Autopsy North v Hawks

[Gasometer]

Amazing how the same umpire can pay an 8m kick as a mark, let some other bloke run 30m without bouncing, let an opposition player touch a guy having a set shot for goal which I am pretty sure is within 10m, and then will get technical and award a 50m on top of a non-existent free or mark and then measure that out anywhere between 40m and 60m.

Wait it getz better.

During the first quarter melee one of the umpires yells 'i will pay high contact '

Insert <Homer bushes gif >

 

[MoustachioNuts]

I think our tackling pressure had an impact on the scoring. If you lot can't cope with the pressure we brought (and that isn't the first time,) its no wonder we can't wait to meet you in the finals.

The pressure from North was really good all game, but especially in the first quarter.
The free kicks against prevented us in the first from gaining any momentum, but North really compounded that with their all-round aggression.

I know contested possession is the stat people lean on as a leading indicator, but how, where you get them and whether they lead to scoring chains are more important than numbers for and against. My intuition tells me contested possessions are more likely to lead to turnovers and scoring from those is easier than winning contest possessions. Unfortunate that fans don't get access to more detailed numbers. If you look the Hawks performances over the 3-peat, the form on contested possession has been very patchy - despite having good contested possession winners - but we have led the way on the pressure gauge. CP just hasn't been how Clarkson has measured the game plan's efficacy, despite public utterances. North smashed us statistically all over the sheet, but watching the game I never got the sense that they were in command after the first quarter - wrt the flow of the game.

Good game from Mason Wood - first time I've noticed him. Big performance.
Tarrant smashed Gunston - one of the smartest and most skillful forwards. Huge scalp.
Good young midfield too with a few missing.

On the coach - I like both the Scotts. They're thoughtful and intelligent coaches. Diff people, but they share temperaments.
If I were to contrast them with Clarkson,who I rate as our best ever coach, I think the Scotts both have a habit of blaming external factors for close losses, which is not something that should be coming from the coach. The club can manage that messaging through their media strategy.
Clarkson's message, even when we lost the prelim by a kick - we didn't go hard enough for long enough.

my two cents.
Thanks for having me - I'll be off now.