Improving defender Shaun Atley on Tuesday. Source: Herald Sun
IN many respects Brad Scott can't do much.
He knows history tells him that a third of his list is reaching an important crossroad that will have a major bearing on his team's fate this year.
In list management speak, it's boys becoming men.
Generally, when the kids have played about 50 games the apprenticeship is seen as over.
The next step is to begin influencing the outcome of matches.
North Melbourne has 11 players on 36 to 62 games.
If even half of those make the step this year, Scott's self-confessed cranky pre-season mood will lift.
The beauty for him is that most are midfielders and given he has two guns in there already - captain Andrew Swallow and Daniel Wells - the upside is massive.
On Tuesday night at a windswept North Ballarat Oval, Scott watched Ben Cunnington show he was ready to make that step.
Several others, such as Jack Ziebell, Ryan Bastinac and Sam Wright, are almost there.
"He played the way he has been training all season," Scott said of Cunnington, the No.5 pick in the 2009 draft.
"He's starting to do the things he was doing in under-18 footy. We always had great confidence in Ben and all of our supporters would know that."
Scott likened Cunnington's development to that of rising star Ziebell.
"He's 12 months behind Jack Ziebell and he's pretty much tracked him identically all the way through his development," Scott said.
"So we're really looking forward to seeing them both improve this year teamed up with Andrew Swallow, Daniel Wells and Ryan Bastinac."
"The development of Robbie Tarrant (25 games) as third tall forward alongside Drew Petrie and Lachie Hansen appears on track.
Throw in former Sydney ruckman Daniel Currie as a back-up option and there is a reason the phrase "exciting times" was on repeat by North players during their two-day community camp.
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