I'm ashamed

[Mr Reliable]

If thats the case, he's lost the plot.

Ive seen a u/12 girls netball team with more instensity than what we threw up tonight.

Yeah, he said we went inside 50 about 50 times but we couldn't convert our chances.

He was possibly wheeling out the "if we'd kicked straight we would have won" excuse to see if it had any life left.

 

[KingyOrTheKing]

Yeah, he said we went inside 50 about 50 times but we couldn't convert our chances.

He was possibly wheeling out the "if we'd kicked straight we would have won" excuse to see if it had any life left.

I'm hoping we don't see a Laidley contract extension and an assistant coach/head trainer/recruitment manager getting blamed (ie. sacked) for our poor performances. It's not like it hasn't happened before...

 

[chubbspeterson]

Yep probably the worst game I've seen. The funny thing is I felt we could've won it with some decent goalkicking. Corridor football gameplan replaced with chip it down the wings stuff - Embarrassing.
Harvey and Hansen's injuries made it even worse. Top 8 spot is probably gone now.

 

[NICK_ROOBOY83]

I'm not ashamed, I'm disgusted. We kicked 3 goals in the first 5 minutes or so and 4 goals for the rest of the game. It was comical. We'd have more luck finding a teammate if we tried to kick or handball to the opposition.

Whatever they're practising 5 days a week it's not their skills or teamwork. Couldn't possibly be.

I'm so sick of seeing our players mark the ball and then have no options. Everyone's just standing around pointing.

David Hale can't keep his feet and Daniel Pratt had the worst game I've seen him play for years. If Hamish wins the taps you'd never know it - he hits the ball straight down, usually to the opposition.

Then I'm driving home and the coach says he was happy with the intensity. So was I for the first 5 minutes.

We were absolutely killed in contested possession and smooth clearances. So much for intensity. He must have been at a different game.

Absolutely agree.

One thing i noticed with the stats is the contested ball. We were thrashed in the contested stuff hands down.

Our clearance work was once again shit. We may have had a few clearances but they were mostly ineffective. When Richmond cleared it they looked like a million bucks.

 

[Kimbo]

Ashamed?! I'm actually frightened for the future of our club.

No intensity, skills, excitement, wins = no members.

 

[Hoser]

Laidley put his faith in Hale and he just isn't showing enough.

Laidley has put faith in Hale as a key forward position at the start of every year since I can remember. Every year we go through this same stuff. Eventually Hale will have a couple of good games, and we will say, wow, look at Hale, finally producing.

The fact is that IMO Hale won't produce consistently ever.

 

[SM]

Don't worry guys, know exactly how you feel... but at least Richmond were tipped to do something this year, not finish dead last...

 

[1jasonoz]

Laidley has put faith in Hale as a key forward position at the start of every year since I can remember. Every year we go through this same stuff. Eventually Hale will have a couple of good games, and we will say, wow, look at Hale, finally producing.

The fact is that IMO Hale won't produce consistently ever.

The problem with Hale is not his doing, its not his fault that we have a game plan that allows the opposition time to flood back 2-3 defenders onto him due to us refusing to pass it quickly into the 50 when he is 1 out( we seem to have a game plan that would rather wait for a player on their own even if they are 30 metres backwards) rather than actually thinking we can kick to a 1 on 1 contest (30 metres upfield) and think our player can actually win it).

Rather we would rather chip it across the face of the 50 waiting for an opening but when it doesn't occur the plyers simply bomb it to him hopping he can now win a 1 on 3 contest!

It also doesn't help Hale when we do move it fast into the forward line it normally has been brought it from the boundary line and he has marked it on a 45 degree angle due to a player placing the ball there rather than in front of goals.

 

[NMFC Est 1869]

Everybody should be ashamed of that performance last night, there were NO positives. Laidley is destroying the club & the sooner he goes the better

 

[Jonnoo]

One thing I've always enjoyed about being a North supporter is that I know each week I'll see them put in 100%.

Last night was anything but. Smashed at the stoppages, no game plan that I could see, woeful skills by foot, no intensity, non existant forward line, no passion for the jumper (apart from a couple), nothing..

 

[juliem]

Usually I'd be pretty wild after the shit we dished up, but tonight I just feel numb. The last time I felt this flat after a game was the 1994 prelim (but for entirely different reasons).


Have to agree with this. I had just twigged on North around that time and the 94 game was one of the first I followed. I woke up this morning hoping for a mulligan and I'm not getting one

 

[gokangas]

A new day, fresh morning and I am still ashamed. One of the worst feelings after a game I have felt since that grand final. Shameful.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

This is almost a serious question : should we just forfeit the rest of the season?
(At least home games at Docklands, where we lose money anyway.)

 

[kangalover]

The general theme from the posts after last night's game all indicate the blatant flaws in Laidley's game plan/tactics, or more appropriately, lack thereof. If we, as supporters and observers are aware of these flaws why is nothing being done about it?

It was also mentioned by a poster on this thread, and I made mention of the same theory on another thread that perhaps the players were trying to make a point about Laidley. Perhaps they have reached the point of no return with him.
Going on what was dished up last night one would have to agree.
Their lack of self belief and confidence is alarming.
Often when they get the ball they just stand still and ponder how to dispose of it, frozen to the spot- madness, utter madness.

It really was a re-enactment of that last game of 2009 against PA when the boys came out on fire for the first 5 minutes only to be engulfed by "massive brain fades and body seizures".
This type of pattern of play has gone on for too long under Laidley, nothing has changed.
There has to be a major inherent problem with either the coach or something/someone else. It is eating away like a cancer and must be removed.

Why wasn't Lindsay Thomas dropped weeks ago, the fact that he is still playing is pathetic.
Ben Ross should have been given a go. But oh no, Laidley insists on playing someone who is out of form until they reach the point of uselessness and frustration.

Last weeks game may have been scrappy but it still was a contest, it did have some intensity, however last nights game was "vaudevillian".
Even when I entered the ground last night you could just feel the lack of atmosphere, something did not feel right and unfortunately that feeling obviously permeated throughout the entire North Melbourne player list and coaching staff.

I mentioned during the pre season that I was very worried about the game plan that I witnessed, as did many others on this forum, and low and behold, the same crap has continued on into the season proper.

I see the players at the moment as being confused, frustrated, perplexed and irritated by the lack of guidance and constructive game plan tactics not being put in place by the coach. This in turn is leading to a lack of mental self belief by our players.
The players are too scared to take a game on because they have a coach who wants to play stop start footy and kick the ball along the wing at every chance they get.
You could see Ben Warren attempt to put run into his game only to be shut down by his team mates who insisted on playing Laidley's style of footy.

I am still so distressed this morning that I will not allow a newspaper or radio anywhere near me.
This is going to be a week of media blackout for me and at the moment I even have to consider if I could front up again for next Friday nights game.

 

[Hoser]

The problem with Hale is not his doing, its not his fault that we have a game plan that allows the opposition time to flood back 2-3 defenders onto him due to us refusing to pass it quickly into the 50 when he is 1 out( we seem to have a game plan that would rather wait for a player on their own even if they are 30 metres backwards) rather than actually thinking we can kick to a 1 on 1 contest (30 metres upfield) and think our player can actually win it).

Rather we would rather chip it across the face of the 50 waiting for an opening but when it doesn't occur the plyers simply bomb it to him hopping he can now win a 1 on 3 contest!

It also doesn't help Hale when we do move it fast into the forward line it normally has been brought it from the boundary line and he has marked it on a 45 degree angle due to a player placing the ball there rather than in front of goals.

Whilst I agree we make it difficult for him, I still don't think he is the best fit. If the players are constantly overlooking him as the target and looking shorter, is perhaps the problem that the actual playing group do not believe he has the goods to get the job done?

Hale does not present at all well. Perhaps he should lead instead of waiting for the long bomb. His best game against Geelong was largely due to him outmarking a seriously small defence. He didn't find space, didn't present to the ball carrier and is largely reactive. He appears to be waiting for the ball carrier to demand his positioning, rather than trying to offer a position to the carrier.

Do the team have to improve delivery into the forward line to make it easier for Hale? Yes they do. Does Hale have to improve how he presents? Yes he does. Thompson and Rocca both managed to demand the ball even in the years that we were crap.

 

[GoNorth]

I'm not ashamed, I'm disgusted. We kicked 3 goals in the first 5 minutes or so and 4 goals for the rest of the game. It was comical. We'd have more luck finding a teammate if we tried to kick or handball to the opposition.

Whatever they're practising 5 days a week it's not their skills or teamwork. Couldn't possibly be.

I'm so sick of seeing our players mark the ball and then have no options. Everyone's just standing around pointing.

David Hale can't keep his feet and Daniel Pratt had the worst game I've seen him play for years. If Hamish wins the taps you'd never know it - he hits the ball straight down, usually to the opposition.

Then I'm driving home and the coach says he was happy with the intensity. So was I for the first 5 minutes.

We were absolutely killed in contested possession and smooth clearances. So much for intensity. He must have been at a different game.

We thought the same thing, Mr R. Was he watching the same game as us???

By the way, I agree with everything else you have written.

 

[DarwinRoo]

I'm actually not ashamed. Why should I be ashamed? I am not the one that put in a pathetic effort last night.

 

[Sandgroper35]

If you look back at my posts during the pre-season, you will see I was pointing this stuff out before it had happened. The fact that you could see it happening that far out purely from press conferences proves that it is all about attitude. I got slammed at the time, but now you all seem to agree. Strange world we live in.

 

[Mr Reliable]

Yep probably the worst game I've seen. The funny thing is I felt we could've won it with some decent goalkicking. Corridor football gameplan replaced with chip it down the wings stuff - Embarrassing.
Harvey and Hansen's injuries made it even worse. Top 8 spot is probably gone now.

I thought the same thing until 10 minutes into the last 1/4.

It was a reflection on how poor Richmond were.
[Which says a lot about our "efforts" for most of the game]

 

[Mr Reliable]

The problem with Hale is not his doing, its not his fault that we have a game plan that allows the opposition time to flood back 2-3 defenders onto him due to us refusing to pass it quickly into the 50 when he is 1 out( we seem to have a game plan that would rather wait for a player on their own even if they are 30 metres backwards) rather than actually thinking we can kick to a 1 on 1 contest (30 metres upfield) and think our player can actually win it).

Rather we would rather chip it across the face of the 50 waiting for an opening but when it doesn't occur the plyers simply bomb it to him hopping he can now win a 1 on 3 contest!

It also doesn't help Hale when we do move it fast into the forward line it normally has been brought it from the boundary line and he has marked it on a 45 degree angle due to a player placing the ball there rather than in front of goals.

Agree with all of this.

However, David Hale has to remember he is 6'6 and 100kgs. I reckon I could bustle him off balance and I'm not 6'6 and 100kgs.

 

[gokangas]

The general theme from the posts after last night's game all indicate the blatant flaws in Laidley's game plan/tactics, or more appropriately, lack thereof. If we, as supporters and observers are aware of these flaws why is nothing being done about it?

It was also mentioned by a poster on this thread, and I made mention of the same theory on another thread that perhaps the players were trying to make a point about Laidley. Perhaps they have reached the point of no return with him.
Going on what was dished up last night one would have to agree.
Their lack of self belief and confidence is alarming.
Often when they get the ball they just stand still and ponder how to dispose of it, frozen to the spot- madness, utter madness.

It really was a re-enactment of that last game of 2009 against PA when the boys came out on fire for the first 5 minutes only to be engulfed by "massive brain fades and body seizures".
This type of pattern of play has gone on for too long under Laidley, nothing has changed.
There has to be a major inherent problem with either the coach or something/someone else. It is eating away like a cancer and must be removed.

Why wasn't Lindsay Thomas dropped weeks ago, the fact that he is still playing is pathetic.
Ben Ross should have been given a go. But oh no, Laidley insists on playing someone who is out of form until they reach the point of uselessness and frustration.

Last weeks game may have been scrappy but it still was a contest, it did have some intensity, however last nights game was "vaudevillian".
Even when I entered the ground last night you could just feel the lack of atmosphere, something did not feel right and unfortunately that feeling obviously permeated throughout the entire North Melbourne player list and coaching staff.

I mentioned during the pre season that I was very worried about the game plan that I witnessed, as did many others on this forum, and low and behold, the same crap has continued on into the season proper.

I see the players at the moment as being confused, frustrated, perplexed and irritated by the lack of guidance and constructive game plan tactics not being put in place by the coach. This in turn is leading to a lack of mental self belief by our players.
The players are too scared to take a game on because they have a coach who wants to play stop start footy and kick the ball along the wing at every chance they get.
You could see Ben Warren attempt to put run into his game only to be shut down by his team mates who insisted on playing Laidley's style of footy.

I am still so distressed this morning that I will not allow a newspaper or radio anywhere near me.
This is going to be a week of media blackout for me and at the moment I even have to consider if I could front up again for next Friday nights game.

I share your pain and shame KL. At least I wasn't at the game (I was crook) so didn't have to see it first hand. But listening to the radio and watching the TV was painful eniough. Shameful footy with a total lack of spirit. I kept waiting for them to kick into top gear and have a small win but they didn't show a glimpse of heart.

 

[rooboy_88]

As a good mate of mine said to me last night, the only reason we would continue to go to the footy atm is because of the mateship we have as we have a group of 10 that go every week.

However, we have been boring to watch atm and besides the last quarter against the dogs and that harding goal against the hawks, there has been no atmosphere or enthusiasm by our fans, which I reckon is fair enough.

Ive walked from all matches so far in 2009 thinking if it wasnt for mateship or the love of the club, I wouldnt watch this shit.

Sitting on the city side of the ground, we always play to the docklands wing which means we hardly see the footy and that gets quite annoying as well

 

[toops]

i don't know why all of you guys are surprised at the outcome last night... last week was just as bad in terms of our mucking around and skill execution. its been evident for most of this year that we don't play to a game plan.

 

[snrub]

I'm wondering where this "exciting" gameplan Harvey and Laidley spoke about pre season is? Seriously we would have to be one of the ugliest sides to watch go around.

The game plan was exciting for the first ten minutes or so. Game plan wasn't the larger part of the problem last night. It was execution of skills and decision making under pressure. I think we have a few blokes whose brains are a bit fried. And not just on the field. The only part of the game plan that I was truly offended by was set plays. Our centre bounce and full back kick in set ups remain worst in the AFL.

 

[hotham]

When Boomer and Spud went off the ground we appeared to lack leadership and hardness. Nearly, everything I've read in each post went through my mind last night. In relation to Dean Laildey, at the beginning, I was sure he couldn't coach, then I felt guilty because I thought I was being unfair. So I started to look for the positives and appreciate his efforts. My old doctor and I would always talk footy. He was a Carlton supporter and he would always say, that North was the most mentally tough team in the competition. Now, I think we have lost our way. I'm hoping it's temporary. Please don't turn your back on the club.