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Mid-year report card: It could have been so different for North Melbourne

Ronny Lerner

As AFL clubs enjoy their mid-season bye and list managers turn their attention towards 2018, we take a daily look at one club and how it has performed so far – and what to expect from here.

NORTH MELBOURNE

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Pre-season expectations: North Melbourne were widely expected to drop like a stone to the foot of the ladder after winning two of their last 12 games in 2016 and waving goodbye to over 2000 games of experience in the off-season. The Kangaroos limped to the finals last year and their elimination final thrashing at the hands of Adelaide didn't bode well for things to come in 2017.

Record: 4-7

What's gone right: The club went through considerable heartache letting go of club legends Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Daniel Wells, but only now are we seeing the silver lining of that very dark cloud.

Some impressive youngsters have finally got a regular crack at the big time and have shown some encouraging signs. Mason Wood, Taylor Garner, Trent Dumont, Kayne Turner, Braydon Preuss, Ed Vickers-Willis, Jy Simpkin and Ryan Clarke have all suggested that the future isn't so gloomy for the Kangaroos while Nathan Hrovat and Marley Williams have been good additions from the Bulldogs and Collingwood respectively.

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Ben Brown is having a breakout season with 28 goals to his name and is just six off the pace in the Coleman Medal race. Robbie Tarrant is having another outstanding year in defence and is certainly in the All-Australian conversation.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 03: Ben Brown of the Kangaroos handballs during the round 11 AFL match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Richmond Tigers at Etihad Stadium on June 3, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Brown is a contender in the Coleman medal race. Photo: Getty Images

An injury-free Shaun Higgins has been superb with an average of 22 touches a game and 11 goals and is showing how damaging he can be with a clear run at it. When it gets up and going, North Melbourne's game style can be quite exhilarating to watch as shown in their four wins and narrow losses to Geelong, Bulldogs and Fremantle.

North boast the fifth best attack in the AFL and their biggest highlight unquestionably occurred in round seven when they held previously-undefeated Adelaide scoreless in the first quarter while piling on 10.2 themselves. They ended up handing the Crows their first defeat in comprehensive fashion by 59 points in Hobart.

What's gone wrong: Oh, how different season 2017 could be looking at the midway point for the Kangaroos if they didn't squander huge leads against Geelong (31 points), the Western Bulldogs (29) and Fremantle (29) earlier in the year.

They'd be 7-4 and pushing for a top-four spot. But alas, it wasn't to be and they ended up losing those three matches by a combined total of nine measly points. That will now almost certainly prevent North from qualifying for the finals – sliding doors, indeed.

Skill errors have riddled their year so far and they are ranked 16th for effective kicks. The Kangas don't have enough quality in their midfield, either, hence their audacious bid to lure both Dustin Martin and Josh Kelly to Arden Street next season.

Jack Ziebell and Ben Cunnington are workhorses who give their all, but they need help in the middle and seem to be struggling under the immense weight of responsibility. Todd Goldstein is struggling to have the same impact on games he had during his All-Australian year and may consider a move to another club to recapture that spark. The Kangaroos have the third-worst defence in the competition, with only Hawthorn and Brisbane Lions leaking more points to this stage of the year.

Standout star: Tarrant has backed up his maiden best-and-fairest last year with another brilliant year down back for the Kangas. The 28-year-old has been rock solid for North Melbourne all season, which has been badly needed given they have been on the receiving end of the third-most inside 50s of any club. Tarrant didn't have his best game on the weekend against Jack Riewoldt but has been faultless other than that with his shut down job on Lance Franklin in round eight arguably his highlight.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 14: Lance Franklin of the Swans puts his shoulder into Robbie Tarrant of the Kangaroos during the round eight AFL match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Sydney Swans at Etihad Stadium on May 14, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Tarrant keeping close tabs on Franklin. Photo: Getty Images

Players under the pump: The end is nigh for former captain Andrew Swallow, unfortunately. He still has a year to run on his contract, but he has already been dropped twice this year and an earlier-than-expected retirement wouldn't come as a surprise.

With an average of just 16 touches a game, the writing is on the wall as Brad Scott increasingly turns to youth as the season goes on. Majak Daw looked as though he was ready to take the next step when he kicked four goals in a final last year but has only managed one game this season and has slid back down the big-man pecking order. Lindsay Thomas is lucky he has another year to run on his contract because his poor form and poor discipline (in the VFL) would have had him in the crosshairs at year's end.

The run home: Already eight points adrift of eighth position, North have an uphill battle to make the finals with three matches against teams inside the top eight – Bulldogs, Fremantle and Port Adelaide (away) – as well as another five against teams a game outside the eight – St Kilda (twice), Essendon, Melbourne and Collingwood.

Grading: C