Review The 2019 analysis/ratings thread

Apr 24, 2013
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Well, this year was like thinking I had a shot at Natalie Portman and waking up next to Bomber Thompson's "girl" friend. Arguably the most schizophrenic on field season I have seen since 1983. A lot of things went wrong, a few went right, and there was the odd surprise.

I'm glad it's over, because it was a painful season from many aspects. Hopefully these are teething pains and a sign of good things to come.

Here's my wrap up, and my 2020 round 1 starting line up. Critique it by all means, but put up your own categorisations if you want to be taken seriously.

The club: 3/10

The membership scenario was a genuine disgrace, that was only surpassed by the complete lack of board football oversight which allowed Brad Scott to tactically lose his mind, and ambush an entire season of football before it got out of the blocks. As bad as any single season of administration that I can remember. Changes MUST be made. We need to look at shelving Bellerive and coming up with other ideas. A challenging 2020 awaits.

The team: 6/10

Best player: Ben Cunnington, whose season very much mirrored the wild swinging output of the senior side.

Best Forward: Ben Brown
Forward line: 7/10. Were seriously hampered when the midfield was poorly functioning. I thought the forwards were good when our mids delivered.
Best midfielder: Ben Cunnington, closely followed by Goldstein
Midfield: 4/10. Aside from Goldstein and Cunnington (pre-clamp), our midfield was our worst performing group. Needs urgent attention.
Best defender: Robbie Tarrant just keeps on keeping on. We need more like him.
Defence: 8.5/10. Without doubt the heroes of our 2019 season, who bravely held up time and again due to our midfield deficiencies.
Rising star: Difficult choice, but I went with Nick Larkey.
Surprise packet: Jasper Pittard
Most Consistent: Marley Williams (Atley dropped away)
Youth: As promising as I can remember in recent years. Zurhaar surprised, Thomas will be a star, LDU started to show signs, Scott has all the tools, Larkey is established. Simpkin needs to progress quicker & Walker never got going.
Recruits: Jared Polec 8/10, Jasper Pittard 9/10, Aaron Hall cannot rate, Dom Tyson cannot rate.
Target/list issues: Clearly we need some burst centre square midfielders with defensive application, and Goldsteins successor is a major issue moving forward.

Syd Barker top 5

1) Cunnington
2) Tarrant
3) Goldstein
4) Polec
5) Higgins

2020 team

B: MacMillan, Tarrant, Williams
HB: Pittard, Daw, McDonald
C: Polec, Anderson, Scott
HF: Garner, Larkey, Zurhaar
F: Ziebell, Brown, Thomas

R: Goldstein, Cunnington, Higgins

Int: Atley, Walker, Dumont, Simpkin

Emg: Turner, LDU, Vickers-Willis

Comment:

Our list vulnerability is highlighted by my inclusion of injured players who have not had any great continuity. I have to take the default position that Jacobs is done. I'm happy to back Maj as the 2nd KPD in Thompson's absence, but his days of zoning off and being less accountable for an opponent are over. Vickers-Willis will hopefully ease the path of Thompson's succession. We MUST get more from Ahern, LDU & Simpkin in 2020.

Trade:

Wood (I think a trade would be good for both parties at this point.)
Durdin (potentially)
Ahern (potentially)

Delist:

Thompson (retired)
Wright (retired)
Watson (never got going)

Hrovat (potentially, although he showed definite improvement)
Jacobs (potentially, pay him out if he has not progressed)

Big year coming up for:

Ahern
Simpkin
LDU
McKay
Hall
Tyson
Xerri
Murphy
Hayden
 
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northbergs

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Good review. I think the most interesting development over summer will be how the players evolve mentally. It was interesting to hear Shaw in the Presser yesterday talk about both a physical and mental focus over the pre-season. Our biggest problem over the years has been consistency within games and between games.

I think our list is developing well - possibly the best spread of talent in 20 years, (although a Charlie Cameron small forward type would be nice!). How they physically and more importantly mentally prepare - will determine how far we go.

It does appear that Wood’s position on the list looks shaky, however his talent and ability warrants only trading him out for an improved draft position, not a swap for a similarly inconsistent player eg Aaron Hall. I would love to see Rhyce have a pre-season and a full season to ‘mentally’ change him. Similarly, Ahern’s talent warrants an opportunity to see how a different coach and approach can get the best out of him.

Looking forward to, and expecting nothing less than a Top 8 berth next year.

Best 22 Next Year (before draft outcomes):

B: Williams, Tarrant, EVW
HB: Ahern, Daw^, Pittard
C: Atley, Cunnington, Polec
F: Garner, Larkey, Wood
F: Thomas, Brown, Zurhaar
Foll: Goldstein, Ziebell, Higgins
IC: Murphy, LDU, Scott, Anderson
Emerg: Durdin^, McDonald, Crocker

List Depth/Tradable: McMillan, McKay, Hayden, Dumont, Walker, Turner, Hall, Tyson

Gone: Hrovat, Watson, Jacobs, Wright, Thompson, Wilkinson, McKenzie



On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
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Egga

Cancelled
North Melbourne - 2018 Luke Davies-Uniacke and Paul Ahern Player Sponsor North Melbourne - 2016 Daw & Anderson Player Sponsor North Melbourne - 2015 Daw & MacMillan Player Sponsor North Melbourne - 2014 Daw, Black, Gibson Player Sponsor North Melbourne - 2013 Daw, Black and Gibson Player Sponsorship
Nov 10, 2009
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I would break ‘the club’ down into:
Membership numbers: 8/10
42,419 (up 4% from last year and second highest in club history)

Member satisfaction: 2/10
Member satisfaction with Club leadership is arguably the lowest it has been for 20 years. Not only has onfield performance been unsatisfactory, Buckley and Dilena have been largely invisible this year, despite the Chairman’s promise of greater “dialogue” at the start of the year. I find this particular failed promise to be especially disappointing- if the Chairman can’t stick to his own public commitments, then he is personally leading a culture of hubris and zero accountability. There has been great need for visible leadership this year given performance, angst regarding Tassie, coach and footy department turnover. Ben and Carl, where the hell are you?..... Oh, on holiday?...ok then.

Sponsorship, Marketing and media:
8/10
We continue to have one of the best media teams in the caper and the leagues longest running major sponsorship deal

Financial: TBC

Onfield performance: 3.5/ 10
Coaching: 2/ 10
List: 6/ 10

At the end of 2015 I posted that 2019 was going to be the toughest year for us onfield in this period and that is the way it has panned out (at least I bloody hope so).

Forwards: 7/10. This group has grown during the year. I reckon we started at a 5 and finished with an 8.5, with the emergence of Zurhaar, Larkey and Thomas. The strongest part of our list.

Mids: 4/ 10. Cunners, Higgo, Polec and Goldy are carrying the load, but none of them have been able to dominate consistently. From there it’s a significant step down to Dumont, Simpkin, Ziebell and others.

Defence: 7/ 10. Great seasons from Robbie, Marley and Pittard, but the others have been frustratingly inconsistent. We’re short a second KPD and more rebound from defence, although I suspect the latter has been more a matter of system than personnel. A healthy Majak and EVW would add enormously to our defence.

Syd Barker:
1. Cunners
2. Tarrant
Daylight
3. Pittard
4. Polec
5. Higgins & Brown (tied)

Looking ahead to 2020, our season hinges on:
Cunners learning to break a tag: He has been tagged from hero to zero this year and it will happen more if he remains susceptible and the umps continue to allow opposition players to put a saddle on him before he’s taken possession of the ball.
Finding a second KPD: we need at least one of Durdin, McKay and Maj to stand up for us. Have no idea what any of these guys will bring next year.
Ergo Robbie Tarrant’s health: if Robbie goes down, so does season 2020.
Development of Simpkin, LDU, Tarryn and Bailey Scott (remember him?): It seems unlikely that we will be trading in any genuine midfield class, so we’re going to have to develop it ourselves.
Midfield system: we have been badly exposed in the centre square at times this year and, with the 6-6-6 rule, this has cost us dearly. Even the GoDees almost beat us purely out of the midfield.

Recruitment priority:
KPD
Quality midfielder

Trade: players who might be rated more highly externally than within the club, e.g.
Wood
McDonald
McKay

Most looking forward to in 2020: Majak’s comeback game
Breakout games from LDU and TT
 

Dirty_11

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I am more bullish on Durdin than yourself and I am happy for Hrovat to stick around for depth.

Maj may have some on going concerns with his body, hopefully this is not the case.

EVW is pivotal next year, we need his body to hold up. Also looking forward to seeing Walker again.

Jacobs would be a huge inclusion but feel he may be done.

If we land Papley we need to continue developing Turner aa a back. He has shown enough down there to suggest he could excel.

We must aim for best available mid with our first rounder, preferably with pace.

Another key defender via trade or free agency needs to be addressed, not sure McKay is the answer.

Also need to address having no home game in Melbourne for two months in the middle of the season.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
 

Quintero

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Awful season with very few highlights outside of the kids (LDU, Zurhaar, Durdin, Larkey, Thomas, Simpkin)

Started shambolically with the sneaky extra game on the map without consultation, the shithouse membership pack delays, Heath's Tanty, the atrocious management or of injured players, typically underdone pre season - it then continued with the abortion of Round 1 and Good Friday against the eternal enemy and the cherry on top was not having a home game for 2 months in Melbourne, I mean seriously WHAT THE ABSOLUTE *?

A typical Terry Wallet styled Vortex year for us stuck in no mans land.

I hope the following takes place and we set ourselves up for a genuine crack one day soon ;

Trades;
Atley, Dumont, 42 > GC > 19, 37
Turner, Hrovat > Carlton > 39
MacMillan + 2020 R2 + 2020 R3 > Sydney > Papley
37, 39, 60, 2020 R4 > GWS > 11

Picks; 7,11,19, 25

7> Ash
11 > Kemp
19 > Stephenson
25 > Jackson

2020 R1 Team.

Durdin - Tarrant - Pittard
Ash - Daw - Ziebell
Polec - Cunnington - Wood
Higgins - Larkey - Thomas
Zurhaar - Brown - Papley
Goldstein - Davies-Uniake - Simpkin
Jacobs JAnderson Garner Walker

Em: Hayden Williams Scott Crocker
EVW Murphy Kemp Stephenson
McDonald Jackson Xerri Taylor Hosie
Hall Tyson Campbell
 
Mar 14, 2002
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The Team
After the Sydney loss I didn’t expect to win another game such was how poorly we were going

But some of those wins against Finals contenders like Pies, Tigers, Dogs, Hawks and PAFC were unexpected and a glimmer of hope for 2020

So I score the Team a 5.59/10
The Administration
I enjoyed reading the 3 Ben Buckley emails that came during the season after he announced regular emails. I told him to send me an email when his head popped up on the Screen in Hobart because I wanted to reply all and let them know that it was time to follow 10 years of kangatime and Bye Bye Brad.

Well they did and after that game we ended up with an Accidental Coach who by years end was Full Time

I got my Membership all okay but the queues to get your Cap etc are still ridiculous

One thing about the Media Department that I miss are the Analysis videos

I score the Administration a 4.53/10

Where to next
It’s all about what happens with the third tier players.

The ones who have been around a while...as far as we can go with some?

And how far the kids can go on in 2020, which for most of them seems bright.
 
Apr 24, 2013
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A truly bizarre year of footy.

733470


We kicked ourselves out of the match in round 8 against 1st
We were robbed in round 18 against 2nd
We flogged 3rd
We flogged 4th
We got flogged against 5th
We weren't quite up to 6th
We comfortably beat 7th
We were beaten in the last minute by 8th
We comfortably beat 9th
We flogged 10th
We comfortably beat 11th

We're genuinely not that far off with tactical improvement, youth development and a few tweaks.
 

remfan101

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Oct 23, 2015
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A truly bizarre year of footy.

View attachment 733470

We kicked ourselves out of the match in round 8 against 1st
We were robbed in round 18 against 2nd
We flogged 3rd
We flogged 4th
We got flogged against 5th
We weren't quite up to 6th
We comfortably beat 7th
We were beaten in the last minute by 8th
We comfortably beat 9th
We flogged 10th
We comfortably beat 11th

We're genuinely not that far off with tactical improvement, youth development and a few tweaks.
There were some serious rose coloured glasses worn while writing this.

We were flogged by 1st (lowest score in history anyone?). 2nd beat us up in every statistical area both times (although we could maybe have stolen it 2nd time round bar the worst call of the year).

3rd and 4th were decimated by injuries and horribly out of form when we beat them, although those wins were the highlight of our year for sure. We were comprehensively outclassed by 5th and 6th.

7th and 8th are making up the numbers, and * beat us twice which is enough to call the season a failure by itself.

So maybe, if everything went our way, we could have snuck into the bottom of the 8. Is that really cause for optimism in a year where we have been proven yet again to be nowhere near good enough through the middle of the ground? I can't see us automatically improving next year either. Higgins will be 33, Cunners can't handle a tag, Jacobs can't be relied on to play again, so as far as I can see there is no obvious fix in sight outside of crossing our fingers and hoping LDU is our saviour.

Are people really content to rely on miraculous natural development and 'hope'? We need to make some serious changes to our list this year, or else yet more mediocrity beacons.
 

Passmore

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There were some serious rose coloured glasses worn while writing this.

We were flogged by 1st (lowest score in history anyone?). 2nd beat us up in every statistical area both times (although we could maybe have stolen it 2nd time round bar the worst call of the year).

3rd and 4th were decimated by injuries and horribly out of form when we beat them, although those wins were the highlight of our year for sure. We were comprehensively outclassed by 5th and 6th.

7th and 8th are making up the numbers, and * beat us twice which is enough to call the season a failure by itself.

So maybe, if everything went our way, we could have snuck into the bottom of the 8. Is that really cause for optimism in a year where we have been proven yet again to be nowhere near good enough through the middle of the ground? I can't see us automatically improving next year either. Higgins will be 33, Cunners can't handle a tag, Jacobs can't be relied on to play again, so as far as I can see there is no obvious fix in sight outside of crossing our fingers and hoping LDU is our saviour.

Are people really content to rely on miraculous natural development and 'hope'? We need to make some serious changes to our list this year, or else yet more mediocrity beacons.

Just to be a little picky, Higgo will be 32 next year, not 33.
 

Passmore

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We flogged 2 of the top 4 and were robbed against another one of them.

I think you also have to take into account how horribly out of form we were when we played Brisbane the first time.

Even taking into account the abomination that were the first 9 rounds, the team, in it’s current incarnation, was probably good enough to be 12 win team. If we played with the same purpose for the first 9 games, you could add another 2-3 to that.
 

amaz199

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The things that went horribly wrong were definitely weighing over the things that went right.

Although it is a wasted season, we got to see what we are seriously capable of when we are s**t hot. We can significantly push the best of opposition to their knees and keep them there. The hardness is a joy to watch.
Noticeable mentions:
  • Ben 10.
  • Cunners good form.
  • Simpkin emergence in midfield.
  • Ahern experiment on HBF.
  • Zurhaar RS
  • Larkey RS
  • TT RS
  • BS RS
  • Thommo and Wright farewell
  • Majak return
  • Etc.
The bad stuff:
  • I still can't comprehend the stupendous leaky midfield setups we utilised in the first half of the season. We let so many clearances go through under almost zero pressure into our deep fried backline.
  • The midfield fitness and structures need to be addressed.
  • Good sides can still punish us even when we have the momentum, we need to learn how to nullify that and close the gap between our worst and best.
  • Performances like GF loss should never ever happen again.

Considering overall impressions about 2019, I give it a harsh D+. We had the cattle and didn't do s**t with it.

2019 gives us hope, but I want to see a premiership.
 

benbanjo

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To simplify it:

Backline good.
Forward line not bad.
Midfield shithouse.

First 10 round 2/10 then a 6/10 for the remainder of the season

Overall a 4-4.5/10

The fact that we got rid of Scott should probably give us extra cookie points, so lets make it an even 5/10.
 
The captain is 100% correct on all counts.

We underachieved.


He realizes it now which is good

Question always has been what will he do about it as captain

12th year next year for Jack. 12th.
 
Apr 24, 2013
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He realizes it now which is good

Question always has been what will he do about it as captain

12th year next year for Jack. 12th.

So?

Are you claiming that he doesn't set an example in application and team work?
 
So?

Are you claiming that he doesn't set an example in application and team work?
Hes an excellent locker room leader. Without a doubt. He’s also a Scott disciple.
I think consistency in performance starts with him and is a big reason one of his mates is being shopped around
 
Apr 24, 2013
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You don't see his physical application on the field?



Not any more.



That's some correlation.
His physicality is his strong suit.
It is not fair that we expect that level of toughness every week as it’s not sustainable. My query on him always has been does he have the skill set and nous to still impact the game on other ways. Jack only knows one way.

It’ll take a while to undo some of the poor habits that were allowed to linger too long under Scott and Jack needs to be the one leading the charge.

Just because he’s fearless it doesn’t rid him of resonsibility and criticism for how the team prepares and performs.

It’s not hard to grasp that Mason doesn’t bring the aggression and intent needed to perform at this level on a weekly basis. This is extremely difficult to do and is more a of a mental hurdle then a physical one.
Some footballers get it and some don’t.
It’s no lie that the club is trying to trigger a response out of Wood that each game could be his last and maybe that might be the making of him ala Jed. Who knows.
 
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