The phenomenal stats that have Sheezel in elite company

Harry Sheezel has put together a remarkable block of footy for North Melbourne.

While his season to date has been quite consistent, it’s been the past six weeks in which Sheezel has truly flourished.

Coinciding with a shift from half-back to the midfield and with more time spent forward, Sheezel’s overall disposal tally has somewhat dropped away but his impact has risen.

Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne says the second-year star, who won both North’s best and fairest and the Rising Star award in his debut year, is in esteemed company with Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli through his recent patch.

Furthermore, the No.3 draft pick is putting up similar numbers to Collingwood gun Nick Daicos who many rate as one of the top few players in the AFL.

“Harry Sheezel has had the second best six-week patch we have ever seen, behind Marcus Bontempelli, for a player 20 years or younger,” Hoyne exclaimed on SEN’s Sportsday.

“The last six weeks he’s the fifth best payer in the competition.

“The data is probably going to say something different here - he might not be as good as Nick Daicos - but he is reminding us so much of Nick.

“At 37 games, Nick Daicos and Harry Sheezel are averaging the same AFL player rating points, both are averaging 28 disposals, both averaging 450 metres (gained), both averaging seven contested possessions, both averaging 18 uncontested possessions, both involved in five scores a game.

“It is phenomenal how identical their careers are after 37 matches.

“Daicos hadn’t played in a premiership yet, he was on his way. I think Nick could be the second best player I’ve ever seen behind Gary Ablett Jnr, potentially.

“I just don’t think Sheezel is getting the same love as what Nick was getting at the same stage. He needs to be elevated in discussions in terms of where this guy sits amongst the competition, let alone where he sits at North.”

Hoyne feels that Sheezel’s cleverness on the field already has him standing out as North’s very best player.

“He is their best player,” he added.

“I love what ‘LDU’ (Luke Davies-Uniacke) does and I love what George Wardlaw is doing, but this guy is their best player.

“His footy IQ is phenomenal for his ability to pick it up a second or two before the opposition does to then win a contested possession that’s up for grabs to make it feel like an uncontested possession.”

While Kane Cornes does like Sheezel as a player, he admits that he doesn’t see the same sort of impact in him that he does in players like teammate George Wardlaw, Daicos or former Roo Jason Horne-Francis, for example.

“He doesn’t grab me like Nick Daicos, a George Wardlaw or a Horne-Francis does,” Cornes said.

“Just the eye-catching (ability). ‘Wow, that was unbelievable’. I don’t see many ‘that was unbelievable’ moments. I see the occasional ones and I’ve loved the move from half-back (to midfield).

“I appreciate the ball use and the decision making, you’ve got to watch him closely because he’s so clean, he’s a good decision maker, he’s a good finisher, but he’s kicked seven goals for the year so he’s not a high scoreboard player.

“When I watch him he doesn’t grab me as the fifth best player or to link into the others you’ve mentioned. I respect what he’s doing but I don’t have him on the level that you’ve got him.”

Regardless of that opinion, Sheezel has putting together another superb season which has him averaging 458.4 metres gained, 28.9 disposals, 22.1 effective disposals, 7.1 marks, 3.9 tackles, 3.4 inside 50s and 2.2 clearances.

He and the Roos take on the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Saturday as they chase their second win of the season.