Review Scratch match analysis of North V Saints

Dec 27, 2017
24,212
53,345
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I didn’t get a chance to catch the game today so some insight into how we went today. Obviously we got well beaten but it was always on the cards with the team we put out.

Ziebell down back?

How’d The 2nd tier midfield go, anyone that might’ve put themselves into contention to get a game ahead of those missing?

How’d the new blokes go?

Any standouts?

Any injury concerns?

General positives/negatives?
 

Psicosis

Brownlow Medallist
May 7, 2012
13,165
58,685
Bird Rock
AFL Club
North Melbourne
My thoughts

Pros:
- Hayden as a midfielder, many have wanted this for a while and we saw a really promising start today
- Stephenson first good outing, as I mentioned, he'd be unsighted in a pies 100 point loss, so to finish with close to 20 disposals and 2 goals is a great start
- Bailey & TT are very smart one touch footballers
- Larkey & Zurhaar were lively, a mature body may help but I think our ball use is a bigger issue
- Powell was very impressive
- Curtis Taylor is special
- Glimpses of the game plan worked and looked better then 2020
- Lazarro looks like just about our quickest player

Cons:
- I think we are in a bit of trouble if we are playing Hall & Tyson in 2021
- Good link up before a senior player brain fade which turns it over and we get burnt on rebound
 
May 20, 2009
16,134
37,377
coburg
AFL Club
North Melbourne
kyron looked good in the mids. will be decent back up this year.
thomas got enough of it and was clean.
powell played a good fist half. was polished imo.
lazzaro played a better second half ran the game out well.
It really was our B list mids + simpkin.
Larkey in the ruck wasnt great either.
i wont go into who was s**t. Everyone else will point that out.
 
Dec 27, 2017
24,212
53,345
AFL Club
North Melbourne
kyron looked good in the mids. will be decent back up this year.
thomas got enough of it and was clean.
powell played a good fist half. was polished imo.
lazzaro played a better second half ran the game out well.
It really was our B list mids + simpkin.
Larkey in the ruck wasnt great either.
i wont go into who was sh*t. Everyone else will point that out.

Did Lazaro play in the guts?
 

Psicosis

Brownlow Medallist
May 7, 2012
13,165
58,685
Bird Rock
AFL Club
North Melbourne
As a whole, I can't say I'm surprised with the result. We are spoon favorite for a reason and take out some of our best players, coupled with the fact St Kilda won a final in 2020 and have improved their list.

The kids were good, the senior players left a lot to be desired.

Thought our best midfield rotation of the day was Simpkin, Hayden, Powell.
 
Dec 27, 2017
24,212
53,345
AFL Club
North Melbourne
As a whole, I can't say I'm surprised with the result. We are spoon favorite for a reason and take out some of our best players, coupled with the fact St Kilda won a final in 2020 and have improved their list.

The kids were good, the senior players left a lot to be desired.

Thought our best midfield rotation of the day was Simpkin, Hayden, Powell.

I haven’t seen who played for the Saints, were they at full strength?
 

NewNorth

Debutant
Sep 20, 2020
95
175
AFL Club
North Melbourne
We need to be better defensively, particularly in our forward half. The game has changed, its about repeat forward 50 entries, thus limiting oppositions forward 50s.
We didn't do that at all - we improve that, that makes a world of difference to todays game.

Young kids showed a bit, but I think we need to move past Tyson and Hall. They started in the guts and gave us nothing.

I thought the backline held up well given the number of saints inside 50s and the lack of pressure.

Noble wants to kick more goals, but that exposes us the other way. Just get better defensively is my biggest takeaway, the rest will look after itself.
 

Clarence2norton

Senior List
Apr 27, 2016
206
913
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I now remember why I don’t read game day threads...

The amount of over the top knee-jerk reactions to a pre-season performance where we fielded our 3rd string midfield was mind boggling.

There’s gonna be mistakes and defensive issues but that’s what happens when you change the dynamic of the list so dramatically.

Personally I really enjoyed how our younger brigade played today and Noble’s attacking corridor-based game style was very effective when it came off.

Not an ideal game defensively but plenty of positives to take out of it.
 
Dec 27, 2017
24,212
53,345
AFL Club
North Melbourne
We need to be better defensively, particularly in our forward half. The game has changed, its about repeat forward 50 entries, thus limiting oppositions forward 50s.
We didn't do that at all - we improve that, that makes a world of difference to todays game.

Young kids showed a bit, but I think we need to move past Tyson and Hall. They started in the guts and gave us nothing.

I thought the backline held up well given the number of saints inside 50s and the lack of pressure.

Noble wants to kick more goals, but that exposes us the other way. Just get better defensively is my biggest takeaway, the rest will look after itself.

Most scratch matches are bruise free. No point going in hard for a nothing game
 

Swallow_Wood

Premiership Player
Jun 11, 2015
3,104
12,273
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Defensive transition was poo, but that was to be expected as a host of new players learn a new game plan and new roles.

Our attacking was not great for the most part and that can happen when trying to implement a fast moving, corridor centric attacking focus. When it did come off it looked pretty good.

Our ball use was also relatively poor, with too many of the same olds making the same old mistakes. Things like turning into trouble, chip kicking to the opposition, handballing to a stationary target with his opponent standing next to him, missing easy shots on goal etc. It's going to take time to weed these out of the team.

It was hard to do much today if you were playing half forward, but that said, Zurhaar and Thomas showed some real signs.

Campbell showed why he is a VFL player, with Ryder giving his mids so much first usage against a second string midfield.


It will be interesting to see what the addition of Goldy, Cunners, LDU and Polec will do to the dynamic next week. Some of the movement out of the back half was not good, so that will need to improve significantly.
 
Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
Most of them showed something in patches.

There was only a couple who I thought had bad games.

The system is going to take a bit longer to kick in.
 
Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
I now remember why I don’t read game day threads...

The amount of over the top knee-jerk reactions to a pre-season performance where we fielded our 3rd string midfield was mind boggling.

There’s gonna be mistakes and defensive issues but that’s what happens when you change the dynamic of the list so dramatically.

Personally I really enjoyed how our younger brigade played today and Noble’s attacking corridor-based game style was very effective when it came off.

Not an ideal game defensively but plenty of positives to take out of it.

Welcome to the 2000's where entitlement assures that tantrums get things done...........except they don't.
 
Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
You’d be happy with how involved Thomas was today?

Had a hand in a fair few of our goals.


Yes, he improved his amount of influence, as I expected.

Was moved around the ground properly also.
 

rm3504

All Australian
May 13, 2011
704
873
Perth
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I now remember why I don’t read game day threads...

The amount of over the top knee-jerk reactions to a pre-season performance where we fielded our 3rd string midfield was mind boggling.

There’s gonna be mistakes and defensive issues but that’s what happens when you change the dynamic of the list so dramatically.

Personally I really enjoyed how our younger brigade played today and Noble’s attacking corridor-based game style was very effective when it came off.

Not an ideal game defensively but plenty of positives to take out of it.
Whatever.
We get flogged by nearly 100pts at home in first hit out
I thought we would be competitive at least
What will things be like against good teams away from home?
My hope and optimism about a new season has been ripped away already
 

NewNorth

Debutant
Sep 20, 2020
95
175
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I wasn't trying to be overly critical (hope it didn't come across that way) but for me it was the defensive part of our game is the part that was lacking. Like I said earlier, we fix that up it makes a world of difference.

I have said in other threads, this is the year I have been most looking forward to since 2016, cos we arent kidding ourselves any more. We are giving ourselves a chance for sustained success.

I am certainly not overreacting to this game, and I don't think I will to any this year unless it becomes apparent that the players hate the coach. If we move in one direction, stick together we will be fine
 
Back