Autopsy Flogged as expected by cats on our own dunghill. The 14 streak continues.

[Jonnoo]

And to top off my night, a bunch of Cats supporters sitting in the North reserved social club area right next to us. Which I don't specifically have an issue with, it happens I know, North members pass on tickets to friends etc, thats fine.
But to have them carrying on from the first bounce with standing up, screaming, clapping, over the top celebrations is so frigging annoying. And constant boundary rider commentating on every cats player to touch the ball.
You're in the north area, show some restraint. You're beating down on the second last team and you're surrounded by the hard core show up resiliant north supporters. No need to be absolute flogs. Hope they lose the prelim by 1 point. After the siren.

 

[see see]

They used to fear us.

Then there was a "never write off the roos" respect as we battled above our weight.

Then the early ridicule.

Then the sympathy.

Now it's the worst - invisibility. You say who you support to a casual supporter and get a blank look as they try to even find one relevant comment to make.

I was in a work meeting the other day and the topic got around to who people barrack for#. When I said North, it was like I announced a death in the family. There was an awkward silence before the person who asked the question responded "Oh, okay ..."

#It was actually a recruiting meeting and I raised the point that we shouldn't, as a matter of policy, recruit * supporters on character grounds. Think it got a bit of traction.

 

[fpm84]

I was sitting front row next to your bench and saw Clarko address the team at 1/4 and 3/4 time. The way he slowly shuffled onto the field, head down, emotionless, not engaging with anybody was really surprising to me. Contrasted with Scott who always can’t there quick enough and is usually in animated discussion with his assistants regardless of the scoreboard.

Hawthorn Clarko would have been absolutely spitting chips and ran onto the field to give the players a bake.

I really see a lot of comparisons with Malthouse at Carlton, and think Clarko was clearly cooked towards the end of his time at Hawthorn.

Despite no Larkey or X the team you put on the park was not 100 points worse than the team we put on the park. There is no way that Tom Atkins

30

Tom Atkins

Age

30

Ht

180cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

4.3

5star

CL

1.3

3star

D

6.5

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.5

2star

M

0.8

1star

T

1.5

2star

CL

0.5

3star

D

11.6

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

4.8

5star

CL

1.2

4star

, as much as I love him, should be embarrassing LDU in the middle like that.

You are one of the most loyal fanbases in the comp, and you deserve more.

 

[William Caresser]

Atkins absolutely killed us in the clearances. I didn't even know who tf he even was and it's some no-namer smashing our multi-decade $100m contractors in the middle.

He was overlooked in a number of drafts, played local footy and VFL with Geelong. Whether forward or back, he based his game around defensive competitiveness inside and out. 180 cm, very hard worker in off seasons.

He now averages 19 disposals, 10 tackles (2nd in comp) and 29 pressure acts (2nd in comp) a game. Up there with the Rowell and Dunkley with his defensive efforts.

In contrast, we have one player/midfielder ranked in the top 60 for pressure acts - Sheezel ranked 35th. Of all players, midfielders have the most opportunity to pressure during a game. So Parker being 147th, LDU 90th and the others in the 60s is an abomination. Whether it's at stoppages or on the spread, almost all our midfielders are too slow inside and too lacking in agility to apply pressure, and the one who isn't is very flakey with effort. And they all regularly hand over on the spread because they can't or won't keep up - that just creates picnic conditions for the opposition.

You might be able to carry one or two at most of these low pressure mids but our mix is diabolical.

It's a big reason we're last for intercepts - averaging just 56.5 per game which will go close to being a record low for an AFL side in a season. And we've been in the bottom 2 for this stat since 2020.

Unfortunately though, coaches like Patch Adams and Clarko think our midfield has been rolling along well because of our positive average clearance differential - and because they see these guys racking up 30 touches and think they've played well. But these guys apply minimal pressure, turn it over under heat and don't man up. When we lose a clearance, the opposition are likely strolling out unpressured.

A Geelong supporting mate who watches a lot of footy told me ages ago we need a Tom Atkins type - he was right.

 

[Moti]

He was overlooked in a number of drafts, played local footy and VFL with Geelong. Whether forward or back, he based his game around defensive competitiveness inside and out. 180 cm, very hard worker in off seasons.

He now averages 19 disposals, 10 tackles (2nd in comp) and 29 pressure acts (2nd in comp) a game. Up there with the Rowell and Dunkley with his defensive efforts.

In contrast, we have one player/midfielder ranked in the top 60 for pressure acts - Sheezel ranked 35th. Of all players, midfielders have the most opportunity to pressure during a game. So Parker being 147th, LDU 90th and the others in the 60s is an abomination. Whether it's at stoppages or on the spread, almost all our midfielders are too slow inside and too lacking in agility to apply pressure, and the one who isn't is very flakey with effort. And they all regularly hand over on the spread because they can't or won't keep up - that just creates picnic conditions for the opposition.

You might be able to carry one or two at most of these low pressure mids but our mix is diabolical.

It's a big reason we're last for intercepts - averaging just 56.5 per game which will go close to being a record low for an AFL side in a season. And we've been in the bottom 2 for this stat since 2020.

Unfortunately though, coaches like Patch Adams and Clarko think our midfield has been rolling along well because of our positive average clearance differential - and because they see these guys racking up 30 touches and think they've played well. But these guys apply minimal pressure, turn it over under heat and don't man up. When we lose a clearance, the opposition are likely strolling out unpressured.

A Geelong supporting mate who watches a lot of footy told me ages ago we need a Tom Atkins type - he was right.

He runs hard with pace, Wardlaw is the only player in our midfield that can do it. Then they have Smith and Holmes that runs all day with real speed, we have none (well not true, we have one, but we sit him at HB).

 

[Hearts to hearts]

I was in the ER last night while my poor old Nan decided to attend her first game in 6 years with some family who are club members. Of course the club would dish that sort of s*** up for her and everyone else. The worst part for me is, I’m not even that emotional about it. I’m used to 6 years of a club that just accepts losing in the most diabolical fashion. There needs to be a serious investigation done at the club by someone from the outside as to why we’ve been where we are the past 25 years.

I’m pretty much past emotion too. Is boredom an emotion? That’s what I’ve got.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Ruckle]

One of the special moments about half way through the second quarter was when we gained the ball at our half back area, hurriedly bombed to CHF where the Cats had a 4 to 1 outnumber. The special part was then seeing not 1, not 2 but 3 Geelong players free in their forward line with nobody on them or between them and their goals. My wife asked me if they had more players out there, I said, dunno, but we are going at half time.

Feel sorry for my kids, who sat there with face paint etc, had to get to social club for that. They expected to lose but I dont think they expected to be home so early.

The above points to a poorly coached rabble.

 

[Epictetus]

Asterisk is *other than the sides that get flogged every week and are there for social footy.

I've seen bottom divvy reserves sides been torn to shreds for having a laugh after 20 point losses. Specifically recall blokes being told they have to earn their family and friends' right to join them in the rooms on the field. The standards of behaviour and competitiveness most local footy sides are legitimately higher than ours, and this is coming from someone who hates how ruthless lower level local footy has become.

This is all correct.

And it can sound like machismo bullshit to some people.
But football needs to be ruthless to be good. It's a fundamental requirement. It doesnt mean you are mean and nasty.
It requires cold, focused professionalism. Winning should feel amazing. Losing should rip your guts out.

 

[Only Forwards]

I’m pretty much past emotion too. Is boredom an emotion? That’s what I’ve got.

The only way I can ever achieve this is to shut the club out completely.

 

[JGreezy]

I was thinking this yesterday.

A bloke who is North to his absolute core.

Not tainted from another club.

Has been out of the AFL system but can clearly coach.

He would be on the top of my ‘who to get list’

In fact he should be made a senior assistant in 2026.

It is a bit shit, the idea of create this success only for us to throw you into a mire of shit.

He might be good but one of our biggest problems is this "one of us" mindset, rather than performance and merit based decisions. I feel like list selection and roles are weighed up based on everything other than performance.

We need someone from outside who isn't swayed by internal politics.

 

[Crow till I die]

Sorry to intrude but i can't work out as an outsider that has a soft spot for north how things just have not started to click. There is no doubt you guys have a heap of top end quality youngsters on the list and have added some decent experience in more recently.

Our club identified a few back of house issues at the end of last year and we went hard and got murray david from Brisbane and Neil Balme to the board. Both have helped as nicks was flailing as a coach for a long time. Without knowing the structures at north, could there be some key upgrades to the footy department off field that might put more support in place to help the side for next season?. Its sad watching the side stay in the doldrums as a strng north is good for the whole comp. I'll see myself out

 

[the_cleaner]

how much longer do we financially support this crap! i’ve stopped buying merch until they win 2 games in a row. the members section looked empty after half time. why bother with our time and money getting to the game if this is the output.

 

[zoomba23]

Winning should feel amazing. Losing should rip your guts out.

I count about three blokes who hate losing on this team, and two of them weren't playing last night

 

[the_cleaner]

I just want this to be 160+ and gut the joint.

yerh i was the same watching it last night, geelong cleary took the foot off the pedal in the last quarter.

 

[the_cleaner]

I count about three blokes who hate losing on this team, and two of them weren't playing last night

who are they?

 

[Possession]

Sorry to intrude but i can't work out as an outsider that has a soft spot for north how things just have not started to click. There is no doubt you guys have a heap of top end quality youngsters on the list and have added some decent experience in more recently.

Our club identified a few back of house issues at the end of last year and we went hard and got murray david from Brisbane and Neil Balme to the board. Both have helped as nicks was flailing as a coach for a long time. Without knowing the structures at north, could there be some key upgrades to the footy department off field that might put more support in place to help the side for next season?. Its sad watching the side stay in the doldrums as a strng north is good for the whole comp. I'll see myself out

We're pretty much hostages waiting for the club to identify those same issues that all can see. It's pretty grim.

 

[JGreezy]

That Logue vision is a perfect example of something that we see all game.

Logue, a full time defender tasked with one of the most dangerous forwards of the last decade, slows down like he thinks that Cameron is actually marking him and if North win the contested ball he will be free.

No! Your role is stopping that easy goal. Nobody cares if Logue gets the ball there.

Certain guys need to constantly be thinking about stopping goals, even when we have the ball.

Over and over opposition forwards leak behind our defense and nobody is tasked with thinking "if we turn it over here they have an easy goal". Instead it seems they are thinking about how they are now free.

Guys can push forward from defense, but others must then push back. You need most of your defenders constantly monitoring the forward-most opposition, as their priority. Not as a secondary thought.

 

[zoomba23]

who are they?

Comben, X, Arch

 

[danj]

Can’t wait for the day I get half as much joy from watching a North Melbourne game as I do from junior football

 

[andana]

Dear Mr Lloyd
We have one good defender.
And no midfield help.
Nothing surprising there

 

[LB2Snake]

Serious question as I couldn’t attend the game…….anyone watch us warm up after HT? It’s something I’ve watched closely at each game I’ve gone to…….we amble about while the oppo look fired up. Interested if anyone noticed this last night.
I think we have the wrong leadership and standards, which yes I have stated ad nauseam. But it’s glaringly obvious at the game.

 

[the_cleaner]

Comben, X, Arch

surely george as well?

 

[zoomba23]

surely george as well?

Not anymore. He's had moments where he hasn't chased where he should've. Whatever's being taught to the midfielders is ever so slowly rubbing off on him

 

[the_cleaner]

Not anymore. He's had moments where he hasn't chased where he should've. Whatever's being taught to the midfielders is ever so slowly rubbing off on him

in other words, we’ve norfed him.