I want it to be our turn soon....I really, really do!!!

Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
All you have to do is get an invitation to the dance (make the finals).

Fitness & luck play a significant role after that.

People carrying on like Richmond are some leviathan have mildly lost the plot.
 
Sep 21, 2008
27,887
64,416
Vic
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I'm looking ahead. You're not.

We're not far away, just need a couple of tweaks.

I’m realistic mate. I don’t share the same optimism as you.

We might be a couple of tweaks away from a few extra wins but ultimately we’d still just be making up the numbers.

A starting midfield of Ziebell, Cunnington & Higgins won’t take us to the ultimate glory.

Even if you through in Simpkin & LDU we are still a long way off the top sides. Especially when it comes to our defensive transition.

Other than Higgins the rest of them don’t have the tank to be genuinely elite Two-Way midfielders. (Cunnington is obviously elite with contested footy but he is a downright liability as soon as the ball exits the contest)

Additionally a half back line of Mcdonald-Durdin/McKay/Maj-McMillan is never going to get us the ultimate glory.

Depth is another issue.

There is just too many holes all across the park. That’s the reality imo.
 

Mr north man

Premiership Player
Mar 12, 2016
3,228
2,630
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Keen to see where our Draw takes us in 2020

Huge problems with 2019's
Nothing much will change with the draw and when in the 7th to 12th Bracket so we will get the 2nd hardest draws to be giving out.
So had we had laid down like some clubs we would have been in the easiest side of the draw 13th to 18th .
Only 2 things with the draw in 2020 we win in Round 1 then a double header in July against the Suns on a Saturday night at Metricon and the lions the following week at the Gabba on a Saturday afternoon to get out of cold Victoria
 

remfan101

Club Legend
Oct 23, 2015
2,533
8,294
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Rolling into next year with a few tweaks and 'hoping' we come from the clouds to contend is like continually picking David Warner for the whole Ashes. Yeah, it'd be great if we turn it round, but there is realistically nothing to suggest that we will miraculously overcome clearly established deficiencies. Our midfield needs a total overhaul, both in tactics and personnel, and even then we have too many holes across the board to be more than a 6-12 side without a serious influx of talent, or a miracle, or preferably both.

TLDR, a list manager would be nice.
 
Mar 14, 2002
61,750
83,123
Gasometer Wing
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Kangaroos
Well listening and watching the wrap today a team is as good as it’s last win and being the Tigers there is a unquestioned belief that they will keep winning Flags. They might but there are 17 other clubs with different thoughts.

And what’s more a pity is that the media cannot seem to focus on the here and now
 

shimaburnsgrieg

Premiership Player
Apr 1, 2017
4,357
10,092
AFL Club
North Melbourne
We need to evolve our midfield, we can't have the slowest midfield in the comp and be s**thouse at the hardball and defensive numbers in the middle. If we are playing bulls like Cunnington, Ziebell, Anderson, etc in the middle, we should dominate the stoppage and tackle numbers, otherwise it is completely pointless.
We can only hope that the brains trust at North can see how obvious this is.

We will know pretty early in Pre season games whether ideas have changed in this regard.

If we line up with the 3 players you mention in the middle for the first bounce of the JLT we will know we are in for a long ride....to no whereville
 
Feb 11, 2013
15,353
31,743
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I’m realistic mate. I don’t share the same optimism as you.

We might be a couple of tweaks away from a few extra wins but ultimately we’d still just be making up the numbers.

A starting midfield of Ziebell, Cunnington & Higgins won’t take us to the ultimate glory.

Even if you through in Simpkin & LDU we are still a long way off the top sides. Especially when it comes to our defensive transition.

Other than Higgins the rest of them don’t have the tank to be genuinely elite Two-Way midfielders. (Cunnington is obviously elite with contested footy but he is a downright liability as soon as the ball exits the contest)

Additionally a half back line of Mcdonald-Durdin/McKay/Maj-McMillan is never going to get us the ultimate glory.

Depth is another issue.

There is just too many holes all across the park. That’s the reality imo.
Currently both our 1st and 2nd team didn’t make the finals and and bar a few games we looked miles off it this year.
Until we get some sort of minimum standards we’ll be down the bottom for a bit longer.
 
Oct 12, 2008
9,077
20,411
The North of Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
We'll play finals next year, and if Simpkin, LDU and others come on well, and we pick up a good trade or two, then we'll give the top 4 a shake.

Not to mention we'll probably get Majak back and maybe Ben Jacobs. Huge improvement to come from Thomas, Scott, Larkey and Zurhaar. I'm extremely optimistic.
 
Sep 21, 2004
36,628
25,289
Adel - SA - Aust - Earth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Norwood & Liverpool.
Hey guys.

I dont think you're far away.

The difference is (like us this year) consistency.

The spine looks good. You have good kids coming through (LDU looks like a gun) and continue to make Tassie very hard for opposition sides.

I agree with a poster that said its all gotta start with a statement in rd1.

Even JLT get rolling with some confidence and you never know.

I still picture North from the late 90s as a winning machine and Im sure you guys will be back up the ladder on no time.



On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

Royal Flush

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 14, 2008
8,453
6,833
Brisbane
AFL Club
North Melbourne
We just need to upgrade our bottom 4 best 22 with players capable of pushing top 10. With top 10 players continuing to retire, that gap maintains itself. Next lot retiring Higgins, Goldy, Tarrant.
We need a lot more free agency wins and luck in the draft.



Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 

shimaburnsgrieg

Premiership Player
Apr 1, 2017
4,357
10,092
AFL Club
North Melbourne
They are all encouraging words TAO.

It appears the place has been anything but an elite sporting environment over the past 2-3 years!

My observation is that the lack of defensive pressure, the unwillingness to run both ways - has been mainly the fault of leaders like JZ, Higgo and Cunners - they have gotten away with it for years under Scott.

This type of leadership is poor - eats away at the culture of the club if it's left to go on unhindered for years - as it has been at NMFC.

It will be a big ask for Shaw to try and correct this.

We will watch with interest what changes are made to pre season work and what changes are implemented in the middle during the JLT.

It's ok to take action on JMac, Jed and Wood - will he be prepared to take action on the above 3 senior players if they don't adhere to new team rules.

Time will tell of course!
 
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Rad Roo

Premiership Player
Aug 2, 2017
3,389
1,606
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Won’t happen, it’s not in the afls interest for us to be successful. In Richmond and wobblers case, they r the biggest clubs hence most profitable. Gws fits the afl agenda as it’s an afl created club.
 

Ardent Roo

All Australian
May 9, 2011
678
1,313
1st & Goal
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Auburn Tigers - War Eagle!
We changed the coach and immediately things seemed different. Not just in how we played but the overall organisation of everything.

We did things we hadn't seen much under Scott. Come backs, holding leads and the like.
The only thing that still disappoints was the Match Committee (should one exist) was still mystifying as to team selection. Cannot fathom why we didn't give Hosie a crack in the last couple of rounds and the seemingly continued preparedness to play Hrovat, Turner and Garner when all doing SFA was terrible. I'm concerned about the lack of non-forced changes that were made.

Part (only part mind you) of how Richmond have gotten to where they are prepared to make calls and swap the team around. The move to bring in Pickett was something we wouldn't entertain. Same situation we would have played Hrovat and not Hosie.
 

Ardent Roo

All Australian
May 9, 2011
678
1,313
1st & Goal
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Auburn Tigers - War Eagle!
Also while we ponder change and how that will look from 2020 on wards, we for one thing will be fitter and have better skills as practice as far as I can tell has never seen anyone worse off than before.

We should have a few senior types return which again won't leave us worse off. I can say we weren't happy with how we set up in the middle and are working on that strategy. It has in part to do with certain players not committing to run both ways, that is being dealt with internally.

Also we have come out of a place where players weren't held accountable, that's changed and Macmillan, Anderson, Wood are testament to that. It is a new world for us.

I personally am still ******* mortified at what has gone on with the last regime. And before any states we made two pre lims, imagine for a second how'd we'd have gone with a better system in place!
You summed my post up. How about some f***ing accountability.
 

Cool Kangas

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 2, 2010
5,295
5,732
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Won’t happen, it’s not in the afls interest for us to be successful. In Richmond and wobblers case, they r the biggest clubs hence most profitable. Gws fits the afl agenda as it’s an afl created club.
Well that’s fairly cynical. I really dont think it’s in the afl’s interests for clubs to be unsuccessful either... even the little ones.
 

Moti

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 4, 2001
13,830
10,647
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
We need to evolve our midfield, we can't have the slowest midfield in the comp and be s**thouse at the hardball and defensive numbers in the middle. If we are playing bulls like Cunnington, Ziebell, Anderson, etc in the middle, we should dominate the stoppage and tackle numbers, otherwise it is completely pointless.

100%. Hopefully some realises this and completely changes the mix. I fear though it will not change, particularly when your Captain is one of them.
 
Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
100%. Hopefully some realises this and completely changes the mix. I fear though it will not change, particularly when your Captain is one of them.


Your getting to be almost as bad as the Ziebull with MacMillan.
 
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