Prediction Dr Sonja Hood AM

[Passmore]

Looking at West Coast's new best 23, they will escape basket case territory at a rate of knots. It won't happen immediately, of course, but still, that one's not a given; Richmond I'm a tad more confident about but still wary.

I'm prepared for the whiplash if we go ok this week or in R1 though, and to be honest I'd welcome it. I wasn't prepared for the vast majority of the board to be as jaded as me this preseason. It feels weird

If we get a result in Rd 1, then it's start. That's all. But you have to start somewhere.

Trust will be gained by a sustained performance over the whole season. That doesn't have to be a wild card spot. Just something that you can actually see.

 

[tazaa]

Looking at West Coast's new best 23, they will escape basket case territory at a rate of knots. It won't happen immediately, of course, but still, that one's not a given; Richmond I'm a tad more confident about but still wary.

I'm prepared for the whiplash if we go ok this week or in R1 though, and to be honest I'd welcome it. I wasn't prepared for the vast majority of the board to be as jaded as me this preseason. It feels weird

Someone made an observation last year that when you have been as poor as we have been that we sit back and say, yeah we should beat West Coast and Richmond and Essendon, etc.

But theyre saying the same thing about us. Pencilling in the North game as a win for their club.

So there are no easy games in this league when you are where we are.

And it is why I am concerned that Clarko wont have them raring to go in 2 weeks.

 

[zoomba23]

If we get a result in Rd 1, then it's start. That's all. But you have to start somewhere.

Trust will be gained by a sustained performance over the whole season. That doesn't have to be a wild card spot. Just something that you can actually see.

The beauty (and frustration) of it is, it starts with such small moments. A sweeper holding his spot at the stoppage. A defender noticing the dangers and not sagging off; running with his man every step of the way to get a spoil in. A shepherd. Someone identifying a dangerous run made by an oppo player off the ball and cutting it off. Our 198cm half forward flanker and our 190cm Gordon Ramsay impersonator running AT the ball rather than AWAY from it.

This shit isn't even difficult to do over a whole season lol

 

[Its a Process]

You perhaps see the irony in your comment that poor on field performances will ‘no doubt’ trigger a review of our football department.

We’ve had three successive years under Clarkos reign, and in each of those, by round 11 we’ve had significantly poor performances and not one review. Just the old same spew. I don’t know why you’d think that approach would change.

I watched the prac game against the Dees. We simply do not have the personnel to fit that structure. I think with the rule changes that we’ll be the most heavily scored against team in the comp outside of WCE.

No I don’t.

I geniunly believe it’s been a rebuild designed to spike this year push finals next year.

Your glass empty, I’m probably glass full. One of us will be right come round 8ish. Hope for the sake of our Club it’s me.

 

[TREMBANYAMA]

One of us will be right come round 8ish. Hope for the sake of our Club it’s me.

So do I mate

 

[Chadwiko]

My issues with the top.

*Has clarko been neutered? Is he allowed to be himself?

Neutered by us? No.
By the AFL? A little bit.

*Does Viney actually care? Says the right things but does he embrace us?

Very much so, and imho he's the single most valuable person at our club. More than Clarko. More than Sonja.

*Are we to passive on tribunal decisions and the AFL as a whole. I.e. Curtis and Archer last year

Eh, maybe a little. But the system is rigged against clubs. Successful appeals are rarer than hens' teeth.

*Did we look like chumps by banning Cornes from the rooms?

No. It was a good move to show we aren't going to accept BS. Do you want us to be a club that stands up for itself or not?

*Players look far to comfortable with losing. So many smiles and pats on the back when we get smashed.

This has some merit and there's a real lack of leadership from most of our senior players.

*How many senior staff are allowed to continue in their role with the horrendous trading decisions. AND who the hell thought that playing Wardlaw in the VFL was a good idea?

Valid.

*Is there any accountability?

Not as much as I'd like to have seen, but... Yes. There was significant turnover in the coaching ranks this offseason.

 

[Arathrawn]

Neutered by us? No.
By the AFL? A little bit.



Very much so, and imho he's the single most valuable person at our club. More than Clarko. More than Sonja.



Eh, maybe a little. But the system is rigged against clubs. Successful appeals are rarer than hens' teeth.



No. It was a good move to show we aren't going to accept BS. Do you want us to be a club that stands up for itself or not?



This has some merit and there's a real lack of leadership from most of our senior players.



Valid.



Not as much as I'd like to have seen, but... Yes. There was significant turnover in the coaching ranks this offseason.

So we mostly agree. Save on 2 issues.

Todd Viney. This one I genuinely cannot get a read on. As I said he does say all the right things. Sounds like a genuine professional. Does he care more about his mateship with Clarko or the club? Would he stay if Clarko left? I don't think he would.

Kane Cornes. We let him get to us and I think he made us look weak. He's a professional troll and he baited us, got the reaction. We embarrassed ourselves here.

We are allowed to see things differently though.

Thanks for taking the time to make a reasoned response.

 

[Thuggee_Cult]

As an outsider looking one in, here is my 2cents, apology for the intrusion.

North at the moment look a lot like Hawthorn of the late 90s early mougties. Their focus was more off field as they faced financial ruin and had spent the previous 5-10 years just trying to keep the lights on and stay operational.

Stability off the field was the priority and it showed on field - there were mixed results.

I think North have spent the last 5-10 years in a similar boat and it’s worth remembering in Clarkos first 2years at Hawthorn, they were getting thrashed regularly much like North have been until it suddenly clicked in the 3rd/4th year and they rose up the ladder pretty rapidly.

I do however think he should be doing more with this group , I actually think it is a top 8 list. Yes you don’t have a quality key tall defender but let’s face it, most teams don’t and youve got quality on ballers and forwards.

I saw my team in the late 80s early nineties sink a lot lower than you guys had but it can turn very quickly.

Just don’t mention 1996

 

[Forever North]

We either gotta get our arses into gear and show meaningful improvement, get the footy world talking and fans truly excited in the first half of the year (8-4) OR simply continue with the slop we've been served up the past few years, be 2-10 thus necessitating the sacking of Clarkson and board/football dept changes. Anything in between will be another ****ing waste of a season. Sonja can spare us with her HR corporate shit talk. It's nauseating. Clarko seems to just be hanging around collecting a pay cheque like a lot of our platers seem to do. Big first 8 weeks coming up. No more bullshit please.

 

[Caracas]

GC were a basket case - like us - last week. This week they had a great warmup v Lions. That’s what I want to see from us this weekend. Win/Lose - who cares? Just let’s show something…

 

[TruRoo]

GC were a basket case - like us - last week. This week they had a great warmup v Lions. That’s what I want to see from us this weekend. Win/Lose - who cares? Just let’s show something…

GC have star power we simply don’t.

Look at guys like Petracca, King, Anderson and even Sam Collins. We haven’t had that level of player in years.

 

[iloveireland]

My two cents:

• she made a smart decision at the time to get the most qualified and most in demand coach available to support a struggling club
• the club seems to be doing well financially
• the club has a strong woman’s team
• the men’s program is not working, but for the size of our club I don’t see any material resources not being made available to the program.

I would think she’d done her job well. I think if we need changes it should be in the footy department and I expect that will happen if we don’t make strides this year.

I also think you would make football department changes before CEO and President changes

 

[Woolly Mammoth]

lol, I don’t think it was Debbie from the Cheersquad who called the meeting mate.

Almost certainly Mark Dawson and his crew.

What makes you think that?

 

[GoRoos2023]

What makes you think that?

They have been pushing for the last couple of years.

 

[JZTIME!]

Instability and success just don't go together. Whilst the womens team have dominated a small pool of talent they have benefited from Croc and the clubs stability. Its taking longer with the men as its such fine margins with the dilution of the talent pool, academies and FA compo. Jumping at shadows isn't what we committed to when signing Clarko and starting this. Just because it worked in 4 years elsewhere it doesn't mean it will here. The landscape has changed making it more even than ever. We need to stay the course

 

[ferball]

They have been pushing for the last couple of years.

So since the start of the 2024 season?

WTF?

 

[GoRoos2023]

So since the start of the 2024 season?

WTF?

Longer, happened back in 2022 as well https://www.afl.com.au/news/798462/...nsider-board-tilt-after-david-noble-departure

 

[archerboy]

Didn’t we just have a board election? Why don’t they nominate then? Are they too gutless to put their name out there?

 

[GoRoos2023]

As an outsider looking one in, here is my 2cents, apology for the intrusion.

North at the moment look a lot like Hawthorn of the late 90s early mougties. Their focus was more off field as they faced financial ruin and had spent the previous 5-10 years just trying to keep the lights on and stay operational.

Stability off the field was the priority and it showed on field - there were mixed results.

I think North have spent the last 5-10 years in a similar boat and it’s worth remembering in Clarkos first 2years at Hawthorn, they were getting thrashed regularly much like North have been until it suddenly clicked in the 3rd/4th year and they rose up the ladder pretty rapidly.

I do however think he should be doing more with this group , I actually think it is a top 8 list. Yes you don’t have a quality key tall defender but let’s face it, most teams don’t and youve got quality on ballers and forwards.

I saw my team in the late 80s early nineties sink a lot lower than you guys had but it can turn very quickly.

Just don’t mention 1996

We are alot worse than Sydney of the early 90s.

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

Instability and success just don't go together. Whilst the womens team have dominated a small pool of talent they have benefited from Croc and the clubs stability. Its taking longer with the men as its such fine margins with the dilution of the talent pool, academies and FA compo. Jumping at shadows isn't what we committed to when signing Clarko and starting this. Just because it worked in 4 years elsewhere it doesn't mean it will here. The landscape has changed making it more even than ever. We need to stay the course

There is no 'staying the course' here - we have flatlined and will regress this year as Clarko no longer has what it takes to be a top tier coach and he no longer shares the players confidence.

Sonja has preached stability since Day 1 - that is great and we need her to now act in the clubs best interests and outline an exit strategy that retains her dignity and importance while also ensuring her support for a new Board and Coach. She needs to say she will remain President until year end and then hand over to the new Ticket.

This can be handled well or it could become a shit show - the ball is in Sonya's hands and I hope she practises what she preaches re stability and puts the club first.

 

[ferball]

There is no 'staying the course' here - we have flatlined and will regress this year as Clarko no longer has what it takes to be a top tier coach and he no longer shares the players confidence.

No we haven't. We improved last year and the season hasn't even started yet.

Sonja has preached stability since Day 1 - that is great and we need her to now act in the clubs best interests and outline an exit strategy that retains her dignity and importance while also ensuring her support for a new Board and Coach. She needs to say she will remain President ant year end nd then hand over to the new Ticket.

This can be handled well or it could become a shit show - the ball is in Sonya's hands and I hope she practises what she preaches re stability and puts the club first.

You are cooked.

 

[ferball]

Longer, happened back in 2022 as well https://www.afl.com.au/news/798462/...nsider-board-tilt-after-david-noble-departure

So they were white anting her from the start?

 

[FlyHigh18]

There is no 'staying the course' here - we have flatlined and will regress this year as Clarko no longer has what it takes to be a top tier coach and he no longer shares the players confidence.

Sonja has preached stability since Day 1 - that is great and we need her to now act in the clubs best interests and outline an exit strategy that retains her dignity and importance while also ensuring her support for a new Board and Coach. She needs to say she will remain President until year end and then hand over to the new Ticket.

This can be handled well or it could become a shit show - the ball is in Sonya's hands and I hope she practises what she preaches re stability and puts the club first.

everything ok at home mate?

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

No we haven't. We improved last year and the season hasn't even started yet.



You are cooked.

lol - well done is the term I would use.

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

everything ok at home mate?

Wonderful - r u ok?