Past Coach NMFC Senior Coach - David Noble has parted ways with NMFC

[Horizons_00]

Apparently being managed due to OP

That’s not what we have heard from Noble in his pressers…..

 

[Horizons_00]

Everything has basically fallen off an already-close-to-sea-level cliff in the last month or so. I'm inclined to think the biggest concerns with where we're at are a string of blindly reckless list management decisions, and an administration who seem totally committed to a blind-faith "no low is too low, we'll come good eventually" mentality that's increasingly evident in every aspect of our collective demeanour as a club as this season wears on.

It's fair to say any head coach is going to have a tough time in that kind of environment, and is almost certainly not the core reason for our current troubles. Until the point of his supposed self-reflection and change in approach earlier this season, he seemed (from press conferences and the like) to work from a slightly more sound set of ideas on what's required for our development, recognising the steps forward without cowering from calling out the setbacks and stagnations, which I appreciated, and it's been disappointing to hear disproportionate emphasis on scant positives in the last month's pressers, ringing hollow.

But what the senior coach can definitely be held responsible for is the gameplan, and I simply don't buy that what Noble has us trying to execute is what's going to make us a successful club. Focusing near-totally on implementing our own attacking playing style is fundamentally flawed as a rebuild approach, since (particularly with the AFL's insistence on rule changes that facilitate attack) installing basic defensive capability ends up having to come later, slowing the rebuild further; in the meantime, we continue with a plan that leaves us more vulnerable to the turnover whilst being unable to consistently exploit any turnovers we force the opposition into, and which seems completely unsustainable.

Ben Amarfio specifically cited the Brisbane and Melbourne rebuilds on radio this week, as comparisons which apparently justified not being concerned about North's current ladder position - but it's no coincidence that both clubs began their much-discussed upward trend in ladder percentage when they introduced a new coach whose first successes weren't in increasing their own rate of scoring, but in cutting opposition scoring by ~25% across their first two seasons. Obviously that's a very simplistic statistic, and a very binary reduction of much more specific strategies, but the broader point stands - that rebuilds rooted in attack, like Bailey's at Melbourne was, don't tend to be so durable. Unfortunately, that seems to be shaping up to be the case with us as well, and so far there's been too little in our on-field approach to indicate we're taking the steps necessary to remedy that.

I would favour a thorough review of the entire football department at this point. Complacency about poor performance only pushes the necessary corrective action further down the line, and the most crucial thing with a rebuild is that we're continually making the right decisions to take us forward - so much can go wrong, set us back, protract our improvement, mire us for a decade or more... the view that everything's fine simply because it's normal to struggle during a rebuild is toxic. Whether such a review results in Noble sticking around or being replaced, whether it results in minor tweaks in approach or a complete overhaul, what matters is that the manifest issues with our current performance are identified and the department reshaped to address them, including whatever personnel changes may be necessary to get us on track to achieving success.

POTY

 

[CBSlogger]

At 53% with Melb, StK and GC in Qld to come, it's unlikely we've seen the worst of it.

Whether you're in the keep Noble camp or not, like it or not, rightly or wrongly the board will be under epic new levels of pressure to find and present a circuit breaker if our record run of demoralising hammerings continues over the next month, let alone gets even worse.

Regardless of all the non-coaching factors and current best laid plans of revival the cold reality is that very few coaches have ever survived the cumulative numbers we're putting up and most end up being the circuit breaker.

A 150+ loss is a distinct possibility this week... surviving that is rare.

 

[Mixed Results]

We had four losses of 60+ points combined in both 2020 and 2021 and have now had five in seven weeks.

You can put some blame on the players, but the 2020 and 2021 lists weren't much better. There's clearly an issue here beyond the playing group. Go back and look at the Rhyce Shaw

Rhyce Shaw

Age

42

Ht

182cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.8

4star

K

12.0

4star

HB

5.8

4star

M

4.3

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

313.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.4

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

1.6

2star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.8

3star

team that nearly took a game off Brisbane in 2020. You lose Higgins, Atley, and Dumont from that side and that's basically it. I'd argue that Noble has had some games this year with better sides.

I'd love to hear how the "it's the players, not Noble" brigade can explain that one.

 

[tazaa]

I don’t rate Noble as he’s only 31 games into his coaching career.
Reason being is that last year the list had youth and some good senior players and we saw some good performances round 9 onwards.

Now that we’ve gutted the list further and lost Cunnington to illness it just shows how we are nowhere near AFL quality.
The list is ****ed but their fitness levels and general development shouldn’t be.
None of our draftees go on to resemble AFL level footballers. Why??
That’s Nobles first problem to unearth.

 

[blackshadow]

but there’s young replacements languishing the in vfl

Who's languishing in the VFL that is AFL ready/fit?

 

[Roadrunner]

If you need to give a score for Noble performances out of 10. What score would you give him? I personally will give him a big fat 0

 

[Frank Thring]

He really needs to focus more on defence as its a shambles ar present.

 

[travelli]

We had four losses of 60+ points combined in both 2020 and 2021 and have now had five in seven weeks.

You can put some blame on the players, but the 2020 and 2021 lists weren't much better. There's clearly an issue here beyond the playing group. Go back and look at the Rhyce Shaw team that nearly took a game off Brisbane in 2020. You lose Higgins, Atley, and Dumont from that side and that's basically it. I'd argue that Noble has had some games this year with better sides.

I'd love to hear how the "it's the players, not Noble" brigade can explain that one.

It's the lack of experience - we could use Higgins, Atley and Dumont at the moment. But right or wrong we wanted to promote the kids with ONE experienced player across each line. I seem remember most people supporting the delistings at the time. It was a high risk strategy and injuries haven't helped.

 

[The acurate one]

We did offer Atley a rookie list spot but he turned it down .

 

[shintemaster]

We did offer Atley a rookie list spot but he turned it down .

Fair enough too. For all the s**t he copped he's better, faster and made less mistakes than a half dozen players we're going with as of this round. Plus he didn't hurt himself putting his slippers on each day.

 

[ferball]

I don’t rate Noble as he’s only 31 games into his coaching career.
Reason being is that last year the list had youth and some good senior players and we saw some good performances round 9 onwards.

Now that we’ve gutted the list further and lost Cunnington to illness it just shows how we are nowhere near AFL quality.
The list is f’ed but their fitness levels and general development shouldn’t be.
None of our draftees go on to resemble AFL level footballers. Why??
That’s Nobles first problem to unearth.

We sacked then rebuilt the fitness department over the pre season. SO that is a start.

Alot of the trouble with this situation is that it takes more than a short time to fix it and we've only been doing it a short time.

 

[Kanga Glory]

 

[RooBoyz24]

I think we have to stick with Noble as I think he can coach.We are into a massive rebuild and it does take time.Im not sure who listened to SEN during the week but Luke Hodge was on with Gerrard and he explained what the Hawks went through in 2005.He did some research and we are tracking like the Hawks.
He explained that year 2 was the hardest.Lets all remover this we have had 3 coaches in 3 years. Brad Scott/Rhys Shaw/ and Noble.
A lot of change has happened and we need to see this through.
Use the draft and get good picks and this year build our defence.
I know we are in doom and gloom but reminder 1 thing we are Shinboners and we keep fighting.

 

[The acurate one]

Well I think he's going ok tbh.

We've a very sub AFL standard side on the park currently. I don't believe he's lost the playing group well from what I've heard.

As much as it sucks to lose every week, it doesn't suck more than a fist pumping after another irrelevant victory over a side going nowhere. Thus having us finishing ninth and all as we had achieved was putting another year on one of our few decent footballers. That eventually bites you square on the arse- oh it has.

We're a grand chance of the wooden spoon again this year and a PP which we will receive. Curtis, CCJ, JHF is a bloody good development year. Wil Phillips will make it, I'm actually a little surprised by peeps view on him tbh. He'll be an accumulator which from memory is what we all want.

Perez getting game under his belt is also wonderful for us. He's played nine games of AFL, I sometimes think we forget that.

Let's hope Charlie is next cab of the rank, I think he'll make a huge difference. Not in the W/L column, well not until 2024 anyways.

Imagine if we had Cunners, Hall, Polec yes he'd get a game currently if fit, then of course currently no McKay, JHF, Simpkin, Bonar, Phillips and Greenwood.

I honestly believe all nine of those would get a game if fit. s**t there's only 18 on the field at any one stage.

Anyways, maybe Noble will cop it in the neck but I am sure at some point peeps will look back nod and appreciate what he did for the team.

Oh at it was 100% the correct decision to get rid of everyone we did, we're now going somewhere. Maybe it is in reverse, but yeah sometimes you need a 3 point turn to get back on track.

 

[the big lebowski]

Well I think he's going ok tbh.

We've a very sub AFL standard side on the park currently. I don't believe he's lost the playing group well from what I've heard.

As much as it sucks to lose every week, it doesn't suck more than a fist pumping after another irrelevant victory over a side going nowhere. Thus having us finishing ninth and all as we had achieved was putting another year on one of our few decent footballers. That eventually bites you square on the arse- oh it has.

We're a grand chance of the wooden spoon again this year and a PP which we will receive. Curtis, CCJ, JHF is a bloody good development year. Wil Phillips will make it, I'm actually a little surprised by peeps view on him tbh. He'll be an accumulator which from memory is what we all want.

Perez getting game under his belt is also wonderful for us. He's played nine games of AFL, I sometimes think we forget that.

Let's hope Charlie is next cab of the rank, I think he'll make a huge difference. Not in the W/L column, well not until 2024 anyways.

Imagine if we had Cunners, Hall, Polec yes he'd get a game currently if fit, then of course currently no McKay, JHF, Simpkin, Bonar, Phillips and Greenwood.

I honestly believe all nine of those would get a game if fit. s**t there's only 18 on the field at any one stage.

Anyways, maybe Noble will cop it in the neck but I am sure at some point peeps will look back nod and appreciate what he did for the team.

Oh at it was 100% the correct decision to get rid of everyone we did, we're now going somewhere. Maybe it is in reverse, but yeah sometimes you need a 3 point turn to get back on track.

My issue is this, what benefit are we getting for the future at present.

Being destroyed every week at near record levels offers nothing for the future. We’ve shown we are completely incapable of implementing what noble wants the players to do. Ok, change it up for the short term until we are in a position to implement something more fancy.

From yesterday

Walker - not part of future
Turner - not part of future
Ziebell- not part of future
Anderson - not part of future
McDonald - given how far off it we are not part of future
Corr - given how far off it we are not part of future
Goldy - not part of future

That’s a third of the team there. Then add

Atu - likely delisted at end of year
Mahoney - unlikely to become an afl footballer
Young - unlikely to become an afl footballer
Perez - plenty of time on side but jury still out
CCJ - plenty of time on side but jury still out
Taylor - plenty of time on side but jury still out

So now we are 13 of 22 players from yesterday that are either not part of the future team in 5 years due to age, or have not shown that they are good enough to be. You could argue there are a few more in this category.

So therefore, why use a game plan that we can’t do, emphasises our truly terrible skill level, and isn’t even helping us score anyway, all the while 13 of the 22 players “learning” this inappropriate game plan probably won’t be at north in 2-3 years?

An alternative game plan, park the bus, make it as hard as possible for the opposition to score, and teach the players how to defend at the very least.

Right now, it appears no one is learning anything that will help us in the future.

IMO

 

[gerry101101]

I think the issue is predominantly cattle at the moment. The best coach in the world couldn’t transform who we have available in the backline ATM (and what they are facing in terms of the ease or opposition entries) to a well functioning unit. Until we plug a few more holes with drafting and trades, and the promising youth get another year or two in the gym, it’s really difficult to judge the coach. He might turn out to be a lemon, or he might turn out to be the way forward we need. It’s our list and prior coaching management that has got us into this position. I think many voices on this site wanted a full rebuild and we’ve got it - for right or wrong. We most probably over-egged it, but here we are. I don’t think the current situation is on the coach’s though. With better list management over the next 18 months, we’ll be in a better position to judge Noble.

I know plenty will disagree. That’s fine: but I do think the “he’s sh&t and if we swop in coach X it will make a huge difference” approach is way too simplistic and ignores the likelihood that constant coaching instability very likely has its own adverse impact on young players. I hate to say it, but it’s where we are - we need to ride it out.

 

[Mixed Results]

It's the lack of experience - we could use Higgins, Atley and Dumont at the moment. But right or wrong we wanted to promote the kids with ONE experienced player across each line. I seem remember most people supporting the delistings at the time. It was a high risk strategy and injuries haven't helped.

Look I'm sorry but the leadership of Shaun Atley, Shaun Higgins and Trent Dumont isn't contributing to a 107 point turnaround when you compare that one-point loss to Brisbane to the 108 point loss that we had this year.

It's also ignoring veterans like Hall, Corr, Greenwood, and our captain Jack Ziebell who played in the 108 point loss, but not the 1 point loss.

Rounds 1, 2 and 4 were acceptable. The end of last year was acceptable. That stretch was more or less with the exact same list. Something has happened to cause the wheels to fall off and I can't understand this board's compulsion to brush it off in defence of David Noble.

 

[Roosurgence]

He really needs to focus more on defence as its a shambles ar present.

He is focusing on defence. He focuses on putting every s**t disposer of the footy we have into this part of the ground.

To make it worse, nine of these players are any good at defending either.

Now he doesn’t have a lot of choice, but even someone on the couch could see that throwing McDonald and Thomas to defence would instantly make us a better side.

McDonald looked a million bucks as an interceptor in Round 1, but has now been moved out of there to accomodate a potato like Young.

 

[Roosurgence]

Look I'm sorry but the leadership of Shaun Atley, Shaun Higgins and Trent Dumont isn't contributing to a 107 point turnaround when you compare that one-point loss to Brisbane to the 108 point loss that we had this year.

It's also ignoring veterans like Hall, Corr, Greenwood, and our captain Jack Ziebell who played in the 108 point loss, but not the 1 point loss.

Rounds 1, 2 and 4 were acceptable. The end of last year was acceptable. That stretch was more or less with the exact same list. Something has happened to cause the wheels to fall off and I can't understand this board's compulsion to brush it off in defence of David Noble.

What you are ignoring is that having players like Dumont, Atley and Higgins means you are not playing Atu, Young and Mahoney. That instantly improves the team and those around them.

There is no point gutting a list and replacing with players of the calibre of Young, Atu and Mahoney. That’s not rebuilding, it’s just throwing more turds on the pile.

 

[blackshadow]

Well I think he's going ok tbh.

We've a very sub AFL standard side on the park currently. I don't believe he's lost the playing group well from what I've heard.

As much as it sucks to lose every week, it doesn't suck more than a fist pumping after another irrelevant victory over a side going nowhere. Thus having us finishing ninth and all as we had achieved was putting another year on one of our few decent footballers. That eventually bites you square on the arse- oh it has.

We're a grand chance of the wooden spoon again this year and a PP which we will receive. Curtis, CCJ, JHF is a bloody good development year. Wil Phillips will make it, I'm actually a little surprised by peeps view on him tbh. He'll be an accumulator which from memory is what we all want.

Perez getting game under his belt is also wonderful for us. He's played nine games of AFL, I sometimes think we forget that.

Let's hope Charlie is next cab of the rank, I think he'll make a huge difference. Not in the W/L column, well not until 2024 anyways.

Imagine if we had Cunners, Hall, Polec yes he'd get a game currently if fit, then of course currently no McKay, JHF, Simpkin, Bonar, Phillips and Greenwood.

I honestly believe all nine of those would get a game if fit. s**t there's only 18 on the field at any one stage.

Anyways, maybe Noble will cop it in the neck but I am sure at some point peeps will look back nod and appreciate what he did for the team.

Oh at it was 100% the correct decision to get rid of everyone we did, we're now going somewhere. Maybe it is in reverse, but yeah sometimes you need a 3 point turn to get back on track.

Pretty much exactly as I see it

 

[Mixed Results]

What you are ignoring is that having players like Dumont, Atley and Higgins means you are not playing Atu, Young and Mahoney. That instantly improves the team and those around them.

There is no point gutting a list and replacing with players of the calibre of Young, Atu and Mahoney. That’s not rebuilding, it’s just throwing more turds on the pile.

People are also ignoring the other side of it. Lachie Hosie, Tom Murphy, Sam Durdin, Ed Vickers-Willis and Will Walker played in that game. A younger less experienced Mahony played in that game. Due to desperation we played Tristan Xerri, who clearly was not yet ready for AFL football.

The side we named against Brisbane this year was stronger. Nobody cares about that fact. David Noble is perfect. How could we possibly have gone backwards due to coaching?

 

[Mordecai]

As much as it sucks to lose every week, it doesn't suck more than a fist pumping after another irrelevant victory over a side going nowhere. Thus having us finishing ninth and all as we had achieved was putting another year on one of our few decent footballers. That eventually bites you square on the arse- oh it has.

Admire your optimism but feel there is a space between being very poor and 9th. I feel like the Hawks show a good template for a rebuild. There's still hope following them but at the end of the day they will finish bottom 4.

 

[LB2Snake]

Mentioned this in the autopsy thread, but Noble’s not being given any credit for his “Courtesy Switch” in the defence. No other team in the comp is being as polite as we are and using the switch to actually slow the play, thus allowing the opposition to set up their team defence. Unbelievably generous by us, we don’t get enough kudos.

What’s next I wonder......could Nobles be devising a way to use the dissent rule to gift the opposition ground space. This is a new type of football thinking, can’t wait to see it pan out.

I wait excitingly for next week, what cunning plan does Nobles have in store for the GoDees?

 

[Psicosis]

My issue is this, what benefit are we getting for the future at present.

Being destroyed every week at near record levels offers nothing for the future. We’ve shown we are completely incapable of implementing what noble wants the players to do. Ok, change it up for the short term until we are in a position to implement something more fancy.

From yesterday

Walker - not part of future
Turner - not part of future
Ziebell- not part of future
Anderson - not part of future
McDonald - given how far off it we are not part of future
Corr - given how far off it we are not part of future
Goldy - not part of future

That’s a third of the team there. Then add

Atu - likely delisted at end of year
Mahoney - unlikely to become an afl footballer
Young - unlikely to become an afl footballer
Perez - plenty of time on side but jury still out
CCJ - plenty of time on side but jury still out
Taylor - plenty of time on side but jury still out

So now we are 13 of 22 players from yesterday that are either not part of the future team in 5 years due to age, or have not shown that they are good enough to be. You could argue there are a few more in this category.

So therefore, why use a game plan that we can’t do, emphasises our truly terrible skill level, and isn’t even helping us score anyway, all the while 13 of the 22 players “learning” this inappropriate game plan probably won’t be at north in 2-3 years?

An alternative game plan, park the bus, make it as hard as possible for the opposition to score, and teach the players how to defend at the very least.

Right now, it appears no one is learning anything that will help us in the future.

IMO

Mahony, Perez, CCJ & CT may not be future AA’s, but they’re certainly part of the clubs future, and will be at North in 2-3 years.