North Melbourne's 2012 campaign is now complete and most players are enjoying a well earned break. Now is the perfect time to analyse each of them, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and see who is best suited to take the club forward.

kangaroos.com.au is conducting reviews on all players to play a senior game in 2012, underlining their best games, season statistics and video highlights.

Season stats

Games: 20 Goals: 9
Disposals: 367 (18.4)
Kicks: 146 (7.3)
Handballs: 221 (11.1)
Marks: 61 (3.1)

Press play above to watch one of Cunnington's season highlights

Season highlights

Round 23: 33 disposals, 4 marks in 28-point win over GWS Giants
Round 21: 24 disposals, 11 tackles in 30-point win over Collingwood
Round 6: 15 disposals, 5 tackles, 3 goals in 25-point loss to West Coast

kangaroos.com.au says:

Halfway through the season, Ben Cunnington was very much on the outer. Dropped after Round 12, Cunnington had only picked up more than 15 possessions once in the previous seven games. He turned in a superb game for North Ballarat in the VFL but was then suspended and had to bide his time.

It was arguably only due to the suspension of Jack Ziebell that Cunnington was able to return to the senior side so soon, and the number 10 wasn't about to let the opportunity slip. He proceeded to have a breakout stretch of games, justifying his high draft selection with excellent work around the contests.

Possibly the best user of the ball by hand at North Melbourne, Cunnington averaged more than 11 handballs per game over the entire season; that number increasing to almost 15 when you focus solely on his late-season run.

Quotes

“I probably held back a bit in my first couple of years and was probably a bit scared of making mistakes”
Cunnington on his mentality at the beginning of his career

"Jack Ziebell's controversial four-game suspension saw Ben Cunnington take his game to a new level in the midfield."
Glenn McFarlane on how Cunnington had his chance in the second half of the season

"He was as tough as nails and I'm trying to do the same"
Cunnington on trying to replicate Anthony Stevens in the famous number 10 jumper

In the news

Cunnington: 'A must-win game' - May 10
Cunnington's tripping charge - July 2
Coming of age - August 22

Video highlights

Ben Cunnington hard at it - May 13 - YouTube
Ben Cunnington VFL highlights - July 3 - YouTube
Ben Cunnington interview - August 22 - YouTube

Have your say on Ben Cunnington's season in the comments below