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MaccaRoo

All Australian
Dec 16, 2008
854
1,831
Ardeer
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Here at the game and have a few observations:

- Larkey and Zurhaar very disappointing
- Inside mids behind getting beat for the hard ball
- outside mids getting sucked in to the play so we are getting beat on the spread
- #8 has kicked multiple great front and centre goals....looks like a really good crumbing small forward.
- Murphy solid, probably our best defender today

The biggest thing I'll take away from today is the value Brendan Whitecross brings to this team. Constantly talking to the kids, telling them where to stand and how to position themselves at contests. At one point when he was on the mark he called another defender over to replace him so he could have a chat to one of our kids....he's all class.
 

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Not much to write home about

Went down by a goal

Larkey did next to nothing. Worn like a glove by Willi defenders all day and was ineffective in the ruck. Couldnt get any separation from his defender. Didn't push a case for round 1

Watson much the same. Said he was cramping badly at 3/4 time. Took a couple of nice marks which led to eventual goals. Had a nice sidestep in the last which shows some confidence in the knee. Not sure if he is a forward or a defender, have definitely not seen enough of him

Garner was in everything in the last. Still tackles to hurt. Still very strong. Put on a very hard stiff arm in the last and missed an easy goal. Should have had three in the quarter but couldn't convert. Start him in the VFL for mine

Murphy looks pretty good defensively. The team trusts him to dispose of it from down there. Handy one on one defender as well. Marley keeping him out for mine

Zurhaar didn't have much impact. He wasn't too bad but he didn't really do anything to make you sit up and go wow

Crocker only played the first half. I missed the first quarter but if he was who I thought he was in the second quarter he did some nice things re: positioning and intercept marks
 

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I agree with what FG said. No one knocked the door down for a promotion to the firsts except #8 who could really fill a role as a crumbing forward.

Very lively. Strong on the lead and fast in his feet. Knows where the goals are. Quick change of direction. Whoever he is and wherever he's come from we will be lucky to have him

Whitecross will be excellent for our defenders. Extremely vocal, always setting up who is where. He spoke to Murphy a lot about his positioning and whether he was goal side, ball side, forcing his opponent in or out. Valuable learning experience for Tommy who should soak it all up
 

Grrr

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 16, 2009
11,564
26,253
mildura
AFL Club
Richmond
Very lively. Strong on the lead and fast in his feet. Knows where the goals are. Quick change of direction. Whoever he is and wherever he's come from we will be lucky to have him

Whitecross will be excellent for our defenders. Extremely vocal, always setting up who is where. He spoke to Murphy a lot about his positioning and whether he was goal side, ball side, forcing his opponent in or out. Valuable learning experience for Tommy who should soak it all up
Lewin Davis, 19 yrs old, Pioneers to Port Adelaide Supp. list. Struggle with injured knee last year and tried his luck getting on the North list. From Mildura.
 
Lewin Davis, 19 yrs old, Pioneers to Port Adelaide Supp. list. Struggle with injured knee last year and tried his luck getting on the North list. From Mildura.

Guessing you know him or are connected in some way. He did very well today. A bit of mongrel in him as well, displayed in a praccy is nice to see. Will keep an eye on him through the season
 
Jul 26, 2007
93,512
161,890
The Tree
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
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Lewin Davis, 19 yrs old, Pioneers to Port Adelaide Supp. list. Struggle with injured knee last year and tried his luck getting on the North list. From Mildura.

How much does he look like Oscar Isaac?
 
Jeepers am I glad I don't live in the city. Did the bridge double, in via the Bolte and home via the Westgate. Got there a little late as google and I had different ideas, needless to say google was silent for the trip home. Got to see a fair bit of the game between parental duties and the odd comment with Nash Holmes, who might just be right for a gallop next week. Young Crocker as mentioned, only played the 1st half, but was more than competitive and although a bit of a shank, his left foot pass was not only hit the target, but was rewarded with praise from the bench for choosing the right option.
Garner mentioned he was going ok, but was just not getting near it, when taking a break just before half time. Showed more than glimpses of stuff many of us have forgotten about. His smashing tackles, a high flying leap from behind and a leaping crash into the side of a pack were reminders of what he offers. He was monitored quite specifically time and intensity wise. Dec Watson couldn't be faulted for effort. Words in the last quarter from the impressive Whitecross proved this as he was happy with how Watson had worked his leading pattern so as to not only protect, but increase the space he had to run into, and thus mark the ball. Good positioning, strength and effort from the young man.
My boy Tom Murphy will gain heaps from Whitecross. Already a classy user, and strong enough to hold his own, his positioning will greatly improve and make him a much more effective footballer.
Also as mentioned, Larkey was forward today, as well as sharing the rucing duties. He can suffer from selective hearing, allegedly. Didn't really stand out, had a couple of hit outs, but other than working hard did not really stand out tbh.
Zuurhaar was the same, bullied a few blokes, had 1 lovely long ball from the centre of the park to just about the top of the goalsquare in the last.

Big Lachie Mirams in the ruck will need a hand, then I remembered big Tom Campbell may be there to give him a chop out. He is undersized in height and frame I think, certainly today. Hopefully big Xerri is back sooner rather than later.
As mentioned, no Holmes today, or Nick Rippon, but Jansen was still there putting himself about and Ty Leonardis stood out in the last as the bloke who could change the game. Mitch Rodd went off in the 2nd quarter with a head knock, maybe, and Alex Morgan succumbed to what looked like a hammy in the last quarter.

Whitecross is good. A good footballer and speaks well to the players from the bench during the game. Is specific, calm and quite obviously knows what he is on about. The young fella that bagged 3 goals as a small forward is apparently a defender - just a whisper :-D

Little mate was fine until he tripped himself up and put both his knees under a bit of edge of concrete punishment. A bit of broken skin, no tears and a steely determination not to let me look. Bagged the autograph trifecta of Rippon, Holmes and the wonderfully personable CJ

Halftime entertainment consisted mainly of a bit of kick to kick, before the dogs of Marley Williams, Paul Ahern, Kayne Turner and a 3 legged blow in all decided to gallop around chasing Woofer Williams' sqeeky ball toy. Special mention for Marley Williams who was the responsible pet owner and cleaned up after his dog.

Plenty of senior players there, and coaches. Too bloody hot to play footy in though
 

desie

Club Legend
Mar 15, 2004
2,979
3,892
Gumnut Cottage
AFL Club
North Melbourne
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Inside Football Profile of Lewin Davis
10-Oct-99 182.6cm 72.5kg
Lewin is a very elusive player who has a great step. he played mainly on a wing but can kick goals and has a neat left foot. And he can take an absolute screamer which he did a few times and he played a VFL game with Essendon this year. Will need to work on his consistency but that will come as he was new to the program so hadn't done a lot of training. - Bendigo Pioneers coach Ricky Coburn.
 

Waussie

Premiership Player
Nov 26, 2017
3,375
5,294
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Is Crocker done with injury, or done enough for a young'n?
Young, not developed and coming of injuries. He'd be on limited minutes. Sounds like aot of these guys are getting some run in their legs
 
Young, not developed and coming of injuries. He'd be on limited minutes. Sounds like aot of these guys are getting some run in their legs
D.Crocker came over at half time to see what was going on and he was told that his boy was only going to play the 1st half
 

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