Are North Being Too Impatient With Their Rebuild?

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Norm Smith Medallist
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Id suggest we are pretty smart operators off field.
In 2007 we only had membership in the 20,000 in recent years we have improved in this every year.
Now we have around 40,000 members.

No pokies but also basically debt free.
Smart managment of cap space.
Nice facilities.

Probably never been more secure off the field in my 27 years supporting the club - that's why I don't get the Tassie call outside of the obvious trolling.

Not quite sure where the list sits at the moment with last 10 rounds of last 2 seasons been bad runs with injuries. Everyone gets them but key players have had 6-10 week layoffs in this time.

I think the best this list is atm is a top 4 at max output. What we can add in the next 12-24 months will define it further.

Was skeptical if the "aggressive reset" approach 12 months ago - but I'd be far more concerned if we limped to a 7-10 finish with Petrie firrito Harvey dal santo and wells propping us up and really on their last legs now.

The next phase is pretty obvious now with Thomas and Swallows best footy behind them and 1 year left on deals.
Goldy could go either way
But the hardest part is going to be finding a long term talisman to replace Higgins. We don't have a long term prospect to do what he does for us yet

Close finishes are an issue that needs to be addressed via on field leadership and a one way midfield which are weaknesses for us. Once again we'll see who can kick on out of this group and hit their KPIs next year and really contribute to helping us get to where we want to be.

Reality is we're a bottom 4 side at the moment - at least the current group isn't really close to their ceiling - and we don't know how high or low that ceiling is yet. Finishing with 87% is a silver lining but so much work to do ...
 

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JackFlash

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They're getting desperate, they should use all their picks on young guns...Look at Melbourne and Essendon. Are North going to let slip the next McGrath, Oliver or Petracca?
 

Snake_Baker

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They're getting desperate, they should use all their picks on young guns...Look at Melbourne and Essendon. Are North going to let slip the next McGrath, Oliver or Petracca?

Probably not according to the coach.

We had a crack at the top shelf cognac and just came up short.

I doubt we will bother competing with the likes of Carlton for the goon bag of fruity lexia.

I assume from the noise coming out of the club that we will utilise our picks, look for any Marley Williams/Hrovat/Ahern free bargains and move on to the 2018 trading period for some more cognac.
 

B4Bear

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They're getting desperate, they should use all their picks on young guns...Look at Melbourne and Essendon. Are North going to let slip the next McGrath, Oliver or Petracca?
If we want an extended period of mediocrity backing up an extended period of shit full results, then yes look at Melbourne; otherwise the club should carry on with its plan.

And let's be honest, the Bombers (excluding their drug saga) have been nothing to write home about for 15+ years.
 

Scotland

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This pick 4 will be the second highest pick we've ever had. We had pick 3 once (Hanse) and traded Carey for pick 4 which became pick 2.

Consider that compared to St Kilda, Melbourne, Carlton, Richmond et al.
We've had pick 1 twice. And the one time we came last we got pick 4.

We do things differently over here.
 
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They're getting desperate, they should use all their picks on young guns...Look at Melbourne and Essendon. Are North going to let slip the next McGrath, Oliver or Petracca?
Or we could get the next Cale Morton or Mark Fraser. Or get a Trengove who is ruined by injury, or a Scully who bails. Etc etc.

Trading and free agency is key part of the game now.
 
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Probably not according to the coach.

We had a crack at the top shelf cognac and just came up short.

I doubt we will bother competing with the likes of Carlton for the goon bag of fruity lexia.

I assume from the noise coming out of the club that we will utilise our picks, look for any Marley Williams/Hrovat/Ahern free bargains and move on to the 2018 trading period for some more cognac.
Carlton - where one in four ex GWS players flourish.
 

JackFlash

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If we want an extended period of mediocrity backing up an extended period of shit full results, then yes look at Melbourne; otherwise the club should carry on with its plan.

And let's be honest, the Bombers (excluding their drug saga) have been nothing to write home about for 15+ years.
Do you think the Dees will miss out next year with both Oliver and Petracca in their mid field? McGrath is the next superstar and as The Tigers, Cats and Midgets can testify that is the difference. Maritn, Danger and Kelly? The Bombers have a 20 year old X factor...
 
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The more players that say no to North, the more players will say no to North.

Not a destination club, and even with all their money they cannot land a big fish.
 

Engimal v3

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I like our list. Very young after the next lot of senior blokes head out, but good at both ends. Midfield needs a bit, and that's why we went after Kelly and Martin.

People keep saying "North are desperate" or "North couldn't land a big fish". In reality, there were two mids available this year that are top 3 mids in the comp that were both playing in top 4 sides. Most clubs couldn't pull either of them, and it's only that North went after both that we're being deemed desperate.

If you have the cash, you'd be silly not to go for them. Sitting bottom four though, North were never in a position of much power to draw them and I'm surprised we got as far as we did.
 

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Snake_Baker

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The more players that say no to North, the more players will say no to North.

Not a destination club, and even with all their money they cannot land a big fish.

We're not interested in the players that would say yes to Hawthorn, so your summation is extremely flawed.
 
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We're not interested in the players that would say yes to Hawthorn, so your summation is extremely flawed.
Hawthorn has nothing to do with it. North as a club is not as desirable as other teams, they would be low on the list of destinations for high value players. They are in a tough place unfortunately.
 

B4Bear

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Do you think the Dees will miss out next year with both Oliver and Petracca in their mid field? McGrath is the next superstar and as The Tigers, Cats and Midgets can testify that is the difference. Maritn, Danger and Kelly? The Bombers have a 20 year old X factor...
I am talking about going through the rebuild. Neither the Bombers nor the Demons provide a successful blueprint for others to follow.

Those from Melbourne you name are only there because of their years in the wilderness and eventually they had to get it right through sheer weight of numbers in the draft.
 

threesixpio

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Chasing every F/A and uncontracted player available, OK list but nothing to write home about - Are they worried bottoming out is going to put them in a precarious position going forward?

Currently in no man's land as a club, and certainly not an attractive destination.
Would never have got Tom Mitchell or Jaegar O'Meara. Not destinationy enough







Queue Ty Vickery joke :(
 

Dr Tigris

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North want a quick path back up - like most clubs.

The issue is really whether they have depth in young quality. As far as I can tell North have a decent crop of youngsters. But need mid talent desperately. This year's first might help there over time. However, just about all clubs can boast a decent group of youngsters. There is nothing special about a few good younger players. Brisbane/Melbourne have quality + numbers (+ an appalling record of developing them until recently). What North needs is either a short cut to another shot at he title (Dusty & Kelly) or to build quality in numbers. Building takes time and pain, but works. Buying tends to only work for those already at the top (hawks)
 

Caracas

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Hawthorn has nothing to do with it. North as a club is not as desirable as other teams, they would be low on the list of destinations for high value players. They are in a tough place unfortunately.
Are you desirable? Do you long to be desirable? It seems like it keeps you awake at night. Lol.


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vozzon

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I get why North cop flack as all there targets have rejected them but its totally new market with multiple guns available so it would be silly not to try.

If they landed one of Kelly or Dusty it would have been a major success. Either way they will still get the chance to pick up talent through the draft but with F/A coming in they can also combine them with young but proven talent as they are know to have cap space.

They recently made a prelim and are now turning over there list, all they can do now is bring in elite talent and F/A is now a way of doing so.
 

Power Raid

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They'll come good again quickly but it does feel like they are forcing the issue rather than being patient. It sounds like a recipe for disaster if they spend big at the wrong time.
 

the big lebowski

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They'll come good again quickly but it does feel like they are forcing the issue rather than being patient. It sounds like a recipe for disaster if they spend big at the wrong time.
Very good point IMO.

To me getting dusty would have only made sense if we also got Kelly. Getting dusty would have been detrimental to us long term as t would drag us up the ladder without really putting us in contention. Getting just Kelly would make sense age profile wise but also mean that we would probably have to pay 2 years worth of first rounders which is something we can't afford at the moment.

As you say, spending big at the wrong time. I'd rather see us invest in 2 or 3 drafts worth of elite talent before paying the big bucks and picks for superstars.
 

LuvtheKangas

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They'll come good again quickly but it does feel like they are forcing the issue rather than being patient. It sounds like a recipe for disaster if they spend big at the wrong time.
In context, we have only offered big money to the 2 current superstars of the game.

I see a Sydney supporter called it embarrassing. Not even close. Here's embarrassing:

GvS.jpg
 
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