Who is Colby McKercher? 19-year-old dynamic midfielder earns AFL Rising Star nomination following stellar Round 9 display
Colby McKercher is a professional Australian Rules footballer who currently plays for North Melbourne. Born on April 12, 2005, McKercher began his career with the Tasmania Devils. Following a successful stint at the junior level, he was selected by North Melbourne as the second pick in the 2023 AFL draft.
Colby McKercher made his debut for North Melbourne in the 2024 AFL season. He started his journey with a match against Greater Western Sydney in Round 1. Prior to that, he had played for North Melbourne in a pre-season match against St Kilda, where he made 18 disposals.
However, his official debut was against Greater Western Sydney, during which he recorded 22 disposals and eight marks. Unfortunately, his team lost the match by 39 points, with North Melbourne scoring 82 points, while GWS Giants emerged victorious with a score of 121.
Since his debut this season, Colby McKercher has been making the headlines and impressed with his game against Fremantle, where he made 22 disposals, followed by 19 disposals in a match against Carlton.
The 19-year-old earned an AFL Rising Star nomination after his resounding performance in Round 9. So far, McKercher has played in five matches and recorded 77 disposals, averaging 15.4 per game.
Despite Colby McKercher earning rising star nomination, North Melbourne suffer brutal loss in Round 9
Although Colby McKercher was impressive with his game in Round 9 of the 2024 AFL season, his team, North Melbourne, continued to struggle. In their match against Gold Coast in Round 9, North Melbourne suffered a brutal defeat on Saturday night (May 11). Gold Coast scored 120 points in the match, while North Melbourne could only manage 52 points, resulting in their brutal loss.
North Melbourne have had a tough time this season. They started the season with a loss against the GWS Giants and have since struggled to bounce back.
In Round 2, Fremantle defeated them 102-76. The losing streak continued in Round 3 when Carlton won the match 137-81. In Round 4, North Melbourne again lost to Brisbane, followed by their fifth consecutive loss against Geelong in Round 5.
Round 6 also did not bring any good results for the team as they lost the match 68-113 against Hawthorn. The bad fortune persisted in Rounds 7 and 8 as well, with losses against Adelaide and St Kilda, respectively. North Melbourne will next face Essendon in Round 10 on May 19.