Port and North - A Brief Dip or an Extended Slide Into Mediocrity?

[kangaspurs]

North Melbourne and Port Adelaide have unequivocally been the two biggest disappointments thus far in 2015. After the encouragement of Preliminary Final appearances from outside the top 4, both sides appeared to not only be emerging as regular finals participants but on the precipice of proving themselves as legitimate challengers to the Premiership in 2015 and the following years.

Come the middle of 2015 however, both football clubs find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the ladder with the optimism and dreams of premiership glory in the pre-season replaced with frustration, disbelief and inconsistency.

Is 2015 just a brief aberration on the road to the holy grail or is it a permanent problem; an indication of the future for these football clubs?

 

[brysie]

I'm not sure many people, other than maybe North supporters, really thought that North were on the precipice of proving themselves as legitimate challengers in 2015.

Port yes, North no. They were smashed in the preliminary final and I don't think anyone expected any other result

 

[Fire]

Haven't been watching Port. North are done though; need a new coach and list. IMO they have never been convincing. But the writing was on the wall two weeks ago when they were struggling to put the giant's reserves away; this week they had their score almost doubled by a dysfunctional and fractured cellar dweller.

Any highlights form here on out are fools gold, and if the admin falls for it then its going to be a very long period of mediocrity ahead. Make no mistake, only Essendon are currently further from a flag than North.

 

[Eshay187]

North gone for good.

Port could bounce back next year. Think Adelaide 2012/13. THis is their 13. Maybe.

 

[Roby]

I posted this about North and Port two years ago.

Port Adelaide diagnosis: North Melbourne Syndrome
STRICTLY CONFINDENTIAL (AFL Power Rankings Information Services)
Addressed to Ken Hinkley

Mr. Hinkley we have been conducting clinical trials in NMS (North Melbourne Syndrome) and reports have indicated that Port has a 90% chance of NMS at Stage 1. Known as a silent killer because of its peculiar symptoms, the symptoms are masked to what make a team appear to be in good health, a good youth policy, a good gameplan, progressing player development positively and looking to play finals. While these attributes may be accurate, they can mask the disease. Your team this year has been the second most favoured side in the AFL in respects to umpiring; 7 ppg. It has won four games because of it and created a false sense of confidence in your playing group and supporters. This has now spread to the players frontal lobes and hippocampus, and they have ignored (and probably forgotten) their poor performances against Hawthorn and Geelong. Unfortunately our trials have indicated that these performances act as litmus test in the onset of NMS. Your team has also had virtually a full list to pick from each week and should be performing a lot better than they are now. You have not beating a betting line for four weeks in a row; and this occurrence has happened twice this year. This is a clear indication that NMS is advancing to Stage II.

Our trials also included therapeutic treatments. One of the more controversial treatments which have proven to be effective is tanking. Tanking has shown to have over a 70% success rate in treating NMS (Hawthorn, Collingwood made full recoveries) while other test subjects managed to return to relative normality with some occurrence of recession. (Carlton, West Coast). Certain subjects have suffered adversely and almost did not survive treatment (Melbourne, Western Bulldogs); although the Bulldogs are still at the early stages of treatment.

The most conventional treatment suggested by many researchers is holistic analysis and multiple treatments which target all systems including, administration, playing group, leadership, football department, scouting, player development and marketing. Unfortunately research suggests that the only successful tests subjects required an already established excellent administration, their own stadium, an improvement in culture (Geelong, Sydney) and even financial assistance in the case of Sydney who also have desirable living conditions. Test subjects that did not have at least two of these requirements only advanced NMS further (St Kilda, Adelaide, Kangaroos).

Let’s say you make the finals and play Richmond (8th) at MCG in the first week of the finals, the prognosis right now would be a eight goal loss; that is if fully healthy.

 

[quotemokc]

Port can rise again due to their youth.

 

[Eshay187]

I posted this about North and Port two years ago.

This is TOO GOOD.

Who would have known that result of Roby's thread being shutdown would be absolute gold left all over the forum.

 

[kangaspurs]

I'm not sure many people, other than maybe North supporters, really thought that North were on the precipice of proving themselves as legitimate challengers in 2015.

Port yes, North no. They were smashed in the preliminary final and I don't think anyone expected any other result

Many in the media had tipped North to finish top 4 this season and therefore considered them contenders. Jason Dunstall for example has repeatedly said how he considered them contenders and he certainly wasn't the only one.

 

[Percel]

Gawwwwnnnnnnn, genuinely need a clean out.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Nothing is extended in footy depending on the decisions you make.

I personally don't think either of their current groups are good enough to win a flag. But both have some good young talent and if they chose to spend a couple of years building they could shoot back up very quickly.

 

[Lord_Bumfluff]

Many in the media had tipped North to finish top 4 this season and therefore considered them contenders. Jason Dunstall for example has repeatedly said how he considered them contenders and he certainly wasn't the only one.

Laughable to think that people thought North were a contender, all because they fluked it to a prelim

 

[Kram]

North 2015 = Freo 2007.

 

[Dugdale2Dwyer]

Drew Petrie is finished

 

[Righteo]

The former for the former and the latter for the latter.

 

[JoondalupJ]

North Melbourne and Port Adelaide have unequivocally been the two biggest disappointments thus far in 2015. After the encouragement of Preliminary Final appearances from outside the top 4, both sides appeared to not only be emerging as regular finals participants but on the precipice of proving themselves as legitimate challengers to the Premiership in 2015 and the following years.

Come the middle of 2015 however, both football clubs find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the ladder with the optimism and dreams of premiership glory in the pre-season replaced with frustration, disbelief and inconsistency.

Is 2015 just a brief aberration on the road to the holy grail or is it a permanent problem; an indication of the future for these football clubs?

I think North have been a middle of the road club that hasn't improved , does marvellous things, gets every one up and running then drops back to mediocrity, that is what they are , mediocre.

But Port are not, they surprised me this year, I thought they would be dynamite,, and for a quarter against the Hawks they played champagne football and made us look lame , couldn't touch the ball. Then Port went to sleep and the Hawks almost got them from miles behind. If you can play at that standard for a quarter then you are not some middle runner, I think Port have out thought themselves this year, and I still expect something to turn around for them. North need to restart, rebuild , they look like they need a whole new set up and approach they just can't get consistent.

 

[citizen-erased]

North lack class. Port more than one trick.

North very outplayed by a classier outfit today. It's hard to tell if the Suns recaptured their spirit or North were completely inept. Questions will come this week, but answers will come out over the next few rounds.

 

[Kram]

Drew Petrie is finished

 

[100action]

North Melbourne fell into a prelim last year after a 'meh' H&A season, they got morbidly overrated off the back of that and some top ups.

They really needed some youngsters to step up and become 'elite' which hasnt happened.

 

[Hipster Doofus]

North look like Richmond of 2002. Though not as bad, we were genuinely s**t, they're not. But they won't go far with their veterans anymore.

 

[go_the_dockers]

North remind me of Freo in 2007. Most of there good players are the wrong side of 30.

They will fall hard and take along time rebuild.

 

[kangaspurs]

North Melbourne fell into a prelim last year after a 'meh' H&A season, they got morbidly overrated off the back of that and some top ups.

They really needed some youngsters to step up and become 'elite' which hasnt happened.

I categorically reject your first paragraph, North beat every other team in the top 8 or 10 last season indicating that is was a long way from a 'meh' Home and Away season. They showed a genuine ability to compete with and beat the best sides and genuinely deserved their prelim appearance.

I completely agree with your second paragraph though. We have a lot of players in the 20-24 age group that seem to have hit a far lower ceiling than many anticipated.

 

[Isosceles]

Its amazing the history of teams that play in a prelim one year yet completely fall away the next.

 

[Engimal]

Both teams are not very good and neither will win a premiership with their current lists, as I've mentioned in the past.

 

[WALDENPOND]

Were North really that overrated over the preseason? They did make a preliminary final. And I don't think many or any expected them to make the GF this year.

 

[blitzer]

We won't know about Port until next year. They made prelim with a young side so they will have time in their favour to recover their form if they are capable.

If North can't make it deep into the finals this year then i'd say they are well and truly screwed with their list demographic. This year and next year was really going to be "their chance". So if they can't get it done during that time then a lengthy rebuild is on the cards. Its not really a question of if they will fall its only a question of how far.