Preview Round 21, 2021 | North Melbourne vs. Richmond @ MCG | Saturday, August 7 @ 4:35pm

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Sounds like not much, but in reality MCG does play very differently, especially for forwards and defenders. I reckon if we put up the same forward line as we did last week, we'll struggle to score even 6 goals.

I don't think the forward line was the issue, well, anymore than it normally is. It was the midfield without Cunnington and Thomas. We only had 34 inside 50s last week vs 60. Just didn't get the supply and a lot of the delivery inside 50 was quite poor, just 2 goal assists for the game. LDU 6 I50s, 0 GAs, Simpkin 6 I50s, 1 GA, Scott 4 I50s, 1 GA, Stephenson 3 I50s, 0 GA.

We got nothing offensive from Anderson, Dumont, McDonald and Polec. These are what is left of the mature/experienced leaders in the middle and they gave us donuts.

McDonald 14 kicks, 189m gained (13.5m), 57.1% kicking efficiency, 22.2% CP rate
Anderson 7, 171m (24.4m), 28.6%, 35.7%
Phillips 8, 182m (22.8m), 37.5%, 47.1%
Taylor 12, 238m (19.8m), 58.3%, 26.7%
Dumont 12, 266m (22.2m), 50.0%, 19.0%
Polec 11, 215m (19.5m), 90.9%, 9.1%
Stephenson 14, 252m (18.0m), 71.4%, 26.3%
Scott 9, 243m (27.0m), 44.4%, 10%
Simpkin 16, 321m (20.0m), 56.3%, 43.3%
LDU 15, 464m (30.9m), 73.3%, 46.2%

Don't have the precise data, I am assuming players even out for meters gained via handballs, but it could skew the numbers a bit.

The disappointment, for me, was the players with low contested possession rate. If you are not getting much of the contested ball and you are crabbing it with low distance kicks and keep turning it over then it is really stifling our run. Geelong is really ogod at pressuring and closing down space, but if you are an outside player... we need that offensive running.

When Cunnington is injured, we have players like Simpkin and LDU have to play much more stoppage/clearance oriented football. The stats show the quality of LDU in terms of his ability to get some distance with his disposals and kick well despite being under a lot of pressure, it is picking good options in the forward 50 that he has to improve at. Anderson didn't get as much of the ball but he was high in pressure acts, probably had been given tagging roles, he had 30 pressure acts and 7 tackles.

It is guys like McDonald, Dumont ad Polec primarily we failed to get much offensive movement from and they weren't doing a power of defensive work either. They need to do more to give us more quality inside 50 deliveries. Can't blame kids like Phillips and Scott, the other 3 are 26+ with over 100 games of experience, they need to lead, especially when someone like Cunnington comes out.
 
Will be a good test of where we are at.

Richmond are yesterday's news as a Good Side and will likely remain that way until everyone reading this is dead.

But they'll provide a nice measuring stick for our rising squad of stars.

Perhaps a better metaphor is Richmond are dead slab of meat we'll use to see whether the shiny blade of Tarryn, Zurhaar and co is ready yet, or it needs a few more goes on the sharpening stone.
 

Mr north man

Premiership Player
Mar 12, 2016
3,228
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Has the only free to air game we've had this year been the Good Friday game? If so that's an absolute joke
We are North Melbourne the most hated sporting club in Australia.
Maybe you can write a letters to chairman Buckley who is or was on the board of Foxtel or that so called North person Kerry Stokes from Channel 7 to let them know your frustration.
Until the following things happen we as a club start winning games and push finals year after year and hopefully win flags plus we get our fair whether supporters to turn up to games in Victoria whether home or away.
Then if the above things happen we might get more games on Channel 7 but if you hold out to the next TV rights by then Amazon will have football.
 

Nutjob

Premiership Player
Oct 23, 2014
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Bigger dimensions of MCG suit our new game style.

This was evident in the west coast game where the extra width gave us ample opportunity to slice and dice through the defence.


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I am honestly more confident this week than I am against Adelaide away in the last round.


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MCG is 160m long and 141m wide. It is 0.5m longer than Docklands and 12.2m wider, so a bit more than 6m on each side. Arden Street is the same dimensions as Docklands. I am not sure if it is that much harder to cover that space.
Yeah I disagree as they are two distinctly different arenas and play very differently as well. 6 Mtrs on each wing allows an attack a lot more room to stretch a defensive structure and positioning becomes paramount, so yeah, I reckon it will be good test for our development.
 
We are North Melbourne the most hated sporting club in Australia.
Maybe you can write a letters to chairman Buckley who is or was on the board of Foxtel or that so called North person Kerry Stokes from Channel 7 to let them know your frustration.
Until the following things happen we as a club start winning games and push finals year after year and hopefully win flags plus we get our fair whether supporters to turn up to games in Victoria whether home or away.
Then if the above things happen we might get more games on Channel 7 but if you hold out to the next TV rights by then Amazon will have football.

“Most hated”?! We wish, in our dreams. “Most ignored”, more like - sadly.


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Yeah I disagree as they are two distinctly different arenas and play very differently as well. 6 Mtrs on each wing allows an attack a lot more room to stretch a defensive structure and positioning becomes paramount, so yeah, I reckon it will be good test for our development.

I have never heard of teams having difficulty going from MCG to Docklands or vice versa. We beat MCG tenants at the MCG in finals having played at the MCG fewer times than some interstate teams.

I think if you lack leg speed in the middle you might find it harder to cover a zone or a press, but you probably have issues covering zones or presses anywhere if you are slow.

Am I missing something? Have coaches or players said it is much harder going from Docklands to MCG or even significantly different? MCG to Kardinia Park is a bit different, that is a 26m difference.
 
Am I missing something?
Definitely, but I honestly can't be bothered. All I said was the wider spaces will be good to test our structures further and help in our development. That's it. I'm not sure why you would even refute that.
 
Definitely, but I honestly can't be bothered. All I said was the wider spaces will be good to test our structures further and help in our development. That's it. I'm not sure why you would even refute that.

I said in my post I don't think it will be that much harder to guard the space, you replied to my post that you disagreed. I asked if any players or coaches have ever said there was a problem going from Docklands to MCG and you said you can't be bothered.

That about sums up my "disagreeing with you".
 
I said in my post I don't think it will be that much harder to guard the space, you replied to my post that you disagreed. I asked if any players or coaches have ever said there was a problem going from Docklands to MCG and you said you can't be bothered.

That about sums up my "disagreeing with you".
I do disagree and I doubt if I'd be Hans Solo on that. I never intimated that it would be that much harder in the first place, either.

The wider spaces will test our defensive structures as well, so that's another positive.

More experience these young blokes get playing on the MCG the better.
 
We are the least marketable club in a market driven environment. Get used to it.
Easily Solved, sell this:
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JarOfConfidence

Team Captain
Feb 9, 2021
307
638
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I don't think the forward line was the issue, well, anymore than it normally is. It was the midfield without Cunnington and Thomas. We only had 34 inside 50s last week vs 60. Just didn't get the supply and a lot of the delivery inside 50 was quite poor, just 2 goal assists for the game. LDU 6 I50s, 0 GAs, Simpkin 6 I50s, 1 GA, Scott 4 I50s, 1 GA, Stephenson 3 I50s, 0 GA.

We got nothing offensive from Anderson, Dumont, McDonald and Polec. These are what is left of the mature/experienced leaders in the middle and they gave us donuts.

McDonald 14 kicks, 189m gained (13.5m), 57.1% kicking efficiency, 22.2% CP rate
Anderson 7, 171m (24.4m), 28.6%, 35.7%
Phillips 8, 182m (22.8m), 37.5%, 47.1%
Taylor 12, 238m (19.8m), 58.3%, 26.7%
Dumont 12, 266m (22.2m), 50.0%, 19.0%
Polec 11, 215m (19.5m), 90.9%, 9.1%
Stephenson 14, 252m (18.0m), 71.4%, 26.3%
Scott 9, 243m (27.0m), 44.4%, 10%
Simpkin 16, 321m (20.0m), 56.3%, 43.3%
LDU 15, 464m (30.9m), 73.3%, 46.2%

Don't have the precise data, I am assuming players even out for meters gained via handballs, but it could skew the numbers a bit.

The disappointment, for me, was the players with low contested possession rate. If you are not getting much of the contested ball and you are crabbing it with low distance kicks and keep turning it over then it is really stifling our run. Geelong is really ogod at pressuring and closing down space, but if you are an outside player... we need that offensive running.

When Cunnington is injured, we have players like Simpkin and LDU have to play much more stoppage/clearance oriented football. The stats show the quality of LDU in terms of his ability to get some distance with his disposals and kick well despite being under a lot of pressure, it is picking good options in the forward 50 that he has to improve at. Anderson didn't get as much of the ball but he was high in pressure acts, probably had been given tagging roles, he had 30 pressure acts and 7 tackles.

It is guys like McDonald, Dumont ad Polec primarily we failed to get much offensive movement from and they weren't doing a power of defensive work either. They need to do more to give us more quality inside 50 deliveries. Can't blame kids like Phillips and Scott, the other 3 are 26+ with over 100 games of experience, they need to lead, especially when someone like Cunnington comes out.
This … in spades 👍. The team will have to get used to life without Cunnington in coming years. Too many blokes too reliant on him; just sitting on his shoulder waiting for the cheapie. (On a related topic, it’s absolutely criminal he hasn’t won AA selection yet. I’d argue no player is worth more to his team than Cunners is to NMFC. The stats back that up: one win without him since mid-2013. And you watch what happens when the AA team is announced later this year: as sure as night follows day, some Johnny-come-lately showpony like Christian Salem or Sam Walsh or Darcy Parish will get an AA nod on the back of one decent season. Cunners? Crickets ….
 
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This … in spades 👍. The team will have to get used to life without Cunnington in coming years. Too many blokes too reliant on him; just sitting on his shoulder waiting for the cheapie. (On a related topic, it’s absolutely criminal he hasn’t won AA selection yet. I’d argue no player is worth more to his team than Cunners is to NMFC. The stats back that up: one win without him since mid-2013. And you watch what happens when the AA team is announced later this year: as sure as night follows day, some Johnny-come-lately showpony like Christian Salem or Sam Walsh or Darcy Parish will get an AA nod on the back of one decent season. Cunners? Crickets ….
Is that a fact? Wow
 
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