The form of Todd Goldstein has been excellent all year. He’s not only made a claim to be the undisputed top ruckman in the league, but can also consider himself a Brownlow Medal smokey.
Even though Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe is a clear favourite at this stage, Goldstein’s consistency throughout what has been an up and down year for his club has caught the attention of many.
NMFC.com.au looks at how many votes he could have on the leaderboard with a third of the season to run.
Games where voting is a near certainty
- Round two v Brisbane
- Round four v Geelong
- Round 12 v GWS Giants
- Round 15 v Geelong
- Round 16 v Essendon
It wouldn’t surprise if Goldstein polled at least two votes in all five of these games.
Against Brisbane, the ruckman had 23 disposals, 37 hit-outs, 8 tackles and was a large reason why North had a huge 42-24 edge in the clearance count. However Jarrad Waite’s 22 disposals and seven goals could capture attention.
For the first clash against Geelong down at Simonds Stadium, the Cats threw the Rhys Stanley-Mark Blicavs combination at Goldstein. It didn’t work; he had 21 disposals, 42 hit-outs, eight clearances, six tackles and earned the perfect 10 votes from the Scott brothers.
The Round 12 encounter against the Giants saw Goldstein set a new AFL record. He registered an amazing 80 hit-outs, all while one eye was barely working due to some friendly fire. His dominance at almost every stoppage surely caught the umpires’ focus.
Jamie Macmillan could also be in line for his first ever Brownlow votes for his performance against the Giants, turning in a superb 29-disposal, three-goal effort.
The second meeting against Geelong for 2015 saw Goldstein attempt to better round four's effort. He again gave his midfielders first use, this time dealing with a Dawson Simpson-Blicavs double team.
Goldstein also collected six free kicks on the evening, potentially a crucial piece in gaining the umpire’s attention.
Against Essendon last Friday night, Goldstein was immense. Jake Niall from The Age summed it up best:
"Todd Goldstein was the bleeding obvious difference between the victors and the vanquished," he said.
The 27-year-old had 27 disposals, 56 hit-outs, eight clearances and an enormous seven free kicks as Essendon tried everything possible to stop the big man.
Vote range: 10-15
Games where votes are likely
- Round nine v Collingwood
- Round 11 v Sydney
Although the matches against the Pies and the Swans ended in narrow losses, Goldstein’s influence in both was undeniable.
Seven coaches votes in round nine and a further eight in round 11 indicated the respect Nathan Buckley, John Longmire and Brad Scott had for Goldstein’s performances.
Against Collingwood, he had 19 disposals, 51 hit-outs, six inside 50’s (the second highest for his team) and a goal, while the encounter against Sydney resulted in 17 disposals, 37 hit-outs (leading a 43-27 clearance edge) and six tackles.
They’re all good numbers, and there weren’t many players undeniably better than Goldstein in each match. However the loss throws any votes into a state of unpredictability.
Vote range: 1-5
Games where votes are unlikely
- Round three v Port Adelaide
- Round six v Richmond
- Round seven v Essendon
- Round 10 v West Coast
Even though the matches against Richmond, Essendon and West Coast resulted in victories, and it was only a narrow loss to Port, there were several players who shone in each match.
Against the Power, Andrew Swallow had 30 disposals, 10 tackles and eight clearances. Lindsay Thomas kicked four goals while for the visitors Jay Schulz also had a haul of four. Hamish Hartlett was influential while Brad Ebert had 22 disposals and kicked three goals.
Of the four games listed, the victory against Richmond could be the one where Goldstein polls a vote. The ruckman was influential in the third quarter surge, directly having a hand in several goals.
Up forward Thomas kicked five goals, Sam Wright was excellent out of defence with 10 rebound 50’s while Brent Harvey had 22 disposals and kicked two goals. Anthony Miles had 30 and two goals for the Tigers.
The wins against the Bombers and Eagles saw Goldstein perform well, and edge his direct opponent in the ruck duel. However the likes of Ziebell, Cunnington, Hansen and Petrie (v Essendon) and Higgins, Ziebell, Bastinac, Gaff and Priddis (v West Coast) are all likely to be ahead of him.
Vote range: 0-2
Games with no votes
- Round one v Adelaide
- Round five v Hawthorn
- Round eight v Fremantle
- Round 14 v Gold Coast
Unfortunately for North Melbourne, each of these four matches resulted in heavy defeats. Although Goldstein was more than serviceable in every outing – especially against Gold Coast with 15 disposals and 62 hit-outs – it’s a rare sight when a player polls votes in a big defeat.
So in an absolute best case and optimistic scenario, Goldstein would be hovering around the 20-22 vote mark with seven rounds to go. Will a good finish be enough to have the Roo at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the home and away season? Only time will tell.
