‘Seen that model before’: Roos open to senior recruits like Luke Parker
North Melbourne co-captain Jy Simpkin’s injury frustration has continued as coach Alastair Clarkson says he wants to bring in senior players from other clubs.
Clarkson did not deny interest in out-of-favour former Sydney captain Luke Parker as the Kangaroos plan to add more on-field leadership next season.
Simpkin was named in the Kangaroos’ squad for Sunday’s clash against Essendon but was unable to complete training as he continues to battle a “deep” quad strain that is affecting his kicking.
He was withdrawn from the side after Friday’s training session along with Jackson Archer, who is battling an ankle injury.
Eddie Ford and a potential debutant, key defender Wil Dawson, were added to the extended bench in their places.
“(Simpkin) has got a really low grade strain in a deep muscle in the quad, and that doesn’t stop him from being able to run and do most things, but to kick full length is the concern for him,” Clarkson said.
“He’s a resilient character and very, very proud … he’s disappointed that he can’t make the contribution that he can, he’s just going through that patch that a lot of footballers do.”
When asked about Parker, who has spent three weeks in the VFL as he tries to break back into a stacked Sydney midfield, Clarkson said he was eager to look at players of his calibre.
“I think so … we’ve seen that model before, particularly Brisbane – Fages (coach Chris Fagan) did that with (Luke Hodge) and Grant Birchall,” Clarkson said.
The coach said it was important the Roos targeted players who could make strong contributions on the field as well as off-field.
“It’s not just bringing them in there because they’re good fellas or historically they’ve been good leaders at their previous clubs,” he said.
Clarkson said he was “on the fence” about a mid-season trade period, as he noted the Roos would have desperately loved some support for key forward Nick Larkey in the wake of Callum Coleman-Jones’ season-ending achilles injury in round 3.
He said he wanted the AFL to loosen up player movement, which he called a “constrained, regulated system”, but acknowledged other clubs who had expressed concern about a mid-season draft had raised valid points.
Interstate clubs are reportedly concerned it would be too difficult to attract Victorian players due to the impact of relocating mid-year, while other club sources have said the draft would favour flag contenders at the expense of battlers.
“As quickly as you say these are the positives to it, you’ll get screamed down because there’s disadvantages to it as well,” Clarkson said.
“But sometimes you can be biased towards your own personal circumstances, and you push for that to be the case … it might be our club in two years time saying, ‘no, this mid-season draft’s got whiskers on it’.”
Clarkson said the Roos would take a “horses for courses” approach with Harry Sheezel and potentially leave him in a midfield role despite Colby McKercher (foot) being sidelined until at least after the mid-season bye.
He said he was “really pleased’ for former players Todd Goldstein and Ben McKay, who will come face-to-face with their old club for the first time.