Coach: Josh Fraser (first year)
Captain: Tom Wilson
2015 finish: 14th
2015 best and fairest placings: 1. Brad Walsh / 2. Nick Graham / 3. Mark Whiley and Brent Bransgrove
Last premiership: 1984
Alignment: Carlton
The Northern Blues’ 2015 fortunes followed the same path as those of their AFL counterparts at Carlton, with a lack of depth at senior level impacting on the quality of the VFL team. New senior coach Josh Fraser arrives after two seasons coaching Gold Coast’s reserves in the NEAFL, where he took the team from a winless 2014 campaign to an eight-win season in 2015. He’ll be aiming for similar improvement at Northern.
Several Carlton-listed VFL regulars of recent seasons were delisted from the AFL team over the off-season, including David Ellard, Matthew Watson and Brad Walsh, but the Blues haven’t seen an exodus of VFL-listed players. Alex Browne, signed after being delisted from Essendon, is now suspended due to the Bombers supplements saga, but the club’s other departures weren’t playing regular senior football.
Northern has made some exciting signings for 2016, including tall forward Jack Cripps – the cousin of Carlton star Patrick Cripps – who could help rectify the club’s inability to put consistent scores on the board last year. TAC Cup graduates Hisham Kerbatieh, a dynamic small forward, and Jayden Collins, a 200cm key-position player, will also help in that department.
Two former AFL rookies – and brothers – are on the list as well. Fraser and Sam Russell, delisted last year from Carlton and Port Adelaide respectively, will bring elite-environment experience to a young group. 23-year-old forward Ben Casley also joins the club after three seasons in Williamstown’s successful system.
The game style under Fraser will likely be highly dependent on how new Carlton coach Brendon Bolton wants them to play. With Bolton coming straight out of Hawthorn’s dominant system, expect a similar focus on skilful, high-possession ball movement as seen at the Box Hill Hawks.
Ins: Hisham Kerbatieh (Calder Cannons), Fraser Russell (Carlton), Jayden Collins, Jayden Cyster (Eastern Ranges), Jack Cripps (East Fremantle), Sam Russell (Port Adelaide), Tyler Roos (Sandringham Dragons), Ben Casley (Williamstown)
Outs: Garrett McDonagh (Coburg), Alex Browne (Essendon suspension), Stephen Murray (Port Melbourne)
Membership: A youthful exuberance has filled the halls of Preston City Oval and Ikon Park, with a raft of new talent coming through the door over the summer. Combined with a bumper off-season at Carlton, the new-look Northern Blues side is looking to shake up the VFL competition. From just $30, a Northern Blues membership provides outstanding value for fans as we strive to march north in 2016.
http://northernbluesfc.com.au/?page_id=10