Analysis North under Alastair Clarkson

[Snarls Barkley]

Like Gold Coast, eventually you'll have enough high picks become something that you'll start to improve. Guy who traded away their first pick is feeling a little silly now.

Wardlaw is going to be one of those guys if he stays injury free, Sheezel will be one of those guys when they find his most damaging position (think it's full time midfield personally). Not sure the other guys convince me but it's early days on some of them.

Defense is absolutely putrid. Corr has been stealing a living for a decade. Larkey and Curtis are excellent but the rest of their forward line is putrid. Zurhaar has been stealing a living for a decade. Simpkin and McDonald are pretty uninspiring leaders and are often their worst offenders with skill errors. LDU is a good player, Xerri is a good player too (although sometimes I feel like we overrate his influence because the stats look outstanding, he is a good player though). Not much else in the 25-29 age that is probably your football peak.

5 years of bottom two. They still look a long way away

 

[Do_Beta_Rapport]

Needs to go.

Looks tired, old and uninspired in the coaches box.

Doesnt seem to have any tactics or gameplay that is moving the needle.

Way too easy to score against, recruiting over the hill players from other playing hacks over kids.

 

[bluespooner]

Last time they had to fix North they brought in the 10 year rule. "They" being Alan Aylett and Albert Mantello two VFL powerbrokers from the 70's (and both North men) brought in a rule that allowed clubs to buy any players they liked from oppo clubs provided those players had already played 10 years. North brought in two oppo captains, a coleman medallist, a brownlow medallist and others who'd all played at very high levels for their previous clubs and they didn't have to pay anything back (no picks in those days). They then appointed Barassi as supercoach and then raided interstate to bring in a few more players.
I think from memory the list read something like:
Barry Davis (Ess), John Rantall (South Melb), Doug Wade (Geelong), Gary Dempsey (Footscray), Ross Glendenning (WA), Barry Cable (WA), Malcolm Blight (SA) and Brent Crosswell (Carlton). The Krakour brothers followed soon after from WA.

Basically bought a premiership side in one foul swoop.

The "ten year rule" was abandoned a year or so later.....I wonder why?

How to solve em now???
Send em to Tassie.

Whilst, they brought those players in they didn't pay the tab. They racked up a debt which the VFL ultimately ended up bailing them out of.

 

[V23]

At the very least, assuming they finish bottom four, the AFL should give them a first round priority pick (one pick after their first-rounder that currently sits with the Tigers).

 

[bluespooner]

A good start would be to make a bloke like Luke Parker

26

Luke Parker

Age

33

Ht

183cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.2

5star

K

12.6

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.8

5star

D

22.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

9.9

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

5.0

5star

CL

5.5

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

8.0

5star

CL

5.2

5star

the captain. Whilst, he's new to the club he plays with a hard edge and should provide good service for another few years.

 

[lizard man]

Their list isn’t that bad imo they can’t just put it all together …. If your the next north coach you’d be very happy having LDU, sheezel, mckercher and duursma in their prime

 

[Snarls Barkley]

At the very least, assuming they finish bottom four, the AFL should give them a first round priority pick (one pick after their first-rounder that currently sits with the Tigers).

Should or will?

Can see the AFL doing it but in no way should they do it. Makes a mockery of the league. They made the choice to trade away the pick thinking they were ready to make a jump, the shouldn't get bailed out because they misjudged where they were at

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Their list isn’t that bad imo they can’t just put it all together …. If your the next north coach you’d be very happy having LDU, sheezel, mckercher and duursma in their prime

McKercher looks in very real danger of Will Phillipsing (i.e. potential a grader peaking at barely c grade). Needs a serious kick up the arse and some metrics applied on pressure acts and defensive transition. (The whole of the midfield could do with that last one.)

I don't agree that he is "afraid of contact" as some put it, nobody who plays two AFL games is going to have that trait. But his instinct may be to keep doing things that can be done in under 18s and Tassie league. And some of those won't work at the pace of AFL level footy - trying to grab the ball on the edge of a contest at ground level and back out doe a clean disposal, for example, rather than accept that a stoppage is a win.

 

[lizard man]

McKercher looks in very real danger of Will Phillipsing (i.e. potential a grader peaking at barely c grade). Needs a serious kick up the arse and some metrics applied on pressure acts and defensive transition. (The whole of the midfield could do with that last one.)

I don't agree that he is "afraid of contact" as some put it, nobody who plays two AFL games is going to have that trait. But his instinct may be to keep doing things that can be done in under 18s and Tassie league. And some of those won't work at the pace of AFL level footy - trying to grab the ball on the edge of a contest at ground level and back out doe a clean disposal, for example, rather than accept that a stoppage is a win.

It’s only his second year isn’t? Plenty of young players have second year blues

 

[Aura]

I was hoping they would’ve tried pursuing Tuohy end of last year in some coaching/playing capacity. Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

50

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

’s most loyal soldier supposedly and Clarko could definitely use a bloke like that. I would’ve preferred we kept him to Duncan. Then there’s the whole media circus and good press after he’s played his 300th and being the first Irishmen to do it.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

At the very least, assuming they finish bottom four, the AFL should give them a first round priority pick (one pick after their first-rounder that currently sits with the Tigers).

They traded their 2025 1st rounder away in 2024.

You cannot be serious.

 

[XhazzafootyX]

Don’t really understand the Finn o Sullivan pick. They cleeely wanted a tall but went with another midfielder. They should’ve picked tarau. Ended up trading a top 4 pick for Whitlock. Was super bizarre. Almost sackable

 

[The Casey Cat]

They traded their 2025 1st rounder away in 2024.

You cannot be serious.

Their off field been seemingly just as bad as on field. Farcical stuff.

 

[Stottzy]

Forever grateful for what Clarko did for our club. People forget how bad we were after 2004. No coach, no CEO, no captain, Crawford was looking to leave and we finished 2nd last with 4 wins and only by 1% over Richmond. Clarko installed structure, discipline, vision and a game plan nobody had seen before, plus recruited wisely in the draft. I guarantee had he not come to the club, Luke Hodge would not have had the successful career he had.

But, there is a difference between that Clarko and the one we see today and it comes down to one thing...... his ego.
Clarko 2004- A loyal, hungry, chip on the shoulder, unknown, laughed at appointment, who respected to be challenged by people like Hardwick, Viney, Dunstall, Russell, Kennett even, then later Fagan, Simpson, Beveridge, Bolton, Newboldt.

I noticed change post 2016. He seemed to think he was bigger than the club. Recruited players that he thought he could turn into stars like Vickery, Patton, Scully, O'meara. A reluctance to change gameplan, which was never like him. Constantly having conflict with multiple staff and not respecting anyones opinions. Challenging the AFL and spruiking his vision on how the game should be played. And I thought it was him that acted poorly during the handover to Mitchell, but because him and his agent were the ones leaking to the press, he was made to look like a Saint.

But one thing that gets overlooked quite a lot, but bothered me and a lot of well known Hawthorn people at the time, was when he took annual leave pay during the first covid lock down. People might think I'm being harsh here, but when I saw coaches like Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

50

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

and others taking paycuts to keep staff from getting the chop, it stood out to me that he went the opposite way. It was incredibly selfish and was the final straw for me mid 2020 knowing it was time for a change.

Success turned him into Kevin Sheedy.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Don’t really understand the Finn o Sullivan pick. They cleeely wanted a tall but went with another midfielder. They should’ve picked tarau. Ended up trading a top 4 pick for Whitlock. Was super bizarre. Almost sackable

Absolutely sackable. List management and development people need to go. They've been as bad if not worse than the players, because they haven't got enough of the right ones.

 

[TheKanga]

Was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

After that it's easy to see he doesn't have it anymore and this group of soft players are just able to coast under his watch.

Needs to go along with the president and ceo.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Terrible terrible loss today

 

[lizard man]

But how much can Clarkson really be blamed for all of this?

 

[The Casey Cat]

But how much can Clarkson really be blamed for all of this?

Been there long enough to be responsible for enough to say he isn't the man for it. But absolutely there are numerous off field that need to #### off also.

 

[V23]

Should or will?

Can see the AFL doing it but in no way should they do it. Makes a mockery of the league. They made the choice to trade away the pick thinking they were ready to make a jump, the shouldn't get bailed out because they misjudged where they were at

Fair call, and I’d agree with you if they’d only been bad for a few years, but it’s dragged on way too long now.

At the very least, it gives their supporters some semblance (however minor) of hope. I know when Carlton were at their lowest, the draft was the only thing you could look to for some kind of optimism.

 

[V23]

They traded their 2025 1st rounder away in 2024.

You cannot be serious.

Yeah, I know, hence the content of my entire post…

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Fair call, and I’d agree with you if they’d only been bad for a few years, but it’s dragged on way too long now.

At the very least, it gives their supporters some semblance (however minor) of hope. I know when Carlton were at their lowest, the draft was the only thing you could look to for some kind of optimism.

They've already given them heaps. Pick 3 for losing McKay through the secret herbs formula, then got three end of first round priority picks in 2023.

Another high draft pick isn't going to help them for the now anyway. Will probably only help them in 4 or 5 years when they likely wont need the help

 

[fnerd]

You reap what you sow.

And north have sown nothing but the worst performances by any club of the modern era

They knocked back a guaranteed future at the GC

But then amazingly got a second chance to atone for their foolish (almost arrogant)misjudgment with another shot at a guaranteed future with Tassie but no , the club thought they knew better , again.

Been given priority picks, first round compos,a super coach ,Good Friday games , gifted all sorts of help from the AFL and yet still , they flounder

They wanted to go it alone twice now and twice have proven the club is just not up to deserving of its licence .

Either send them to GC , GWS or Tassie , merge them with that other basket case Melbourne or just fold them

They’ve had their chance(s)

Enough is enough

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Yeah, I know, hence the content of my entire post…

So you know they traded away a future 1st, but you’re still declaring they should get a priority pick.

Are you concussed?

 

[rye]

You reap what you sow.

And north have sown nothing but the worst performances by any club of the modern era

They knocked back a guaranteed future at the GC

But then amazingly got a second chance to atone for their foolish (almost arrogant)misjudgment with another shot at a guaranteed future with Tassie but no , the club thought they knew better , again.

Been given priority picks, first round compos,a super coach ,Good Friday games , gifted all sorts of help from the AFL and yet still , they flounder

They wanted to go it alone twice now and twice have proven the club is just not up to deserving of its licence .

Either send them to GC , GWS or Tassie , merge them with that other basket case Melbourne or just fold them

They’ve had their chance(s)

Enough is enough

merging north with melbourne would create the most dysfunctional sporting franchise in the world.

merge them with freo