Desire, effort and intent.

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Like most, I called a loss 5 minutes in. Our inability to change the trend of a game is laughable.

It is hilarious to think how easy it is to pick when we are switched on.

 

[Twinkletoes]

It is hilarious to think how easy it is to pick when we are switched on.

Spitter's short kicked turnover was the clincher for me, topped by Gibbs' no look smack it on the boot snap which sailed through. All I could do was shake the head and mutter "here we f***ing go AGAIN!"

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Was like the *essendon game. You knew five minutes in we weren't switched on, yet we somehow stayed a lot closer than we deserved to be.

 

[Wild Kangaroo]

You could see on Friday night, in the rooms, the players heads looked down, they didnt look motivated. I thought, here we go, this dosent look good.

 

[hcd199]

Yep, theres no way its going to happen...and 100% agree the 8-10 others deserve it more but it was just an impact statement on a piece of the play on Friday night that had me seeing red. In honesty it would most likely confuse the s**t out of the players and the media but it would have a pretty big message.

Doesn't deserve to be dropped imo - unlike some, Dal Santo's doing more good for the team than he is bad - but there have been a number of occasions in games this year, particularly in losses, where he's taken the soft option, whether it be kicking off the ground to opponents or not contesting marks... very frustrating. Indicative of the team's effort generally in those matches, just completely lacking for entire games without any good reason why.

 

[Mr Reliable]

According to today's Herald Sun, in our losses this year:

- we have given up an average of 98 uncontested marks (18th in the comp)

- we have an average marks differential of -36 (18th)

- and we have an average uncontested marks differential of -31 (18th).

The HUN also had a table which indicated (admittedly based on some weird supercoach scores) that the following players have improved their rankings from last year: Firrito, McKenzie, Harvey, Hansen, Greenwood.

Tellingly, the following players have gone backwards: Cunnington, Goldstein, Adams, Mullett, Thompson, Ziebell, Black, Bastinac and Petrie.

Page 84 of the Hun was devoted almost entirely to our shitfulness. It didn't say anything we BF diehards don't already know, but it sure made me feel a little better to have the players outed so publicly. Which is kinda sad!

 

[scooby1279]

According to today's Herald Sun, in our losses this year:

- we have given up an average of 98 uncontested marks (18th in the comp)

- we have an average marks differential of -36 (18th)

- and we have an average uncontested marks differential of -31 (18th).

The HUN also had a table which indicated (admittedly based on some weird supercoach scores) that the following players have improved their rankings from last year: Firrito, McKenzie, Harvey, Hansen, Greenwood.

Tellingly, the following players have gone backwards: Cunnington, Goldstein, Adams, Mullett, Thompson, Ziebell, Black, Bastinac and Petrie.

Page 84 of the Hun was devoted almost entirely to our shitfulness. It didn't say anything we BF diehards don't already know, but it sure made me feel a little better to have the players outed so publicly. Which is kinda sad!

Easy game plan to beat us. I wonder what the opposition will do in our first final if we make it? .... Unless Brad comes up with plan B in the next 5 weeks we will be making up the numbers.

 

[AGC]

I just don't get it - like I get every team has crap games, where you're not motivated etc.
But I just can't fathom - when you're pretty much a goal down half way through the last quarter and you get in the huddle, they just can't muster a "ok boys, let's just turn it on here" sort of thing. How do you do that against the Hawks when they got ahead half way through the 3rd - but not against the Blues.

 

[Mr Reliable]

Easy game plan to beat us. I wonder what the opposition will do in our first final if we make it? .... Unless Brad comes up with plan B in the next 5 weeks we will be making up the numbers.

We may get a preview when we play Geelong on Friday week.

By now every other club knows:
- how to beat us
- we are up for games against the good teams
-we will be out to make amends for the Carlton loss.

It might be a good time for Brad to reveal our plan B.

 

[stevo75]

You could see on Friday night, in the rooms, the players heads looked down, they didnt look motivated. I thought, here we go, this dosent look good.

I noticed this to. The players looked very disinterested when Brad was speaking to them in the rooms. I didn't even realise anyone was actually talking to them until Brads head came into frame.

 

[Saintly31]

I noticed this to. The players looked very disinterested when Brad was speaking to them in the rooms. I didn't even realise anyone was actually talking to them until Brads head came into frame.

That's not just on Friday night.

Has there ever been a more insular North team? So often it actually looks they don't want to be footballers.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

I really hoped the Richmond game would be the start of something. That they had realised they could change things even if they had started badly, but they needed to ramp up the effort considerably and were clear on the difference. Oh well.

Heard on SEN today the guy who just wrote a history of Freo's first 20 years, about how Mark Harvey and Robert Shaw brought from their Essendon experience the idea of taking all the players away to a property, lighting a big bonfire, having a few beers and having a free for all conversation with each other ("like Leading Teams, but with drinks?" said KB) - took them on a run of nine wins to a preliminary final. Sometimes the old-fashioned ideas still work.

 

[discodaddy]

I really hoped the Richmond game would be the start of something. That they had realised they could change things even if they had started badly, but they needed to ramp up the effort considerably and were clear on the difference. Oh well.

Heard on SEN today the guy who just wrote a history of Freo's first 20 years, about how Mark Harvey and Robert Shaw brought from their Essendon experience the idea of taking all the players away to a property, lighting a big bonfire, having a few beers and having a free for all conversation with each other ("like Leading Teams, but with drinks?" said KB) - took them on a run of nine wins to a preliminary final. Sometimes the old-fashioned ideas still work.

or this...

"Former North coach Denis Pagan once ordered boxing AND beer – a two pots and two jokes per player session on the way back from the gym. Then the players took training for a week. The Roos won their next game by ten goals.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/what-melbourne-must-do-20120521-1z160.html#ixzz38HlfbZwh

Disco

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Still a problem.

 

[Only Forwards]

Still a problem.

Getting up for a final is not and shouldn't be a hard thing to do.

Rocking up to round one and playing like you'll bulldoze the opposition because that is where the graph says we are at is rubbish.

I hope to whatever deity you choose that this wake up call prompts action.

 

[hotham]

Still a problem.

Caller on SEN 116 said that NM last won in SA in 2003. Pretty damning statistic.

 

[Jasemon]

Good thread to resurrect

Psychologically there's something not quite right with the majority of our players.

We should never have dished up the tripe that we did yesterday. Yet again, after a whole summer to contemplate our Prelim smashing, with full knowledge of how Adelaide were going to come out, we came out like self entitled flogs. When the pressure was on we fell apart like a house of cards.

I'm thinking some real honest, Denis Pagan style honesty and brutality needs to be served up to the players this week. And the week after, and the week after that....

 

[lockheed]

Look at the contrast, in terms of desire and how well the team was organised, between a team coached by someone coaching his first game (our opponents, actually) and the perpetual rabble (aka Melbourne) and ourselves. Scott needs to start making an example of players who don't put in the effort, who shirk tackles and don't do the basic team things. I no longer care how big is the player's reputation or how many games they have played: Wells, Harvey, Petrie, NDS, Waite, Ziebell, Harvey etc - we can talk about how our depth is the best it's been for two decades, but until every player genuinely feels that, each week, they are playing for their place in the team, I'm confident that we'll see more putrid performances as we saw yesterday.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

What needs to happen is the non negotiables need to be met by all players.

Imagine how disheartening it would be to see your teams best players going half arsed in Round 1 and your busting your left and right testicle to try and stay and or get in the team.

If team selection ethos doesn't change, nothin else will either.

 

[niko11]

I agree TPA maybe its time experienced players milestones and breaking records is put to the side and kids like Turner,Wood,Daumont that will do anything to wear the jumper become locks....

 

[muttley45]

The best example of OP titles 3 qualities in the team made sub ,
set the tone from the get go, had an instant impact when subbed on, ask Dangerfield, should never be sub again

 

[hale]

The best example of OP titles 3 qualities in the team made sub ,
set the tone from the get go, had an instant impact when subbed on, ask Dangerfield, should never be sub again

Just in case Dangerfield can't remember, he can check here

Not that Turner seems to need any extra motivation, but you could argue he laid that bump as instant karma for Dangerfield copping our Captain high ~7secs earlier

Actually just watch this whole passage of play leading up to that replay.
Turner is in everything and just doesn't stop until he wins the ball

 

[Dirty_11]

I am sick of the majority of the team putting in only when it suits them.

You could count on one hand the players who showed the required desire and intensity last night. The majority pick and choose when to go, when they feel like it.

It's not good enough.

It is clear that there are far too many who are too comfortable with their place in the side or who are playing based on what they have done in the past.

Something drastic needs to happen, because that is the fifth time we have served up absolute dross against a team who is no better but who we're willing to work harder.

That is an indictment on the players as well as the coaching staff.

Fix it. Now.

Copy, paste, repeat.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Copy, paste, repeat.

It's sad that you can do that.

That was in July last year.

It's still happening.

 

[King Corey]

Caller on SEN 116 said that NM last won in SA in 2003. Pretty damning statistic.

Haven't beaten the crows in SA since 2003.

Have done Port a few times over there.