Much has been said about North’s core of young players this season; the emergence of Tom Powell, the improvement of Tarryn Thomas and Luke Davies-Uniacke, and the breakout of Ben McKay have stolen headlines over the course of the year.

However, there are a smattering of experienced players who are not only guiding these youngsters through the early stages of their careers, but maintaining and improving their own high standards on the field of play.

Jy Simpkin had arguably the best game of his young career against Hawthorn on Saturday, collecting 38 disposals, 13 clearances and 9 tackles in a dominant midfield performance, however he has lauded the impact of the team’s veterans on the clash.

He says their contributions and ability to keep their composure with the game on the line cannot be understated.

“I thought I was pretty consistent throughout the whole game, just to be able to play my role for the team,” Simpkin told SEN.

“It makes it a lot easier when I have big Todd Goldstein and Ben Cunnington feeding me the ball through midfield [and] Jack Ziebell and Aaron Hall off the half-back [line].

“I think all the boys had a good game … it was pretty special”

Aaron Hall’s new home in the backline has brought the best out of the former Sun, with his elite kicking and incredible levels of game intelligence lending themselves well to his rebounding role.

In his four full games in the backline, Saturday’s clash with Hawthorn was the first time he finished with less than 30 disposals, however he still managed to find the ball 28 times.

Since his 33-disposal effort against Adelaide in Round 3, Hall has been one of the first names on David Noble’s teamsheet every week, and deservedly so. 

The return of Cunnington to the midfield has also allowed Goldstein to return to his All-Australian contending best, with their partnership showing no signs of rust upon Cunnington’s reintegration into the side.

While it is the midfielders under him earning the plaudits from Saturday’s victory over Hawthorn, Goldstein’s impact on the contest cannot be understated.

The ruckman finished with 19 disposals, 6 marks and 28 hitouts, while he also finished off a brilliant coast to coast team goal.