Tom Powell is now in his fifth year on the North Melbourne list, and has lifted his ratings to truly earn a midfield spot with his disposal average lifting from 20 to 24 to add to an impressive five tackles. Most of those extra touches have come in the form of handballs, dropping his ratio to 11:13 and indicating that his rotations through half forward have dropped off as his role stays mostly in the guts. Is he going to be in that role in a Kangaroos team that finally challenges for the eight in future years? For now, his job security is rock solid.
Tom Powell is now in his fifth year on the North Melbourne list, and has lifted his ratings to truly earn a midfield spot with his disposal average lifting from 20 to 24 to add to an impressive five tackles. Most of those extra touches have come in the form of handballs, dropping his ratio to 11:13 and indicating that his rotations through half forward have dropped off as his role stays mostly in the guts. Is he going to be in that role in a Kangaroos team that finally challenges for the eight in future years? For now, his job security is rock solid.
Tom Powell is one of those hard-working midfielders who would have been instant stars in the old days, but tends to struggle in modern midfields populated with genuine six-footers. As a smaller body he has taken a bit longer than most to find his best form at the coal face, spending too much time off a half forward flank across the past year or so. Nevertheless, it appears he has taken the step forward that compadre Will Phillips has not, repaying the faith from his fantasy owners as well as Alastair Clarkson. Look for him to fully break out in 2025.
Tom Powell has taken a long, long time to break out, not the first highly-rated junior to follow a torturous path to his ceiling at North Melbourne in recent years. As with Luke Davies-Uniacke, plenty of fantasy coaches have spent blood and treasure to secure his services hoping for a quick rise, only to be disappointed as his team gets belted most weeks and he fails to hit ambitious targets met by younger players at better-performing clubs. Is 2024 the year that he and his club finally starts filling his full potential? An outing against the lowly Hawks looms.
Tom Powell is one of a number of Kangaroo players who should be given a lot more centre bounce attendances this season under new coach Alastair Clarkson. The appointment of the old master means that the club can afford to bottom out and play the kids for a few years, and Powell is one of those kids who needs a lot of work experience at the coalface. Along with Will Phillips, the Roos have a raft of rookie-priced assets for fantasy who should be given ample opportunity to lift their ratings in 2023. The question is: are they good enough.
Tom Powell has not been picked for most of 2022 in the senior side at North Melbourne, a side most definitely in rebuild mode and supposed to be playing the kids. Powell is one of their highest-ranked draftees so you'd think he would be picked in the ones regardless of form just to get games into him, but he has languished in the magoos until today. For fantasy coaches looking for value especially in daily formats, how do you gauge the ceiling of a young midfielder like Powell in his first game back after paying some dues? It would be a brave coach to buy him today.
