How far can North Melbourne go?

[The Nostradamus]

Top 6 side, but after that who knows. Just feel Sydney, Port, Fremantle, and Hawthorn are CERTAINLY better. Then you have Geelong at fullstrength and Collingwood. Have them in that 2nd tier of top sides. I think they need another 12 months personally and that is purely just a gut feeling.

Maybe but we have already beaten 3 of those sides and haven't played the hawks yet so could end up beating all 4.
At our best I don't fear any team, the challenge will be to play at or close to our best every week

 

[Tas]

With their easy draw they could make Top 4 but I think they are a 5-7 team

At least we are not just beating bunnies and losing to everyone else, I wouldn't want to make the finals if I thought we were no hope against anyone finishing in the top 8.

Assuming nothing horrendous happens and we make it, being able to hold up against some decent teams gives me some confidence, we have probably played our worst football against the other middle tier teams.

Assuming we can lift the intensity in finals, we have a lot of inside mids which I think will suit the style and intensity of finals footy, a lot better than the footy we played the last couple of years.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Maybe but we have already beaten 3 of those sides and haven't played the hawks yet so could end up beating all 4.
At our best I don't fear any team, the challenge will be to play at or close to our best every week

2 of them were hardly full strength to be fair. I just feel you need another year that is all.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Yep. The only real worry is Petrie with age but I reckon he can go round again a time or two. Even then, I reckon Mason Wood - currently leading the VFL goalkicking - will be blooded soon enough.

Boomer Harvey is currently recording career best stats. At 36. It is just astounding.

Petrie should be fine if you don't try and play him all over the shop. Just play him out of the square.

 

[MaddAdam]

Petrie should be fine if you don't try and play him all over the shop. Just play him out of the square.

Yep, that's why Majak's continual improvement - and he was very good in the 1st quarter last week - is so vital.

 

[samFFC]

At the end of the day it doesn't matter how you win, just that you do win. Sydney looked awful at times early in the season and look at them now. You could call the game against Richmond a "Jeckyl and Hyde performance" or you could call it a great comeback by a team that just found a way to win (like good teams do) in difficult circumstances against a team who's season was on the line.

Fair call. See how the next month pans out!

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Yep, that's why Majak's continual improvement - and he was very good in the 1st quarter last week - is so vital.

Or you could draft/trade someone to do that job. Not sold on Majak, an it is nothing against him personally. I just feel that coaching someone 'footy smarts' is a very hard thing to do. Wish him luck but you could be better trading in someone, say a Jacksh from GWS.

 

[MaddAdam]

Or you could draft/trade someone to do that job. Not sold on Majak, an it is nothing against him personally. I just feel that coaching someone 'footy smarts' is a very hard thing to do. Wish him luck but you could be better trading in someone, say a Jacksh from GWS.

I've seen blokes raised on AFL with fewer footy smarts than Maj. He'll be fine.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I've seen blokes raised on AFL with fewer footy smarts than Maj. He'll be fine.

We will see, not taking a pot shot at him, don't take it that way, wish him all the best...but as a KPF knowing where the ball is going and leading into the right positions and making good decisions when he has the ball is tough to teach someone from a non AFL background. I wish him the best though, hope he makes it.

 

[MaddAdam]

We will see, not taking a pot shot at him, don't take it that way, wish him all the best...but as a KPF knowing where the ball is going and leading into the right positions and making good decisions when he has the ball is tough to teach someone from a non AFL background. I wish him the best though, hope he makes it.

Nah, know where you are coming from. Same time, people could say - Joe Daniher has an impeccable footy pedigree ... HOW can he be a shit set shot?

Young big blokes etc etc.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Nah, know where you are coming from. Same time, people could say - Joe Daniher has an impeccable footy pedigree ... HOW can he be a shit set shot?

Young big blokes etc etc.

You won't get an argument from me on Daniher, mind you Nick Reiwolt was a shocking set shot before this year, so there is time, at least he is getting some shots at goal, mind you his kicking (ball drop mainly) is horrendous!

Daw probably needs a good month in the VFL but purely to work on his positioning, it could also hope getting lets say Cary or someone like that to work 1 on 1 with Majak and just fast tune him in terms of improving these areas. He is talented, he just needs to improve his footy smarts.

 

[MaddAdam]

You won't get an argument from me on Daniher, mind you Nick Reiwolt was a shocking set shot before this year, so there is time, at least he is getting some shots at goal, mind you his kicking (ball drop mainly) is horrendous!

Daw probably needs a good month in the VFL but purely to work on his positioning, it could also hope getting lets say Cary or someone like that to work 1 on 1 with Majak and just fast tune him in terms of improving these areas. He is talented, he just needs to improve his footy smarts.

Only way Majak is going to improve what needs improving is playing seniors. Doesn't mean we persist with him forever and when Robbie Tarrant is fit he's the better player, but Majak is certainly a player.

Victim of his own circumstances.

 

[Daz]

I think the inconsistency is overplayed a bit.

Essendon have put up remarkable performances early in seasons the last couple of years. They controlled the footy all game.

GC were so ****ing slick that day at Etihad. We just couldn't lay a hand on Bennell and co. It was a scary look into the future.

We sucked vs Collingwood. Fair play.

20 point loss at Simmonds isn't a disgraceful effort.



There's a bit of upside as well.

- Swallow's played 4/11 games and that's a generous assessment of his first 2. He looks to be back now.

- Wells has played 5/11.

- Ziebell's missed 3 and is currently playing hurt.

- Other best 22 players in Tarrant (11/11) and MacMillan (8/11) have missed the bulk of the season. Tarrant in particular should help the forward structure a lot.

- Petrie didn't look finished during the 2nd half last week. If he gets back to his form of the last few years it will be huge for us.

 

[Bigeasy]

There is still a lot of "ifs" about North.

We can contend for top 4 if:

1. Wells can recover from his injury and be a major factor.

2. Harvey can contunue his form for the rest of the year and not get fatigued.

3. Goldstein can maintain his second half form against the Tigers.

4. Thompson can recapture his 2013 form.

5. We become consistent

We have the ability to finish top 4 but then so does 7 other clubs

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Hawthorn got a scare from GWS so they prob aren't a top four threat either..

The side Hawthorn fielded that day aren't top 4.

 

[Hill2Pav]

Not very far if their forward line big men consists of an inconsistent Drew Petrie and the invisible man Aaron Black. That is unless they are intending to rely upon their small/medium players in Nahas, LT & Harvey to kick a winning score?

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Not very far if their forward line big men consists of an inconsistent Drew Petrie and the invisible man Aaron Black. That is unless they are intending to rely upon their small/medium players in Nahas, LT & Harvey to kick a winning score?

Gibson 2, Petrie 2, Nahas, Daw, Black, Dal Santo, Mullet, Thomas. That's enough to win some.

Apparently North is ranked #1 for converting inside 50s into scores this season. If the forward line actually works out what it is doing, they might take some beating.

 

[Collingwoodity]

To the top. Well they did beat Sydney, Port & Freo. But lost to Geelong & Pies. Says they are thereabouts. Certainly have the softest draw with only 7 games against top opposition and 1 against decent opposition (Essendon).

They will go close to top 4 but will do little when they are there. Biggest issue is the pending retirement of Petrie. Who is going to pick up the slack?

 

[hearlscum]

Nah, know where you are coming from. Same time, people could say - Joe Daniher has an impeccable footy pedigree ... HOW can he be a shit set shot?

Young big blokes etc etc.

Daw is build like Tarzan plays like jane will only ever be a good average player at best joe will be a star of the comp

 

[fusion]

Daw is build like Tarzan plays like jane will only ever be a good average player at best joe will be a star of the comp

I would argue the complete opposite to your statement. Daw has the potential to be something incredible that we've rarely seen before in footy.

That is why he's been persisted with, despite his lack of so called footy smarts. However he could equally or maybe even more likely never achieve the level of an average player.

I'd take Daniher if you gave me a choice as he's a safer bet to reach the level of an elite player.

 

[ep2018]

Lets see how far their style of play will take them in September.

They will provide week one finals entertainment, much like 2012.

 

[Damon_3388]

Why is there talk of Robbie Tarrant coming straight back into the Kangaroos' side? What about Mason Wood? Averaging 8 marks and 3.25 goals per game in the VFL over the past month. Why is a just-back-from-injury (again) Tarrant (who didn't even kick a goal in his VFL return) ahead of him at the moment?

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Why is there talk of Robbie Tarrant coming straight back into the Kangaroos' side? What about Mason Wood? Averaging 8 marks and 3.25 goals per game in the VFL over the past month. Why is a just-back-from-injury (again) Tarrant (who didn't even kick a goal in his VFL return) ahead of him at the moment?

Size, endurance, experience, structurally more vital and he kicked one goal from 60-70% VFL game time after a 12-14 week lay off.

 

[Damon_3388]

Size, endurance, experience, structurally more vital and he kicked one goal from 60-70% VFL game time after a 12-14 week lay off.

The VFL website says Tarrant went goalless.

Just think if you're looking for more firepower, you'd reward the guy in form.

Still think they should persist with Daw though, if only for the fact that he can give Goldstein a chop out in the ruck.

 

[Kcrack]

Lets see how far their style of play will take them in September.

They will provide week one finals entertainment, much like 2012.

And what style of play would that be?