Autopsy Autopsy against Cats - 15 straight

[Spud11]

It’s the hope that gets you, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt any halfway through a game at the spiritual home of entitlement.

So… there’s that.

The obvious points have already been made: there needs to be genuine change at the selection table. The midfield cupboard (Wardlaw aside) looks pretty bare, which is concerning given how this list has been built. And the less said about our key back stocks, the better.

We are better than last season, but that just means we’ve gone from generationally bad to your standard issue crap. And it’s largely down to the usual repeat offenders.

The wheel is turning, despite some of our decision-makers doing their best to jam a stick in the spokes.

After the last quarter and a half, I don’t know if the wheel is actually turning anymore.

Today was such an abject failure that started at the selection table this week. The worst thing is we know how it’s going to play out.

We’re not a serious footy club.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Powell, Dovaston, Spargo and Blamires weren’t good enough for us today, unfortunately.

Harsh on Blamires. I only saw one bad error from him.

Mitch Edwards, Brad Close, and Jack Bowes hardly played well today either.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

It’s the hope that gets you, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt any halfway through a game at the spiritual home of entitlement.

So… there’s that.

The obvious points have already been made: there needs to be genuine change at the selection table. The midfield cupboard (Wardlaw aside) looks pretty bare, which is concerning given how this list has been built. And the less said about our key back stocks, the better.

We are better than last season, but that just means we’ve gone from generationally bad to your standard issue crap. And it’s largely down to the usual repeat offenders.

The wheel is turning, despite some of our decision-makers doing their best to jam a stick in the spokes.

Improvement is irrelevant when it’s so incremental.

 

[Disco Dew]

This team has to grow a pair at some stage

As Dimma would say, they need to grow the **** up.

 

[Zondor]

Ah jaysus, Hilly, what gives, seriously? We gave our all today. We’re back.

What? We lost by 49 points. The truth was staring you in the face today yet yah just don’t want to see it. :stern look

 

[Spud11]

I’ve enjoyed the last month but that last quarter and a half has me genuinely back to square one with this mob.

 

[Caracas]

After the last quarter and a half, I don’t know if the wheel is actually turning anymore.

Today was such an abject failure that started at the selection table this week. The worst thing is we know how it’s going to play out.

We’re not a serious footy club.

I can’t agree with you there, Spud. What is a serious football club anyway? Of course we are. We’ve got Harry, LDU, Curtis, FOS and Larkey.

 

[Skarrz]

At some point these guys need to grab the game by the ball, want to win and beat a team they shouldnt

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I’ve enjoyed the last month but that last quarter and a half has me genuinely back to square one with this mob.

The fact they couldn’t get over the line last week was a warning.

This is confirmation.

Next week will it’ll be in concrete.

 

[Zondor]

Nah I’ll disagree there, our pressure and effort around the stoppages was really bloody good for the first 3QT.

They found another gear with their run and transition and took it away from us. Good teams capitalise on momentum, which is something we are still learning.

We had chances to kick runs of 3-5 goals in a row but failed to capitalise with dogshit inside 50’s or piss poor turnovers.

But that is the issue. We aren’t an overly skilful side. :stern look

 

[Waynesworld]

It’s the hope that gets you, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt any halfway through a game at the spiritual home of entitlement.

So… there’s that.

The obvious points have already been made: there needs to be genuine change at the selection table. The midfield cupboard (Wardlaw aside) looks pretty bare, which is concerning given how this list has been built. And the less said about our key back stocks, the better.

We are better than last season, but that just means we’ve gone from generationally bad to your standard issue crap. And it’s largely down to the usual repeat offenders.

The wheel is turning, despite some of our decision-makers doing their best to jam a stick in the spokes.

I just hope that they haven’t put some old footy cards in the spokes to make it sound like we are better than we actually are.

 

[Ischenko]

I agree. We are well overdue a surprise win. Do the players believe they can win? That's my biggest concern.

Some do. Poor Harry has to take a clutch shot nearly every week and he’s nailed a few. Some do but over-estimate their ability. Luke, Logue etc. Positive is it feels like we are building a team that can challenge anyone if they all play their role.
Need to weed out those who can’t.

 

[r_boy]

Not playing with much focus sometimes. Just looked like going through the motions.

Also the way we enter our forward line has got to improve

 

[roos_fanatic08]

But that is the issue. We aren’t an overly skilful side. :stern look

We have guys who are more than capable of being skillful (Sheez,LDU, Kerch, Powell, Curtis etc) but getting them to do it with any sort
Of consistency remains an issue.

Biggest issue is D50, outside of Parker, the rest can’t kick nor defend.

 

[Ura]

We finished 3rd bottom last year and versed arguably the most well drilled side in the AFL on their home deck off a loss.

We competed really well at stages and put ourselves in with good opportunities through out the game.

We clearly aren’t competing for top 6 yet but anyone who thought that was mad, we also have taken giant leaps this year.

Positive- we started really poorly for the first 15 mins but were able to dig in and change momentum. There were passages where we looked good.

Negative- really poor last 5 mins of the third. First game we dropped our heads and genuinely looked out on our feet. I think generally we have run games out well but not this game.

Improvement will come when we can have alittle more polish transitioning into f50. We are getting the play and pressure but are struggling to make our opponents hurt from it. If we had been nailing that today we honestly could have won

 

[Spud11]

I can’t agree with you there, Spud. What is a serious football club anyway? Of course we are. We’ve got Harry, LDU, Curtis, FOS and Larkey.

I just don’t see us as serious until we take an actual, respectable scalp. When do we ever come out of the blocks and come up with a rousing victory against the grain?
Last year we had Melbourne and to a lesser extent Carlton. This year.. maybe Port? Carlton game ending was great and we did what we had to against Richmond.
But from that foundation, I wanted to see the game that showed the world (and us) that we’d arrived. We had our chances against GWS. We could’ve done so much better today.
Bitterly disappointed.
Our best footy is good enough but it’s completely cancelled out by the same spuds.

That starts with our selection policy.

 

[footy2016]

The result perfectly sums up where we are at if being honest. Improved from last year, however still a fair way off the better teams.

The first 8 weeks has been built off pressure and forcing forward half turnover. Against GWS last week and for 2.5 Quarters it looks great, however as soon as the pressure dips we get scored against far too easily as we don’t have an adequate defensive system and the back 7 balance is a mile away from being AFL standard.

In order to climb the ladder, we are going to have to find a back 7 balance that works defensively and offensively and we are going to need our half forwards to be able to defend rebound 50 transition. As the season goes on, you cannot solely rely on pressure to be your one wood.

Whether you are glass half full or glass half empty, we will know which one is correct after Sydney, Adelaide and then Gold Coast.

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

Why were we all extra fumbly and terrible is disposal today? It was across the board. No one was clean. No one seemed to be able to hit their kicks or handballs. Yes I get the cats bought good pressure but even out in the clear we made terrible mistakes. Curtis for 1 just was couldn’t pick the ball up

 

[ferball]

I had to leave 10 minutes before the end for my own safety and the safety of others probably the most disappointing quarter of football by North that it has been my misfortune to witness (and I’ve seen some pretty bad quarters of footy)

I’ve tried really hard to get onboard the ‘we’re heading in the right direction train’ but now I just don’t know. An awful awful display. Who do we blame? I’m going with the cattle, too many have been on the list for too long now without turning the corner. Just cull cull cull at the end of the season and go into serious debt to buy the best free agent talent that we can get.

I’m honestly at the lowest level I’ve ever been with this club and don’t know if I can bring myself to watch another match let alone attend in person

Chin up mate.

 

[NMFC49]

What? We lost by 49 points. The truth was staring you in the face today yet yah just don’t want to see it. :stern look

Suggest a few on here tonight might be 'two sheets to the wind'. Reminder, we always knew the four week ahead was going to be very difficult. We were in the game for three quarters and ran ourselves into the ground. Geelong was embarrassed last week, it was always going to be a big comeback at Geelong. That said, there were senior players that fell apart in the last quarter and they should be under the heat as omissions for next week.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Positives:
Jy, Chom, X, LDU, Sheeze, Daniel Stephens, Blamires, Duursma, FOS

The mediocre:
McDonald, Dovaston, Kerch, Logue, Darling, Curtis, Zurhaar, Parker, Trembath(great in ruck), Spargo

Negatives:
Powell, Corr

We need to do hours of training so that our players can handball over the top of witch’s hats: I can’t remember so many hand passes not clearing the defender…we f*cked our chances with dumb play and poor execution.

 

[Bowski]

I just hope that they haven’t put some old footy cards in the spokes to make it sound like we are better than we actually are.

Agreed.

We have some rolled gold turnips in the team, my only salve at the moment is the hope that they start actually being looked at by the 'Real Clarko' who is supposedly emerging.

Surely a blind eye can't keep being turned to the glaring issues while we shuffle Blamires, rookie no.1, and mature age 4/10 in and out of the team, the selection equivalent of putting lipstick on a pig.

 

[The Lone Latic]

Blamires kept Dempsey out of the game, aside from one mark and goal.

And yet he will probably be dropped whilst McDonald is retained so he can keel turning the ball over

 

[Zondor]

We have guys who are more than capable of being skillful (Sheez,LDU, Kerch, Powell, Curtis etc) but getting them to do it with any sort
Of consistency remains an issue.

Biggest issue is D50, outside of Parker, the rest can’t kick nor defend.

Mate LDU’s kicks inside 50 have been ordinary for ever. Sheezel lacks zip or velocity or penetration in his kicking. Kerch is very hit or miss. Curtis suffers from trying the impossible when the possible is an option. We have issues. We aren’t an overly skilful side and it’s been like that for a long time. It is why we suck at kicking goals with fluent movement of the footy. :stern look

As for the D50 Rawling is to blame. His list build is for the tip. Comben had to be turned into a defender. Parker now playing back. Shit even Zurhaar. Recruit a 4 foot nothing midget that can’t defend. And Coor, Logue and Pink are very substandard key talls. :stern look

 

[ferball]

Why were we all extra fumbly and terrible is disposal today? It was across the board. No one was clean. No one seemed to be able to hit their kicks or handballs. Yes I get the cats bought good pressure but even out in the clear we made terrible mistakes. Curtis for 1 just was couldn’t pick the ball up

Until that last shit bit (and for the first ten minutes,) both sides were poor skill wise. I think it had something to do with the pressure from both sides.