Photo: Steve Remy

With Jacob Edwards and Charlie Comben lining up in the forward 50 for much of Saturday’s VFL clash with Port Melbourne, fans tuning into the live stream were offered a glimpse into North Melbourne’s forward future.

Both players performed admirably in a low scoring affair, combining for 9 marks and 3 goals, with the pair also spending time in the ruck.

Edwards’ goal was a well taken set shot from almost 50 metres out late in the game, kicking into a strong and biting wind to seal the victory for North.

With the blustery conditions making it difficult for key-position players to impose themselves on the game, Edwards says he was happy with his performance in what was his VFL debut.

“The intensity was really high and it moved a lot faster than any of the other games I’ve played in, but it was very exciting and it was great to get the win … it was good,” Edwards told North Media.

“I’m happy with the goal I kicked at the end. It was a pretty fun afternoon and I can’t complain.

“Once I took the mark I realised I was quite far out and wasn’t totally sure if I’d have the distance since it was against the wind, but it turns out I struck it well and it went through the middle.”

With the likes of Nick Larkey and Tristan Xerri currently occupying North’s tall forward spots at AFL level, the club’s crop of young key position players points to an exciting future.

With that youth supplemented with the experience of Todd Goldstein and Tom Campbell, Edwards is in a strong environment to learn both his forward and ruck crafts.

He says the work he’s putting in now will help him down the line as he gains more experience and strength.

“‘Larks’ (Larkey) and ‘TC’ (Campbell) have been huge for me. ‘Larks’ has been really good in helping me with my body work and leading patterns, while ‘TC’ has been helping me out with a bit more ruck work,” he said.

“It’s good for me to develop into that while I’m still a bit of a smaller body compared to some of those types of players.

“Obviously after a bit of time I’ll be used to that body work, so I’m really trying to set myself up for that.”