Practice Match - North Melbourne v Melbourne - Fri 28 Feb, 1.10pm

Russian Demon

Premiership Player
Mar 26, 2015
4,225
5,651
AFL Club
Melbourne
I'm going on vaccay with the wife next week, got a mountain of drugs in the back pocket. No trauma to speak of, not trying to heal any pain. No family support or employee welfare programs necessary... I just like having a good time.

I reckon Jesse's a bit the same tbh.
Im guessing you keep it together the rest of the time, right?

I reckon thats how Jesse started, a bloke who enjoyed himself within relatively sensible bounds. But then some bad stuff happens and he starts using it to manage/block it out, whatever. And it goes from a bit of fun to something else.
 
Oct 13, 2015
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Highlights?
If you watch the replay, you'll catch Todd Goldstein in commentary early in the first qrt talking about how they're so confident of a successful season because of all the quality depth that they have on display in the game ... gave me a pretty good laugh in hindsight.

Interesting that all the hype that Aiden Bonar has gotten since being traded, talk of him being the bargain recruit of the year etc, this game should have been his time to shine and take control of their midfield, and he did stuff all. At a few stoppages early he got schooled by Sparrow
 

stEdy

Premiership Player
Nov 2, 2007
4,436
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He's great around a stoppage but we already have so many players that excel there.

Would love to see him add some more strings to his bow, but it'll be good to see him dominate at Casey this year. He has more potential in the role than ANB who used to play there at Casey.

Good depth to have for sure
 
The reactions from the north board to this game are hilarious.

Haha, went for a look myself.

It goes from:
No doubt we will put the Melbourne VFL side to the sword today and all will be good again.

We have about 13 AFL quality players and they have 8. We should win surely.


To:
Holy s**t that was ugly.

Very disappointed with the lack of movement, urgency, and strength from almost everyone today.


Then:
So let me get this right no Higgins, Cunnington,Goldie, Brown, Ziebell, Polec, Simpkin, Thomas, LDU, Scott, Larkey, Lmac, Turner, EVW. Taz,Maj,Hall, Scott, all easing back from recent injuries. I am not excusing the way way played or the system but a little perspective people.

So there were two B-grade sides battling it out and Melb's B-grade side won by a couple of kicks?..
I'm not joining "the sky is falling crew" until we field our best team and look like muppets..
 

Crusty Demon

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 20, 2009
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They were clearly missing (as we were) all their guns. However they had a better team on paper than what we did, and I'd say by a fair margin too, yet got smashed. That end scoreline really flattered them. We were all over them for most of the game. The thing that surprised me was we were missing mosty of our forwardline and they had arguably their best back 6, and they looked a rabble at times back there. Cunnington, Brown, Goldstein and Higgins will make them look significantly better, but I'd be a little concerned at how poorly their depth has looked so far preseason. I think they'll have to play out of their skins to make the 8 this season. I've now pencilled them in for bottom 4. It's getting harder and harder to predict ladder positions though, so who knows, but they have been one of the poorest sides I have seen so far.
 
Nov 13, 2005
3,321
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Sydney
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If you watch the replay, you'll catch Todd Goldstein in commentary early in the first qrt talking about how they're so confident of a successful season because of all the quality depth that they have on display in the game ... gave me a pretty good laugh in hindsight.

Interesting that all the hype that Aiden Bonar has gotten since being traded, talk of him being the bargain recruit of the year etc, this game should have been his time to shine and take control of their midfield, and he did stuff all. At a few stoppages early he got schooled by Sparrow
Bonar was very very ordinary last Friday. I just never saw it in the kid. Hugely overrated.
 
Oct 13, 2015
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Bonar was very very ordinary last Friday. I just never saw it in the kid. Hugely overrated.
Yeah, I said during Trade Period when word of him being up for trade was out there, he had middling numbers in the NEAFL, anyone who is going to excel at AFL level has to do a lot more than what he showed in the NEAFL.

Just completely getting by on the fact he was taken at pick 10, like Jimmy Toumpas was never a thing.
 
May 2, 2008
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Perth
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Watched the second half from the Dees site, Bedford the most pleasing part of the game. Not seen him before. Looks like he has potential and has built up good size in only his second preseason.

In the commentary TMac says Frisch and Spargo are the first two who you want kicking it to you on a F50 lead.
 
Oct 13, 2015
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Brisbane
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Watched the second half from the Dees site, Bedford the most pleasing part of the game. Not seen him before. Looks like he has potential and has built up good size in only his second preseason.

In the commentary TMac says Frisch and Spargo are the first two who you want kicking it to you on a F50 lead.
Would actually like to see Bedford play Friday. He definitely showed a bit
 

Crusty Demon

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 20, 2009
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Would actually like to see Bedford play Friday. He definitely showed a bit
100%. Along with Kozzy, both could be a dangerous combination around goal. I still think Bedford is pretty small, but he has a great tank supposedly, and looks to be working hard to earn a spot. Could be a surprise packet this year along with Sparrow..
 

alternator

Cancelled
Mar 3, 2020
111
105
AFL Club
North Melbourne
North were utterly putrid.

Dunno what the Dees could take out of that.

Round 1 will tell the story.
 
North were utterly putrid.

Dunno what the Dees could take out of that.

Round 1 will tell the story.
Blind optimism! Predictions of breakout years for players who've been on the list a couple of years but are yet to play!

Use your imagination.

Agreed it was a generally low quality affair, though not without some okay signs for a few players.
 
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