With North’s 2016 season complete, NMFC.com.au analyses the performance of each player by using statistics, a coach review, season highlights and much more.

Mitch Hibberd arrived at Arden St with the 33rd pick in 2015’s National Draft.

Displaying his running prowess throughout the year with Werribee, Hibberd spent time in defence and on the wing.

View Mitch Hibberd’s player profile

Statistics

VFL

Games: 13
Disposals: 244
Rebound 50s: 59
Marks: 56

Season highlights

VFL Round 17: 23 disposals v Northern Blues
VFL Round 20: 34 disposals, 7 marks v Footscray

Quotes

“Running out with all the boys in a North jumper was pretty surreal. I had to pinch myself when I put on the jumper.” – Hibberd on his first NAB Challenge appearance

"The way he uses is body and his positioning is huge. Learning the way he goes about it, and how I can implement that into my game, has been fantastic.” – Hibberd talking about Michael Firrito

“I guess your first year is just all about learning team structures and the way to go about it. I think we’ve done that, so I think I’m in really good stead to attack pre-season and have a good year next year.” – Hibberd on his first year at the club

What the coach said – Ben Dyer

“We wanted him to play back to start off, because he’s played in defence in his junior footy but he’s tended to be freed up in defence a little bit.

“To get him to defend one-on-one and improve that part of his game was pretty important for him going forward. In the air he’s really strong and that’s a feature of his game.

“It was an interesting year for him from that perspective, getting used to defending in a different way, how to set up and obviously it’s a bit more complicated than what he’s dealt with before (in junior football).

“We always thought we’d try him up the field a bit more, so we did that in the last few weeks on the wing and he certainly found a lot more of the ball when he went there.

“He got used to the requirements of the wing with where to set up and where you need to run. We think long-term with his running endurance that he should be suited to a wing but also to work back in defence which can be his point of difference.”