Opposition Camp 2016 non-Geelong match and general football (Australian Rules) discussion

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North are a really professional side. They are going to make you beat them.

I would love to play them next week. It is almost like they are the measuring stick. They sit in that 3-5 bracket. If you are a Grand Final bound side, you will beat them by 3-4 goals, if you are bottom half of 8, they will beat you by the same margin.

I don't see how they can elevate themselves above that bracket with their best players being their oldest, but they are putting themselves in contention and occasionally sport throws up suprises. They will be in last 6 at least.
 

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romeohwho

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North would have been flogged if the Bulldogs had an effective forward structure. They were annihilated in contested ball and inside 50 entries. They were just far more efficient with the use that they had.
Can't agree with this assessment, and yet again shows the folly of just looking at the stats-watching the game, I never thought North looked like losing. I have no great liking for North but they are travelling all right and it wont be easy for us to knock them out of top 4 (and I see them as the one we have to knock out at this point because the interstate teams will grab the other spots). They have a good mix of age, experience, finals experience, talent and in this open year, they will see themselves as a great chance. I see them as a bit of a dark horse because people will dismiss them all year, but it wont surprise me if they are still right in the mix at the end. But quite happy to be proven wrong!
 
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you pick one

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I thought North with a couple of talls able to take a mark inside 50 was the point of difference last night,something the Cats need to address or they will suffer the same fate when they play North,Dogs had no one to go to all night except Stringer who was well held with North having a spare man down back,sound familiar.
 
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Frappe

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Wasn't a great game but both teams will know they can lock teams down when required. Especially Roos who are probably seen more as an attacking team whose defence doesn't stack up in finals.
 

winty

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I thought North with a couple of talls able to take a mark inside 50 was the point of difference last night,something the Cats need to address or they will suffer the same fate when they play North,Dogs had no one to go to all night except Stringer who was well held with North having a spare man down back,sound familiar.
We've got the tall defenders to cover Waite, Petrie and Brown though. Bulldogs didn't last night. We either break even or win in the middle, we'll beat North. I'm confident we've got them covered at both ends of the ground.
 

Cronin

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I thought North with a couple of talls able to take a mark inside 50 was the point of difference last night,something the Cats need to address or they will suffer the same fate when they play North,Dogs had no one to go to all night except Stringer who was well held with North having a spare man down back,sound familiar.
Lonergan, Taylor, Henderson will cover North's 3 tall forwards.

Down the other end we have Hawkins, Stanley, Smith, Kersten as marking options, as well as Vardy and Clark who could all be available for round 13 when we play them.

I don't think tall options will be an issue for us against North.
 

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BIGANT

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We've got the tall defenders to cover Waite, Petrie and Brown though. Bulldogs didn't last night. We either break even or win in the middle, we'll beat North. I'm confident we've got them covered at both ends of the ground.
Our fwds will have to dig a bit deeper vs them. We know that thompson will rag doll to mollest hawk, so if tom can get 2-4g from hard opportunities all good. Then it's upto the likes of menz and one of kirsten, McCarthy, lang, murdoch, gregson to up their load of scoreboard pressure to kick a winning score. Because we know that one or either of our onballers pd, js, jc and sm will be good for 1 or 2 goals
 

UnitedWarrior93

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Doggies will fall away a bit, the injuries to key players showed last night. They'll still play finals but not a contender yet. As for North, I can't rate them still, I don't think they're one of the top teams, despite sitting 6-0 and likely to be 9-0, I think they're this years Fremantle of last year, and will stumble come finals time when they face the music against quality opposition.
 
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Doggies will fall away a bit, the injuries to key players showed last night. They'll still play finals but not a contender yet. As for North, I can't rate them still, I don't think they're one of the top teams, despite sitting 6-0 and likely to be 9-0, I think they're this years Fremantle of last year, and will stumble come finals time when they face the music against quality opposition.
Well to be fair, they have played two consecutive prelims.
 

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It demonstrated to me that that there are three solid dependable teams (Sydney, Hawthorn and North), three flashy unpredictable teams (Adelaide, Western Bulldogs and WC) and one team that could be both (us).
Have North played against any genuine quality yet?

I'm not real taken with them
 
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Have North played against any genuine quality yet?

I'm not real taken with them
Adelaide are decent. Dees, injured Dogs, Fremantle, Suns and Lions.

Have St.K, Eesendon and Carlton on the horizon but the test will be after that. Sydney (A), Richmond, Geelong (A), Hawthorn, Adelaide (A), West Coast (A) all in a row. Tough stretch.
 

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IT seem most were unimpressed by North , while not overwhelmed I think they did what they had to do and exploited the Dogs weaknesses. They are structured for finals footy , have big bodies and will be a threat while they keep their best side out there. Dogs really failed under the pressure yet had enough chances to hurt both , so I can see the logic behind the disenchantment with them.
North against more experienced and more polished teams will be a better test.
 

Cataholic

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Adelaide are decent. Dees, injured Dogs, Fremantle, Suns and Lions.

Have St.K, Eesendon and Carlton on the horizon but the test will be after that. Sydney (A), Richmond, Geelong (A), Hawthorn, Adelaide (A), West Coast (A) all in a row. Tough stretch.
Yep, and I won't be convinced until I see them hold their own in that stretch
 
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IT seem most were unimpressed by North , while not overwhelmed I think they did what they had to do and exploited the Dogs weaknesses. They are structured for finals footy , have big bodies and will be a threat while they keep their best side out there. Dogs really failed under the pressure yet had enough chances to hurt both , so I can see the logic behind the disenchantment with them.
North against more experienced and more polished teams will be a better test.
Here's my concern, and note it's my first time watching north this year.

They are a touch slow. But they get away with a fair bit due to the experience they have on the ground.
Now, we all know that age isn't the be all, and end all.

But I'm worried they haven't developed a resting program.
With an easier start its crucial they capitalise. But they aren't about to start resting the older players when they hit the stretch nsfb has listed above.

So when do they give them a break?
They'll only get slower if they don't.
 

Cattery

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Adelaide are ok, but R1 results are sometimes a lottery.

Not much in the rest.

We'll find out if they're the real deal soon I guess
Should have said GC not Blues in that last match, still not a lot of quality whatever way you look at it, and with three more soft games coming up they should be nine zip by then, yet like you I still don't rate them very highly.
 
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