Strategy The actual positive thread

[Chadwiko]

Alright, it's time to go against the grain.

Our board is doom and gloom right now, and although I understand it when we're 0-5 to start the year, we also need to remember that the sun will continue to rise tomorrow.

So with that said, I wanted to create a thread that was purely for optimism.
There's plenty of threads already for pessimism, criticism, and harsh (but fair) analysis. This isn't the thread for more of the same.

This is the thread for finding reasons to be positive and to give ourselves some hope (or copium?).

I'll start with a couple of key points in the next two posts...

 

[Chadwiko]

Starting the season 0-5 sucks, but let's put it into perspective in terms of our schedule and our opponents.

Through five rounds, our opponents have a combined win/loss record of 19 and 6, with 3 of those losses being from the Brisbane Lions who were last year's Grand Finalists who have simply started the season quietly but will obviously finish the season in the top 8.

That's an insanely tough schedule.

Geelong in Geelong.
GWS in GWS.
Brisbane on Neutral territory in Adelaide.
Carlton on Good Friday.

TOUGH games.

The schedule really starts to open up now. This is an opportunity to restock, reload, and launch a new thrust towards the end of the year.

 

[Its a Process]

Comben and Biggie looked solid down back when we were able to slow the ball down.

Curtis and Ford looked dangerous at the other end.

Sheez is probably the best player we’ve had in the Club since Wells

 

[Chadwiko]

My second piece of optimism is simply two words;

Harry.
Sheezel.

What a deadset gun he is.

Here is a list of North's top disposal getters for the first five rounds of 2024;



The kind of player you can build a premiership list around, if you do it properly and patiently.

 

[Sticksphat]

My second piece of optimism is simply two words;

Harry.
Sheezel.

What a deadset gun he is.

Here is a list of North's top disposal getters for the first five rounds of 2024;

View attachment 1959437

The kind of player you can build a premiership list around, if you do it properly and patiently.

How the f does a kid who wins the Rising Star and his club's B & F improve his output. Bloody freak.

 

[koshari]

Couple of sausage rolls for drueza. Good to see

 

[Sticksphat]

I've been thinking about the players who have exceeded expectations (in a good way) so far this this year. I know it is biased against established players but it is grim.

FB Goater Chom Biggie
CHB McKerch KDaws Sheez
Centre * Wardlaw *
HFF Curtis * Ford
FF Duurs Larks *

On Ball X * Tom

Interchange ******

May be one or two more if we include players that have been OK.

 

[JGreezy]

Sheezel might be the best player in the comp to have on your list for the next decade

 

[Its a Process]

Ill add another - looks as though we have a functioning reserve setup.

Comben, Drury and Biggie have all come into the team over the past two weeks and looked at the level immediately.

 

[amaz199]

Our young-inexperienced players are properly good footballers.

I think this where Clarko is focussing all his attention on. It's why he's giving them a fair crack and looks to be exposing them against far better opponents as a learning curve.

This is probably something Noble, Shaw or even Scott wouldn't do ever. It's great to see them have a dip and try to workout how they can overcome the difference in experience.

 

[desie]

We’ve had 150 tackles over the last two weeks.

You don’t do that if you’re not trying.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

May not be thread for it but the title inspired me to tip my hat to all the North people who were there in person today. I go to all the games I can in Melbourne but showing up year after year at that place takes a level of commitment and optimism I can only sit back and wonder at. You all looked and sounded great on TV when we scored our goals, so thank you.

 

[HTPunter]

Optimistic - Drury is perhaps the first so-called dud that has taken significant steps.

All of our other young players that are good should be good (Sheezel, Wardlaw etc). Can’t heck that many high picks up. Or if late picks, they showed obvious signs from early on that they had something else (Curtis, Comben).

Drury looks to have developed his game significantly. Still a slow user, but to go from a single figures disposal getter to constantly being fast off the mark and leading to good pockets of space enough to have a 17 disposal, 11 mark, 2 goal game - that’s fantastic.

I had written him off last year as another Mahony who clearly can play at lower levels but just doesn’t have enough attributes against the big boys, but today was a Caleb Daniel

35

Caleb Daniel

Age

27

Ht

171cm

Wt

72kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

19.5

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.4

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.0

3star

CL

1.0

3star

D

16.4

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

9.2

5star

M

3.4

4star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.2

2star

tier use of smarts to counter height & athleticism.

Very happy and think he should get 8-10 weeks minimum in that flank spot. He’s now shown he can perform, so give him a chance.

If you want that spot back or want a game, better get busy at VFL Hansen/Stephenson types.

 

[blackshadow]

Chad you’re a bit late to the party.

Strategy - The actual positive thread

Ok, so I took the piss in the other thread that sacking everyone is somehow going to lead to improvement. Yes, we’re frustrated but getting angry and throwing the toys out the cot is not going to help. Clearly the instability and the lack of a learning environment is a big part of how we got...

www.bigfooty.com

Mods might be a good idea to merge this with the existing thread.

We can’t have too much positivity :stern look:

 

[The Filth Wizard]

We knew we'd likely be 0-5 and we knew with three prelim finalists in that batch we'd probably get some batterings. Geelong and to a lesser extent Freo are 2024 surprise packets.

If we're 0-10, maybe we're not where we thought we were.

 

[Junk yard]

X, Ford, kal D, Powell, Sheez, not much else. Hard to get a read on any defenders with the lack of pressure up the ground. Hardemen and Wil Dawson looking good in the VFL. Lynch has got the VFL list well balanced and some quality players, finally we have somewhere for our new recruits and blokes out of form to prosper. Our league performances are as bad as I can remember but we've got systems in place. Unfortunately due to the incompetence of previous administration it feels like we're just starting our rebuild.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Comben and Biggie looked solid down back when we were able to slow the ball down.

Curtis and Ford looked dangerous at the other end.

Sheez is probably the best player we’ve had in the Club since Wells

Com and Biggie were definitely highlights for me today.

Nyuon has really good defensive instincts. I loved that he worked off his man to attack the contest aggressively. It didn’t work on occasion when his teammates mostly let him down by turning the ball over in increasingly ridiculous ways. He also shows he cares. A green shoot there.

Comben had another solid game and was dangerous in the air. Our shitful turnovers must be infuriating when you have done so much good work like Comben did, only to have the opposition kick goals out the back.

I think it’s clear that we need to play defensively capable players in the back half. Enough of carrying 1-3 players who can’t win 70% of 50/50s to save their life:

End of 2024 defence:

B: Nyuon K. Dawson McDonald
HB: Hardeman Comben Tucker

Round 1 2025 defence:

B: Nyuon Logue K. Dawson
HB: Hardeman Comben Goater

 

[buttox]

Positives.
I don't have any shifts with the Geelong campaigner from work this week.
X has improved. He needs to gel with our mids more to hit it to the right spots.
Biggie was decent. A bit to work with.
Comben looked good. Must persist.
Powell was better this week. Probably our best mid to start the year.
Curtis great again real presence.
Simpkin may have used up all his s**t kicks for the year guaranteed to hit a target next week.

 

[Chadwiko]

Chad you’re a bit late to the party.

Strategy - The actual positive thread

Ok, so I took the piss in the other thread that sacking everyone is somehow going to lead to improvement. Yes, we’re frustrated but getting angry and throwing the toys out the cot is not going to help. Clearly the instability and the lack of a learning environment is a big part of how we got...

www.bigfooty.com

Mods might be a good idea to merge this with the existing thread.

We can’t have too much positivity :stern look:

They're different threads/different topics.

Don't merge them.

 

[cybercrab]

Com and Biggie were definitely highlights for me today.

Nyuon has really good defensive instincts. I loved that he worked off his man to attack the contest aggressively. It didn’t work on occasion when his teammates mostly let him down by turning the ball over in increasingly ridiculous ways. He also shows he cares. A green shoot there.

Comben had another solid game and was dangerous in the air. Our shitful turnovers must be infuriating when you have done so much good work like Comben did, only to have the opposition kick goals out the back.

I think it’s clear that we need to play defensively capable players in the back half. Enough of carrying 1-3 players who can’t win 70% of 50/50s to save their life:

End of 2024 defence:

B: Nyuon K. Dawson McDonald
HB: Hardeman Comben Tucker

Round 1 2025 defence:

B: Nyuon Logue K. Dawson
HB: Hardeman Comben Goater

Logue will be back way before that, expected to be back around rd 14

 

[ansonholt]

Great thread. Logical and balanced.

The reset is essentially now, and from here we build. Our young leaders are in place already and are our absolutely marquee star player, who might be close to the best player in the league ALREADY is only in his second season.

Some others are looking very promising (Wardlaw, Comben, Powell, Nyuon, Curtis, Ford, Goater) and even the established players (Larkey, Logue, Simpkin [out of form just now], Xerri) are still young and have development ahead of them.

The results will come. We just need patience as fans and supporters.

Thanks for this thread.

 

[berniemccarthy]

Comben and Biggie looked solid down back when we were able to slow the ball down.

Curtis and Ford looked dangerous at the other end.

Sheez is probably the best player we’ve had in the Club since Wells

The pass to Drury flat and hard was something hardly any of the other players could have done.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Logue will be back way before that, expected to be back around rd 14

Realistically McDonald will remain in the team until at least the end of the year.

On merit, Dawson edges McDonald out when Logue returns. Something like this perhaps:

Nyuon — Logue — Dawson
Hardeman — Comben — George

 

[Merlin007]

So apart from Drury and Biggie in the ones, I was at Arden Street for the 2s, and there are things to like, not least because last time we played Brisbane we gave up 25 goals and lost by 100.

Today we won - not by much, and should have lost, but we won, and beat a team with a rolled gold (VFL) centre line - darcy fort

32

Darcy Fort

Age

30

Ht

204cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.6

2star

K

5.8

2star

HB

2.9

3star

M

1.9

2star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.8

4star

D

9.2

2star

K

6.0

2star

HB

3.2

2star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.8

3star

G

0.2

3star

D

7.6

2star

K

5.4

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.2

3star

G

1.2

4star

, devon robertsen, and jarrod lyons.

That's who we beat.

And in doing so, some green shoots for the ones:

Brayden George and Hardemann really took the game on with some drive from half back - Hardemann in particular has serious wheels; I'm prepared to bet that he's in, sooner rather than later

Jackson Archer may not be a playmaker, but by jesus he's hard to play on

Finbar was a bit mixed, but still took some strong grabs, and also won some frees in contests because he makes his opponent nervous - a good sign when the opposition are worried about you

Curtis Taylor

5

Curtis Taylor

Age

24

Ht

188cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

No current season stats available

D

6.0

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

, the man we love to hate, was terrific

Stephenson was dangerous throughout, kicked 2 and gave up a shot at a 3rd by being too cute; ran hard all day, not least in the last 2 minutes with the game in the balance, when he sprinted 80 metres across the ground to give Taylor a target in space to chew up some time; a really significant run imo, showed he wanted it

Phillips topped the tackle count, hard at it all day, used it well. Concerned about his leg speed, but could yet find a role.

Will Dawson - kicking sometimes scratchy, but this one's a competitor. Not yet, but will be a player

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

Going to be hard to make the top 4 from 0-5 but as long as we get a home elimination final I think we will go pretty deep.