Analysis Is the AFL responsible for North Melbourne's poor performance?

[Atomboy]

I'm talking about additional handouts to keep them afloat. They're clubs that can survive without AFL handsouts. North isn't one of them.

What’s an example of the handouts North
get ?.

 

[Nomad12]

The truth is there is no possible bigger new club than North Melbourne, especially after Tasmania comes in.

Think about it, obviously a new Victorian club is never going to happen, but a third side in Perth or Adelaide, one in Sunshine Coast, Northern Queensland, NT, Canberra or even New Zealand would not be bigger than North Melbourne.

So having them competitive is in the league's best interest.

I agree they want them competitive and they need them to fill the games for the TV deal anyway. Disagree as a WA resident if they made a team in South West WA it would become as big as a Freo fairly quickly

 

[bzparkes]

The nsw and Queensland teams have won a single flag between them in the last decade, the same amount your mob has won.

Are you really against a policy that is helping to increase the amount of talent in the game?

Father son is available to every team, so it's just coincidence that they happen to be good at the same time.

The Northern clubs have 5 grand final appearances between them in the last decade, Sydney and Brisbane multiple.

WA and SA have 2.

The academies are fine, the northern clubs' unfettered access to them is not.

This year, it looks like the 2 highest rated picks in the draft will go to the northern clubs, yet again.

Brisbane don't need the academies if they have father sons available, neither does Sydney. I thought the point of them was to give GWS and GC a leg up, considering they don't have father sons yet? Why do Brisbane and Sydney get to enjoy the rort also?

 

[The Terrible Thinker]

It is always been an opinion that AFL controlled clubs will never have success in terms of premierships. AFL prefers these teams to be competitive but never win premierships over flagship clubs.

 

[Seadog]

The truth is there is no possible bigger new club than North Melbourne, especially after Tasmania comes in.

Think about it, obviously a new Victorian club is never going to happen, but a third side in Perth or Adelaide, one in Sunshine Coast, Northern Queensland, NT, Canberra or even New Zealand would not be bigger than North Melbourne.

So having them competitive is in the league's best interest.

If North Melbourne moved to one of those locations they would be bigger than they are now.

 

[demondavey]

Honestly, they need to just start winning games. Their lack of development and progression as a list is pretty bad. I’d argue Melbourne were in a similar boat circa 2014 with Paul Roos. What transpired was the development of a defence first mindset while developing a much better contested game and then an end result that saw us able to kick a score. The list was changed, the style was changed and we were able to contend.

Losing McKay hurts. I’ve no idea on their backline but given they leaked 150+ against Carlton I’d argue it’s still a big issue. Best player is Larkey, how on earth he continues to kick bags is beyond me, but they probably need to start plugging gaps.

I am not sure if AC is up to it. The record recycled coaches have isn’t great. It’s been 10 years now since that last premiership. Long time and lots of change in the game.

 

[demondavey]

It is always been an opinion that AFL controlled clubs will never have success in terms of premierships. AFL prefers these teams to be competitive but never win premierships over flagship clubs.

Exactly

 

[demondavey]

What will it take for Clarko to be under the spotlight? I expected to see significant improvement from them.

It’ll take a very strong board to start critiquing him. Unfortunately he comes with a level of protection due to his history but I’d argue conversations need to be had about minimal development.

It’s pretty dire.

 

[Gavin Excell]

In answer to the OP, yes, it's all the AFLs fault

 

[Bungeye]

Getting rid of Scott! In Scott's last year, they were losing many close games but at least they were still hugely competitive!

It's a shame, that the shinboners spirit has all but gone...

 

[SC_Power]

The truth is there is no possible bigger new club than North Melbourne, especially after Tasmania comes in.

Think about it, obviously a new Victorian club is never going to happen, but a third side in Perth or Adelaide, one in Sunshine Coast, Northern Queensland, NT, Canberra or even New Zealand would not be bigger than North Melbourne.

So having them competitive is in the league's best interest.

The flip side on that is that a non vic team is likely to cater to growth, zero chance of North doing so.

 

[btdg]

It is always been an opinion that AFL controlled clubs will never have success in terms of premierships. AFL prefers these teams to be competitive but never win premierships over flagship clubs.

Who are the flagship clubs?

It can't be the 'big 4' Victorian teams? Carlton and Essendon haven't won anything in more than two decades and Richmond have had one nice little 4 year run in amongst 40 years of sucking.

It also isn't the new teams - neither has won a premiership and Gold Coast haven't even made the finals.

The league has been dominated over the last 25 years by Geelong, Collingwood, Sydney, West Coast, Hawthorn and Brisbane. All have played in at least 4 grand finals and won premierships with at least two quite different playing groups. That is quite a diverse set of 'flagship' teams

 

[GC2015]

In my opinion the AFL wont allow North to succeed, what do you think?

Gee whiz. Talk about trying to shift the blame for your club's incompetence.

We've seen smaller Melbourne clubs like the Dees and Dogs climb the ladder and win the flag in the last decade. What have those clubs had access to that North haven't? The answer is nothing. North are in the same boat as those clubs and its their own incompetence that has led to their recent poor performances.

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

try recruiting some actual defenders, Maynard would be a great start.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

North only exist because of the AFL. Be happy that they're able to keep you afloat, because your club would fold within months without them.

In the last decade,outside of GC and GWS, Brisbane has received more AFL funding than any other club.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

I'm talking about additional handouts to keep them afloat. They're clubs that can survive without AFL handsouts. North isn't one of them.

Neither is Brisbane.

 

[FrustratedTiger]

Getting rid of Scott! In Scott's last year, they were losing many close games but at least they were still hugely competitive!

It's a shame, that the shinboners spirit has all but gone...

Brad Scott ripped the heart out of that club and they haven't recovered from him.

One of North's biggest issues is they get these top draft picks and pick the best available player. The best available player is generally a midfielder. So they have drafted some elite midfielders but have little to no key position players to hold up the ends. The ones they do have, like Larkey, have to work against multiple defenders because there isn't anyone else worth defending. And the backline is non existent

 

[bzparkes]

Brad Scott ripped the heart out of that club and they haven't recovered from him.

One of North's biggest issues is they get these top draft picks and pick the best available player. The best available player is generally a midfielder. So they have drafted some elite midfielders but have little to no key position players to hold up the ends. The ones they do have, like Larkey, have to work against multiple defenders because there isn't anyone else worth defending. And the backline is non existent

They issue is they never bothered to split any of those picks, at least to our knowledge.

Even then, North avoided talls like the plague in the main draft until 2023, Comben being the only one they picked since Xerri was drafted. All the others come from the rookie draft, MSD and trades. Abysmal.

WCE got panned for splitting in 2022 and last year(got panned for not splitting in 2023, because football media is dumb) but one thing they've never neglected is picking talls, often to our detriment but as they take way longer to come one than mids, it's better to knock that off early.

Richmond did the same thing themselves last year, taking 3 talls before pick 30.

It's incredibly perplexing that North just drafted smalls constantly for years and never addressed their tall stocks in the main draft.

 

[thistimeforsure]

In my opinion the AFL wont allow North to succeed, what do you think?

Depends if you mean the AFL as in the governing body or the AFL as in the competition as a whole , don’t think the ‘ governing body ‘ is out to get anyone per say but they have their imperatives of course ( money , growth in the northern states ) but the inequalities that exist in the competition as a whole ? I would agree with that , but you are not alone there Adel , Port , Freo ,WC , North , STK , WB are all fighting with one hand behind their back for a host of reasons …… most of the reasons are kind of inevitable but some of them aren’t

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

I think the talls thing is overstated. If Comben is back, Larkey forward and Xerri ruck that should be easy enough to build around.
Brisbane had Hipwood and Andrews
Collingwood ignore talls
GWS only spent late on a tall
Hawthorn spent late on talls

I think their problem is identifying talent even when recruiting. CCJ, Core and Logue (maybe not fair) just haven’t added anything

 

[GenericUsername202]

Neither is Brisbane.

Maybe 15 years ago. These days we sell out every home game, we have a lot more sponsors and once we move into a 60k stadium after the olympics, we will be getting optus stadium crowds each home game. The fastest growing club in the AFL is the lions. And that's a fact.

 

[GC2015]

Maybe 15 years ago. These days we sell out every home game, we have a lot more sponsors and once we move into a 60k stadium after the olympics, we will be getting optus stadium crowds each home game. The fastest growing club in the AFL is the lions. And that's a fact.

Are you expecting 50k+ crowds to every home game at Vic Park?

 

[GenericUsername202]

Are you expecting 50k+ crowds to every home game at Vic Park?

We went from 20k members 6 years ago to 75k. By the time Vic park comes out, we will be over 100k. Unless we're at the bottom of the ladder, we should sell it out easily.