Player Watch #32: Mason Wood -

DunderHead

Club Legend
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Posts
2,041
Likes
1,201
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Wood showed some really great signs last season but its not like he dominated any games - even if it felt like he was on the verge of doing so. People need to chill a bit or they are going to get disappointed.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Firestarter

Premium Platinum
Joined
Feb 19, 2016
Posts
20,615
Likes
24,792
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Wood showed some really great signs last season but its not like he dominated any games - even if it felt like he was on the verge of doing so. People need to chill a bit or they are going to get disappointed.
After a year of general negativity I don't see why being positive (or hopeful) is supposed to be bad.
 
Joined
Jun 27, 2013
Posts
8,418
Likes
13,425
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Who in here is comparing Wood with the Duck. Bloody outrageous.
It was more regarding that ball gather & handball from Wood. It did have a bit of Carey about it, but as someone has already pointed out, Carey did that stuff multiple times in most games.

Edit: Carey made stuff like that look so easy that people wouldn't even mention it.
 

toepoker

Team Captain
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Posts
572
Likes
1,038
Location
Temora
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Wood showed some really great signs last season but its not like he dominated any games - even if it felt like he was on the verge of doing so. People need to chill a bit or they are going to get disappointed.
Hawthorn game felt like his breakout to me. That gather/handball was the next week v Adelaide, and he was done for the year the next game v West Coast. He was definitely on an upwards trajectory at the time he was injured, hence the optimism.
 

Valian

Team Captain
Joined
Aug 27, 2008
Posts
553
Likes
420
Location
Braidwood
AFL Club
North Melbourne
People forget how good Carey was if they think Wood is going to be anything near him. How old is Wood? Pretty sure by his age Carey was Captain and in the top 5 players in the comp. That comp included Dunstal, Lockett, Ablett, R.Harvey, Kernahan etc.

Wood looks the goods but Carey was incredible.
Aint that the truth, Carey has been called the best ever, & those who dont think he's #1 have him in the top 3 at least of all time. I dont think we will see a player like him again , players dont play like that any more, they wouldnt be allowed. Its too easy to do major damage when you went in like Carey did, & as good as he was, he did do himself some damage & his game had to change because of it, but he was still dominant but definately faded after 99, 2000.

If Wood is half as good as Carey , we will have done well, IMO
 
Joined
Jun 27, 2013
Posts
8,418
Likes
13,425
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Aint that the truth, Carey has been called the best ever, & those who dont think he's #1 have him in the top 3 at least of all time. I dont think we will see a player like him again , players dont play like that any more, they wouldnt be allowed. Its too easy to do major damage when you went in like Carey did, & as good as he was, he did do himself some damage & his game had to change because of it, but he was still dominant but definately faded after 99, 2000.

If Wood is half as good as Carey , we will have done well, IMO
This. His ability to play through injury & adapt after his shoulders were knackerd was amazing.

I think playing well through niggling injury is the difference between a good player and a great player.
 

spurs

Premiership Player
Joined
Sep 2, 2003
Posts
4,873
Likes
762
Location
Perth
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
THFC, Claremont Tigers
[QUOTE="Donkey Chop, post: 47764186, member: 144387"
I think playing well through niggling injury is the difference between a good player and a great player.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like Daniel Wells
 
Joined
Jun 27, 2013
Posts
8,418
Likes
13,425
AFL Club
North Melbourne
[QUOTE="Donkey Chop, post: 47764186, member: 144387"
I think playing well through niggling injury is the difference between a good player and a great player.
Sounds like Daniel Wells[/QUOTE]

There's a lot of players that fall into that category.

Look at Boomer. I know he wasn't an in&under type but I bet he's played through a lot of niggles over the years.

It's a fine line though because some injuries only get worse.
 
Joined
Aug 17, 2009
Posts
853
Likes
1,804
Location
Around
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Depends on the injury. A bad shoulder, hand, elbow or degenerative knee might be ok to play through pain wise. However, you can't really 'play through' a soft tissue injury as such.
Carey was mainly shoulders he played though yeah? Don't think boomer ever had a soft tissue injury. Amazing.
 
Joined
Jun 27, 2013
Posts
8,418
Likes
13,425
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Depends on the injury. A bad shoulder, hand, elbow or degenerative knee might be ok to play through pain wise. However, you can't really 'play through' a soft tissue injury as such.
Carey was mainly shoulders he played though yeah? Don't think boomer ever had a soft tissue injury. Amazing.
Yeah spot on. Can't play through a hammy.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

DunderHead

Club Legend
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Posts
2,041
Likes
1,201
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
After a year of general negativity I don't see why being positive (or hopeful) is supposed to be bad.
I never said it was bad. I said people need manage their expectations or they are going to be disappointed.

How quickly do BF people turn on our players? If Wood plays every game next year then that in itself will be a bit of a win.
 

Rooboys Rool

All Australian
Joined
Jan 25, 2016
Posts
843
Likes
2,232
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Let's pray he doesn't do an Aaron Black Airbus number, I recall people jumping all over that one...
The difference is Wood can find the pill. Black was always limited in that regard. Even at VFL level he would kick 4 goals from 9 touches. Wood regularly gets 20+ possies and thus has a much better base to build from.
 

Shagga is all Class

Premiership Player
Joined
May 15, 2005
Posts
3,325
Likes
3,205
Location
Beneath the Blue and White
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
NMFC
The difference is Wood can find the pill. Black was always limited in that regard. Even at VFL level he would kick 4 goals from 9 touches. Wood regularly gets 20+ possies and thus has a much better base to build from.
As much as it pains me, the comparison is much closer to Riewoldt.

Wood was actually playing as a mid briefly one year on the Selwood types and looks to be the type that will keep the possession chains going one way or the other in addition to reading the play as a mark, kick, goal forward.
 
Joined
Nov 21, 2016
Posts
865
Likes
1,100
AFL Club
North Melbourne
So the same posters who aggressively criticise anyone who dares to have a negative opinion of a North player........

........now criticise anyone who have a positive view of a young player as being too excited.

Quite incredible really.
 

DunderHead

Club Legend
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Posts
2,041
Likes
1,201
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
So the same posters who aggressively criticise anyone who dares to have a negative opinion of a North player........

........now criticise anyone who have a positive view of a young player as being too excited.

Quite incredible really.
Lol. sure.

You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose.

I hate it when guys get undue critism. I s'pose im just saying measure your expectations because he's young and he hasnt made it yet. That way we can all get excited when it happens.
 
Last edited:

giantroo

Bleeding Blue and White
Joined
Sep 23, 2005
Posts
58,275
Likes
92,135
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Arsenal, Chicago Bulls
Mason Wood is thankful for North Melbourne’s leap of faith in him

REBECCA WILLIAMS, Herald Sun
December 3, 2016 4:00pm


FORWARD Mason Wood says he is determined to repay North Melbourne’s long-term investment in him as he steps up his comeback from knee surgery.

The exciting young goalkicker this year signed four-year deal — tying him to North until the end of the 2020 season — after just 16 games.

But his 2016 campaign was cut short after eight matches when he damaged his medial ligament in North’s Round 16 loss to West Coast.

Now well advanced in his recovery, Wood, 23, is focused on stepping up his game next year and delivering a return for the Kangaroos.

“I guess it is surprising to say that after 16 games that it warrants four years, but that was something me and my manager really pushed for,’’ Wood said.

“So it was amazing to get the backing of the club at the same time to say, ‘Yeah, we’re going to put our faith in you for the next four years’, so hopefully I can repay that faith.


Mason Wood is training freely after recovering from knee surgery. Picture: Michael Klein

“Looking forward, it gives me four years to really dig in and create that spot in the forward line with a few of the other boys ... hopefully it’s longer than four years, but I’ve got four years under my belt.

“With the deal, it’s just expectations on myself more than anything. You have high expectations on yourself and it’s going to set you up for as good as performance as possible.

“I’m ready and raring to go in year one.’’

Wood and North’s first to fourth-year players this week returned from a high-altitude training camp in Utah and he said he felt as fitter than ever at the start of a pre-season.

It has been a trouble-free recovery from what was described as a “freak tackle incident’’.

“I have been itching to get back forever,” he said.

“I had a really good off-season and all that stuff. I guess I was sort of refreshed and ready to go by the end of the season after missing 10 or something weeks before the season was out, so I was ready to go.

“There have been no hiccups so it feels really, really good. Taping is probably the only difference that there’s going to be for the next couple of months.

“I haven’t noticed it at training. It hasn’t held me back and it’s not going to.’’

Following the departure of Drew Petrie, a long-term key-position fixture in North’s forward line, the 192cm Wood sees more opportunity to make his mark.

He said his running capacity and ability to play either tall or small were strengths on which he wanted to capitalise.

“It’s going to be really interesting coming into the NAB Cup to see how they want to structure the forward line,’’ Wood said.

“But the way I see it is there are a lot of blokes going for a few positions, which is the same as every other year, so you have got to make sure you are at the top of that list and be ready to be picked.

“I guess I am a little bit different to the other forwards that we have got here ... let’s say my running capacity is as good as anyone at the club and I can play a little bit taller or smaller and really just mix up that dynamic whatever way they want to go with that forward line.

“So it will be a few things that I need to work on — contested marking and that kind of thing — to make sure that I can play that taller role as well. But I guess having that ability to go either way is hopefully something that Scotty (coach Brad Scott) holds in high esteem because I think that’s my point of difference.’’
 
Top Bottom