Yianni
Norm Smith Medallist
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2001
- Posts
- 6,694
- Reaction score
- 6,358
- Location
- Melbourne
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
- Other Teams
- S.A Spurs, Liverpool
Right. This has gotten worse and worse year after year, and this year it is going to cost North a lot of big losses.
I thought with the wholesale cleanout Pagan did last year (well, at least compared to other years) that we might see a change in North's game plan, but unfortunately not.
When North's players get the ball, they RARELY ever look for an option, they are more likely to just bomb it forward. This ALWAYS happens. This means that if North's key players are not taking marks (and let's face it, it's easier to spoil than it is to mark) that the ball spills to a 50-50 more often than not. North do not value posession enough. Most other teams (and the faster the team, the more they will trouble North) just take the ball the length of the field either through short passes to open players or by running through lines. Once again, North NEVER DO THIS. Look at the stats. North always end up with less marks, less handballs. I agree that this style of game was appropriate about 5, even maybe 2 years ago but this will not work anymore against quality teams.
North players are always stationary, and it is an absolute revelation when someone kicks an accurate pass to a lead (even in general play, Daniel Harris' kick to Sav last week was a beautiful example of this)
It is so much easier to play this way. It is not as much of a battle to get the ball from one end of the field to another if you don't have to constantly fight for contested marks all the way upfield.
Anyway, enough bleakness. The only bright light I have seen this year is Daniel Harris. He is fantastic. He goes in hard and has skils to boot.
Actually brings me to one more point. Daniel Harris is an example of someone playing with passion (as you would expect from a 2nd gamer!). He always ends up on the bottom of a pack or at a contest. A lot of the players don't play with this passion anymore. This is probably because the Pagan gameplan of "crash and bash" and constant pressure takes a huge mental toll on the players week in, week out. I think (although I have no way of knowing this) that a lot of the players are sick of it.
Anyway, that's my two cents (But I will be getting Daniel Harris' number on my jumper. Look out for me)
Yianni
I thought with the wholesale cleanout Pagan did last year (well, at least compared to other years) that we might see a change in North's game plan, but unfortunately not.
When North's players get the ball, they RARELY ever look for an option, they are more likely to just bomb it forward. This ALWAYS happens. This means that if North's key players are not taking marks (and let's face it, it's easier to spoil than it is to mark) that the ball spills to a 50-50 more often than not. North do not value posession enough. Most other teams (and the faster the team, the more they will trouble North) just take the ball the length of the field either through short passes to open players or by running through lines. Once again, North NEVER DO THIS. Look at the stats. North always end up with less marks, less handballs. I agree that this style of game was appropriate about 5, even maybe 2 years ago but this will not work anymore against quality teams.
North players are always stationary, and it is an absolute revelation when someone kicks an accurate pass to a lead (even in general play, Daniel Harris' kick to Sav last week was a beautiful example of this)
It is so much easier to play this way. It is not as much of a battle to get the ball from one end of the field to another if you don't have to constantly fight for contested marks all the way upfield.
Anyway, enough bleakness. The only bright light I have seen this year is Daniel Harris. He is fantastic. He goes in hard and has skils to boot.
Actually brings me to one more point. Daniel Harris is an example of someone playing with passion (as you would expect from a 2nd gamer!). He always ends up on the bottom of a pack or at a contest. A lot of the players don't play with this passion anymore. This is probably because the Pagan gameplan of "crash and bash" and constant pressure takes a huge mental toll on the players week in, week out. I think (although I have no way of knowing this) that a lot of the players are sick of it.
Anyway, that's my two cents (But I will be getting Daniel Harris' number on my jumper. Look out for me)
Yianni
