North Melbourne Kangaroos: 2019 fixtures, preview, list changes, every player and odds

The wooden spoon was supposed to be North Melbourne’s in 2018, but instead they were fighting for a finals spot till the death and finished one spot away from September in ninth.

Were the Kangas grossly underestimated or did they overachieve?
Injuries were reasonably minor, with only veteran Jarrad Waite and tagger Ben Jacobs missing big chunks of the season, and the draw was kind, but there was a resolve and determination that can’t be underestimated.

North spent another off-season chasing a superstar recruit, and while the biggest names again chose to stay away, they brought in a swag of potentially damaging midfielders that address the need for speed and all have the potential to be influential.

But are second-stringers what the Roos really require, or are they merely a guarantee of dependable mediocrity?

List changes

In

Aaron Hall (Gold Coast), Jasper Pittard (Port Adelaide), Jared Polec (Port Adelaide), Dom Tyson (Melbourne), Tarryn Thomas (North Launceston), Curtis Taylor (Calder Cannons), Bailey Scott (Gold Coast Academy), Joel Crocker (Sandringham Dragons)

Rookies

Tom McKenzie (Northern Knights), Kyron Hayden (North Melbourne), Tom Wilkinson (Southport NEAFL)

Out

Billy Hartung, Mitch Hibberd, Tom Jeffries, Oscar Junker, Alex Morgan, Declan Mountford, Gordon Narrier, Daniel Nielson, Josh Williams, Jarrad Waite

Best Brownlow chances

Shaun Higgins $51, Ben Cunnington $101

Higgins had a much celebrated career-best season in 2018, following a career-best season in 2017, and despite the fact he’ll be 31 by round one it’s hard to say he can’t get better again. There certainly aren’t many fans of the game that would want to deny him the chance to win a Brownlow after an injury-ravaged 13 years in the game.

Few players are as underrated as Ben Cunnington, but that comes with playing a handball-heavy game and looking like a full-time plumber and part-time country league back flanker. He’ll get the job done again in 2019 much to the joy of North Melbourne supporters, but will go unnoticed by the umpires. 

Players to watch

Aaron Hall, Ben Brown

Of the group of middling footballers the Roos picked up in the trade period, Hall is the most intriguing. The speedy mid can get the ball and isn’t too bad at getting rid of it, but it’s when the game’s going the other way he comes into question. It will be interesting to see if Brad Scott tries to make the former Sun more accountable, or chooses to let him keep doing what he does best and use that to the side’s benefit.

The Coleman Medal looked like being Ben Brown’s before Jack Riewoldt’s bag of 10 against Gold Coast in round 21 ended the big Kanga’s chances. With Jarrad Waite gone the front half is going to be Brown’s to rule, bringing added responsibility and attention from opposition defenders that will either make or break the leaping Tasmanian.

Ben Brown snaps through his third goal of the first quarter. #AFLNorthSuns pic.twitter.com/WGVe6EpwoD

— AFL (@AFL) July 8, 2018

A last chance to watch?

Todd Goldstein, Scott Thompson

What a rollercoaster Goldstein is on! All Australian and one of the best players in the comp in 2015 to being written off two years later, then in 2018 he was back close to his best. With Brayden Preuss’ departure there’s very little backup for ‘Goldy’ at Arden Street, but that doesn’t mean the spotlight won’t again be burning into the back of his neck. He turns 31 halfway through the season and comes out of contract at the end of it. If veteran-Goldstein doesn’t produce vintage form he could well be moved on.

And Goldy's got another!

North's first goal since the first quarter.#AFLCrowsNorth pic.twitter.com/zuypTFbend

— AFL (@AFL) August 19, 2018

Thompson’s past couple of years have also been far from worry free and the defender looked like being discarded at the end of 2017. Club concerns about making too many changes saved him from the cut, but it still looked like opportunities would be fading, yet the 32-year-old played every game and was as influential as ever. Another year on and with his contract again in its last year, it’s unlikely Thompson will see an extension beyond 2019 no matter how well he does out on the field.

North Melbourne Kangaroos’ 2019 list

How did the old and new faces go in the 2km time trial?

The boys were put to the test at Arden Street today, and it was a familiar face who recorded the best time, followed by a man on his first day on the job...#BeAShinboner pic.twitter.com/VcSfoCIrvC

— North Melbourne (@NMFCOfficial) November 26, 2018

North Melbourne Kangaroos’ 2019 Fixture 

Games played on

Friday: 4
Saturday: 10
Sunday: 7

Teams played twice

Brisbane, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Essendon, Geelong

2019 Preview and premiership odds

North’s surprising 2018 showing hasn’t convinced the punters they are premiership contenders, but it has lifted the Roos above the also-rans and sitting at $26 for the flag.

Can they be the latest big improver? 

The ‘ins’ are handy and the ‘outs’ are minimal, but without the superstar or two they have been seeking so desperately, it’s hard to see the Kangas leaping up the ladder.

North Melbourne’s 2019 fixture looks tougher too so it could be a little bit of ‘déjà Roo’ – a competitive but ultimately disappointing season on the field and with more media stories featuring the name ‘Josh Kelly’ than any of their currently listed players.