Play Nice North Melbourne - 2018 and beyond

[Cdog71]

I reckon it's a holistic approach, the board and club behind the coach and push the brand into the media. Fans jump on and it builds morale in the club.
That Carlton team that lost by a kick to west coast at west coast, that was a bloody good team but they sacked Ratten and then hurt the fans with trades, and at the end of day the fans bring the money in and a lot of Carlton fans I know were pissed at that, still are.
North had to make some tough calls on fan favourites but it was Scott who carried the can and copped it, there wasn't a lot of other club people pushing that decision and message.

It seems all the successful vic clubs have got some representation in the media.

Eddie Collingwood
Hawthorn Dunstall, Breretton
Essendon Watson
Bulldogs Darcy
Tiges Richo

I've said it before, I reckon North should try and get Blight back in the club, people rate him more than Brayshaw and the fans will love him.
And everyone gets behind the coach.

And I hope we get to smash youse lot for as many years as you beat us.

 

[Le Grille]

I reckon it's a holistic approach, the board and club behind the coach and push the brand into the media. Fans jump on and it builds morale in the club.
That Carlton team that lost by a kick to west coast at west coast, that was a bloody good team but they sacked Ratten and then hurt the fans with trades, and at the end of day the fans bring the money in and a lot of Carlton fans I know were pissed at that, still are.
North had to make some tough calls on fan favourites but it was Scott who carried the can and copped it, there wasn't a lot of other club people pushing that decision and message.

It seems all the successful vic clubs have got some representation in the media.

Eddie Collingwood
Hawthorn Dunstall, Breretton
Essendon Watson
Bulldogs Darcy
Tiges Richo

I've said it before, I reckon North should try and get Blight back in the club, people rate him more than Brayshaw and the fans will love him.
And everyone gets behind the coach.

And I hope we get to smash youse lot for as many years as you beat us.

Personally, and I know some fans will disagree, we should have waited until the end of this season to make a call on Brad. Im not convinced that he'd our next premiership coach. I'm tired of the motherhood statements in the press. I feel new eyes might just unlock something in this group.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

I reckon it's a holistic approach, the board and club behind the coach and push the brand into the media. Fans jump on and it builds morale in the club.
That Carlton team that lost by a kick to west coast at west coast, that was a bloody good team but they sacked Ratten and then hurt the fans with trades, and at the end of day the fans bring the money in and a lot of Carlton fans I know were pissed at that, still are.
North had to make some tough calls on fan favourites but it was Scott who carried the can and copped it, there wasn't a lot of other club people pushing that decision and message.

It seems all the successful vic clubs have got some representation in the media.

Eddie Collingwood
Hawthorn Dunstall, Breretton
Essendon Watson
Bulldogs Darcy
Tiges Richo

I've said it before, I reckon North should try and get Blight back in the club, people rate him more than Brayshaw and the fans will love him.
And everyone gets behind the coach.

And I hope we get to smash youse lot for as many years as you beat us.

That's how the cycle has typically gone over the years.

As for Blight, I'm not sure he would be willing to get too involved with the club. Not sure why, but in recent years, he's had very little to do with the club, maybe an age thing, same with Carey and King, with the latter, generally disliked by North fans as he bags the club more than the average media personality and then try's to ride off any success the club has had in recent years.

Roco and Finey have been the two to give North the time of day and judge us a bit more positively, and even then, I've heard Finey is a Saints man and Roco, not so sure on him, but definitely not a North fan.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Personally, and I know some fans will disagree, we should have waited until the end of this season to make a call on Brad. Im not convinced that he'd our next premiership coach. I'm tired of the motherhood statements in the press. I feel new eyes might just unlock something in this group.

He should have been sacked before 2017 at the start of the rebuild, too late now, otherwise we could become another Melbourne or Carlton of the dark days.

 

[Beerfish]

That's how the cycle has typically gone over the years.

As for Blight, I'm not sure he would be willing to get too involved with the club. Not sure why, but in recent years, he's had very little to do with the club, maybe an age thing, same with Carey and King, with the latter, generally disliked by North fans as he bags the club more than the average media personality and then try's to ride off any success the club has had in recent years.

Roco and Finey have been the two to give North the time of day and judge us a bit more positively, and even then, I've heard Finey is a Saints man and Roco, not so sure on him, but definitely not a North fan.

Reckon Blight might be a bit too old now. As for the bolded, not sure if serious but he's one of us.

 

[Richo83]

Not sold on North's rebuild, and I reckon it'll take a really long time. LDU looks like a genuine midfield talent, but I don't see a whole lot else. There's guys like Clarke, Hibberd, Simpkin etc. but I'm not sure they're really blue-chip midfield prospects. They haven't really spent that much capital on midfielders early in the draft. The last time North drafted a genuine gun midfielder themselves was Cunnington in 2009! Now I know some people will blame a lack of high draft picks, but plenty of gun midfielders have been drafted late over the past decade. You can't just blame high placed finishes in the past few years.

Doesn't help that some of their more experienced players have flaws in their game style. Ziebell bangs it long way too often. Cunnington is a great inside midfielder but doesn't provide the spread and skills that elite midfielders do. They'll need to find another gun midfielder and hope the new crop of kids can take over. Fremantle, Carlton, Brisbane and even Gold Coast seem more progressed in their development. North are hoping that LDU becomes their best midfielder; that's a worry.

They're in a tough spot, as FA is handy but stars rarely switch unless they can be promised a lot of money and/or success, and even a lot of money didn't work. Trading is risky, you can gain a bit but you have to give up something as well.

Brad Scott had to go, I've been calling him a monkey with a clipboard for years now. Not many players have really hit their ceiling under him and he doesn't react quickly enough in games. His tactical nous is fairly limited and doesn't know how to stop a run of goals.

Last night, Richmond and North were battling with each other for a quarter, then Richmond changed things up, and left them for dead. I see that happening a lot to North this year. They'll be competitive and work hard, but the polish wont be there. They might win a few first quarters as teams haven't adjusted, and win a few last quarters as teams coast, but they're very a good chance to win the spoon. I don't think North fans should really care about winning the spoon, but they should be worried about when this side is ever going to make the finals again. I think it's 2021 at the earliest.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Not sold on North's rebuild, and I reckon it'll take a really long time. LDU looks like a genuine midfield talent, but I don't see a whole lot else. There's guys like Clarke, Hibberd, Simpkin etc. but I'm not sure they're really blue-chip midfield prospects. They haven't really spent that much capital on midfielders early in the draft. The last time North drafted a genuine gun midfielder themselves was Cunnington in 2009! Now I know some people will blame a lack of high draft picks, but plenty of gun midfielders have been drafted late over the past decade. You can't just blame high placed finishes in the past few years.

Doesn't help that some of their more experienced players have flaws in their game style. Ziebell bangs it long way too often. Cunnington is a great inside midfielder but doesn't provide the spread and skills that elite midfielders do. They'll need to find another gun midfielder and hope the new crop of kids can take over. Fremantle, Carlton, Brisbane and even Gold Coast seem more progressed in their development. North are hoping that LDU becomes their best midfielder; that's a worry.

They're in a tough spot, as FA is handy but stars rarely switch unless they can be promised a lot of money and/or success, and even a lot of money didn't work. Trading is risky, you can gain a bit but you have to give up something as well.

Brad Scott had to go, I've been calling him a monkey with a clipboard for years now. Not many players have really hit their ceiling under him and he doesn't react quickly enough in games. His tactical nous is fairly limited and doesn't know how to stop a run of goals.

Last night, Richmond and North were battling with each other for a quarter, then Richmond changed things up, and left them for dead. I see that happening a lot to North this year. They'll be competitive and work hard, but the polish wont be there. They might win a few first quarters as teams haven't adjusted, and win a few last quarters as teams coast, but they're very a good chance to win the spoon. I don't think North fans should really care about winning the spoon, but they should be worried about when this side is ever going to make the finals again. I think it's 2021 at the earliest.

Simpkin isn’t blue chip, he’s the class/x-factor, alongside LDU and Ahern atm, plus the academy and father son’s north are picking up come end of the year. Taryn Thomas is highly rated, crocker and Scott (no guarantees with getting Scott) are more depth type kids, and we should have an early pick assuming we finish bottom 4. North targeted mids in the last draft with LDU, Walker (raw as anything, but a very quick young mid/forward type, highly rated), Hayden and Hartung. The last two are shots in the dark though and I don’t particularly rate Hartung.

Guys like Clarke and Hibberd (both shouldn’t be in the backline) are the depth, secondary mids.

Combining Cunnington with LDU, Simpkin, McDonald, Higgins and TT in a year’s time isn’t the worst potential midfield going around.

What’s the concern about LDU becoming north’s best mid in a few years time? He addresses every one of the concerns you listed about Cunnington and Ziebell.

I wouldn’t even bother reading into last night’s match with it being a practice match. The result was influenced as much as Richmond changing things up as North resting and managing players in-game and changing things up themselves. The cue was well back in the rack before 3QT.

I’m not worried in the slightest about when north will make the finals as your type of predictive post was the exact same type that was posted at the start of 2010 and north were in the finals by 2012. It is the competitiveness and culture, alongside smart drafting come end of the year, that will hold the club in good stead.

 

[Rich01]

He should have been sacked before 2017 at the start of the rebuild, too late now, otherwise we could become another Melbourne or Carlton of the dark days.

Reckon the North board got spooked into resigning him after they got wind that Gold Coast were interested.

 

[Richo83]

What’s the concern about LDU becoming north’s best mid in a few years time? He addresses every one of the concerns you listed about Cunnington and Ziebell.

I think young players develop better when they're surrounded by guns who can instill good traits and not allow them to become workhorses or get banged up. Ziebell and Cunnington aren't that.

I also think that LDU is still an unknown, and it'd be better to have more of a known quantity star midfielder on your list going forward. Carlton have that with Cripps, Fremantle with Fyfe, Brisbane with Zorko

Combining Cunnington with LDU, Simpkin, McDonald, Higgins and TT in a year’s time isn’t the worst potential midfield going around.

It's fairly young though and as I said, it's going to take time. Problem with rebuilds is, every club points to green shoots, but plenty of rebuilds fail, which is why I'd be a little nervous as a North fan.

 

[Le Grille]

Reckon the North board got spooked into resigning him after they got wind that Gold Coast were interested.

more like they thought they were over the line for kelly and martin.

 

[Rich01]

more like they thought they were over the line for kelly and martin.

That’s just too ridiculous to believe.
Surely the board weren’t that inept.

 

[Le Grille]

That’s just too ridiculous to believe.
Surely the board weren’t that inept.

I feel it was to show stability, and it was 99% done when richmond finally came to the party. I can't believe they would sign a bloke with a year to go who hasn't exactly shown after 6 years that he is the guy for the job. I really can't think of another reason

 

[Rich01]

I feel it was to show stability, and it was 99% done when richmond finally came to the party. I can't believe they would sign a bloke with a year to go who hasn't exactly shown after 6 years that he is the guy for the job. I really can't think of another reason

Geez, Dusty signing with us is just the gift that keeps on giving for North isn’t it.

He just needs to be transparent in his plans for the side moving forward. If it’s a rebuild, so be it.

 

[Le Grille]

Geez, Dusty signing with us is just the gift that keeps on giving for North isn’t it.

He just needs to be transparent in his plans for the side moving forward. If it’s a rebuild, so be it.

God knows, that is my theory, how many modern coaches get the keys to a second rebuild.?

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

I think young players develop better when they're surrounded by guns who can instill good traits and not allow them to become workhorses or get banged up. Ziebell and Cunnington aren't that.

I also think that LDU is still an unknown, and it'd be better to have more of a known quantity star midfielder on your list going forward. Carlton have that with Cripps, Fremantle with Fyfe, Brisbane with Zorko



It's fairly young though and as I said, it's going to take time. Problem with rebuilds is, every club points to green shoots, but plenty of rebuilds fail, which is why I'd be a little nervous as a North fan.

I would say the midfield wouldn’t be super young though by 2019, Cunnington and Higgins being the elder statesmen, McDonald/Ahern 23 and the others obviously very young. Cunnington is better than you give him credit for and is highly rated by those in the know, however; north do need that extra quality mid, especially one with class. If not LDU, then TT, if not TT, the early draft pick this year, etc.

I’m not nervous at all, what’s there to be nervous about, finishing low and getting in more elite kids over the next 2 years.

As for your previous points on Carlton, GC and Brisbane, you would hope they are further ahead in their rebuilds, considering the number of years they’ve been at it. Carlton are on track, Brisbane and GC need to sort out their club cultures before we bring them into the discussion.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Reckon the North board got spooked into resigning him after they got wind that Gold Coast were interested.

Doubt it, he wasn’t even approached.

more like they thought they were over the line for kelly and martin.

I feel it was to show stability, and it was 99% done when richmond finally came to the party. I can't believe they would sign a bloke with a year to go who hasn't exactly shown after 6 years that he is the guy for the job. I really can't think of another reason

Disagree, no club is that reactionary and short-sighted, especially considering the fluidity of trading and nothing being concrete until pen is put to paper.

To be perfectly honest, a lack of a decent viable alternative candidates, who could also please the board, was ultimately the reason. Fagan was already virtually assured at Brisbane and from what I’ve heard from a few inner sanctum posters over the past few months (so grain of salt), the club didn’t rate the alternatives on offer at that stage. This issue with alternative viable coaches is why he wasn’t sacked at the end of 2016, like he should have been.

 

[ManOfClay]

Cunnington is better than you give him credit for and is highly rated by those in the know.

This gets said so much it has had the opposite effect.

Cunnington is very overrated. He’s a less classy Tom Liberatore

 

[EasternTiger]

Hard to get excited by the North list.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

This gets said so much it has had the opposite effect.

Cunnington is very overrated. He’s a less classy Tom Liberatore

You mean a guy that couldn’t average more than 17 disposals a game in a high disposal team and was dropped to the vfl v a guy averaging 25 disposals a game in a low disposal team, hmmm, very similar.

 

[Engimal v3]

Cunnington is very overrated.

You've made quite the spectacle of yourself with this post, shagger. I'd be red faced if I were you.

 

[ManOfClay]

You mean a guy that couldn’t average more than 17 disposals a game in a high disposal team and was dropped to the vfl v a guy averaging 25 disposals a game in a low disposal team, hmmm, very similar.

Cherry pick last year when Libba spent 12 months in a post premiership haze.

Libba’s touches have always been more effective than cunnington’s and he was a vital member of a premiership side. Even when north were at their prelim losing best Cunnington was never going to be good enough

 

[Le Grille]

Cherry pick last year when Libba spent 12 months in a post premiership haze.

Libba’s touches have always been more effective than cunnington’s and he was a vital member of a premiership side. Even when north were at their prelim losing best Cunnington was never going to be good enough

Seriously your schtick is ******* old

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Seriously your schtick is ******* old

I find it amusing, its even funnier when he creates his yearly North thread on the MB, only for it to be shitcanned or sent to the bay, of which he conveniently avoids.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Bit rich of you to talk about multiple accounts, Teffy.

You've got to learn to pick your battles.

I've never had multiple accounts at the same time.

That's for gutless flogs.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Not sold on North's rebuild....

Not sold? It's barely even started.