Remove this Banner Ad

Analysis Leadership, where is it?

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Well, with [PLAYERCARD]Jack Ziebell[/PLAYERCARD] on SEN after the 11.30am news and Whately saying “submit your questions for the North captain” I hope to hear many of the concerns raised on our BF board in recent days submitted and responded to.

Text: 0433981116

Phone: 03 8825 6681

Have at it! [emoji109]
 
I sent a text in. Reception is shit so I dunno if it will even get there.... Good, it sent.

Starts with the words "What's going on Jack." Ends with "Players playing lazy, pea hearted football. You're the captain what are you gonna do about it."

I'm not listening but let me know if that question gets asked. Its a bit of a spray so they'll probably ignore it.
 
I sent a text in. Reception is shit so I dunno if it will even get there.... Good, it sent.

Starts with the words "What's going on Jack." Ends with "Players playing lazy, pea hearted football. You're the captain what are you gonna do about it."

I'm not listening but let me know if that question gets asked. Its a bit of a spray so they'll probably ignore it.
Nice. I'm a bit of a shit or get off the toilet kind of person with this stuff. Two options:

  • It's Noble and his system and they don't rate it. Fine, you want to have a mutiny go ahead and do it, get the players on board and prove that you can deliver when the plan is thrown in the tip.
  • It's the (senior - 23+) players who simply aren't capable of delivering consistent effort, in which case continue as you are and see how many of you survive list cull year 3.
 
I sent a text in. Reception is shit so I dunno if it will even get there.... Good, it sent.

Starts with the words "What's going on Jack." Ends with "Players playing lazy, pea hearted football. You're the captain what are you gonna do about it."

I'm not listening but let me know if that question gets asked. Its a bit of a spray so they'll probably ignore it.

It sounded like Whately had read through texts and summarised them with his questions, rather than read them out directly on air.
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

It wasn't really any different to anything than we are saying here. We don't run for each other, in offense or defense, we don't shepherd, we don't fight for the ball enough.
 
Nine years since my original post and we've gone backwards.

For some reason we just haven't valued leadership and football IQ as important when drafting players and we're paying a very heavy price for it.

Thankfully the likes of Phillips, Sheezel, Wardlaw and LDU are showing they have one or both qualities.
 
Nine years since my original post and we've gone backwards.

For some reason we just haven't valued leadership and football IQ as important when drafting players and we're paying a very heavy price for it.

Thankfully the likes of Phillips, Sheezel, Wardlaw and LDU are showing they have one or both qualities.
Man what I’d give for a year like 2014!!
 
Nine years since my original post and we've gone backwards.

For some reason we just haven't valued leadership and football IQ as important when drafting players and we're paying a very heavy price for it.

Thankfully the likes of Phillips, Sheezel, Wardlaw and LDU are showing they have one or both qualities.
Firstly we didnt value having recruiters who knew what they were doing. With snoz and brown still on the scene i suspect we still don't.
 
Firstly we didnt value having recruiters who knew what they were doing. With snoz and brown still on the scene i suspect we still don't.

We put debt reduction before anything else. And tbh as pissed as we are currently, I understand the reasoning. But we could have bought the HS for $1.20 and drafted who they suggested we should.

Just sayin.

But yes Jy, Mgoo and McDonald, I still giggle at their leadership photo. Jy in the middle and Magoo on the left in the photo.
( yes - which left there's or ours, I get it :P)

1690872826889.png
 
Nine years since my original post and we've gone backwards.

For some reason we just haven't valued leadership and football IQ as important when drafting players and we're paying a very heavy price for it.

Thankfully the likes of Phillips, Sheezel, Wardlaw and LDU are showing they have one or both qualities.
Culture needs to be changed so lets see who is currently at the club and most likely staying to start this culture change...
Larkey, LDU, Goater, Bergman, Sheezel, Phillips, Greenwood, Archer, Scott, Harvey, Wardlaw, Comben, Shiel,(1 more year) Young, Corr, Drury, Logue, Tucker, Simpkin, Ford, George, HansenJr, Lazarro, Powell, Perez, Dawson, Mahoney

Unsure..Xerri, CCJ, McDonald, Curtis, Taylor, McKay

Goldy, Cunners, Bonar, Hall, Turner, Free, Edwards, Howe and Spicer l believe wont be playing next year.
,
No: Stephenson, TT,

Retired Ziebell..

Remember this is about changing the culture of the club not their abilities..
 
Confused Bill Oreilly GIF
 
Ten years on and we're worse than ever.

At least it looks like we have a couple of emerging leaders in Sheezel and Wardlaw.

It's the senior cohort of players that provides nothing in the leadership stakes.
 
Somewhere in the last few years our profile got flipped on its head.

Post Pagan era we were still lauded for punching above our weight, leadership, character. "Shinboner Spirit" etc.

Our list quality rose and fell but the clubs football culture was strong. Simpson made reference to it when he got the Hawthorn job, something along the lines of "having North Melbourne on your resume opened lots of doors".

There was respect for the club and its football, acknowledging the high output and strong culture in spite of resourcing issues.

I remember 00s footy analysis radio how Robert Scott noted the big difference in leadership at North from Geelong, who were hardly a mug side themselves in his time.

Now we struggle to find leaders who can really tick any box at all, excepting a 2nd year kid who should not be having to assert himself so early.

[PLAYERCARD]Andrew Swallow[/PLAYERCARD] was our last quality captain imo. Ziebell off field was class but his on field impact was too ineffective in his last few years.

Jy has attributes of a good captain but I wonder if the co-captaincy has diluted his ability to really feel the role.

Luke looks like a good off field leader and plays with courage but respectfully his contribution to us winning games is minimal.

2024 is set nothing, we can do about that. Next year my ideal scenario would be Jy captain with Larkey and Sheezel as joint VCs. I know there's romance around promoting Harry asap but it's too risky imo. Would entertain swapping Jy and Nick around.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Have to look externally at years end for any senior players who fit the bill. I love Larkey as a leader but I think being a Full Forward captain in a side who struggle to get the ball down there can nullify his influence.

I'd also be looking at Xerri who's physical presence is paving the way for the younger brigade.
 
For me it's the line leaders that are the big problem.

Jy is a good captain but he's currently not being able to influence the structure of the role he knows best.

Our top 4 midfield rotations are:

• LDU - has zero thought for leading that midfield and is focused on his own game

• Tom Powell - who understandably lets LDU do what he wants

• George Wardlaw - who is like 19 and just quietly tries to pick up the accountability of the other two.

• Charlie Lazzaro - is not a good or experienced enough midfielder to direct the other three, and is understandably kust focused on doing the little things right in his own game.

• [PLAYERCARD]Tristan Xerri[/PLAYERCARD] - physically leads by example but ruck and stoppage craft isn't his forte.

Jy gets in there for **** all time and his leadership when he does get in there is undermined by the club making it clear it's not his midfield.

Forwards - we pretty much have Larkey and that's it.

Backs - Sheezel and he's not a defender. LMac and Corr are loud but I'm not sure they understand setup that well either. Logue will be good when he gets back, he learnt off Pearce, but he'll be spending the rest of the year getting his touch back.

If anyone went to GMHBA Stadium the thing that stood out like dogs balls was the difference between the sides in voice and leadership on the field. Not just worrying about beating your man or getting a kick, but helping the team to set itself up to best win a stoppage, to best convert an inside 50, to best defend a turnover, etc.

Geelong have leaders everywhere. [PLAYERCARD]Chris Scott[/PLAYERCARD] has created a great culture there where they all take it on themselves to help lead their mates.

We've got none of that.
 
Larkey should be captain.
I think he’s the perfect choice for a year or two until Sheez/Wardlaw/Powell are ready to assume the mantle.

Two of those three should be VCs in 2025.
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Am I wrong in saying the whole T Thomas saga lacked strong leadership? Would've loved a strong leader (from the playing group) in the Carey mould to pull Taz aside and make it quite clear what was expected from him. The cuddling/nurturing approach worked about as well as a fishnet condom.

So many introverts at the club. Again, JHF & Harley Reid - both demonstrative aggressive men - they'd be nice to have at Arden St.

I'm starting to think the club is its own worst enemy. The kings of self-sabotage.
 
Jy and Luke are lost causes. Clarko should be and probably is developing the next batch of leaders. In the meantime Larkey to be captain next season for 3-4 years before Sheezel takes over. No need to burden and burn him at such a young age.
 
LDU lost his old man and most likely his biggest influence to cancer 3 years ago, and we have posters potting him for not leading the midfield...

I can tell you from experience, the only leadership I showed after losing my dad at 19 was how many shots I could down and what I could do to periodically **** my life up and the lives of those around me because I didn't know how to handle the astonishing amount of grief this event thrust upon me...

LDU will provide leadership in this team at some point, but it won't be until he is ready and at peace...

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
LDU lost his old man and most likely his biggest influence to cancer 3 years ago, and we have posters potting him for not leading the midfield...

I can tell you from experience, the only leadership I showed after losing my dad at 19 was how many shots I could down and what I could do to periodically * my life up and the lives of those around me because I didn't know how to handle the astonishing amount of grief this event thrust upon me...

LDU will provide leadership in this team at some point, but it won't be until he is ready and at peace...

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app
Exactly. Losing a parent young, especially one that’s influential or a sole parent is crippling, debilitating and takes its toll.

People should be commending him on keeping a level head through all of this.
 
Exactly. Losing a parent young, especially one that’s influential or a sole parent is crippling, debilitating and takes its toll.

People should be commending him on keeping a level head through all of this.

flipping oath.

I shudder to think how he feels when he's alone with his deepest thoughts. My old man will have been gone 30 years on Nov 28, and I still glaze up on occasions.

It's not easy, and it's the reason you'll never see me shit can LDU. No matter the facade, he's hurting.

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

Remove this Banner Ad

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top