Preview / changes v North Melbourne

[Turka]

4 decades actually Cogga...And I'm made up of half-character, half-loony, like all of us...I can't get too caught up in the dark moments, because life gets in the way...I do know however, as you do, that a return to the top for a young side is going to be littered with these moments...But it's the first time in 4 decades that I am confident we will up for a decade when we get there.

 

[Goldust]

Out: Batchelor (injured I understand) Derickx, Graham and Webberly
In: I. Maric, Martin, Griffiths, Jackson

 

[tugga]

Our depth concerns me to the point of tears. We get a few injuries/suspensions/sackings and we turn to poo. Players like White, Webberley, McGuane, Derickx, etc are not up too AFL standard. Lets beat a dead horse and go back to our recruiting, our trading has been good recently, tick. But our drafting still kills me. Yes we've been getting our first round picks right of late (Cotchin, Martin, Vickery, Conca), but any of us here could pull out one of the big names and your bound to get a good player. Our inability to draft well deep is the reason to where we are now. Post, Taylor, MacDoanld, Nason, Webberley, Derickx, Hislop, I could go on all day. Why can't we ever find a Luke Parker, or Fasolo? Venting over.

Our lack of depth is not surprising given we are 2 and a half years into a complete rebuild. Don't forget we were being compared to Fiztzroy when they were on death row. So we have actually drafted reasonably well to be in this position we find ourselves in right now, which is competitive and not once in 15 games this year have we been slaughtered.
You're right about the lack of depth, but this doesn't fix itself over the period of two and a half years. It just doesn't happen that quickly.
Unfortunately for us, we are still two to three years away from fixing the depth issue that rightly concerns us all. Our top 18 are reasonable, but after that it falls away and we all secretly knew it, but we have only just started to actually find that out with what's happened before our very eyes in our past 4 or 5 games.
So while two and a half years in a complete rebuild, we find ourselves having come from a complete rabble to competitive, it will take that two and a half years again to go from competitive to strong.
Anyway, it's not really on topic. I just wanted to respond to what you said with my thoughts on the matter.

 

[tugga]

4 decades actually Cogga...And I'm made up of half-character, half-loony, like all of us...I can't get too caught up in the dark moments, because life gets in the way...I do know however, as you do, that a return to the top for a young side is going to be littered with these moments...But it's the first time in 4 decades that I am confident we will up for a decade when we get there.

Welcome to BF Turka.
Some solid opening posts there.

 

[CoggaRules]

4 decades actually Cogga...And I'm made up of half-character, half-loony, like all of us...I can't get too caught up in the dark moments, because life gets in the way...I do know however, as you do, that a return to the top for a young side is going to be littered with these moments...But it's the first time in 4 decades that I am confident we will up for a decade when we get there.

as i have suggested throughout other threads, only the tigers can do the impossible and provide a hollywood style ending to a match like we did the other night. Any other team, the ball would have rolled out of bounds or lets say, Harbrow's clutch from thin air when he had NFI where the ball was, for any other team, Harbrow would have lost the handle on it completely.<I wont even mention the throw to himself, if you watch it, he actually throws it up in the air and gets it back, thats a ****ing free any day of the week. YOU CANT THROW THE BALL>

Its the tigers, we are the masters of drama and more the masters of comedy too.
I dont look at it in the way of being up or making finals in our resurgence. Of course I want us to play finals every year. To me after such a long time of watching a team of 22 with about 2 candidates in it, that actually played footy the way it should, I am more liking going to watch the Cotch, Martin, Lids etc do their shit. Unfortunately the supporting cast as yet, doesnt do them all the justice it should. When it does get to the point where the supporting cast does what the guns need it to do, we will kick some serious butt. What scares me is that we never get the supporting cast up to scratch, seeing as for some unknown reason, there are individuals on the list that keep on producing sub standard output, but somehow remain on the list for more time than nessecary. I eagerly await the off season, it should cast a better light on how good we have our finger on the pulse, when it comes to understanding if a player can be developed, doesnt need to be developed or just plain cant cut it. It will be interesting..but then again we have come to the point where off seasons for us are more interesting than the season proper, except for this year...

 

[Goldust]

Our lack of depth is not surprising given we are 2 and a half years into a complete rebuild. Don't forget we were being compared to Fiztzroy when they were on death row. So we have actually drafted reasonably well to be in this position we find ourselves in right now, which is competitive and not once in 15 games this year have we been slaughtered.
You're right about the lack of depth, but this doesn't fix itself over the period of two and a half years. It just doesn't happen that quickly.
Unfortunately for us, we are still two to three years away from fixing the depth issue that rightly concerns us all. Our top 18 are reasonable, but after that it falls away and we all secretly knew it, but we have only just started to actually find that out with what's happened before our very eyes in our past 4 or 5 games.
So while two and a half years in a complete rebuild, we find ourselves having come from a complete rabble to competitive, it will take that two and a half years again to go from competitive to strong.
Anyway, it's not really on topic. I just wanted to respond to what you said with my thoughts on the matter.

Excellent post.
Not lost on me that we have yet to be soundly beaten to this point.
The Tigers of old would have mixed a few surprising wins with some out and out shockers.
We've been competitive against all.
After our bright start, the season for mine has panned out much as I predicted weeks ago. Once injuries hit, we would be found out for lacking depth.
Even the most optimistic of fans would have to admit we had an amazing run of good fortune early in the season with injury. When the injuries came tthey were bound to come in numbers as history and commonsense tells you you just don't go through a season with the odd injury here or there.
Our depth is poor and Blind Freddy can see that.
We have worked and worked hard the past two and half years on developing a solid 22-24 that's ultra-competitive, it will take that same time to develop depth. It doesn't just happen.
Come 2015, we would likely have turned over 85% of the list from the time Dimma took over ... tell me that didn't need to happen????
Not lost on me either that we had Graham, Derickz, Webberley, McGuane, A. Maric and to a lesser extent O'Hanlon running around Saturday .... that's more than a quarter of the team which has been plying its trade together in a largely unsuccessful Coburg team all this season. Anyone think a huge chunk of the line-up which can't win at VFL level is gonna turn it around at AFL level????
Anyways, for mine, re Saturday, I'm more filthy on the likes of the undisciplined Martin, White and habitual offender Jackson for the result!!! We never learn!!!

 

[Groupie_]

Any chance Ziebell will get off tonight??

 

[richmond_14]

Nah, maybe downgraded. If he gets let off it will be pretty much against every other precedent set.

 

[Bazzar]

The Tigers yesterday confirmed Martin, Jackson and the injured Jake King had flown home early after leaving the Cazaly Stadium at quarter-time along with the injured ruckman Maric in a bid to give those players a full week's lead-up in Melbourne before the round-17 clash.

Is Carro suggesting Jake may be a chance?

Not a bad article by Carro and this caught my attention.

The club has also confirmed Matthew Richardson's suggestion on 3AW on Sunday that the leadership group had been so disappointed at Martin's behaviour in failing to attend training after a drinking-sleeping pill incident two weeks ago that they had initially pushed for a suspension that also would have seen him miss this weekend's North Melbourne clash.

Great by the leadership group Sensible final decision by the club



http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/ne...review-into-fadeouts/2626465.aspx?storypage=1

 

[richolovesgoal]

If Adams misses that is another huge bonus.

 

[UpTheGuts]

Out: Graham (omit) Batchelor (Inj) Webberley (omit) Derickx (omit)
In: Maric Griffiths Martin Jackson

These seem to be the consensus.

Dea has been ordinary, IMO, but if these 4 are the changes made, who rucks when Ivan does not? Maybe McGuane

 

[THE MOEMAN]

Nah, maybe downgraded. If he gets let off it will be pretty much against every other precedent set.

not true.
harbrow and douglas bumps were far more reckless and both got off. the precedents are in our favour tonight

 

[tugga]

These seem to be the consensus.

Dea has been ordinary, IMO, but if these 4 are the changes made, who rucks when Ivan does not? Maybe McGuane

Yep, like it or not, one of Graham or Derickx has to stay in, unless we want to go down the Brad Miller path and I think his papers have been stamped.
As much of a critic as I have been of Vickery, he is quite important to our structure isn't he?

 

[tunksy]

These seem to be the consensus.

Dea has been ordinary, IMO, but if these 4 are the changes made, who rucks when Ivan does not? Maybe McGuane

stupid to have mcguane rucking... needs to be up forward on taking a spell on the bench.

derickx or gus will stay to help relieve maric in the ruck so he does blow up his groin again....

webberly, batch, lil maric and someone else will be ommited/ out injured

 

[Groupie_]

stupid to have mcguane rucking... needs to be up forward on taking a spell on the bench.

derickx or gus will stay to help relieve maric in the ruck so he does blow up his groin again....

webberly, batch, lil maric and someone else will be ommited/ out injured

Lil Maric had 21 possies.

Webberley will be omitted.

 

[Groupie_]

Just on Ziebell, I have a feeling he will get off.

SEN are saying he shouldn't have been suspended.

 

[ize_]

If Derickx does stay I reckon O'Hanlon should make way. I like him and I think he has a big future at the club, but his are essentially development games. He is effectively a passenger at the moment.

 

[richmond_14]

A polarising player, but possible Post to get a chance in Derickx role?

 

[Turka]

I think Post is a good chance 14...We need to see what this guy can do - and if he can - before the end of the season (his fourth!)...It's a pressure cooker game, but what game won't be...He is certainly not banging down the door, but Coburg are a bit smelly ATM...If he takes some pressure off Jack, which X and Gus haven't been able to do, he might be worth a punt. And it may catch NM unawares.

 

[True Thylacine]

The skills and decision making under pressure of both A Maric and M Dea worries me but I suppose there is little choice right now

 

[richmond_14]

I'd be happy to give post the rest of the season to win a spot and show something. If not, probably time to move him on at the end of the year. I think Derickx has shown enough for another year on the list, just not enough to keep his spot in the afl

 

[GarnerSmash]

North lost by over 100 points to Hawthorn and then came out and won the following week.
Onwards we go. The scars of the weekend are still fresh, but the sun came up this morning and it's time to move on.

Sometimes it takes a massive kick in the guts to makes teams take a good hard look at themselves. This is exactly what happened to the Hawks after your boys killed 'em. They then came out and tore us a new arseh*le. That spanking had a similar effect on us which kick started the best form I have seen for years . For Tigers sake I hop that the GCS loss has the same effect, hopefully delayed by a week though.

 

[Wacky Tiger]

North lost by over 100 points to Hawthorn and then came out and won the following week.
Onwards we go. The scars of the weekend are still fresh, but the sun came up this morning and it's time to move on.

Spot on Tugga. Until rd 23 there is always next week. Looking forward to the lads coming out and having a real crack at North and Carlton

 

[Goldust]

I'D promote Post ahead of playing Derickz or Graham again.
Let's see if what he can do is better than the zero ouput the other two produced!

 

[mellowyellow]

Martin and Jacko will return but no mention of the mullet has me thinking he'll be rested for at least another week