Will we ever see a NM player have 40+ touches?

[The Nostradamus]

Ryan Clarke when we actually play him in the midfield

 

[GreatBradScott]

What I put in a general thread the other day is my take on this topic.

Possessions can be padding (more valuable in the forward half than the defensive half), but it also shows the ability to get around the ground and read the play.

For example (in brackets Champion Data's definitions of the terms), Tom Mitchell's output in terms of disposals (the act of using the ball) vs. possessions (the act of gaining the ball).

He got 54 disposals/possessions last night, with 27 contested. That's at least 27 times where he has worked in a pack sense to win the footy, with 27 other times where he got around the ground to just own it in space.

My concern in terms of our midfield at this stage of the rebuild is who will be racking up possessions.

We don't have someone who can consistently rack up above 30 - either they don't have the fitness or genuine ability to read the contest and flow of play.

And then on top of those attributes, an elite midfielder will also make that ball use count.

Cunners and Higgins exist more in that 24-30 to range, which is fine, as they're more designated to inside/outside role playing.

What we lack, and hopefully LDU or whoever else we draft, can develop into that all round midfield accumulator. You need someone or a few who can do that.

 

[giantroo]

Shaun Higgins talks about our midfield woes - 3 minutes in

https://omny.fm/shows/rush-hour-melbourne/north-melbournes-shaun-higgins-2?t=3m4s

 

[Jindrrk]

I'm not too worried about the numbers so much.......when we're not losing contested ball.

 

[Arthur Cloke]

How is it - Oliver gets slammed for a poor game - 20 touches and 2 goals. We’d kill for a midfielder to have a bad game and deliver that.

 

[marklovesbeer]

What will come first - 40 possie game from UDL or 10 goals from BBB?

 

[ferball]

Shaun Higgins talks about our midfield woes - 3 minutes in

https://omny.fm/shows/rush-hour-melbourne/north-melbournes-shaun-higgins-2?t=3m4s

Brayshaw getting his Zondor on with this about jumpers: "The one with the V and just the standard one thats 100 years old and has worked."

Higgo: "Mate the fans voted on the...." laughter...

 

[ferball]

How is it - Oliver gets slammed for a poor game - 20 touches and 2 goals. We’d kill for a midfielder to have a bad game and deliver that.

Possibly cos he got most of those possessions (and goals) on the forward line hiding from Jacobs not in the midfield.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Brayshaw getting his Zondor on with this about jumpers: "The one with the V and just the standard one thats 100 years old and has worked."

Higgo: "Mate the fans voted on the...." laughter...

Higgo needs to check himself there.

The fans got to choose from the 3 pox choices put before them and chose the lesser s**t jumper.

The person responsible for designing the club gear needs to be sacked. Immediately. Orange in the club gear, that putrid camo s**t. All pox.

 

[Marstermind]

Ryan Clarke when we actually play him in the midfield

Meanwhile, he gets stuck down back like all good young midfielders we get. Totally suck any life, flair and creativity out of them until the day they finally get put into the midfield. However, by this time they aren't good enough or aware enough to gather disposals of quality or quantity and players with nowhere near as much ability at other clubs have roared past them. It could be called the "Atley Syndrome" but I think I prefer calling them "Brad-bots."

 

[big_e]

The last was Ryan Bastinac in Round 2, 2012 - 44 against GWS in their second game ever. Dressed in orange they even looked like witches hats. Since then the closest is Scott Thompson - 39 also against GWS in the last game of 2012 playing against no one as he zoned off and did what he pleased. I think officially his opponent was Israel Folau.

Seriously, I watch Ablett and Selwood get 37 each in Round 1 and Mitchell get something like that in Round 2. They get a lot of cheapies but only by working their arse off getting to every contest to be an option to get the ball. Our guys aren't good enough, smart enough with the ball or fit enough to pick up 2,3, 4 touches in a contest. Get it, hack it forward, make it someone else's problem down the field. That's pretty much it.

That was the day Scott Thompson tried his innovative "Hey, Israel, I'm gay" tactics.

 

[Only Forwards]

Meanwhile, he gets stuck down back like all good young midfielders we get. Totally suck any life, flair and creativity out of them until the day they finally get put into the midfield. However, by this time they aren't good enough or aware enough to gather disposals of quality or quantity and players with nowhere near as much ability at other clubs have roared past them. It could be called the "Atley Syndrome" but I think I prefer calling them "Brad-bots."

A long long time ago with a username now forgotten. A sometimes volatile stalwart of this board said something like:

There seems to be two approaches to game plans and players.
1) you take stock of the players you have. Find what works for them, refine it and push to win.
2)You have a predetermined idea of a plan that will win games and then take time cycling through players to find the ones you think fit. This can take a very long time.

Brad is clearly in the second camp.

My position is not decidedly anti Brad but f***we have given him a very very long time to get things right and we are a long way from anywhere right now.

If Brad see out his current contract he will be the longest serving North coach won't he?

If he hasn't won a flag it its be close to the longest serving league wide with no flag.

If he was to walk away at that point and his career at North was to be looked at retrospectively. The main records he'd hold with the club would be:
- longest serving
- most numbers of biggest defeats (ie biggest St Kilda loss, biggest Collingwood loss, biggest Hawthorn loss). *as a side note we had not been defeated by at least 2 of those clubs by more than 100 points until his tenure.

We are either going to re-sign him and allow him more time to cycle through players or we part ways and he will always be a long serving middle of the road coach.

 

[Moti]

Meanwhile, he gets stuck down back like all good young midfielders we get. Totally suck any life, flair and creativity out of them until the day they finally get put into the midfield. However, by this time they aren't good enough or aware enough to gather disposals of quality or quantity and players with nowhere near as much ability at other clubs have roared past them. It could be called the "Atley Syndrome" but I think I prefer calling them "Brad-bots."

Will we ever see Ats in the middle

 

[JD-Roo]

Phil Kelly and Bruce Abernathy actually had 40+ touches EACH in a game v Sydney in round 3 1983 when North won by 140 points..

I'm calling that a one time only event.

Changing it to goals instead of possessions......

Again against the Swans, this time out at Princes Park in 1993.

McAdam got 10 goals and Longmire got 9.

Was spewing we couldn't give him a 10th as I doubt that had been done before, 2x10 goals kickers in the one team on the day.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Changing it to goals instead of possessions......

Again against the Swans, this time out at Princes Park in 1993.

McAdam got 10 goals and Longmire got 9.

Was spewing we couldn't give him a 10th as I doubt that had been done before, 2x10 goals kickers in the one team on the day.

The all time record score at Princes Park................held by North Melbourne .

 

[JD-Roo]

The all time record score at Princes Park................held by North Melbourne .

And they outscored us in the 2nd quarter.

As far as I can recall we scored from every single kick-out that game.

 

[utility]

"My kingdom for 40 tender touches", moans Arthur Cloke

 

[Elite Master]

Liam Anthony used to know how to find the ball, but most of the time him getting 30-35 disposals made me cringe.

 

[Dan]

Bastinac.

2012.

What an indictment if that is true.

 

[Zondor]

Higgo needs to check himself there.

The fans got to choose from the 3 pox choices put before them and chose the lesser s**t jumper.

The person responsible for designing the club gear needs to be sacked. Immediately. Orange in the club gear, that putrid camo s**t. All pox.

Spot On Snakes. :stern look

 

[Zondor]

A long long time ago with a username now forgotten. A sometimes volatile stalwart of this board said something like:

There seems to be two approaches to game plans and players.
1) you take stock of the players you have. Find what works for them, refine it and push to win.
2)You have a predetermined idea of a plan that will win games and then take time cycling through players to find the ones you think fit. This can take a very long time.

Brad is clearly in the second camp.

My position is not decidedly anti Brad but f***we have given him a very very long time to get things right and we are a long way from anywhere right now.

If Brad see out his current contract he will be the longest serving North coach won't he?

If he hasn't won a flag it its be close to the longest serving league wide with no flag.

If he was to walk away at that point and his career at North was to be looked at retrospectively. The main records he'd hold with the club would be:
- longest serving
- most numbers of biggest defeats (ie biggest St Kilda loss, biggest Collingwood loss, biggest Hawthorn loss). *as a side note we had not been defeated by at least 2 of those clubs by more than 100 points until his tenure.

We are either going to re-sign him and allow him more time to cycle through players or we part ways and he will always be a long serving middle of the road coach.

Well Said OF. :stern look

It won't surprise many but don't hold too much hope that we will be anywhere near it at the end of Scotts contract. I have little faith in him leading the development of our younger types. His last rebuild never saw us finish in the Top 4 at the end of the Regular Season. Why a thorough review wasn't carried out of the whole Football Department prior to Scotts Contract Extension last year is beyond me. The Board should hang their heads in shame. Where the * was the Due Diligence? Anyways Time Will Tell. Hope I'm wrong. :stern look

 

[Le Grille]

I have said this in previous topics, but the "chip scab" possesions have their place, there is an aspect of if we have the ball the opposition dont, while I understand kick movement is important to our gameplan, there are times when it falls apart that the opposition gets the run on and we cannot stop it.

Sometimes you need to close up shop and absorb some pressure.

I guess there is a happy medium but I still feel as a whole we have too many who don't get enough of the ball.

 

[Snake_Baker]

I have said this in previous topics, but the "chip scab" possesions have their place, there is an aspect of if we have the ball the opposition dont, while I understand kick movement is important to our gameplan, there are times when it falls apart that the opposition gets the run on and we cannot stop it.

Sometimes you need to close up shop and absorb some pressure.

I guess there is a happy medium but I still feel as a whole we have too many who don't get enough of the ball.

Brad is pretty much going down the same path he employed when he arrived.

1) Implement run and gun until it becomes first nature.
2) Employ tempo footy once the team has gelled properly.

I wouldn't be expecting too many "tempo" moments until the middle of next season.

 

[Le Grille]

Brad is pretty much going down the same path he employed when he arrived.

1) Implement run and gun until it becomes first nature.
2) Employ tempo footy once the team has gelled properly.

I wouldn't be expecting too many "tempo" moments until the middle of next season.

Either way though you cant carry half a midfield that doesn't get the ball enough

 

[Snake_Baker]

Either way though you cant carry half a midfield that doesn't get the ball enough

Agree, but you're going to have to wait two seasons before it gets fixed properly.