Nick Larkey is a full forward in the traditional sense, a position that has benefited enormously from the AFL's current reversion to the gamestyle that used to produce century goalkickers. Larkey is not in the top ten in the race for the Coleman Medal at the moment, though, despite playing every game and being in a team with a highly talented and improving midfield. Accuracy is not his problem, as his rate of 67% is second only to Coleman leader Ben King. He gets three less shots per game than the leaders, in short. Supply is his issue, and it's not improving.
Nick Larkey is a full forward in the traditional sense, a position that has benefited enormously from the AFL's current reversion to the gamestyle that used to produce century goalkickers. Larkey is not in the top ten in the race for the Coleman Medal at the moment, though, despite playing every game and being in a team with a highly talented and improving midfield. Accuracy is not his problem, as his rate of 67% is second only to Coleman leader Ben King. He gets three less shots per game than the leaders, in short. Supply is his issue, and it's not improving.
Not up all night to get Larkey
Zero disposals in his first senior game in 2017 and zero senior appearances in 2018 were not great signs for Nick Larkey, but he strode onto centre stage in round 6 last year and kept his spot from there on, booting 26.8 from 17 matches. His occasional startable scores came with big bags of goals, with a mark rate of four that was too low to be a solid base. He was treated in the post-season for heart issues. Larkey was nominally starting as a CHF, though he did not do much of the link work on the wings making long leads to the logos that are usually expected from that position in the modern game. That is the hole in his game which must be filled if he is to develop into a viable fantasy start, as you can't rely on him kicking three majors every week. He is best left in the free agent pool.
Nick Larkey booted a big bag of ten goal last week against a hapless Port team which had all of its defence playing but was powerless to stop the rampaging North midfield delivering the ball on a platter to the new Coleman Medal leader and favourite. Today he gets Melbourne, which has been ravaged by injury to its talls and has earned a sorry reputation this year for failing to put enough pressure on opponents kicking inside 50. It's a recipe for another huge haul of six-pointers, and he should feature heavily in daily fantasy sides today.
Lack in Larkey
Following a challenging senior debut in 2017, Nick Larkey had a strong VFL season in 2018, but did not make an AFL appearance. As a key forward, he finds himself low in the depth charts, but might be able to force his way into the team given the retirement of Jarrad Waite. Young key forwards typically have a very difficult time scoring at AFL level and Larkey is unlikely to be any different. He should not figure in draft calculations.
Zero touch Larkey
Plenty of good footballers failed to register a disposal in their first game, though that was mostly back when players could literally sit on the bench all day as interchanges were permanent. Nick Larkey had two hit-outs and two clangers to show from 75% game time in round 18, and his only other senior game wasn't much better with six touches, a mark and a tackle. His VFL form is more productive, going at two or three goals a game from 11 possessions. It seems at times like North Melbourne has an army of cats who just can't find the footy all that often, but with Larkey they may be taking the mickey just a bit too hard. To be fair, playing third tall forward for the Kangaroos is one of the least rewarding jobs in footy. This is what they mean when they say a young bloke is raw, and Larkey needs more time in the oven than four'n'twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. Not a fantasy player.
