Autopsy North lose a heartbreaker to the Saints by 8 points

[zoomba23]

Time for a rant. It's been a couple of days now since I was there at the stadium to witness yet another loss.
As far as posters on this forum go I'd definitely put myself in the fringe minority. I don't post an awful lot.
A little restrained perhaps but my passion for this club runs deep. Probably too deep.

I've been going to games since my late Grandma started taking me to Arden St. games in the late 70s as a 5 year old.
Been through many tough times. Been through the ecstasy of the 90s. I was even in the cheer squad in 1993 as a relative youngster.

Like all of us the last 5 years have been extraordinarily tough, the toughest in all my 50 years as a North supporter (I classify myself as a North supporter since the day I was born). Week after week of disappointment, pain, often embarrassment, disbelief at turnovers that happen right in front of my eyes. There have been weeks, too many, where our side has been completely bereft of competiveness, and then sometimes a few quarters where we've shown something.
Unfortunately it was very predictable (for me anyway) that we'd find a way to lose that game on the weekend. Yes the umpiring was diabolical to the point of suspicion at times, but the fact of the matter is we lay down at the beginning of that last quarter and allowed easy goals. For too long it has been our senior players who have let our club down, not through a desire to win, but through dumb football, substandard skills and an inability to remain calm under even perceived pressure.
It's our younger generation only that can show the way now and it appears that maybe they have already begun to show exactly that. It will need to start on the training track however.

My anger at this team's performances over the last 5 years has built to the point that it's probably not healthy. What have we won now, 9 games out of 80 in the last 4 years. Something close to that. Take away the interstate wins and the only way a North supporter/member has ever had the chance to sing the song is to get to a game early.

Two weeks ago after our team's embarrassing loss to Hawthorn I stood there with my family and friends and witnessed North supporters applauding our players as they walked off. I must admit to this awaking an irrational spark inside of me. I looked at many of these supporters in amazement. Yes of course the players were not 'not trying' however I thought, sorry that performance was not good enough. If our supporters were going to accept that then, as a club we truly are doomed.

So it brings me to this and I'm happy to be called out here. On the weekend, again we found ourselves sitting near the player's race. Yes we were incredibly improved on the Hawthorn game, despite numerous turnovers and skill errors throughout the game (St Kilda just happened to be worse) however we'd played really well. There was hope but there was resignation that we'd find a way to lose. As we all know, we did. I'm a very calm family man in the real world (except for occasional road rage and at the footy). Our club awakens sometimes unhealthy passions in me however.
Again, as the team was walking off, and perhaps, a rational person would say there was nothing wrong with this, supporters were clapping them off. They'd played their hearts out yeah?

I couldn't accept this however. Without screaming my lungs out I decided to make some rather theatrical 'holding the ball' like motions to say 'not good enough'. I think some of the players would have seen me. For me now, nothing short of a win is acceptable. A VFL/AFL record of consecutive losses is not good enough. Losing again is not good enough. I was so angry and clearly that anger is still there. A guy standing near me at the time looked at me and questioned me like I was a traitor/idiot (and perhaps I was) as to why I was criticising our players. I said to him "are you kidding me, are you just going to continue to accept mediocrity, 9 wins out of 80?". My question is, was it wrong to do this?

I support our players and our club through thick and thin. I've been a paid up member since the early 90s. I've not missed a game in years, except for being interstate or overseas. If I won Powerball I'd give the club millions (if my wife let me). North Melbourne however is a club that needs to win games to be relevant. Too many outside forces (insert AFL/media) would rather we just go away, despite a small though incredibly resilient and passionate supporter base. Though I'm not suggesting that we are in danger of ceasing to exist I was at the Keep North South rallies and the gig, was there at Dallas Brookes Hall when Brayshaw announced we would remain on our own two feet. I remember 95 when we almost merged with the Bears. I cannot continue to applaud our footballers when they continue to lose games and not show improvement.

A part of me can understand why supporters were clapping off the players on Sunday as they walked off after yet another loss, yeah they tried, however it makes me angry and incensed that they did. I wonder sometimes if the players really know how much our supporters are hurting. Other club supporters would not accept this. For some reason ours do. North has accepted mediocrity for too long.

Sounds like last week brought you to something of a tipping point. The exact same thing happened to me, and the evidence of that in the form of needless angst about our best players requesting a trade is on here for all to see. I think you let the players off easily with your holding the ball motions and cannot understand anyone who clapped them off. St Kilda handed them that game on a gilded platter and they bungled it. Was it a surprise? No but that doesn't matter.

They don't know how to win, and I think the despair that I'm feeling and that you may be feeling, stems from the deep realisation that despite the 'green shoots' and the 'light at the end of the tunnel' comments, despite the reassurances whenever we put in a half decent performance that it'll be ok, improvement is not a given. If there's anything the last four years has shown us, it's that you can't just expect improvement to accompany the passage of time.
We deserved to go through last season winless and barely, barely scraped two wins this year. 2021 was the last properly promising year, but that was brought undone by Nobles' transformation into Kim Jong Un.

My fear is, what's to stop the standards at training, the fitness, and the mental fortitude, continuing to remain on the floor, and what's to stop the rot permeating throughout initially promising young players? Who's to say we win any games next year? Wins are the result of everything that the playing group and staff do behind the scenes. And right now the players and staff at our club don't do anywhere near enough. Now a decent chunk of that is probably down to past traumas, but if Dal Santo was shocked at the laxness of the standards when he was playing, well this trend clearly goes back a while.

The fears that we'll remain in this state of shitness until 2026 or beyond are expanding for me to an uncomfortable degree. Some progress may have been made during the 2021 preseason. But there was * all progress during the 2022 preseason. And * all progress during this year's preseason. Going off that, you'd be stupid to blindly claim that it'll begin happening during the upcoming preseason. The situation is fixable imo, but only with a mountain of work, and awareness from the coaches about how deep the hole that we're in really is.

On your last point about fans accepting mediocrity, we don't really have a choice, for reasons you outlined. We don't have the supporter base of the big clubs to allow us to boycott games/stop buying memberships in protest. If we don't turn up, the conversation around relocation will be sparked again, and that would be far worse than any season of shitful onfield results.

This has turned into a rant of my own, which that wasn't my initial intention, but whatever. I just want to see this broken ******* club repaired and back where it belongs. To a wholly unhealthy degree

 

[hilly]

Fans clapping the team off against Hawthorn was farcical.

On SM-S901E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[JGreezy]

I would have clapped them off after the Saints game. I think it was a step in the right direction.

 

[Engimal v3]

Time for a rant. It's been a couple of days now since I was there at the stadium to witness yet another loss.
As far as posters on this forum go I'd definitely put myself in the fringe minority. I don't post an awful lot.
A little restrained perhaps but my passion for this club runs deep. Probably too deep.

I've been going to games since my late Grandma started taking me to Arden St. games in the late 70s as a 5 year old.
Been through many tough times. Been through the ecstasy of the 90s. I was even in the cheer squad in 1993 as a relative youngster.

Like all of us the last 5 years have been extraordinarily tough, the toughest in all my 50 years as a North supporter (I classify myself as a North supporter since the day I was born). Week after week of disappointment, pain, often embarrassment, disbelief at turnovers that happen right in front of my eyes. There have been weeks, too many, where our side has been completely bereft of competiveness, and then sometimes a few quarters where we've shown something.
Unfortunately it was very predictable (for me anyway) that we'd find a way to lose that game on the weekend. Yes the umpiring was diabolical to the point of suspicion at times, but the fact of the matter is we lay down at the beginning of that last quarter and allowed easy goals. For too long it has been our senior players who have let our club down, not through a desire to win, but through dumb football, substandard skills and an inability to remain calm under even perceived pressure.
It's our younger generation only that can show the way now and it appears that maybe they have already begun to show exactly that. It will need to start on the training track however.

My anger at this team's performances over the last 5 years has built to the point that it's probably not healthy. What have we won now, 9 games out of 80 in the last 4 years. Something close to that. Take away the interstate wins and the only way a North supporter/member has ever had the chance to sing the song is to get to a game early.

Two weeks ago after our team's embarrassing loss to Hawthorn I stood there with my family and friends and witnessed North supporters applauding our players as they walked off. I must admit to this awaking an irrational spark inside of me. I looked at many of these supporters in amazement. Yes of course the players were not 'not trying' however I thought, sorry that performance was not good enough. If our supporters were going to accept that then, as a club we truly are doomed.

So it brings me to this and I'm happy to be called out here. On the weekend, again we found ourselves sitting near the player's race. Yes we were incredibly improved on the Hawthorn game, despite numerous turnovers and skill errors throughout the game (St Kilda just happened to be worse) however we'd played really well. There was hope but there was resignation that we'd find a way to lose. As we all know, we did. I'm a very calm family man in the real world (except for occasional road rage and at the footy). Our club awakens sometimes unhealthy passions in me however.
Again, as the team was walking off, and perhaps, a rational person would say there was nothing wrong with this, supporters were clapping them off. They'd played their hearts out yeah?

I couldn't accept this however. Without screaming my lungs out I decided to make some rather theatrical 'holding the ball' like motions to say 'not good enough'. I think some of the players would have seen me. For me now, nothing short of a win is acceptable. A VFL/AFL record of consecutive losses is not good enough. Losing again is not good enough. I was so angry and clearly that anger is still there. A guy standing near me at the time looked at me and questioned me like I was a traitor/idiot (and perhaps I was) as to why I was criticising our players. I said to him "are you kidding me, are you just going to continue to accept mediocrity, 9 wins out of 80?". My question is, was it wrong to do this?

I support our players and our club through thick and thin. I've been a paid up member since the early 90s. I've not missed a game in years, except for being interstate or overseas. If I won Powerball I'd give the club millions (if my wife let me). North Melbourne however is a club that needs to win games to be relevant. Too many outside forces (insert AFL/media) would rather we just go away, despite a small though incredibly resilient and passionate supporter base. Though I'm not suggesting that we are in danger of ceasing to exist I was at the Keep North South rallies and the gig, was there at Dallas Brookes Hall when Brayshaw announced we would remain on our own two feet. I remember 95 when we almost merged with the Bears. I cannot continue to applaud our footballers when they continue to lose games and not show improvement.

A part of me can understand why supporters were clapping off the players on Sunday as they walked off after yet another loss, yeah they tried, however it makes me angry and incensed that they did. I wonder sometimes if the players really know how much our supporters are hurting. Other club supporters would not accept this. For some reason ours do. North has accepted mediocrity for too long.

I understand the anger, but jeering our players at the game doesn't do much but bring down our fellow supporters. We're all desperate to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Unfortunately I don't know what the alternative is. I too am past the point of cheering on brave losses when I've spent thousands over the last few years to watch my team get flogged almost every week.

 

[Gasometer]

If you're talking about Masons Wood, we never tried him anywhere else. It was proven yesterday that his goalkicking isn't any better. But we never even bothered to try him anywhere else.

The problem with him was one sensational game led to eight weeks of being selected to play meh

According to my mate at the Saints this has been more of a consistent string of meh games

 

[Gasometer]

Time for a rant. It's been a couple of days now since I was there at the stadium to witness yet another loss.
As far as posters on this forum go I'd definitely put myself in the fringe minority. I don't post an awful lot.
A little restrained perhaps but my passion for this club runs deep. Probably too deep.

I've been going to games since my late Grandma started taking me to Arden St. games in the late 70s as a 5 year old.
Been through many tough times. Been through the ecstasy of the 90s. I was even in the cheer squad in 1993 as a relative youngster.

Like all of us the last 5 years have been extraordinarily tough, the toughest in all my 50 years as a North supporter (I classify myself as a North supporter since the day I was born). Week after week of disappointment, pain, often embarrassment, disbelief at turnovers that happen right in front of my eyes. There have been weeks, too many, where our side has been completely bereft of competiveness, and then sometimes a few quarters where we've shown something.
Unfortunately it was very predictable (for me anyway) that we'd find a way to lose that game on the weekend. Yes the umpiring was diabolical to the point of suspicion at times, but the fact of the matter is we lay down at the beginning of that last quarter and allowed easy goals. For too long it has been our senior players who have let our club down, not through a desire to win, but through dumb football, substandard skills and an inability to remain calm under even perceived pressure.
It's our younger generation only that can show the way now and it appears that maybe they have already begun to show exactly that. It will need to start on the training track however.

My anger at this team's performances over the last 5 years has built to the point that it's probably not healthy. What have we won now, 9 games out of 80 in the last 4 years. Something close to that. Take away the interstate wins and the only way a North supporter/member has ever had the chance to sing the song is to get to a game early.

Two weeks ago after our team's embarrassing loss to Hawthorn I stood there with my family and friends and witnessed North supporters applauding our players as they walked off. I must admit to this awaking an irrational spark inside of me. I looked at many of these supporters in amazement. Yes of course the players were not 'not trying' however I thought, sorry that performance was not good enough. If our supporters were going to accept that then, as a club we truly are doomed.

So it brings me to this and I'm happy to be called out here. On the weekend, again we found ourselves sitting near the player's race. Yes we were incredibly improved on the Hawthorn game, despite numerous turnovers and skill errors throughout the game (St Kilda just happened to be worse) however we'd played really well. There was hope but there was resignation that we'd find a way to lose. As we all know, we did. I'm a very calm family man in the real world (except for occasional road rage and at the footy). Our club awakens sometimes unhealthy passions in me however.
Again, as the team was walking off, and perhaps, a rational person would say there was nothing wrong with this, supporters were clapping them off. They'd played their hearts out yeah?

I couldn't accept this however. Without screaming my lungs out I decided to make some rather theatrical 'holding the ball' like motions to say 'not good enough'. I think some of the players would have seen me. For me now, nothing short of a win is acceptable. A VFL/AFL record of consecutive losses is not good enough. Losing again is not good enough. I was so angry and clearly that anger is still there. A guy standing near me at the time looked at me and questioned me like I was a traitor/idiot (and perhaps I was) as to why I was criticising our players. I said to him "are you kidding me, are you just going to continue to accept mediocrity, 9 wins out of 80?". My question is, was it wrong to do this?

I support our players and our club through thick and thin. I've been a paid up member since the early 90s. I've not missed a game in years, except for being interstate or overseas. If I won Powerball I'd give the club millions (if my wife let me). North Melbourne however is a club that needs to win games to be relevant. Too many outside forces (insert AFL/media) would rather we just go away, despite a small though incredibly resilient and passionate supporter base. Though I'm not suggesting that we are in danger of ceasing to exist I was at the Keep North South rallies and the gig, was there at Dallas Brookes Hall when Brayshaw announced we would remain on our own two feet. I remember 95 when we almost merged with the Bears. I cannot continue to applaud our footballers when they continue to lose games and not show improvement.

A part of me can understand why supporters were clapping off the players on Sunday as they walked off after yet another loss, yeah they tried, however it makes me angry and incensed that they did. I wonder sometimes if the players really know how much our supporters are hurting. Other club supporters would not accept this. For some reason ours do. North has accepted mediocrity for too long.

I remember seeing the same in Hobart in 2019 after we lost to Sydney with a much more talented list that should have won. Fans clapping them off after loss. I don’t get when losing.

Just go home.

Go to training during the week and cheer on.

 

[chickenonachain]

Maybe we should go down the Carlton supporters route did you see the clip after they got beat the other week . Saying they were a disgrace to the jumper and in Silvangi’s case a disgrace to his family. Is that the type of supporter we want to be?
If people want to clap them off so be it they pay their money just as others do. I’m just as frustrated as everyone else is but abusing the players coming off the ground does nothing except in the mind of the abuser who thinks it helps.

 

[gokangas]

Time for a rant. It's been a couple of days now since I was there at the stadium to witness yet another loss.
As far as posters on this forum go I'd definitely put myself in the fringe minority. I don't post an awful lot.
A little restrained perhaps but my passion for this club runs deep. Probably too deep.

I've been going to games since my late Grandma started taking me to Arden St. games in the late 70s as a 5 year old.
Been through many tough times. Been through the ecstasy of the 90s. I was even in the cheer squad in 1993 as a relative youngster.

Like all of us the last 5 years have been extraordinarily tough, the toughest in all my 50 years as a North supporter (I classify myself as a North supporter since the day I was born). Week after week of disappointment, pain, often embarrassment, disbelief at turnovers that happen right in front of my eyes. There have been weeks, too many, where our side has been completely bereft of competiveness, and then sometimes a few quarters where we've shown something.
Unfortunately it was very predictable (for me anyway) that we'd find a way to lose that game on the weekend. Yes the umpiring was diabolical to the point of suspicion at times, but the fact of the matter is we lay down at the beginning of that last quarter and allowed easy goals. For too long it has been our senior players who have let our club down, not through a desire to win, but through dumb football, substandard skills and an inability to remain calm under even perceived pressure.
It's our younger generation only that can show the way now and it appears that maybe they have already begun to show exactly that. It will need to start on the training track however.

My anger at this team's performances over the last 5 years has built to the point that it's probably not healthy. What have we won now, 9 games out of 80 in the last 4 years. Something close to that. Take away the interstate wins and the only way a North supporter/member has ever had the chance to sing the song is to get to a game early.

Two weeks ago after our team's embarrassing loss to Hawthorn I stood there with my family and friends and witnessed North supporters applauding our players as they walked off. I must admit to this awaking an irrational spark inside of me. I looked at many of these supporters in amazement. Yes of course the players were not 'not trying' however I thought, sorry that performance was not good enough. If our supporters were going to accept that then, as a club we truly are doomed.

So it brings me to this and I'm happy to be called out here. On the weekend, again we found ourselves sitting near the player's race. Yes we were incredibly improved on the Hawthorn game, despite numerous turnovers and skill errors throughout the game (St Kilda just happened to be worse) however we'd played really well. There was hope but there was resignation that we'd find a way to lose. As we all know, we did. I'm a very calm family man in the real world (except for occasional road rage and at the footy). Our club awakens sometimes unhealthy passions in me however.
Again, as the team was walking off, and perhaps, a rational person would say there was nothing wrong with this, supporters were clapping them off. They'd played their hearts out yeah?

I couldn't accept this however. Without screaming my lungs out I decided to make some rather theatrical 'holding the ball' like motions to say 'not good enough'. I think some of the players would have seen me. For me now, nothing short of a win is acceptable. A VFL/AFL record of consecutive losses is not good enough. Losing again is not good enough. I was so angry and clearly that anger is still there. A guy standing near me at the time looked at me and questioned me like I was a traitor/idiot (and perhaps I was) as to why I was criticising our players. I said to him "are you kidding me, are you just going to continue to accept mediocrity, 9 wins out of 80?". My question is, was it wrong to do this?

I support our players and our club through thick and thin. I've been a paid up member since the early 90s. I've not missed a game in years, except for being interstate or overseas. If I won Powerball I'd give the club millions (if my wife let me). North Melbourne however is a club that needs to win games to be relevant. Too many outside forces (insert AFL/media) would rather we just go away, despite a small though incredibly resilient and passionate supporter base. Though I'm not suggesting that we are in danger of ceasing to exist I was at the Keep North South rallies and the gig, was there at Dallas Brookes Hall when Brayshaw announced we would remain on our own two feet. I remember 95 when we almost merged with the Bears. I cannot continue to applaud our footballers when they continue to lose games and not show improvement.

A part of me can understand why supporters were clapping off the players on Sunday as they walked off after yet another loss, yeah they tried, however it makes me angry and incensed that they did. I wonder sometimes if the players really know how much our supporters are hurting. Other club supporters would not accept this. For some reason ours do. North has accepted mediocrity for too long.

Been a member even longer than you and appreciate your passionate post. I am almost running out of words as the lean streak is just going on and on. At the top level - lack of consistent coaching is the overarching problem I think. How many - 5 in 5 years or whatever must be destroying the players. Each change brings uncertainty to players, changes to how they train and play, loss of confidence etc etc etc, and makes it even more difficult to attract new players. We have been unlucky and also made some very poor choices. Just when it all looked like improving the Clarko saga hits and we have another wasted season. Once Clarko is back and fully managing the process we will know what we have in terms of players. I think the uncertainty has meant some players are just doing what they need to do to tick boxes. There seems to be little accountability. I honestly believe the team we have is capable of being much more competitive than what we are showing. Whilst I am hurting as much as the 60s horror years, I still reckon there is hope. There has to be.

 

[ferball]

Maybe we should go down the Carlton supporters route did you see the clip after they got beat the other week . Saying they were a disgrace to the jumper and in Silvangi’s case a disgrace to his family. Is that the type of supporter we want to be?
If people want to clap them off so be it they pay their money just as others do. I’m just as frustrated as everyone else is but abusing the players coming off the ground does nothing except in the mind of the abuser who thinks it helps.

They haven't lost a game since that incident. I think it had exactly the result that fan hoped it would have.

 

[chickenonachain]

They haven't lost a game since that incident. I think it had exactly the result that fan hoped it would have.

That’s my point the guy will think he made a difference and will do it again when the fact is it had nothing to do with them winning since then just a coincidence.

 

[Mav]

That’s my point the guy will think he made a difference and will do it again when the fact is it had nothing to do with them winning since then just a coincidence.

How do you know that? Do you not think coaches give the players a spray? Elite sport is about percentages. If you're down 5% you wont win. If you're up 5% you stand a great chance to win. Maybe the disappointment of fans hitting home makes the players work that extra 5% to win.

 

[ferball]

That’s my point the guy will think he made a difference and will do it again when the fact is it had nothing to do with them winning since then just a coincidence.

How do you know?

I reckon it had a huge influence. Publicly roasted by their own supporters for not trying hard enough...

What would you do in their position. Double down on not trying or push yourself even harder cos you felt you'd obviously let people down?

 

[chickenonachain]

How do you know that? Do you not think coaches give the players a spray? Elite sport is about percentages. If you're down 5% you wont win. If you're up 5% you stand a great chance to win. Maybe the disappointment of fans hitting home makes the players work that extra 5% to win.

So when in previous seasons Ess Rich Coll and every other team that has been terrible and their supporters have booed ,abused them off the ground have they all come out and won the next week I don’t think so. Players have pride in their own performance they don’t need to be abused.to get the best out of themselves. In regards to coaches not many if any give a spray anymore looked what happened to Noble he had to apologise

 

[ferball]

Mav, snap.

 

[chickenonachain]

How do you know?

I reckon it had a huge influence. Publicly roasted by their own supporters for not trying hard enough...

What would you do in their position. Double down on not trying or push yourself even harder cos you felt you'd obviously let people down?

Mate this is 2023 not the old days if you would notice coaches don’t coach like that anymore

 

[ferball]

Mate this is 2023 not the old days if you would notice coaches don’t coach like that anymore

What would you do in their place if what happened after that Carlton game happened to you?

Would you make sure you tried harder after the next game or would it just be water off a duck's back?

 

[Mav]

Mate this is 2023 not the old days if you would notice coaches don’t coach like that anymore

You have no idea. Bevo broke his hand smashing the white board while giving a spray 2 weeks ago. Dogs came out and smashed Essendon.

 

[Mav]

Mate this is 2023 not the old days if you would notice coaches don’t coach like that anymore

Dimma’s spray does the trick

It took a good, old-fashioned spray from Richmond coach Damien Hardwick at three quarter-time of last night’s win to shake the Tigers out of their lethargy and set them on the path to victory.

www.richmondfc.com.au

Richmond went on to win the Premiership. I can keep going if you want.

 

[chickenonachain]

Ok guys I want you to go to our next game when we lose go to the race and abuse the crap out of them maybe go down to training as well . We will chalk up the wins for the rest of the season easily done why didn’t i think of this earlier in the season

 

[Mav]

So when in previous seasons Ess Rich Coll and every other team that has been terrible and their supporters have booed ,abused them off the ground have they all come out and won the next week I don’t think so. Players have pride in their own performance they don’t need to be abused.to get the best out of themselves. In regards to coaches not many if any give a spray anymore looked what happened to Noble he had to apologise

The fact Noble had to apologise is the whole reason we cant win a game. These players need a good ******* spray and if you don't think Clarko will give it to them if this continues next year then you really do have zero idea. If players aren't going to respond then they can go and get f'd

 

[Mav]

Ok guys I want you to go to our next game when we lose go to the race and abuse the crap out of them maybe go down to training as well . We will chalk up the wins for the rest of the season easily done why didn’t i think of this earlier in the season

If we lose to West Coast then I hope every single supporter is abusing the crap out of them. They'd have deserved it.

 

[chickenonachain]

If we lose to West Coast then I hope every single supporter is abusing the crap out of them. They'd have deserved it.

If it makes you feel better go for it abuse as much as you want . If you think your abuse is going to get a win the next week your kidding yourself.

 

[Mav]

If it makes you feel better go for it abuse as much as you want . If you think your abuse is going to get a win the next week your kidding yourself.

I agree. There is no chance we are beating Melbourne. But I do hope irate fans will make a bit of a difference.

Anyway, you just keep on enjoying our shitness.

 

[Gumble Frankieton]

Time for a rant. It's been a couple of days now since I was there at the stadium to witness yet another loss.
As far as posters on this forum go I'd definitely put myself in the fringe minority. I don't post an awful lot.
A little restrained perhaps but my passion for this club runs deep. Probably too deep.

I've been going to games since my late Grandma started taking me to Arden St. games in the late 70s as a 5 year old.
Been through many tough times. Been through the ecstasy of the 90s. I was even in the cheer squad in 1993 as a relative youngster.

Like all of us the last 5 years have been extraordinarily tough, the toughest in all my 50 years as a North supporter (I classify myself as a North supporter since the day I was born). Week after week of disappointment, pain, often embarrassment, disbelief at turnovers that happen right in front of my eyes. There have been weeks, too many, where our side has been completely bereft of competiveness, and then sometimes a few quarters where we've shown something.
Unfortunately it was very predictable (for me anyway) that we'd find a way to lose that game on the weekend. Yes the umpiring was diabolical to the point of suspicion at times, but the fact of the matter is we lay down at the beginning of that last quarter and allowed easy goals. For too long it has been our senior players who have let our club down, not through a desire to win, but through dumb football, substandard skills and an inability to remain calm under even perceived pressure.
It's our younger generation only that can show the way now and it appears that maybe they have already begun to show exactly that. It will need to start on the training track however.

My anger at this team's performances over the last 5 years has built to the point that it's probably not healthy. What have we won now, 9 games out of 80 in the last 4 years. Something close to that. Take away the interstate wins and the only way a North supporter/member has ever had the chance to sing the song is to get to a game early.

Two weeks ago after our team's embarrassing loss to Hawthorn I stood there with my family and friends and witnessed North supporters applauding our players as they walked off. I must admit to this awaking an irrational spark inside of me. I looked at many of these supporters in amazement. Yes of course the players were not 'not trying' however I thought, sorry that performance was not good enough. If our supporters were going to accept that then, as a club we truly are doomed.

So it brings me to this and I'm happy to be called out here. On the weekend, again we found ourselves sitting near the player's race. Yes we were incredibly improved on the Hawthorn game, despite numerous turnovers and skill errors throughout the game (St Kilda just happened to be worse) however we'd played really well. There was hope but there was resignation that we'd find a way to lose. As we all know, we did. I'm a very calm family man in the real world (except for occasional road rage and at the footy). Our club awakens sometimes unhealthy passions in me however.
Again, as the team was walking off, and perhaps, a rational person would say there was nothing wrong with this, supporters were clapping them off. They'd played their hearts out yeah?

I couldn't accept this however. Without screaming my lungs out I decided to make some rather theatrical 'holding the ball' like motions to say 'not good enough'. I think some of the players would have seen me. For me now, nothing short of a win is acceptable. A VFL/AFL record of consecutive losses is not good enough. Losing again is not good enough. I was so angry and clearly that anger is still there. A guy standing near me at the time looked at me and questioned me like I was a traitor/idiot (and perhaps I was) as to why I was criticising our players. I said to him "are you kidding me, are you just going to continue to accept mediocrity, 9 wins out of 80?". My question is, was it wrong to do this?

I support our players and our club through thick and thin. I've been a paid up member since the early 90s. I've not missed a game in years, except for being interstate or overseas. If I won Powerball I'd give the club millions (if my wife let me). North Melbourne however is a club that needs to win games to be relevant. Too many outside forces (insert AFL/media) would rather we just go away, despite a small though incredibly resilient and passionate supporter base. Though I'm not suggesting that we are in danger of ceasing to exist I was at the Keep North South rallies and the gig, was there at Dallas Brookes Hall when Brayshaw announced we would remain on our own two feet. I remember 95 when we almost merged with the Bears. I cannot continue to applaud our footballers when they continue to lose games and not show improvement.

A part of me can understand why supporters were clapping off the players on Sunday as they walked off after yet another loss, yeah they tried, however it makes me angry and incensed that they did. I wonder sometimes if the players really know how much our supporters are hurting. Other club supporters would not accept this. For some reason ours do. North has accepted mediocrity for too long.

Good post
I’m similar in terms of family connection to the club. North is proudly part of my identity and it’s hard to see us doing so badly.

I almost dislike myself for saying this, but I’ve increasingly taken a harm/anger minimisation approach to games this year. Basically I pretty much accept beforehand that we’re likely/going to lose. I still cheer and have a yell but I tend to watch the game a bit differently, watching more for player development, positioning, 2nd efforts etc. Basically to see which players are actively trying to make a difference, to take the game on (LDU, Wardlaw, Scott etc).

The other thing that has helped is watching the away games with some fellow supporters. I’ve been watching games at the Clifton Hill pub with family and a few other Bigfooty characters plus a rotating cast of fairly positive North people. Happy hour prices have come in handy on one or two occasions. Highly recommended for anyone who is in the area.

 

[ferball]

Ok guys I want you to go to our next game when we lose go to the race and abuse the crap out of them maybe go down to training as well . We will chalk up the wins for the rest of the season easily done why didn’t i think of this earlier in the season

Are you seriously saying that if a supporter told you you were disgracing the jumper you wouldn't try harder?