Apologies to CIK

[BUBBALOUIS]

Sorry Carey is King, preseason you posted a topic asking whether midfielders such as Crawford,Harford and Lord would be trade bait at the end of the season. I reacted rather childlessly and had a bit of a verbal with CIK, i have now calmed down and realised it was a reasonable question considering our midfield has had question marks over it in the last couple of seasons, and whilst its early days and 'the jury is still out' things are looking a bit more promising to start the season with the above mentioned showing some good signs as well as youngsters Clarke and Picione making some headway. So sorry CIK.
Now a question for you and North fans. In recent seasons Norths strength has been its key position players. Is this now the area you are struggling in and are good "bigs" harder to recruit than good "smalls"

This is your key position players:
Mick Martyn: A great competitor who is struggling with injury and is in the tail end of his career

Jason McArtney: Has played a couple of good years without dominating the CHB position

Wayne Carey: Champion, who has turned 30 and is starting to show signs of wear

Sav Rocca: Not seen as good enough at Collingwood, might be handy without being a matchwinner

Colbert: Yet to show any signs of getting over severe Knee injuries, has 'potential' but is he worth the hefty salary? and the draft picks given up, used for Spriggs, Mooney and three other promising youngsters

McKernan: Mmajor disappointment, definitetrade bait

Spider Burton: DUD

Will these players need to be replaced or reinvented during the season? Aserious question before i get howled down

 

[Darky]

Fair comments on most of those Bubba, but there should be no question marks over McCartney. Has been a great player for us both at CHB and filling in at FB when Martyn has been injured.
Similar to Ian Fairley before him, Macca has managed to make the position his own by beating or restricting his opponent most weeks, while not being flashy in any way.
He is a magnificent kick and a strong mark - his weakness would have been his temperament but he seems to have settled down after a couple of indiscretions in his first couple of years at the club.

Martyn's successor may come from Shannon Watt or (rookie-list player) Mark Hilton, but they are largely unproven as yet. Watt will probably get a guaranteed full season in the seniors, with a view to fast-tracking him as a replacement for Martyn. Lange is probably too short and too slow to be anything other than a spare parts man. Maybe we can turn him into a poor man's Archer, as he is too good a player not to make it.

 

[choppy]

Agree that Burton is a dud and should a-holed ASAP.

Agree with Darky's sentiment on McCartney, Colbert will be good, Rocca will be servicable, Carey will drift down to a forward pocket and Watt is being groomed to replave Martyn.

Most North supporters are reasonably confident that some of our younger big guys such as Smith, Watt, Petrie, Jones will complement the new smalls such as Harris, Smith and Motlop.

We have allready seen a significant changing of the team, I recall nearly 15 changes from last year, North supporters know this but the media and other supporters have yet to see it.

McKernan is fast running out of chances and if he doesn't have a good season then he is definate trade bait at the end of the year.

We still have enough guns who if complemented with continued improvement from the younger guys to be still around top 4 at the end of the year.

 

[Shinboners]

Fair points from Bubba...here's my five cents worth:

Mick Martyn. In previous years, he would have been rushed straight back into the team, but he wasn't named in the seniors, which means that he'll be coming through the Murray Kangaroos. Looks like Pagan has earmarked Shannon Watt for full back.

Jason McCartney. Refer to Darky's comments. There was some discussion on the North boards and forum about letting Colbert take over the CHB position, but most felt that McCartney has made the position his own.

Wayne Carey. Only way to lengthen his career would be to play him as a full foward with Rocca as his foil. That would prevent the opposition from putting their two best defenders on him. If he continues on with the role he's played as the CHF as he has in the past 10 years, then those soft tissue injuries will push him into retirement sooner rather than later. But we need him on the field, not only for his ability, but
for his leadership.

Sav Rocca. I still have Joffa's words in my mind, so the jury will still be out until mid-season. If he stays fit and enthusiastic, he will do the job for us. But if he loses fitness and lets his head down (as Joffa has warned), then it will be the end of the road for Sav.

Colbert: Discussed to death. Pagan warned that players who come back from knee reconstructions take at least a year to get back to their former level. He has done okay in the pre-season and a few thought he did well against Essendon, but had a dog of a game against the Lions (although he was not alone in that respect). Essentially people are judging him on a mere 5 games this year....wait until mid-season. Still, the image of how hard he went for the ball vs the Swans last year sticks in my mind and I reckon we'll do well with him.

McKernan: Agree with you as I'm coming around to the CIK view.

Spider Burton: A stopgap measure, but I also remember that this time last year, he was on the bench of the Murray Kangaroos reserves. He came back to play some very good games for North, but will always be exploited around the field by faster and more mobile ruckman. I would be happier to see Pagan chuck caution into the wind and give Lindsay Smith or Drew Petrie a run for 3 or 4 games in the seniors.


[This message has been edited by Shinboners (edited 14 April 2001).]

 

[Carey_is_King]

Originally posted by BUBBALOUIS:
Sorry Carey is King, preseason you posted a topic asking whether midfielders such as Crawford,Harford and Lord would be trade bait at the end of the season. I reacted rather childlessly and had a bit of a verbal with CIK, i have now calmed down and realised it was a reasonable question considering our midfield has had question marks over it in the last couple of seasons, and whilst its early days and 'the jury is still out' things are looking a bit more promising to start the season with the above mentioned showing some good signs as well as youngsters Clarke and Picione making some headway. So sorry CIK.
Now a question for you and North fans. In recent seasons Norths strength has been its key position players. Is this now the area you are struggling in and are good "bigs" harder to recruit than good "smalls"

This is your key position players:
Mick Martyn: A great competitor who is struggling with injury and is in the tail end of his career

Jason McArtney: Has played a couple of good years without dominating the CHB position

Wayne Carey: Champion, who has turned 30 and is starting to show signs of wear

Sav Rocca: Not seen as good enough at Collingwood, might be handy without being a matchwinner

Colbert: Yet to show any signs of getting over severe Knee injuries, has 'potential' but is he worth the hefty salary? and the draft picks given up, used for Spriggs, Mooney and three other promising youngsters

McKernan: Mmajor disappointment, definitetrade bait

Spider Burton: DUD

Will these players need to be replaced or reinvented during the season? Aserious question before i get howled down

Thanks Bubba,

In no particular order, I think you know my opinion of Corey McKernan, and I really believe we have missed our opportunity to trade him. He keeps a young player out of the side, week in week out. From my recollection, he has never played in the seconds, and that is an indictment on the selectors (or Denis).

McCartney - I was a critic of his initially, but he has now redefined his game where he plays witihin his capabilities. He lacks the pace to play at full back, but he has made CHB his own for a couple of years now, and his courage is unquestioned. Good without being brilliant, he will be exposed against a quality CHF, but there aren't many of them around.

Martyn - I have always felt Mick's reputation exceeded his abilities, but he was able to prove me wrong so often. I believe we have seen the last of him, and he will struggle to regain his spot in the seniors. Watt is a very likely looking replacement.

Colbert - I am a believer and I would still rather have him than the young players mentioned. I have faith he will show how good he really is now the injuries are behind him. (I think we have already had a glimpse in the Ansett cup.)

Burton - Hard to sing his praises, but what else do we have in the ruck ? McKernan is hopeless, and we gave Capuano away. He was the best technical ruckman we had, but injury-prone. Bottom line is we are very weak in the ruck department.

Carey - What can I say ? I believe he could stand in the goal square for another 5 years and still get the best defender each week. I was very disappointed in our apparent inability to stick with our commitment to rest the older players from the Ansett Cup. Result - Martyn & Carey injured & Stevo reported.

Rocca - I am pleased to be wrong about him. I thought we had gone mad when we recruited him, but he looks trim, fit, and enthusiastic, and the way he is going, he could be the recruit of the year. At the very least, he takes some heat off Carey. I take no notice of the fact that Collingwood thought he was no good. I don't value their judgement at all.

So in summary, we need Watt to develop as a FB and Colbert to develop as a CHF, and we need a ruckman. Not an ideal scenario, I agree.


------------------
Trample the Weak,
Hurdle the Dead.

[This message has been edited by Carey_is_King (edited 14 April 2001).]

 

[BUBBALOUIS]

Thanks for the feedback guys, for what its worth i like the look of young Dylan Smith, should be a beauty, and on Colbert, you guys should be hopeful he still has plenty to offer, although a different (and prolly better) player than Joel Smith, it took Smith 'till this season to start to show confidence in his knee again, i dont think it will take that long for Colbert. Still cant understand you letting go of Capuano, surely he was a better gamble than Burton. Anyway cheers