O’Sullivan.

However, such was the depth on offer at the draft that the Roos felt like they had to take another punt at the end of the first round, trading up for Matt Whitlock at pick 27 – and sacrificing their 2025 first-rounder in the process.

I have no doubt that Whitlock will turn out to be a very solid acquisition; however, with swingmen, you always run the risk that they will end up bad in both positions rather than good in either.

I expect that Whitlock will come good, but North did not put him in an ideal situation trading aggressively for the young man, and it’s possible he has no option but to thrive immediately.

Pressure gauge: 7/10

3. Callum Coleman-Jones

Coleman-Jones is emblematic of the old axiom that defines AFL development: short players get 2-3 years to show they can’t play footy, and tall players get 5-6.

It has been a series of declining returns for the big man since making the move from Richmond, as he can’t seem to find his way past Tristan Xerri or Brynn Teakle as the leading rucks for a North Melbourne side that relied upon Todd Goldstein for so long.

I expect that he will be delisted come the end of this season; however, until such a time as his papers are stamped, he will no doubt be feeling the pressure to perform.

Pressure Gauge: 8.5/10

2. Caleb Daniel

Daniel has come to North Melbourne with a point to prove after an acrimonious finish at the Western Bulldogs.

To a certain extent, I would argue he does not fill a positional need for the Kangas, but they’re desperate to find AFL-standard players wherever they can, and this point can probably be extended to all the draft talent they’ve brought in over the past couple of years.

However, it is significantly more acute for Daniel, as he is in the position of being the shortest player on an AFL list – that would no doubt rankle his ego.

I have Daniel here because he is on the precipice of being a veteran, but he is paid as if he is in the apex of his career; additionally, the expectations at the Kangas would be significantly different than at the Bulldogs, where he could often drift off of his man to get possession of the ball because of his exemplary kicking.

At the Kangaroos it would be expected that he wears his man like a glove; furthermore, he is also entering the backline as arguably the best player in the side aside from Harry Sheezel, such is the ignominy that North Melbourne find themselves in.

Pressure gauge: 9/10

Honourable mentions

Luke Davies-Uniacke: Entering his free agency year and has had injury concerns over the journey, but I expect that he will re-sign.

Zac Fisher: Has been solid at the Roos, but he provides a senior head which is important for a young side.

1. Will Phillips

I have empathy for Phillips, as he has been beholden to his draft position for his entire career.

It is more a fault of the list managers that he finds himself rated as the most under pressure player at North Melbourne, as there were at least half a dozen players more suitable for the club’s needs back when he was taken in the 2020 draft – most notably Logan McDonald, taken the pick after.

His journey across the Coates Talent league, where he was behind Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell in his last full year of footy, and then having his own draft year derailed by the pandemic, are circumstances beyond his control. Moreover, he was a smaller inside midfielder in a period where the run and gun mantra has dominated modern tactics at the highest level.

I expect he will be moving clubs next season after a disappointing stint at the Roos, but the 2020 draft was difficult, seeing several early first round draft picks either move clubs or be delisted – Denver Grainger Barrass, for example.

Pressure gauge: 10/10