Home & away season: Sixth (14-8)
Finals: Lost preliminary final to Sydney by 71 points
What went wrong?
Rarely does a team enjoy such an admirable season, yet have one negative storyline gather so much momentum all the way through. But so it was, somewhat, for the Roos, whose 2014 was characterised by one word: "inconsistency". For every stunning victory over a top-four contender, it felt like there was another inexplicable loss to a team barely in the finals race. After losing to Brisbane Lions in round 15, coach Brad Scott conceded those who thought North could make the top four were living in a "Fantasy Land". That proved to be correct, until September, when the Roos actually did finish as the fourth best team after wins over Essendon and Geelong in the finals. And they did it, remember, without Daniel Wells for most of the year.
What went right?
The Roos beat Sydney, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Fremantle and Geelong. No other team outside the top five can say that. Winning two finals, beating the top teams and showing a capability to close out in tight games were three key boxes the Roos had to tick to regard this season as a legitimate success. They did all three – winning six games by fewer than 20 points, and losing just one. The semi-final victory against Geelong turned a good season into a great one. Many doubted how good they really were, but North proved the doubters wrong when it counted most.
Who stood tall?
Amazingly, the Roos did not have one All-Australian, a credit to their evenness, but there were a couple that were unlucky, such as Brent Harvey (at 36, mind you) and Todd Goldstein. Levi Greenwood, Sam Gibson, Sam Wright and Ben Cunnington all took a step forward in their development. They also found a few youngsters in Ben Brown, Luke McDonald and Kayne Turner. Michael Firrito was better than some thought he would be, and Nick Dal Santo was just as good as we knew he was.
Who didn't?
It is true that injury robbed Majak Daw of badly needed development training in the pre-season and was also a factor during the year. Nevertheless, supporters and coaches were hoping for an impact from the 195-centimetre powerhouse, with coach Scott declaring in February that Daw could be "unstoppable" for the Roos in certain situations and he was prepared to restructure the whole balance of the team to accommodate his unique skills.
What's required to go further in 2015?
Scott said after the preliminary final that this team is going to "get better, not worse" and it's hard to argue with him. But is the organic growth of the list enough to elevate the Roos to the level of Sydney and Hawthorn when it really matters? Scott himself acknowledged that even the Roos' best football would not have beaten the Swans on Friday night. The midfield is deep, Scott Thompson is a terrific key defender, and moving midfielders such as Jack Ziebell and Cunnington forward late in the season added a new dimension. The majority of the pieces are in place, so it's really about quality pick-ups for the Roos, rather than any specific need to fill the rest of the premiership picture. Such as another Dal Santo (although they don't grow on trees), for instance. They have been linked, for now only slightly, to Carlton key forward Jarrad Waite and he would be handy.
Retirements, delistings
Not yet decided.
