I want it to be our turn soon....I really, really do!!!

Moti

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 4, 2001
13,830
10,648
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Currently both our 1st and 2nd team didn’t make the finals and and bar a few games we looked miles off it this year.
Until we get some sort of minimum standards we’ll be down the bottom for a bit longer.

That is the key piece of information. Our 2nds have been even worse than our senior team and there isn't a heap there to get excited about. McKay, LDU, Durdin are all 1st rounders that just don't look like they are in that class level. If we can get a big jump in performance from these guys, maybe, but we have spent a decade waiting for jumps in performances and we rarely see it.
 

Rad Roo

Premiership Player
Aug 2, 2017
3,389
1,606
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Well that’s fairly cynical. I really dont think it’s in the afl’s interests for clubs to be unsuccessful either... even the little ones.

They already have the perennial minnow club that finally found success, they don’t need another. Afl would be strongly in favour of a small club embrace a new start in Tasmania, through their grit, strong rapport with grassroots football and massive financial & draft support achieves success in a new frontier. Of course, most of you north ppl here would not have a bar of it and most likely those in charge of north as they r still stuck in the mindset of we are north..... kangaroos is not a specific place put an etho, an idea, if ppl can’t see that they they will forever be blinded to their own ignorance. We can only be as successful as our vision allows. If we are blind to new ways to success, then you die. Evolution does not give a toss about your sentiment nor nostalgia.
 
Apr 24, 2011
2,054
5,913
Greek Islands
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Unless Shaw can manage to completely overhaul the mentality of the list we're going nowhere and will continue to just plod along. The players under Scott weren't coached to be ruthless and accountable rather it was a case of being a good solid AFL citizen and making a 'career of it', earning a decent wage etc. Too much complacency and easy games for a lot of the players unfortunately. Skills, fitness and mental toughness didn't seem a priority. There was no sense of urgency to improve, no real consequences after another one of those horror losses after being 6 goals up. We were coached to be boring, safe and average. Any sign of flair or dare was basically thrown in the trash can. Shaun Atley epitomises this era. His first 30 games were unreal, full of dash and creativity. I thought this guy would become elite, a star. 8 years later he is a 'solid' half back who won't win you a premiership or get you out of a hole but just does enough to get a regular game and his 2 year contract extension. Same can be said for most of Scott's boys.
Shaw's coaching has at least started in a positive manner, a real breath of fresh air. I really like our under 22 group, they seem tough and have a bit of attitude and skill about them. Shaw needs them to take over the reins in the next 2-3 years. Hopefully he can develop a game plan and environment that gets the best out of themselves. Out current senior core have had their go and simply aren't good enough and unfortunately weren't coached and allowed to get the best out of themselves.
 

goalieboy82

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 28, 2007
7,455
14,518
USA
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
North Fairfax Kangaroos
Coach Scamper is working on it.
and for my 4900th post:
Coach Scamper, My Little Geelong Cat:
4954.jpeg

Meows the Following:
 
Mar 14, 2002
61,753
83,125
Gasometer Wing
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Kangaroos
Unless Shaw can manage to completely overhaul the mentality of the list we're going nowhere and will continue to just plod along. The players under Scott weren't coached to be ruthless and accountable rather it was a case of being a good solid AFL citizen and making a 'career of it', earning a decent wage etc. Too much complacency and easy games for a lot of the players unfortunately. Skills, fitness and mental toughness didn't seem a priority. There was no sense of urgency to improve, no real consequences after another one of those horror losses after being 6 goals up. We were coached to be boring, safe and average. Any sign of flair or dare was basically thrown in the trash can. Shaun Atley epitomises this era. His first 30 games were unreal, full of dash and creativity. I thought this guy would become elite, a star. 8 years later he is a 'solid' half back who won't win you a premiership or get you out of a hole but just does enough to get a regular game and his 2 year contract extension. Same can be said for most of Scott's boys.
Shaw's coaching has at least started in a positive manner, a real breath of fresh air. I really like our under 22 group, they seem tough and have a bit of attitude and skill about them. Shaw needs them to take over the reins in the next 2-3 years. Hopefully he can develop a game plan and environment that gets the best out of themselves. Out current senior core have had their go and simply aren't good enough and unfortunately weren't coached and allowed to get the best out of themselves.

The problems were compounded by the Preliminary Finals ‘success’ which lulled us all into a sense of ‘next year GF’
 

FiftyFive50

Senior List
Oct 7, 2018
197
470
AFL Club
North Melbourne
2016 Richmond finished 13th with 8 wins 14 losses they made a few tweaks and won the flag the next year, Dion Prestia being one who I didn’t think was a huge deal post 2016, I like our list I don’t care what anyone says and we did slaughter some good sides this year so I’m confident in them when they’re firing, hopefully under Shaw they step it up a notch we make a couple trades and do okay in the draft, either way I think we’re a lot closer then position points, I have faith. 👌
 
Richmond were s**t until they weren't. We could win the flag next year, or we could win it in 100.

I at least have more hope now than I have had in a long time.
 

Moti

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 4, 2001
13,830
10,648
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
2016 Richmond finished 13th with 8 wins 14 losses they made a few tweaks and won the flag the next year, Dion Prestia being one who I didn’t think was a huge deal post 2016, I like our list I don’t care what anyone says and we did slaughter some good sides this year so I’m confident in them when they’re firing, hopefully under Shaw they step it up a notch we make a couple trades and do okay in the draft, either way I think we’re a lot closer then position points, I have faith. 👌

3 consecutive finals, all losses, but they were building. They had impact players like Martin, Cotchin, Reiwoldt, Rance etc and invested in explosive players at the perfect time for the transition from the cluster lead teams. Pagan's Paddock was the last inventive coaching move we have made. Our list development looks to have no discernible method to it madness and to top it off we had a pretty average coach. Tigers built this, just as the Hawks did before, and like the Hawks, it is going to take a monumental tactical change to alter it as they have the majority of their list under 28.
 
All you have to do is get an invitation to the dance (make the finals).

Fitness & luck play a significant role after that.

People carrying on like Richmond are some leviathan have mildly lost the plot.
True, but you have to admit there wasn't much luck about them winning this flag. They haven't lost a single game after the bye, and apart from the first half against Geelong, didn't look likely to lose in September.
 
Oct 4, 2006
15,813
33,666
The hood
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Richmond were s**t until they weren't. We could win the flag next year, or we could win it in 100.

I at least have more hope now than I have had in a long time.

I on the other hand have never been less enthusiastic about norths future than i am right now.

We are bigger than only 2 clubs, both of which the afl will do just about anything to see succeed.

Success and financial strength attract players.

We can’t attract anything close to a star player anymore.

* ran an orchestrated drug regime putting their players at risk and have since attracted Shiel, Smith, stringer and saad.

bulldogs fluked a flag and have bottomed out and shot past us so fast we got whiplash as they past us.

Despite being mates with the coach, papley would rather play for Carlton, a team that’s been a basket case for 10 years than play for north.

I see the writing on the wall to be honest
 
Richmond were s**t until they weren't. We could win the flag next year, or we could win it in 100.

I at least have more hope now than I have had in a long time.

This has to be the quote of the season, if not the century ;)
 
I on the other hand have never been less enthusiastic about norths future than i am right now.

We are bigger than only 2 clubs, both of which the afl will do just about anything to see succeed.

Success and financial strength attract players.

We can’t attract anything close to a star player anymore.

* ran an orchestrated drug regime putting their players at risk and have since attracted Shiel, Smith, stringer and saad.

bulldogs fluked a flag and have bottomed out and shot past us so fast we got whiplash as they past us.

Despite being mates with the coach, papley would rather play for Carlton, a team that’s been a basket case for 10 years than play for north.

I see the writing on the wall to be honest

Since we beat them comfortably? They had a good patch in the last month of home and away season, but were put back into their place in week 1 of finals. I don't see them ahead of us at all, depending of course how our newly created footy department performs.
 
Lol we also beat Richmond comfortably ......
Exactly right. Which logically says that with the new regime and a few tweaks, we have to be at least mildly optimistic.
Richmond weren't tanking against us. They were 7:6 at the bye and genuinely struggling. But they have a game plan that works, and when they got a few players back, were able to get back to how they want to play. We saw what Shaw was able to do with the current list with minimal opportunity to modify the game plan. Now with a refreshed footy department and the entire summer to work on the style of footy that best suits this list, I think we can shoot up the ladder quickly.
 
Oct 4, 2006
15,813
33,666
The hood
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Exactly right. Which logically says that with the new regime and a few tweaks, we have to be at least mildly optimistic.
Richmond weren't tanking against us. They were 7:6 at the bye and genuinely struggling. But they have a game plan that works, and when they got a few players back, were able to get back to how they want to play. We saw what Shaw was able to do with the current list with minimal opportunity to modify the game plan. Now with a refreshed footy department and the entire summer to work on the style of footy that best suits this list, I think we can shoot up the ladder quickly.

Shoot up to a fighting 9th
 

Cool Kangas

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 2, 2010
5,296
5,734
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I see the writing on the wall to be honest
What do you mean TBL?
Do you mean that we’re just going to keep plodding or are you talking stuff like relocation??? Please tell me you’re not.

I don’t like that we play 4 games in Tasmania though, and that worries me.

I also don’t like that the big clubs always seem to land the big players. It does make for a very uneven playing field.

That said I love how generally the Roos are really good at retaining our good players.

I do know that I’ll be very sad if I feel like we really have no hope going forward given the state of play with player movement and our constant small numbers. Admittedly I have felt like that in recent years (see my “flag in the next century” thread), but for the first time in a while I felt a bit of hope.
 
Oct 4, 2006
15,813
33,666
The hood
AFL Club
North Melbourne
What do you mean TBL?
Do you mean that we’re just going to keep plodding or are you talking stuff like relocation??? Please tell me you’re not.

I don’t like that we play 4 games in Tasmania though, and that worries me.

I also don’t like that the big clubs always seem to land the big players. It does make for a very uneven playing field.

That said I love how generally the Roos are really good at retaining our good players.

I do know that I’ll be very sad if I feel like we really have no hope going forward given the state of play with player movement and our constant small numbers. Admittedly I have felt like that in recent years (see my “flag in the next century” thread), but for the first time in a while I felt a bit of hope.

I’m not specifically talking relocation to tassie in the short term. I’m more talking the continued death by a thousand cuts that is being inflicted on us by the afl and ourselves imo.

We are very good at retaining players but this might just be a reflection of how poorly we are perceived by the afl community as a whole.

My fear is that the afl is turning into a premier league and we are literally last on the list. We have zero good will from the afl. If we survive tassie, they might not actively try and relocate us but they won’t help
Us out at all.

Meanwhile kids will start exclusively going for the teams that get all the good players and play finals most years. We just can’t compete.

Our only hope is to get lucky with a genuine gun player in the draft. Someone that turns into a top 5 player on the league that we can build a team around. But we haven’t been able to do that for 20 years so I won’t be holding my breath.
 
I’m not trying to argue and I’m obviously jaded at the moment, AND sorry for bringing people down, BUT

Brad Scott also beat the premiers last year

Shaw also lost close games from winning positions this year

And we are once again in no mans land from a draft perspective
I look at the manner of those wins, more so than the results. And the massive football department cleanout suggests the club agrees that things were mismanaged badly, and it went way deeper than Scott himself.

As for draft no mans land, I would have thought pick 7-8 is a very decent pick to pick up a champion player from. How many top 2-3 picks does Richmond have, apart from Dusty?
 
Last edited:
Oct 4, 2006
15,813
33,666
The hood
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I look at the manner of those wins, more so than the results. And the massive football department cleanout suggest the club agrees that things were mismanaged badly, and it went way deeper than Scott himself.

As for draft no mans land, I would have thought pick 7-8 is a very decent pick to pick up a champion player from. How many top 2-3 picks does Richmond have, apart from Dusty?

It’s true that the tigers only have dusty and Cotchin as top 4 picks, but they also operate in a different league in that they can attract players which we can’t. Lynch, Prestia, caddy. They can also pay players with money outside the cap through attractive marketing sponsors due to their popularity, which is something that we sadly can’t.
 
This has to be the quote of the season, if not the century ;)

Haha it's true though, right? 2 year before they won their 2017 flag, Ben Jacobs was giving Cotchin nightmares as we tumbled them out of finals in week 1. Dimma was a deadshot coach, too. Richmond were a perennial laughing stock.

Now they're throwing around the word dynasty after 2 flags in 3 years. Richmond had a shitter list than us, and built it into a championship team. People make these ridiculous predictions like team X won't win the flag in the next Y years, but no one knows.

I'm sure sick of waiting though. Hope it's 2020 for us. The footy department cleanout gives me hope that we're at least going to serve something up that's a bit different from the preceding decade.
 
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