Cameron Zurhaar has been starting in defence for the last month or so, a fate that befalls many veteran players when they lose a yard and can't cut it playing up the ground. He only had to look on the other back flank to see Luke Parker in the same boat, enjoying the play coming to him rather than carrying the responsibility of making it. However, while he got more feel of leather in that role, he switched forward again last week and instantly things looked more comfortable to him. Like Jamie Elliott and Tom Liberatore, he may now play out his career in his preferred position.
Cameron Zurhaar has been starting in defence for the last month or so, a fate that befalls many veteran players when they lose a yard and can't cut it playing up the ground. He only had to look on the other back flank to see Luke Parker in the same boat, enjoying the play coming to him rather than carrying the responsibility of making it. However, while he got more feel of leather in that role, he switched forward again last week and instantly things looked more comfortable to him. Like Jamie Elliott and Tom Liberatore, he may now play out his career in his preferred position.
Cameron Zurhaar is a mercurial player, a word that is most often used to describe high talent but low consistency. Some weeks he can look like he is not even AFL standard with poor chase and second efforts, other days he bobs up with a bag of goals and an impressive highlight reel. As a fantasy player his scoring is way too reliant on him getting opportunities inside 50 and converting them, not helped by North Melbourne's lack of a third tall forward meaning that Zurhaar has to play a low-possession target role. When he's on, though, he looks like a champion.
Cameron Zurhaar is one of the most enjoyable players to watch in the league when he is up and about, a combination of the scoring potential of Toby Greene and the physicality of Mitch Robinson. His powers of accumulation are almost non-existent, however, making him a very tricky play for fantasy coaches, particularly when he starts deep forward and mostly stays there as he has done for most of 2021. You don't get many fantasy points for bumps or shepherds, and it is his feats without ball in hand that have made his reputation more than those with.
Cameron Zurhaar is obviously a fine player with a long future ahead of him, but in the short term the North Melbourne hierarchy has decided, in its wisdom, that the team is best positioned if Jy Simpkin joins the midfield brigade while Zurhaar starts deep forward and mostly stays there. The result in recent weeks has been suboptimal for both players, with Simpkin getting bashed about in the clinches at times while Zurhaar often finds it hard to touch the footy when the Roo midfield is getting belted. Perhaps a switch in roles is needed to unlock both players' fantasy values.
Zurhaar zoom-zooms up
In his third year on the rookie list, Cameron Zurhaar finally broke through to play the last 19 senior games of 2019, averaging about the forward baseline with two fantasy tons but also five scores of 41 or below, not unusual for a forward pocket. Zurhaar's role starts fairly deep, and a double-digit discrepancy in his scores in wins versus losses underlines a reliance on supply from midfield. He's worth a late flier as a gamble on whether he can get those poor ones out of his game.
From ability to Zurhaar
Still a rookie despite nine senior games, Cameron Zurhaar will be looking to break into the North Melbourne best 22 permanently in 2019. As a midfielder/forward already low in the depth chart, he is not helped by off-season trade-ins of more outside runners. While he has some ability, Zurhaar appears unlikely to make a big impact in 2019 and should, at best, be on the free agent watchlist.
Few laughs for Zurhaar
Given four of the last six senior games last season, Cameron Zurhaar booted two goals from a total of 36 disposals starting at half forward. Is there a factory somewhere in North Melbourne churning out these ball-shy whippets? Someone get Zurhaar a sandwich and a protein shake.
