Review Dees v Norf and the Ghost of 1965 - the Good, Bad and Ugly

[Meds]

If you don't have $20 on north you're an idiot. Take home a G if they stun us

I have $20 more than you. Who's the idiot now?

 

[JP2]

Think we need to keep it in perspective. We were coming off the best and most important win we've had for 3 years, coming up against a team with nothing to lose, in a venue we've never played well at and lost a key player with a serious knee injury in the first few minutes of the game. I think the boys could be forgiven for being a bit flat in the first half. But, again, we found a way to turn it around and won the second half by 50 points, just like we've done every time we've been challenged this year. The fact is that every team is going to have down periods during a season (look at Dogs and Port this week), and even the best teams in the competition are going to drop 4-5 games a year. We were just lucky that we've had our down games against weaker teams (Hawks and Roos) where we could do enough damage in a short period of time to compensate for the crap spans. Fact is, we're 7-0 and shown we can match it with the best teams in the league - who gives a * about North?

I still feel flat for Tomlinson, though, and also what it means for us. We finally have the best back 6 in the league, for the first time in my life, so predictably the linchpin of that group - the bloke who permits Lever and May to be knocking on the door of AA - goes down and misses the season. We give the reigning premiers a schooling in midfield intensity and workrate, so of course Viney goes out with a 'hotspot' and who knows when he'll be back. I think being successful depends a lot on luck, and this week we rolled snake-eyes. I mean, everyone tugs themselves off about Richmond's system - yeah, because they haven't had a ******* injury for 4 years!* It'd be pretty hard not to gel when you can keep exactly the same blokes in the team for that long! Fact is that if you swap Richmond's luck with GWS's luck over that period of time, then we'd be talking about the great GWS dynasty right now and Damien Hardwick would be getting his jollies in the queue at Centrelink. I can handle being unsuccessful because of being s**t, but please, please, please footy gods, just let us have a decent run at it for change!

(*Except for Rance, who already had one foot out of the door and a premiership when he got injured.)

 

[Imet Hassa]

What is with Healy? Every good bit of play by Dees has a rider about how lucky we were a free was or was not paid. Sure he doesn’t do that with every team. AND I am getting a little sick of head hits to our boys being a bit of a giggle.

 

[CWaffles]

I was being a tad sarcastic. My point was if it wasn't Ben Brown and it was say TMac, people would be calling for his head.

1 game compared to Tmacs past 2 years, very different.

 

[GatesOfHell]

Ya’all might want to cut BBB some slack. First senior game of footy in how long?

Weid has played like that 9 weeks out of 10 without similar ridicule. You’d think Weid was David Neitz circa 1995 running around in the twos the way some of you blokes carry on.

 

[PerfectFooty]

Watch the background for trac

 

[LeverPuller]

Watch the background for trac

 

[Crimson Azure]

What parts of the game do I replay, if any?

 

[LeverPuller]

What parts of the game do I replay, if any?

Q3
And anything to do with Kozzie

 

[ImissFrosty]

Fair to say it's a good thing I didn't watch the game?

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Fritsch has kicked 9.3 from two games in Hobart. Also kicked 5.3 in a preseason game in Launceston last year. Might lose him as a marquee signing if they get a Tasmanian team up and going.

 

[SackLunch]

From the finest micro farms of Wakayama prefecture:

 

[Proper Gander]

Fair to say it's a good thing I didn't watch the game?

Not the worst decision, no

 

[ImissFrosty]

Not the worst decision, no

I missed coz of my own game. We kicked 3.16 and lost by 7 points after the other teams fat kid who sat in the goalsqaure clunked a big one on the goal line and kicked the goal to win the game.

 

[PerfectFooty]

Said this in the gameday thread, and yall can at me if ya want (specifically thecount).

Baker is just a new Sam Blease. Happy for him to prove me wrong tho

 

[Proper Gander]

I missed coz of my own game. We kicked 3.16 and lost by 7 points after the other teams fat kid who sat in the goalsqaure clunked a big one on the goal line and kicked the goal to win the game.

Still, good to see Dean Kent getting a run somewhere

 

[Deelighted]

Good:
Won despite gawn and most of our midfield having poor days
A pimp named slick Fritsch
Kozzy was electric at times
May, Lever, Salem and TMac (once moved) were all solid in defense and used it well
Jackooooo improving at a rapid rate, his follow up is first rate

Bad:
Midfield destroyed in the first half & pressure was non existant - north fumbled and missed targets and still got easy goals
ANB & Melksham both comically bad
Baker just seems like a much worse version of langdon, has pace and runs hard but no smarts and skills sub par

Fugly:
Tommo - sad, has been important for us

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

If we do manage to go all the way this year Jackson is going to be a huge part of the reason why, don’t think Max could do it himself. God I hope he stays fit.

 

[Biffinator]

The break down of our half forward line after half time was telling. I dunno what Noble is supposed to be achieving with this set up, but it's hard to maintain for 4 quarters when it's so focused on pace. Still, a lot of our inexperience is focused in that area.

The old blokes made me proud today. Cunners went full scale thug against what I view as the hardest midfield in the comp (minus Viney, admittedly), and I thought Goldy shaded big Max for a change this time.

Mario - remember, one North Melbourne supporter is worth 10000 WCE-ers - fair dinkum. B

 

[Daemon]

Watch the background for trac

A bit cheeky of May

 

[Spirit of 26]

Brown’s first game in the ones and he’s copping s**t. I rate his game over the very, very ordinary games from Brayshaw and Neal Bullen. Both are turnover junkies.

 

[jhong]

I reckon Max copped a belt behind the ears early today , slow to get up and did some un-max like things for the rest of the match.
B.Brown wasn't anything special today but delivery to him was poor , and that's even including when a defender wasn't mauling him .
Baker got better late in the game but boy not impressed .
Was worried at half time but we did enough to end up in front .
Fritsch will be lucky to avoid a week , didn't look good on replay.
Really hope North beat the Pies next week just for the lol's
A few that played today lucky we won't make a lot of changes .

 

[Mijhaa]

Brown’s first game in the ones and he’s copping sh*t. I rate his game over the very, very ordinary games from Brayshaw and Neal Bullen. Both are turnover junkies.

Add Baker to the list too.

Not having elite skills isn’t the end of the world but those three combine poor skills with poor decision making which is a recipe for disaster.

 

[JP2]

A bit cheeky of May

Clicked on the video to get a look at Brown, so I got my money's worth on that count.

 

[stEdy]

Brayshaw, Melksham and Nibbler were all awful.

Pickett, Rivers and Jacko all amazing again. Jacko especially in the third with his follow up work and energy when the ball is in his area.

Goody gets a tick, thought after half time we structured up so much better with Tmac in the backline. North ran out of legs, though.

I didn't mind Bakers game, I thought although his kicking was a little off, he brought decent run and worked hard all day. Much better than some of our senior players mentioned above.

Jones really solid when he came on, especially in the first half to stem the tide.

Good sides find ways to win, * North