Will North Melbourne regret passing on Nick Watson in the 2023 Draft?

Following Hawthorn’s dominant Elimination Final victory over the Bulldogs, Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne wonders whether North Melbourne will regret not drafting electric forward Nick Watson.

Entering the draft with several holes to fill and two top four picks, the Kangaroos selected Colby McKercher with the second pick, proving an elite pick after McKercher played out a sensational season, earning fifth place in the AFL Rising Star award.

The club then selected Zane Duursma with pick four, who managed just thirteen games before undergoing shoulder surgery.

Despite Duursma’s silky movement, elite athleticism and high ceiling, Hoyne wonders whether the Kangaroos will grieve over allowing Nick Watson to slip to pick five, where he was selected by the Hawks.

Watson kicked 4.1 in his first final against the Western Bulldogs last Friday, leading allcomers in terms of scoreboard impact. He also chipped in with six marks, 11 disposals and eight score involvements.

“I don’t like doing this,” Hoyne said on SEN Sportsday.

“But I just wonder, if you’re a North Melbourne supporter, are you going to be cringing watching Nick Watson play for the next 10-15 years?

“Picked Zane Duursma ahead of him, who is 189 centimetres, looks good, moves good, all that sort of stuff, hear that and understand that.

“But this guy (Watson), from an evidence perspective there was no one who has done as much impact as a small at junior level for YEARS than what this guy has done and he’s 170 centimetres.

“He comes into a Hawthorn system under Sam Mitchell, first final, you see what he does, you think ‘jeez, that could be a hard watch’.

“For years Richmond supporters copped it for watching Buddy Franklin when they could have had him for 15 years and you just wonder about this.”

'The Wizard' and his Hawks get back to work this weekend, taking on the Port Adelaide for a spot in the Semi-Finals.