Half Year Review

Wild Bill

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So we are at the half way mark so I thought I would look at our year so far and what we have for the 2nd half of the year.

Sitting at 7-4 I for one have been happy with 2014. We came into this year as a very attacking side that could not close out games. Scott has tweaked the game plan and we have a more defensive edge to us as well as being able to open teams up.

2 incredible wins V Swans in Sydney and Freo in Perth. Two teams that we have struggled to beat and two teams that can win the 2014 premiership. The Roos of 2013 would not have won these games.

The Roos are the only team to defeat Port. It was also good to win a close one and run over a side that has a reputation as fast finishers. Thumped WCE and Bris and had better 2nd halves V Dogs and Richmond.

Our 7 wins have a mixture of brilliance and grind. We have only played 2 matches V bottom 5 sides and we have 6 in the next 11.

Our losses have frustrated many - essendon the round 1 specialists got a hold of us - they are now a below average side that are always easier to beat in round 20 than round 1. Pies smashed us at the G - at least this is a decent side and when their guns are up are extremely hard to beat - Pendles, Swan and Cloke had day outs against us. Cats are a very good side at home and have won 43 of their last 45 - no shame here. The Suns game as IMO our worst loss - just came back flat from WA and they were too good on the day. They have started to slide and we will end 2014 as the better side.

As I look at our losses at the time of the games we lost 2 50/50 games - ess and pies, lost 1 as under dogs (cats)and 1 as strong favourites (suns).

We have had a much harder 1st 11 than we will with out next 11. Using advanced maths I have added the ladder positions of our 1st 11 and came up with 90 and for our next 11 134. The lower the score the harder the draw - ie Port is worth 1 point GWS 18.

We will start favs in 8 of the 11. Crows this week, Hawks and Cats are the 3 tough games we face.

We also have not had a great run with injuries. Wells, Swallow, Grima have been missed. Hopefully we get a better run in the 2nd half of the year.

I hope this thread stays positive - too many times they drift to the negative but we should be happy or at least content with 2014. We have done the hard yards to get to 7-4 - we now need to press in the 2nd half of the year. Scott and the boys have done a lot right in 2014.

I for one am excited.
 

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TooUglyForFugly

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#4
SACK SCOTT!!!!
DELIST PETRIE!!!!!!
GOLDY NO GOOD!!!!
Scott couldn't win a premiership in his first year like his brother. Sack.
Petrie has a girl's first name. Delist.
Goldstein's Jewish but that doesn't make him token enough to get the publicity NacNit does. Trade for #1 pick.
 
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#8
HAHA- to the Goldie Brigade, he's been close to woeful this season. Last night he reminded us of how good he can be.

Greenwood ,McDonald, Dal Santo and Nahas are four best 22 now. Massive bonus.

7/4 - banging down the door, we're traveling beautifully.


Add in Petrie, Goldie , Black and Tarrant haven't really fired, the sky is our Oyster.
 

utility

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#10
It's just a bit over a pass mark at this stage. High expectations - but some ripper wins. NDS is better than expected, Levi has been great, Hansen continues to grow in stature, LMac has fitted in beautifully, Boomer has been awesome, Cunners has taken the next step, and we've been able to cover some major injury problems.

The pre-season 'overcoaching' has caused us a bit of grief, and guys are not mentally switched on each week. Too many times we've been flogged for large parts of games. The key for the second half of the year will be improved consistency, week-to-week and quarter-to-quarter. Too many times we've coughed up 3+ goal leads in the first half, just need to stop doing that or we'll be cactus in September.

Next week will be a good test. Haven't beaten the Crows in Adelaide since 2003 (6 losses in a row), and if we're fair dinkum we should get the four points. We're contenders if we beat one or both of Geelong/Hawthorn and finish top four, otherwise probably pretenders making up the numbers. Given our run home we have every opportunity to do it.
 

Dirty_11

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#11
It's just a bit over a pass mark at this stage. High expectations - but some ripper wins. NDS is better than expected, Levi has been great, Hansen continues to grow in stature, LMac has fitted in beautifully, Boomer has been awesome, Cunners has taken the next step, and we've been able to cover some major injury problems.

The pre-season 'overcoaching' has caused us a bit of grief, and guys are not mentally switched on each week. Too many times we've been flogged for large parts of games. The key for the second half of the year will be improved consistency, week-to-week and quarter-to-quarter. Too many times we've coughed up 3+ goal leads in the first half, just need to stop doing that or we'll be cactus in September.

Next week will be a good test. Haven't beaten the Crows in Adelaide since 2003 (6 losses in a row), and if we're fair dinkum we should get the four points. We're contenders if we beat one or both of Geelong/Hawthorn and finish top four, otherwise probably pretenders making up the numbers. Given our run home we have every opportunity to do it.
Cats/Hawks games hold no fears for us. 50/50's in my eyes.
 

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MagicalRoos

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#13
B+ for mine. Am very happy where we are sitting but there is just that little something in the back of my mind that says we have blown some golden opportunities for a box seat in the top 4. Still, can't be too greedy. Imagine being a Tigers supporter.
 

Shagga is all Class

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#16
Win loss is not in bad shape.

Team can improve but add Thomas, Wells, Tarrant, MacMillan, Grima to the squad and the ball movement improves.

Might take a few weeks to get some of the above going but we could hit red hot form leading into finals.

So we know we can defend better but I would like to see some faster ball movement.

By the end of the year we could have teams with an average 120 games.

Teams of that experience have no excuse for some of the trash performances where we have pretty much lost the game in a quarter.
 

winalotroos

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#18
B+ for mine. Am very happy where we are sitting but there is just that little something in the back of my mind that says we have blown some golden opportunities for a box seat in the top 4. Still, can't be too greedy. Imagine being a Tigers supporter.

Agree MR. I think we have had a very hard start to the season, also working with a change to the game plan, injuries to key players have not helped.

I expect we will have a good run home...next week is a test & Hawthorn Geelong are 50/50 games.
 

Wild Bill

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Not sure how the Hawks game is 50/50 - they will start at least $1.40 favourites.
 

koshari

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#22
B+ for mine. Am very happy where we are sitting but there is just that little something in the back of my mind that says we have blown some golden opportunities for a box seat in the top 4. Still, can't be too greedy. Imagine being a Tigers supporter.
Whateley and Alves said on sun morning we would likely be a b- or b+ depending on the result later that day, pretty fair assessment if you ask me.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-08/sunday-inquisition-june-8/5508780

scroll to 31:46 seconds
 
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Horace

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#23
I think that is a pretty good analysis Wild Bill. Last night's game however was so critical in being able to assess us along similar lines. Had we lost I think any credibility we had as a genuine top 8 side would have been blown away and rightly so.

This weeks game carries almost equal status though. We need to win it to build on the credits we now have. It will be tough to put three wins together based on our previous inconsistency but if we do then I think firstly we can rightfully claim to be worthy of top 8 status and secondly, if we haven't already, should cement our place in the top 8.

A win this week will almost certainly mean that the top 8 will remain the same and simply the main question will be what position each club ends up.

In saying this I believe that the only two sides outside the 8 with credible claims are *essendon and Adelaide. If we beat Adelaide their job will become very hard. I think the loss of *watson will be crippling to *essendon. *he is *their best player by a fair way and no-one can ever expect to replace a player of *his calibre and continue in the same vein (unless *they get back to their old *vein ways of 2011/12.)

I think that three clubs are almost certain to secure top 4 status, being Port, Sydney and Hawthorn. Port is flying and with the way they are capitalising on their home ground advantage at the Adelaide Oval, should hardly drop a game for the rest of the year. The Swans are really up and about now and only injuries will stop them from remaining comfortably a top 4 team. The Hawks will soon regain Mitchell, Lake and Gibson and will be as formidable as ever.

I think that means that 4th position is a tussle between ourselves, Collingwood, Freo and Geelong, and without looking at the draw from hereon (never the smartest move) at this stage I think the Pies will get it. In the case of the GC I think they will struggle from here on, will hold on to 8th position however and their time, and it will be a time of dominance, will be 2015 through to 2018.

I think we are capable of finishing above the Cats and Freo although apparently Freo has a very nice draw over the next 6 weeks, which should see them well positioned with 5 games to go. I think the Cats might just be in a bit of trouble now. You always write them off at your peril however that +100 point loss to Sydney together with a lucky win against Carlton, in my view suggests that the era is nearly over. They will win more than they lose for the rest of this year however some of their replacements for the retired/moved on Corey, Chapman, Scarlett, Ling and others are nowhere near in the same class.

So I think we might end up in 6th position, probably playing the Cats in an elimination final, but if we have a fair run with injuries and eradicate the inconsistency from our game from here on, we might scrape into 4th position.

I think also that 6th position will be a reasonably satisfying result given that there are in my view more very good sides at the top end of the ladder this year.

Not that I would know. Most of my predictions are usually wrong.
 

MagicalRoos

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#24
I think I would be disappointed with 6th Horace but you have written a nice piece.
I only wish we could play Collingwood again but as it stands 4th is still firmly within our own hands.
 

koshari

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#25
I think that three clubs are almost certain to secure top 4 status, being Port, Sydney and Hawthorn. Port is flying and with the way they are capitalising on their home ground advantage at the Adelaide Oval, should hardly drop a game for the rest of the year. The Swans are really up and about now and only injuries will stop them from remaining comfortably a top 4 team. The Hawks will soon regain Mitchell, Lake and Gibson and will be as formidable as ever.

I think that means that 4th position is a tussle between ourselves, Collingwood, Freo and Geelong, and without looking at the draw from hereon (never the smartest move) at this stage I think the Pies will get it. In the case of the GC I think they will struggle from here on, will hold on to 8th position however and their time, and it will be a time of dominance, will be 2015 through to 2018.
I think I pretty much agree with you except I have a feeling Freo will secure the 4th spot at ours and Geelongs peril.

I also think have a feeling that the Suns can come on a bit if they sort out their Fwd set-up, they were not far off Swans in the on-ball department and had similar about of forward entries. Prolly Buddy and Parker being the differences in Fwd performances. Definitely wouldn’t surprise me if they finish 5th 6th.

I suppose the only real issue is who has home finals in the wash-up. as the comp 1-4 and 5-8 appears very close. Can Port keep this tempo up all the way into the finals?

For my money i have a bad feeling we are gonna draw the Suns in the first final. prolly would prefer we draw them at the MCG as both Etihad and Metricon havnt been great hunting grounds against them recently. This would have Collingwood and Geelong in the other elimination final.
 
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