Universal Love The 2014/15 Pre-season Megathread

[mattymac]

Was about to say this myself. North are coming off a seirous amount of both post and pre-season injuries, some nasty ones too. Their depth will be tested, while a lot of players underdone. Perfect time to play them imo.

We should come out absolutely firing too. New coach, new captain, home deck. Time to make a statement. And then there's Kerridge.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

We should come out absolutely firing too. New coach, new captain, home deck. Time to make a statement. And then there's Kerridge.

Put the Keg to full forward - clean out the rest of the players ... & just watch him break Fred Fannings' record

 

[1970crow]

I speak from experience in business. A good accountant will find ways to legitimately reduce tax. Negative gearing and fully-franked dividends are a couple. Set up a home office to run your interests outside of footy income and deduct a proportion of household expenses + a % of mortgage if you have one. There are many other lurks and perks and I'd be astonished if most if not all footballers on high incomes were not privvy to them
Some years ago a brilliant tax accountant in Sydney claimed beer as a deduction for rugby league players because it helped to maintain their playing weight. Disallowed by the tax office, fought the legal battle and it was allowed.

As I said, not particularly special to footballers. All methods available to the majority of australian taxpayers. Perhaps specific dietary requirements would be special to athletes, but home offices, negative gearing etc is pretty standard stuff.

 

[beartoo]

As I said, not particularly special to footballers. All methods available to the majority of australian taxpayers. Perhaps specific dietary requirements would be special to athletes, but home offices, negative gearing etc is pretty standard stuff.

Yeah, but the original point was that a high salary would be roughly halved through tax. My point was/is that it isn't necessarily so.

 

[the big lebowski]

Crows brethren, are we North supporters allowed to post in this thread for very very early pre game chat? (and to a lesser degree NAB cup round 1)

Incidentally, that's the funny thing about round 1, you spend three months focusing on one team, then you don't care about them all of a sudden and you have 7 days to worry about the round 2 team.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Absolutely! Just last pre-season numerous posters on here were describing our list as a top 6 list. Its a scary thing considering our list is in much better shape entering into 2015 than it was entering into 2014 and Walsh thinks its gonna be 2017 before we can realistically start to challenge for a flag.

There is also a terrible lack of acknowledgement that other teams improved over the offseason. We really look at our younger brigade as to where the improvement will come from - players like Kerridge, Grigg, Crouch (1&2). The issue we don't look at is other clubs youngsters which are easily on par with our group of youngsters.

Look at the top 4 teams from last year and in my opinion their key additions heavily outweigh their losses:

Hawks: Lost - Sewell (not best 22). Gained - Jono O'Rouke (#2 draft pick) and 25 year old former All Australian KPD Frawley.
Sydney: Lost - Malceski - Gained - Isaac Heeney (would have gone top 3 in the draft).
Port - Lost - Nobody. Gained - Patty Ryder
North: Lost - Greenwood. Gained - Waite/Higgins

Then you have two clubs which were stagnant this offseason and have a much older age profile:

Fremantle: Lost - Nobody. Gained - Nobody.
Geelong: Lost - Varcoe, Christianson - Gained - Mitch Clarke, Rhys Stanley

Followed by our group. The 7-12's:

Gold Coast - Lost Nobody. Gained Malceski.
Essendon - Lost Ryder. Gained Old Cooney. Best 22 negatively affected.
Richmond - Lost nobody. Gained nobody.
West Coast - Lost Nobody. Gained nobody.
Adelaide - Lost Otten. Gained Cheney - Nil all draw. Best 22 not really impacted.

Followed by the Big Unknown:
Brisbane - Lost:Crisp, Patful Gained: Beams, Christenson, Robinson

They shouldn't challenge, but I have been wrong before:
Carlton, Collingwood, Bulldogs, Melbourne, GWS, St.Kilda

I think this year could be the year for us to finally lose to an expansion side.. GC at metricon in may will be really tough ....reckon we will beat north round 1, 50-50 v pies but hoping we will be too good , will beat Carlton in Melbourne (finally) . Unfort port should be too good for us in showdown 1 but hoping similar to past season we may get them back later in year depending on injuries, form and fatigue . If we lose to Melbourne in round 3 we should all give up

 

[AFC979810]

Crows brethren, are we North supporters allowed to post in this thread for very very early pre game chat? (and to a lesser degree NAB cup round 1)

Incidentally, that's the funny thing about round 1, you spend three months focusing on one team, then you don't care about them all of a sudden and you have 7 days to worry about the round 2 team.

Some posters above have suggested quiet a few players have had surgery / interrupted preseasons. Would love an update.

 

[the big lebowski]

Some posters above have suggested quiet a few players have had surgery / interrupted preseasons. Would love an update.

Sure!!!!!!!!

Its actually not as bad as some North fans had feared.

Probably the biggest concern was the forward line. Petrie didn't start training fully until January, but he is up and going now. Black had shoulder surgery at the end of the season, and whilst being held back from some of the competitive stuff has been running and training, and will be good to go for round 1. Brown had a knee op and seems to be behind Petrie. I get the feeling he won't play round 1. If that's true, we would go in with Petrie, Waite and Black as the tall forwards with Ziebell resting. Speaking of JZ, like Black had a shoulder op post season, and has just been running, with no contact to date.

The big one i was sweating on was Wells. His foot was still sore post the finals, so he has only now just got back into full training. Apparently is looking good.

The backline is likely to miss Hansen round 1. His seems to be progressing slowly from the hip issues. Reading your board over the last couple of weeks, one thing that suprised me was those saying Jpod won't play round 1. Trying to stretch our defense would seem a sound tactic to me. Thompson, Tippet and Spud can be relied upon to play, Grima seems to be traveling well, but gets injured out of no where often. If he wasn't ready round 1, if i coached Adelaide, i'd load up with Walker, Jenkins and Jpod.

Standouts for us on the track have been Swallow (put $50 on him for the brownlow - was close to infront prior to doing his achillies in 13), Atley (maybe a move to full time mid), and Higgins.

 

[Doctor B]

Sure!!!!!!!!

Its actually not as bad as some North fans had feared.

Probably the biggest concern was the forward line. Petrie didn't start training fully until January, but he is up and going now. Black had shoulder surgery at the end of the season, and whilst being held back from some of the competitive stuff has been running and training, and will be good to go for round 1. Brown had a knee op and seems to be behind Petrie. I get the feeling he won't play round 1. If that's true, we would go in with Petrie, Waite and Black as the tall forwards with Ziebell resting. Speaking of JZ, like Black had a shoulder op post season, and has just been running, with no contact to date.

The big one i was sweating on was Wells. His foot was still sore post the finals, so he has only now just got back into full training. Apparently is looking good.

The backline is likely to miss Hansen round 1. His seems to be progressing slowly from the hip issues. Reading your board over the last couple of weeks, one thing that suprised me was those saying Jpod won't play round 1. Trying to stretch our defense would seem a sound tactic to me. Thompson, Tippet and Spud can be relied upon to play, Grima seems to be traveling well, but gets injured out of no where often. If he wasn't ready round 1, if i coached Adelaide, i'd load up with Walker, Jenkins and Jpod.

Standouts for us on the track have been Swallow (put $50 on him for the brownlow - was close to infront prior to doing his achillies in 13), Atley (maybe a move to full time mid), and Higgins.

Thanks for the info,it sounds like a North will be bringing over a pretty strong team.
I'm looking forward to the NAB games, if Luke Lowden plays well I reckon for tall teams like North he's a strong chance. 204cm & over 100kg with a good grab to stretch opposition defence & help Sauce out. He will have an even better chance depending on how well Jacobs medial heals & how the club manage Sauce for the season.

 

[the big lebowski]

Thanks for the info,it sounds like a North will be bringing over a pretty strong team.
I'm looking forward to the NAB games, if Luke Lowden plays well I reckon for tall teams like North he's a strong chance. 204cm & over 100kg with a good grab to stretch opposition defence & help Sauce out. He will have an even better chance depending on how well Jacobs medial heals & how the club manage Sauce for the season.

Should do, barring NAB cup injuries etc. If you guys follow through and go with youth in NAB 1 - i would hope we do the same.

I did a round 1 team the other day and was leaving out some good players. We haven't had this depth for awhile now.

 

[the big lebowski]

Goldy Vs Sauce battles are always interesting. With Jacobs knee and Goldy's notoriously slow starts to a season it might be a nil all draw.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Goldy Vs Sauce battles are always interesting. With Jacobs knee and Goldy's notoriously slow starts to a season it might be a nil all draw.

Who's going to tag kerridge ?

 

[Golumless]

Who's going to tag kerridge ?

The entire North team.

 

[Tex200]

Sure!!!!!!!!

Its actually not as bad as some North fans had feared.

Probably the biggest concern was the forward line. Petrie didn't start training fully until January, but he is up and going now. Black had shoulder surgery at the end of the season, and whilst being held back from some of the competitive stuff has been running and training, and will be good to go for round 1. Brown had a knee op and seems to be behind Petrie. I get the feeling he won't play round 1. If that's true, we would go in with Petrie, Waite and Black as the tall forwards with Ziebell resting. Speaking of JZ, like Black had a shoulder op post season, and has just been running, with no contact to date.

The big one i was sweating on was Wells. His foot was still sore post the finals, so he has only now just got back into full training. Apparently is looking good.

The backline is likely to miss Hansen round 1. His seems to be progressing slowly from the hip issues. Reading your board over the last couple of weeks, one thing that suprised me was those saying Jpod won't play round 1. Trying to stretch our defense would seem a sound tactic to me. Thompson, Tippet and Spud can be relied upon to play, Grima seems to be traveling well, but gets injured out of no where often. If he wasn't ready round 1, if i coached Adelaide, i'd load up with Walker, Jenkins and Jpod.

Standouts for us on the track have been Swallow (put $50 on him for the brownlow - was close to infront prior to doing his achillies in 13), Atley (maybe a move to full time mid), and Higgins.

Great info - many thanks for your contributions

 

[Doctor B]

The entire North team.

As long as Phil puts someone effective on Ziebel when he's in their forward line

 

[Golumless]

As long as Phil puts someone effective on Ziebel when he's in their forward line

Kerridge to tag Ziebell?
20 North players to tag Kerridge

0-0 draw?

 

[the big lebowski]

Who's going to tag kerridge ?

Lol. Yes, Kerridge. I think we will let him go and hope that his 5 goal average against us was due to

1) Spud being unfit to play in 2013
2) Your entire teams dominance in the first 2014 match

The only tagging job i think will occur will be McDonald on Sloane, or perhaps Bastinac on Sloane.

 

[Tex200]

Who's going to tag kerridge ?

Will he even play?

I mean surely he will need to find form in the SANFL - you know like last year when he came back from injury

Week 1 - 26 poss, 9 clearances
Week 2 - 26 poss, 1 goal

Good enough to face the Kangas? No way son

Week 3 - 29 poss, 1 goal

Yeah let's bring him back for the last game!!!!

 

[Red mist]

Will he even play?

I mean surely he will need to find form in the SANFL - you know like last year when he came back from injury

Week 1 - 26 poss, 9 clearances
Week 2 - 26 poss, 1 goal

Good enough to face the Kangas? No way son

Week 3 - 29 poss, 1 goal

Yeah let's bring him back for the last game!!!!

What a master stroke!

 

[Red mist]

Lol. Yes, Kerridge. I think we will let him go and hope that his 5 goal average against us was due to

1) Spud being unfit to play in 2013
2) Your entire teams dominance in the first 2014 match

The only tagging job i think will occur will be McDonald on Sloane, or perhaps Bastinac on Sloane.

Both teams will be using negating players at some point.

 

[the big lebowski]

Both teams will be using negating players at some point.

Scott tends to not use more than one.

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

Lol. Yes, Kerridge. I think we will let him go and hope that his 5 goal average against us was due to

1) Spud being unfit to play in 2013
2) Your entire teams dominance in the first 2014 match

The only tagging job i think will occur will be McDonald on Sloane, or perhaps Bastinac on Sloane.

some of the comments on your board towards Kerridge in past seasons has been poor IMO Kerrige considering his age is actually a very good footballer and will improve significantly unded Walsh

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

Should do, barring NAB cup injuries etc. If you guys follow through and go with youth in NAB 1 - i would hope we do the same.

I did a round 1 team the other day and was leaving out some good players. We haven't had this depth for awhile now.

the issue we faced a few seaaons ago when we had a high number of off season injuries was

1. Even though players made it back for early rounds they lacked preperation, and

2. Lack of numbers on track during pre season impacted the quality of team match simulation training

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Exactly! I was at blacktown when they played gws in nab challenge and watched season unravel eith Lynch Douglas and otten all going down and no one left on bench...no injuries in nab this year thanks

the issue we faced a few seaaons ago when we had a high number of off season injuries was

1. Even though players made it back for early rounds they lacked preperation, and

2. Lack of numbers on track during pre season impacted the quality of team match simulation training

 

[Houston]

Exactly! I was at blacktown when they played gws in nab challenge and watched season unravel eith Lynch Douglas and otten all going down and no one left on bench...no injuries in nab this year thanks

After that absolute fiasco I suggest we lock the playing group in a bomb shelter and wait the NAB series out.