Drew Petrie needs to keep kicking bags of goals if the Kangaroos are to make the finals in 2013
Photo: Getty Images
Will the Roos remain in the eight?
We've given it a shake, and the Lowdown's magic eight-ball says: "Outlook not so good." But it's a little difficult to articulate why, because the honest truth is the Kangaroos should be an improved side in 2013. They've got an emerging midfield led by Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell and Daniel Wells, three players whose praises remain largely unsung for some reason. Drew Petrie finished eight goals short in the Coleman Medal race, Lachie Hansen came on strong in the latter part of the year, and Scott Thompson could have been an All Australian backman.
In addition, Sam Gibson should go from strength to strength after making a good impression in his first 13 games, Ben Jacobs is on the list after leaving Port Adelaide through the draft, and Majak Daw is in line for a debut.
So why the negativity? It's mostly because the Kangaroos have been handed an absolute stinker of a draw. They face Hawthorn, Geelong, Adelaide and Collingwood twice in 2013, and have the equal-most six-day breaks with West Coast (eight). It's not going to be an easy ride, and if injuries start to pile up, the Roos could fall way off the pace.
Other than that, there is an assumption in place that Carlton, Essendon and possibly Richmond are top-eight contenders this season, and somebody has to make way. A quick straw poll around the office indicates a roughly even split between North and Geelong for the most obvious contender.
But North are an enigma, and it's not beyond their list – assuming it remains healthy – to win 14 games again this year. The two crucial areas for North as we see them are the forward line and the ruck. If Petrie, Hansen and Robbie Tarrant can kick match-winning totals on a weekly basis, and if Todd Goldstein has a better year in the ruck, they could surprise everybody.
Will Majak Daw get a game?
The hype around North Melbourne's Sudanese tall is building after he was elevated to the senior list late last year. We expect he will play at least a few games in 2013, but the big question is where he fits in alongside Goldstein, Petrie, Hansen and Tarrant. Daw is supposedly in the Petrie mould – a key forward who can be counted on to pinch-hit in the ruck – so it's possible Brad Scott moves Tarrant down back in order to squeeze Daw in.
On the other hand, North's ruck depth is thin now that Hamish McIntosh has moved on to Geelong. Goldstein will surely need a rest at some point in the season – probably against the expansion sides – in which case, Daw may be handed the ruck duties.
Should Brad Scott be worried about his job security?
The North coach is in the final year of his current contract, and while the early indicators from club president James Brayshaw have been positive, it's never a done deal until the deal is done.
In Scott's favour is that he took the Roos to the finals last year. He also has the support of the fans and can point to the talented list he has cultivated since taking over late in 2009. He did, however, face accusations of being 'out-coached' during the 2012 season, and led North Melbourne to a humiliating 96-point loss in their elimination final against West Coast.
It's likely that the North board will hold off on re-signing Scott until at least midway through the season so they can assess what forward progress, if any, the club has made; and unless the wheels have completely fallen off by the round 12 bye, we think Scott will be handed a new deal.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of BigPond Sport.
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