Buckley hails “smart” Roo recruitment after Demons scalp

AFL legend and former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has awarded high praise to North Melbourne after the Kangaroos’ dominant 59-point scalp over Melbourne.

The Roos delivered a professional victory, piling on eight goals in the final term to sink the Dees at Marvel Stadium.

Buckley believes that this could be the performance that sparks a long-awaited return to playing frequent competitive football following five straight bottom-two finishes.

“This week and this performance is an outlier performance, we’ve got to see it as that given their recent history,” Buckley told SEN’s Whateley.

“It’s the first time in 12 games that they’ve kept a team to under 100 points. It’s their second highest score since Round 22, 2019.

“They performed brilliantly. It was a four-quarter performance, it really challenged a talented team on the other side.

“It brought the other team’s weaknesses out, so they were able to defend 19 inside 50s in the third quarter and only give up two goals.

“On the flip side, they had three goals from nine entries in the third quarter and then kicked six goals from their first six entries in the last quarter.

“They were super-efficient. They were dangerous. They were damaging. They were lacing out targets. They were clean from the ground level to be able to find that extra handball to put a player in time and space to make a better decision going into forward 50.

“It is a watershed win, it is something that opens up possibility for North Melbourne in the short and medium terms, and it’s been a long time coming.”

With several of North Melbourne’s young stars stepping up to deliver top-shelf performances, it was the veteran recruits that provided an edge that the Kangaroos have lacked in seasons gone.

Caleb Daniel delivered 31 touches with elite efficiency by foot, Jack Darling booted two majors in his 300th AFL game and Luke Parker collected 22 disposals and a goal from the centre of the park.

“I think North Melbourne’s recruiting over the off-season is to be commended,” Buckley continued.

“Caleb Daniel comes back, and he was exceptional doing what he has always done. He’s always been a high possession-getting player, a high effectiveness player, he finds the ball and distributes it.

“He had 25 kicks and most of them hit the target, and they don’t just hit the target, but they buffer the oppositions’ chance to put pressure on you.

“What that does is it releases (Colby) McKercher to go and be a midfield forward which is where he will ultimately be.

“(Harry) Sheezel had already been released by McKercher so that Sheezel can go and be that player.

“Now they’ve got an experienced player in Daniel who actually releases younger players to go and be the best version of themselves.

“They bring a big body in Luke Parker in, which means that Luke Davies-Uniacke doesn’t have to be the first player in and under all the time, he can be a little bit on the fringes.

“(Tom) Powell plays that role, and now you find LDU pops even more. Parkers presence just helps around the contest.

“It has pushed (Jy) Simpkin to half forward so now he can be a mid-forward rather than just a legitimate mid and he has got speed and damage in the front half.

“Then you put Jack Darling in there, that means (Charlie) Comben can go back rather than having to go and support (Nick) Larkey in front of the ball.

“Darling is just a big body who provides a contest and that means (Cam) Zurhaar doesn’t have to be a second tall.

“I think the recruiting was really smart and it was targeted. And in a four-quarter performance on the weekend, it worked.”

The Roos have a tough challenge ahead, facing a piping hot Crows side in Adelaide this Sunday afternoon.