Autopsy Roast & Toast for North & Changes for Dreamtime v Essendon

[Chomp12]

I agree with everything you said except the first line.
I'm enjoying the positives I can get out of any matches and have very low expectations of getting wins.
I expect the players to be extremely dirty on not getting the win. I do not want them settling into an honourable loss is acceptable mentality.
But me, not fussed about the loss. Rather excited about the second quarter and the same players you ahve mentioned.

As I said, having 3 wins in our first 10 games is above and beyond where I thought we would be.

Just disappointing we had a sniff and didn’t get the W. Those lessons will come with experience.

Just a shame it was against such an average side like NM lol

 

[cairo tiger]

Was a frustrating game to watch. They managed to make it a dour affair despite beautiful weather. Our forward line just did not work today. I know Jonti tried hard but he should have been subbed out.
McAuliffe is better than Sonsie. I think that debate is settled at least

you kindding me on sonise arnt you? and give macc a good run at it.

 

[Tiges1229]

 

[DickieKnee]

Absolutely. Only the first game this year, where I feel we were unlucky not to win (as opposed to lucky to win).

1st quarter we struggled to defuse the long ball in... but after that we were well on top but just couldn't capitalise. In the whole scheme of things it wouldn't have been more enjoyable to win but we pretty much outplayed a team we are 2-3 years behind in terms of list build. I think we should go past them pretty swiftly in the next couple of years.

Things I liked:

• Lalor starting to realise how dangerous he is at this level. Starting to burst through contests more and so good in the air - that goalsquare grab - wow
• Banks in the Short role. Shorty will obviously get back in the team but could be utilised further up the ground where he can use that leg to greater impact and his poor kicks will cost us less.
• McAuliffe's best game for us (that I can remember). His value may come in upcoming years when we need to replace Taranto/Hopper etc. Think he can play at the level. Would ahve liked him to take the shot when he had it at 50 and could have wheeled around but he was trying to do the team thing.
• Jonty and Sims work when the ball hits the ground
• Seth doing Seth things
• McIntosh played a great milestone goal just bobbing up when needed. He may only have 20-40 games left but he'll try his heart out in each of them.
• Taranto, Hopper, Nank, Vlaustin, Broad and Lynch - all working their guts out. Teaching as well as keeping us in games.
• Jack Ross worked really hard today. Think at some stage it'll be him, Dow and obviously McAuliffe battling for spots once Smilie and eventually Hotton (plus Harley )and some future high draft picks become match ready. Today's standard needs to be his minimum - 20ish touches, tackles and doing the hard stuff.
• Turned momentum a couple of times in the game. Obviously in Q2 but also in the 3rd and again in the 4th. Just fought hard - that's a characteristic we want to be known for.

Things I look forward to improving

• Jonty and Sims being able to impact further in the air. I'm not knocking them, they are having a crack but with a couple more pre-seasons in them, they'll start to do some real damage. Think in the mean-time, we'll see Lefau get some game time (in a couple of weeks when Jonty
• Someone actually putting time into Zurhaar. He plays his best game against us every time we play them...Trainor was on him a few times which is a bit unfair on him - needed to be Broad or Vlaustin more often than not.
• A forward leading at the ball carrier - will create space for the big boys and drag a defender away from Lynch.
• Felt we are improving on defensive transition but still work to do.
• Defending the high ball - looked a bit panicked at times when we are usually strong in that area.

Really bouyant. We may not win too many more for the season but I have no doubt we are heading the right way.

Changes: Depends who is sore with a 5 day break.

Guessing: In - Short/Tresize (Smith), Gray/Blight (Balta), possibly Sonsie after he ripped it up in the VFL. Possibly one of the kids gets rested. Maybe Trainor, maybe Jonty (he's worked hard the last month). If he misses, Bauer/Fawcett

Hopefully get game time in the next month - Judson, Alger and Lefau

When Hotton due bac

 

[aislegi]

vlas is getting done dirty for someone that was already on the ground and got pole axed

the only way out of that was to be second to the ball instead

You’ve got to be joking, there were half-a-dozen better things that he could’ve done than be pushed over like a first-gamer and effectively concede a goal

 

[captain blood 17]

I ****ing hate on this board the way people always go on about how we’re no good because we’re inexperienced. It’s complete because time and time again it’s our most experienced players who let us down. The moment I knew we were ****ed in today’s game was when Vlastuin went to ground and they got it to Larkey for a goal in the final quarter. And don’t get me started on Tom Lynch, who was the worst player on the ground by so far it wasn’t funny. Not to mention Taranto, who sprayed it from 35 metres out.

Bro, so I take it because you knew, you turned it off and went into the garden and did some work because your a soothsayer of some sort. A seer type.

 

[A Tiger 4 lyf]

Pretty much the best result

We don’t need to be on 16 points with 4 other sides

 

[Bojangles17]

Reckon our defensive pressure is on the improve, tackle numbers are up , especially in f50 . We were right in that game , after they got off to a fly , as Leigh matthews wisely said , when u decide a game by <1G u need a bit of luck , we got FA

Anyways matters little , we’re balls deep in the Dreamtime contest , don’t u worry about that

 

[STRUGGLETOWN EST1885]

Well, for the benefit of those of us who don’t live in Melbourne, what’s your understanding of what “Yze’s gameplan” involves because it sure as hell doesn’t come across on ?

Teaching our young players the tempo of AFL footy, when to attack, when to defend when the floodgates are about to open from the oppo. It's a work in progress, going to take a few years to get our younger boys into seasoned hard bodies. That's why today I clearly noticed our veterans putting their bodies into and under packs to during key moments in the game to protect the cubs. Loving what Jonty Faull and Tom Sims are showing but to expect 18 year olds to shoulder the load against seasoned oppo defenders is a big ask. That's why we need to keep Tom Lynch on the field at all costs.

 

[_RT_]

We lost by 4 points to a team that has been rebuilding for nearly half a decade and we played nowhere near our best while North have been in pretty good form for the last 3 weeks before finally getting their 2nd win for the season. Watching North go about it today, I'll back our young players to surpass the North group pretty quickly given the balanced way we've gone about building that young group with a mix of midfield & KPP talent

The continued improvement of some players that have been criticized and in some cases written off is what is driving the rebuild. The more we see the likes of Banks Brown Dow Mansell McAuliffe Ralphsmith & Ross playing good footy the better we're going to become as a team. Now there performances aren't always going to be at a consistent level, but the more games they get to play the more consistent they will become and we saw in our premiership years that those foot soldier types, and we welcomed a great one home today in Lambert & last week in Castagna, are almost as important as the genuine stars in terms of whether we can become a top 8 side first and eventual premiership contender.

As far as next week is concerned obviously Balta goes out for the next 2 games due to the curfew, which should see either Gray or Blight get an opportunity to return, with Gray the likely option given he has been emergency the last 2 weeks. Sonsie had a dominant game in the VFL today which could see him get an chance especially off a short turnaround and with Lalor looking like he picked up a calf issue given the strapping he was playing with after quarter time. While Faull could get managed given he looked tired after 6 straight games at the level, which could see Fawcett possibly get another chance as we rotate the young talls through

 

[one eyedtiger]

Only caught the 2nd half, but I think Jack Ross

5

Jack Ross

Age

25

Ht

187cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

8.4

5star

M

2.2

2star

T

2.7

4star

CL

3.0

4star

D

13.7

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

1.7

2star

T

1.7

3star

CL

2.0

4star

D

17.8

5star

K

8.0

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.8

5star

CL

3.0

5star

deserves a little more love for his game (only has 2 votes currently in the poll). 21 disposals at 76% efficiency with 11 tackles to go with it. Thought he linked up well for some important passages especially in the last qtr when the game was on the line.

Good to see kids continue to take steps forward, it is the most important aspect of 2025. Lalor, McAuliffe, Campbell, Banks all had impact in their own right.

Also want to mention the senior players, Taranto, Hopper, Nank, Vlas, Broad, and Lynch (despite some wayward kicking) have all had a good 4-5 weeks (bar the Hawthorn game I'd say). When those boys are playing good footy, it allows the young players to play well and means we are competitive for far longer.

 

[captain blood 17]

This one was a bit of a kick in the nuts. I honestly thought Norf would have the GF against us today after playing some solid footy the last few weeks. Turns out we blew it missing 4 or 5 gettable opportunities while they nailed theirs.
I guess that's where we're at. The young guys have to learn how to win those games. But what's exciting is the improvement we are seeing week to week. Guys like Banks, Hugo, the new recruits, Seth etc are coming along really well development wise. The effort today can't be questioned by the team or commitment. On current form we should nail the Dons.

 

[jetbhag]

Blockhead balta and slow miller.

 

[partycorolla]

When Hotton due bac

Think it's 7-9. Hopefully gets a block of games for the VFL after the AFL bye and ready for 2026. Not sure we'll see him debut this year.

 

[Groupie_]

we arent far from a complete belting

giants away in a few weeks

 

[partycorolla]

This one was a bit of a kick in the nuts. I honestly thought Norf would have the GF against us today after playing some solid footy the last few weeks. Turns out we blew it missing 4 or 5 gettable opportunities while they nailed theirs.
I guess that's where we're at. The young guys have to learn how to win those games. But what's exciting is the improvement we are seeing week to week. Guys like Banks, Hugo, the new recruits, Seth etc are coming along really well development wise. The effort today can't be questioned by the team or commitment. On current form we should nail the Dons.

Sort of the reverse of last week really. Won we could have lost against WCE, today lost when we could have won. Only led for 9 mins today... every time we got in front, they'd get one quickly back. Bad set shot kicking cost us really. Lot of upside but that was winnable. There may not be too many more winnable ones.

 

[SA_Tiger11]

Year 1 of rebuild VS year 8 of rebuild. we are miles ahead.

Loving this year.

 

[TimmytheTiger]

boys club commentary crew made him start to dislike us i reckon

 

[AstuteTiger]

Don't think we need 3 talls v bombers.

Jonty faull 3 touches if one has to go out I'd say him as Sims can rotate with Nank.

I think Junior may come in as his last qtr he played well and helped to almost get us over the line against North today.
We went down by 2 pts.

Not sure on Short whether he's fit ,but one would think if he is, he'll be in.

 

[Rubber Hips]

Jonty needs a break …replace with small…Short to come back then again it’s a special night for MRJ …you’d think

Balta will be out bc curfew…Blight or Gray in

 

[Profop]

Faull might not be getting a lot of touches but he’s helping a lot structurally. I’d keep him in until Lefau is fit to play

 

[aislegi]

Bro, so I take it because you knew, you turned it off and went into the garden and did some work because your a soothsayer of some sort. A seer type.

View attachment 2318308

We don’t really have a garden but, since you ask, when the score was 18 to six, I made the prediction that we’d get four or five goals down and struggle to kick consecutive goals and that’s more or less the way it panned out. I don’t claim any unique skill in this department, however, it’s just stuff that should be more or less self-evident for anyone who’s watched these teams play this year.

 

[The_Kraken]

This one was a bit of a kick in the nuts. I honestly thought Norf would have the GF against us today after playing some solid footy the last few weeks. Turns out we blew it missing 4 or 5 gettable opportunities while they nailed theirs.
I guess that's where we're at. The young guys have to learn how to win those games. But what's exciting is the improvement we are seeing week to week. Guys like Banks, Hugo, the new recruits, Seth etc are coming along really well development wise. The effort today can't be questioned by the team or commitment. On current form we should nail the Dons.

Completely off topic, but have you seen RoboDoc: The Creation of Robocop? It's great viewing, with plenty of stories that will make you love the film even more.

 

[captain blood 17]

Sort of the reverse of last week really. Won we could have lost against WCE, today lost when we could have won. Only led for 9 mins today... every time we got in front, they'd get one quickly back. Bad set shot kicking cost us really. Lot of upside but that was winnable. There may not be too many more winnable ones.

Yeah, I text a few people saying they keep getting that response goal keeping us at arms length. The effort is there, but until we get a few more lads around the 50 game mark, we're gonna have a few more swings and roundabouts results. We are so far ahead of where I honestly thought we'd be, it's been impressive. But, we need patience for another season yet. But come 2027, should be interesting times. Lalor is a star.

 

[nick1408]

Blockhead balta and slow miller.

I thought from before the first bounce they manned up on the wrong players. I felt Balta would have shut down Larkey better (I think he finished with two goals but he did setup a lot of play for North Melbourne similar to how Lynch does for Richmond) and Miller would easily shut down Darling.

I get why Balta started on Darling but Larkey looked way too good for Miller.