When does a ferocious desire to win come across as petulant?
When does a fierce desire to drive high standards appear arrogant?
And when the immense frustration has you showing a lack of respect to senior teammates, how can your club build a team around you?
Is Jason Horne-Francis on an island at the moment? Does the number one draft pick need an attitude adjustment?
The context is, this is an 18-year-old 12 games into his career and he’s trying to find his way in the most difficult environment in the AFL – a North side that has won only eight of its last 52 games and finds every aspect of its organisation under pressure.
He’s a teenage prodigy who has always been the best player and always been a high achiever and he’s been dropped into a club at its lowest ebb and with all the scrutiny that comes with an elite sporting competition. That can’t be easy.
But Horne-Francis’ heated discussion with Todd Goldstein, with all the poor body language in the world attached to it, screamed disrespect.
This is All-Australian, best and fairest winning, 286-gamer Todd Goldstein and you’re walking away from him.
Horne-Francis’ frustration ground zero was the high, swinging arm strike on GWS midfielder Josh Kelly in the third quarter yesterday. There will be a suspension for that.
There is an immaturity of course with an 18-year-old dropped into an elite sporting club.
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Some more context. Horne-Francis decided on the eve of the season to put off contract talks until the end of this season.
He flew home to Adelaide for Mother’s Day weekend without club permission, which saw him cautioned. The club not unhappy he went, but certainly unhappy they weren’t told.
Fell short of training standards, with others, earlier this year, which saw the entire team sent to the beach for an early morning swim.
He has been heard berating the team and teammates coming to the bench in games this year. Rival players have been surprised by the way he conducts himself with teammates on the field in games.
And he liked an Instagram post from Channel 7 that had him in a fake trade Friday post swapping him for Zak Butters and a swap of picks.
Jaidyn Stephenson had five touches yesterday playing forward which is a high degree of difficulty at North Melbourne at the moment. Yet the former Pie worked very hard defensively and didn’t stop trying.
Horne-Francis, as observed by Michael Barlow on AFL nation, didn’t defend and didn’t work.
'Jaidyn Stephenson hasn't touched the ball all day but he's at least working hard to defend...Jason Horne-Francis refuses to man up and refuses to work hard defensively."
— AFL Nation (@AFLNation) June 12, 2022
- Michael Barlow
NMFC 46 - 101 GWS#AFLNorthGiants
But it’s also important to note he’s not quite on his own with the level of dissatisfaction he has at North Melbourne.
Tarryn Thomas was dropped because there are concerns over his laziness and lack of work ethic. Cam Zurhaar certainly won’t consider re-signing at this stage and there are more weighing up their futures at that club.
Some players at North Melbourne say the ego Richter scale is off the charts among some sections of the playing group, and this is a side that’s won one game this season.
But as Ross Lyon speculated a few weeks ago… has North Melbourne been reluctant to discipline and use a firm hand with Horne-Francis given the fear he could leave and given David Noble is coaching for his life and needs all the talent he can muster?
Can you build a side around Jason Horne-Francis when everything he’s showing us suggests he doesn’t want to be there?
Do they cash in now? Surely he doesn’t request a trade after year one? North Melbourne’s first ever number one draft pick – what does it look like if they willingly put him up for sale for the highest bidder?
The trade offers came before he even arrived – from Adelaide and Richmond.
They’ve got to try and ride out the storm. Not just North, but Jason as well. Stick it out.
He’ll be a very different player and person by the time he’s 21. But will North Melbourne still have him?
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