Opinion Is this rock bottom?

[speedy]

I actually think it was a step in the right direction last weekend. Only one bad quarter instead of the standard 3.

The addition of Dawson added structure to the backline, even though in general our backs got beat.
And our midfield finally clicked in a lot of areas. I think playing Sheezel more in the midfield was the right move.

We might actually win a game if LDU, Sheezel, Warlord & Powell all click in the one game. After all it would be the north melbourne way to gift the tiges the no.1 pick.

 

[Disco Dew]

On this day. Who knew it would all fall apart after this so badly.

View attachment 1995661

Won 3 more games for the year. So ****ed, no one rated us at 9-0 or 10-1 expecting us to fall over and that’s exactly what we did. Never seen a capitulation like it

 

[Twinkletoes]

Won 3 more games for the year. So ****ed, no one rated us at 9-0 or 10-1 expecting us to fall over and that’s exactly what we did. Never seen a capitulation like it

Yep and that’s what led to the great gutting of the club’s senior crew. The capitulation was an elongated sliding doors event which helped lead us to the abyss we’ve been in ever since.

 

[Cyber_punk]

Won 3 more games for the year. So ****ed, no one rated us at 9-0 or 10-1 expecting us to fall over and that’s exactly what we did. Never seen a capitulation like it

They were right to.

We beat the * VFL side by 14 points. After that game I knew we didn't have it in us.

 

[Marstermind]

Won 3 more games for the year. So ****ed, no one rated us at 9-0 or 10-1 expecting us to fall over and that’s exactly what we did. Never seen a capitulation like it

"We just want to get to 12 wins" says Brad.

And whaddya know? We got to 12 wins.

Doofus.

 

[GoRoos2023]

I would say this week is rock bottom as a supporter.

I think North supporters could deal with being as bad as we have been if we thought we got the spoils of finishing last with the top tier available exciting talent.

We missed on Daicos, JUH, lost JHF for varying circumstances. Gee that hurt. But couldnt really blame the club.

But losing Reid like we did, winning our only game in 30 rounds and that costing us and now looking what he is doing for WCE at a marketing and excitement level is my lowest point. Our supporters needed it. Our club needed it.

We knew how good he was, I posted in the 3rd quarter last year on this forum (to much criticism) that the club offield and on filed will regret this win for 15 years to come. And we will.

At some point we just can't help ourselves, you start to consider is it worth it turning up each week.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

I would say this week is rock bottom as a supporter.

I think North supporters could deal with being as bad as we have been if we thought we got the spoils of finishing last with the top tier available exciting talent.

We missed on Daicos, JUH, lost JHF for varying circumstances. Gee that hurt. But couldnt really blame the club.

But losing Reid like we did, winning our only game in 30 rounds and that costing us and now looking what he is doing for WCE at a marketing and excitement level is my lowest point. Our supporters needed it. Our club needed it.

We knew how good he was, I posted in the 3rd quarter last year on this forum (to much criticism) that the club offield and on filed will regret this win for 15 years to come. And we will.

At some point we just can't help ourselves, you start to consider is it worth it turning up each week.

You need to get over it. Everyone needs to get over it.

 

[Ruckle]

Rock bottom is that this thread exists and 86 pages in we still feel like not quite there. I mean ...sh!t.

 

[Devil Fish]

Who knows if this is rock bottom?

We could lose LDU. That would be another step backwards.

We could screw up the next draft or 3.

Then Tazzie comes in.

I mean, hopefully this is as bad as things get, but there’s certainly no guarantees this is rock bottom.

 

[ferball]

Who knows if this is rock bottom?

We could lose LDU. That would be another step backwards.

We could screw up the next draft or 3.

Then Tazzie comes in.

I mean, hopefully this is as bad as things get, but there’s certainly no guarantees this is rock bottom.

There's no guarantees of anything. Beating yourself up over the worst that could happen will just **** you up.

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

I just like to come to this thread every so often to vent. But seriously how the hell did we get this bad for this long? Vent over.

 

[Spud11]

I just like to come to this thread every so often to vent. But seriously how the hell did we get this bad for this long? Vent over.

It’s all part of the plan. If we show any improvement or dare win a game now, it would only be a worthless sugar hit that would compromise our future five-peat and never-ending dynasty.
The young players are happy to get being really bad over with now because they know that inevitably, with time, they will become hall of famers no matter what.

 

[Gasometer]

Won 3 more games for the year. So ****ed, no one rated us at 9-0 or 10-1 expecting us to fall over and that’s exactly what we did. Never seen a capitulation like it

Ian Baker North

 

[3051]

Right now sucks, but isn't close to rock bottom.

For me, rock bottom was the Summer of 2002, when the crap about Carey surfaced and ripped the club apart. I am still recovering from it, and part of me knows that I will never fully recover from something like that.

Why? I hate external events because there's no real closure to it. It just creates a whole bunch of what-ifs that are torturous-in-nature. For example, I wonder if a Carey-led North had another premiership in them - will never know, and not because everything was left on the ground. It's also just damaged the legacy of that great North team, and which actually seems to get worse not better over time. The latest example is the AFL blocking Carey's legend status in the NSW HOF. One of the worst imaginable downfalls of a dynasty.

Another that could have been the absolute rock bottom is if North relocated to the Gold Coast. Another external event that tortures you because it has nothing to do with the actual footy game. Thank god we dodged that one in 2007.

I can live with bad stuff that happens on the ground. Like the 98 Grand Final, yeah - you can still play the what-ifs, but its still reasonably understandable given the variability of the game. Sometimes it just happens. Still required the other team to win the game. To a lesser extent, injuries are also part of the game.

Football, the game, is cyclical. Players start at their worst, get better, peak, and then get worse as they get older. Rinse and repeat. Every club in the history of the game, so long as they stay in the competition long enough, experience the highs and the lows. This doesn't torture the mind - this is just the way of the game. Right now, is just part of the cycle. This cycle especially sucks because there are some external stuff going on too out of the control of the club (eg. TT, Clarko racism stuff, etc.), but they don't compare to 2002 IMO.

Another way to look at this current situation is the stuff that is far more stable and in our control - the club's financial position for one. That looks stronger than ever, far stronger than in the 90s, when we actually had the best product in the game. The onfield stuff will eventually catch up.

 

[ferball]

Right now sucks, but isn't close to rock bottom.

For me, rock bottom was the Summer of 2002, when the crap about Carey surfaced and ripped the club apart. I am still recovering from it, and part of me knows that I will never fully recover from something like that.

Why? I hate external events because there's no real closure to it. It just creates a whole bunch of what-ifs that are torturous-in-nature. For example, I wonder if a Carey-led North had another premiership in them - will never know, and not because everything was left on the ground. It's also just damaged the legacy of that great North team, and which actually seems to get worse not better over time. The latest example is the AFL blocking Carey's legend status in the NSW HOF. One of the worst imaginable downfalls of a dynasty.

Another that could have been the absolute rock bottom is if North relocated to the Gold Coast. Another external event that tortures you because it has nothing to do with the actual footy game. Thank god we dodged that one in 2007.

I can live with bad stuff that happens on the ground. Like the 98 Grand Final, yeah - you can still play the what-ifs, but its still reasonably understandable given the variability of the game. Sometimes it just happens. Still required the other team to win the game. To a lesser extent, injuries are also part of the game.

Football, the game, is cyclical. Players start at their worst, get better, peak, and then get worse as they get older. Rinse and repeat. Every club in the history of the game, so long as they stay in the competition long enough, experience the highs and the lows. This doesn't torture the mind - this is just the way of the game. Right now, is just part of the cycle. This cycle especially sucks because there are some external stuff going on too out of the control of the club (eg. TT, Clarko racism stuff, etc.), but they don't compare to 2002 IMO.

Another way to look at this current situation is the stuff that is far more stable and in our control - the club's financial position for one. That looks stronger than ever, far stronger than in the 90s, when we actually had the best product in the game. The onfield stuff will eventually catch up.

Wasn't carey in favour of the GC move?

He'd have been recently retired and possible a 3X premiership captain. Imagine if he'd pushed for the GC move after not having the 2002 debacle. We'd have been there nearly 20 years.

 

[Cyber_punk]

Right now sucks, but isn't close to rock bottom.

For me, rock bottom was the Summer of 2002, when the crap about Carey surfaced and ripped the club apart. I am still recovering from it, and part of me knows that I will never fully recover from something like that.

Why? I hate external events because there's no real closure to it. It just creates a whole bunch of what-ifs that are torturous-in-nature. For example, I wonder if a Carey-led North had another premiership in them - will never know,

We didn't.

Even if Carey and Pagan stay we weren't getting by that Brisbane team imo.

Maybe we reach another prelim with a bit of luck. But our time as a powerhouse was done.

I view the 2002 onfield season in a positive light. 2001 was a rotten year, we were tipped for the wooden spoon when Carey left and still made the 8 with a fairly average list. The upset in Port in round 1. The Mick Martyn game for his dad. The first win in years over * after they had belted us 6 times in a row etc. The boys gave everything they had.

 

[Rooniversity]

We didn't.

Even if Carey and Pagan stay we weren't getting by that Brisbane team imo.

Maybe we reach another prelim with a bit of luck. But our time as a powerhouse was done.

I view the 2002 onfield season in a positive light. 2001 was a rotten year, we were tipped for the wooden spoon when Carey left and still made the 8 with a fairly average list. The upset in Port in round 1. The Mick Martyn game for his dad. The first win in years over * after they had belted us 6 times in a row etc. The boys gave everything they had.

Pagan coached brilliantly that year, after how it started.

 

[Cyber_punk]

Pagan coached brilliantly that year, after how it started.

We were a bit stiff not to finish on 14 wins and finish top 4 tbh. Again, not that we would have beaten Brisbane.

That early Sydney game was lost due to a bullshit free against Motlop on the siren and we lost to Melbourne despite having many more scoring shots during the middle of the year.

 

[Woolly Mammoth]

I would say this week is rock bottom as a supporter.

I think North supporters could deal with being as bad as we have been if we thought we got the spoils of finishing last with the top tier available exciting talent.

We missed on Daicos, JUH, lost JHF for varying circumstances. Gee that hurt. But couldnt really blame the club.

But losing Reid like we did, winning our only game in 30 rounds and that costing us and now looking what he is doing for WCE at a marketing and excitement level is my lowest point. Our supporters needed it. Our club needed it.

We knew how good he was, I posted in the 3rd quarter last year on this forum (to much criticism) that the club offield and on filed will regret this win for 15 years to come. And we will.

At some point we just can't help ourselves, you start to consider is it worth it turning up each week.

So you're ready to turn your back on the club because we refused to cheat? that's Carlton supporter type sh*t man

 

[3051]

We didn't.

Even if Carey and Pagan stay we weren't getting by that Brisbane team imo.

Maybe we reach another prelim with a bit of luck. But our time as a powerhouse was done.

I view the 2002 onfield season in a positive light. 2001 was a rotten year, we were tipped for the wooden spoon when Carey left and still made the 8 with a fairly average list. The upset in Port in round 1. The Mick Martyn game for his dad. The first win in years over * after they had belted us 6 times in a row etc. The boys gave everything they had.

Improbable, but we'll never know. The mighty Lions only beat that Magpies team by 9 points. With a bit of luck or some white patch of form storming into the finals, North could make the grand final, they were made for finals. Assuming we make the grand final, Wayne Carey is probably still in prime form and in the grand final in wet conditions, I'd back him in to put in a Norm Smith-winning game. Nice to imagine...

 

[Roos92]

On this day. Who knew it would all fall apart after this so badly.

View attachment 1995661

Looks like essendon under Bard now. Let's see where they are at in a couple months.. or years

 

[Woolly Mammoth]

Yep and that’s what led to the great gutting of the club’s senior crew. The capitulation was an elongated sliding doors event which helped lead us to the abyss we’ve been in ever since.

Makes good copy but not really accurate, Boomer was back working at the club, what a year and a half later? and we beat the eventual premier by 40 odd points and were knockin on the door of finals in 2018 and 2019.

Personally I think this club has been stuffed up by bumbling miss management, horrendous coaching choices and the fact that North hadn't done a proper roots and branch rebuild in the modern era (so no one associated with the club had a single clue how to go about it and so its ended up being the worst botch job of the VFL/AFL draft era).

And if that's the case its been 5 years of horror, but only 5 years. That can only be the end of hope for the club if we let it be the end. Richmond were afforded three and a half decades to get their sh*t together because enough of their supporters stuck with them.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Makes good copy but not really accurate, Boomer was back working at the club, what a year and a half later? and we beat the eventual premier by 40 odd points and were knockin on the door of finals in 2018 and 2019.

Personally I think this club has been stuffed up by bumbling miss management, horrendous coaching choices and the fact that North hadn't done a proper roots and branch rebuild in the modern era (so no one associated with the club had a single clue how to go about it and so its ended up being the worst botch job of the VFL/AFL draft era).

And if that's the case its been 5 years of horror, but only 5 years. That can only be the end of hope for the club if we let it be the end. Richmond were afforded three and a half decades to get their sh*t together because enough of their supporters stuck with them.

All true but make no mistake, the great fall of late season 2016 was the beginning of the end. All that followed was with that capitulation at it’s base. Had we continued on our merry way from the lofty heights of 9-0 that year we’d have clung onto the old blokes and continued to believe we were the second coming of Geelong/Sydney etc requiring a mere reno to the list rather than a rebuild.

 

[3051]

All true but make no mistake, the great fall of late season 2016 was the beginning of the end. All that followed was with that capitulation at it’s base. Had we continued on our merry way from the lofty heights of 9-0 that year we’d have clung onto the old blokes and continued to believe we were the second coming of Geelong/Sydney etc requiring a mere reno to the list rather than a rebuild.

Tend to agree here. The 2016 team was a bit unlucky IMO - I think the turning point was Cunnington's injury against Geelong in Rd12? I think he played out the rest of the season not quite right, and that automatically demoted us from top 4 status. Then you have A/B+ graders Higgins and Jacobs out for most of the season. But the great teams always had massive contributions from its second tier players, and I think here North had great unrealised potential - mostly from injuries to Wood and Garner. I thought after the 2015 finals series, Garner was going to take the leap, and Wood's early 2016 form suggested so too. Alas, not to be.

 

[amaz199]

I think we looked our absolute best against Dogs in Rd 6 and that was a low scoring affair. Our 1s was very good but it stops there. The lack of development in some players were proven to be costly when our midfield brigade copped some injuries and lost class. Wells going down, NDS niggles, Cunners getting injured and Waite not being 100% for the remainder of the season eventually getting injured again.

When they all came back, it was too late. We were cooked then the club decided that Boomer was redundant and his mates had to be shown the door too. Horrific. That was our team's culture out the door and we haven't looked quite right since.