Review AFL 2nd Semi Final autopsy - North Melbourne defeat Geelong by 6 points

[Jagshemash]

first picked apparently.
did u see his running patterns ?

You're kidding right? You can't knock him for his effort. Battled well. Not a number 1 ruck...just curious who would you have gone with this week?
Blame the recruiters before Blitz, it's not his fault he was our last option. Sour grapes much.

 

[fpm84]

Whoever won would have be smashed by 10 goals next week.

Let's go and get a ruckman.

Who's our next A grade midfielder? On tonight's evidence, it's Caddy. Let's hope he makes the leap as soon as next season.

 

[Scorpio]

Hunger is the kind of crap you harp on about when you can't think of anything to say about real football - eg. game plans, execution and results.

The mental side is just as important as any of that. I know we lost it by our poor decision-making so I'm not arguing that. What I am saying is that since winning the 3rd flag in 2011, and putting in some very good H&A seasons, this side has not been the same when it comes to finals.

I believe there are players at this club who are satisfied with what they have achieved thus far. Some of the older players have 2 or 3 flags. Some of the younger ones got a flag very early in their career. It has made them less hungry for more when it has mattered.

 

[Partridge]

stokes 12 Guthrie 12 ghs 10 kelly 9 taylor 10 cornerstone 9

That sums it up, we simply didn't get enough of the ball around the middle of the ground. Too many guys who aren't quite seasoned enough to get enough of the ball, and too many guys nearing the end who physically can't get enough of the ball. Nowhere near enough in between.

Could not understand why the specialist small forward - especially defensively - in McCarthy was the sub.

 

[winty]

For the record,bar 2-3 players who i am filthy with, i dont think it was effort.it was skill errors,combined with a dose of poor goalkicking.

And you cannot watch tonight and tell me we dont needca ruck,nothing against our two guys who were great but we need one desperately.

There were some positives,hawkins is a beast,caddy wil be a star,duncan is and walker stuck it up his critics tonight and showed he has a future.you can build a side around that.

Also seemed that the ball bounced their way at times too, but you tend to create your own luck at times. Would've been daylight (or floodlight) robbery if we got up, as North were clearly the better side for 85% of the game.

 

[Dink]

Full credit to North, they deserved it.

Herculean effort by Sel, hawk and caddy - shame no one else really turned up.

 

[Whit3y]

But lets just be thankful we have won 3 premierships in the last 7 years.

why do i get the feeling this is gonna be a recurring theme from the optimists for the next 6 months

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Gee, in those final moments, when we needed a goal, you know who would've been really handy?

 

[volcboy]

Came in to see the sooking. Wasn't disappointed. Pleased that Caddy and Duncan stood up (along with Selwood). Disappointed that GHS didn't show more, but that's life. In all honesty, what we need next year is;

1. A ruckman of some description.
2. An extra tall defender to replace an ageing Lonergan (Frawley will do nicely)
3. A better run with injuries come finals time.
4. To persist with Walker and possibly Brown, although I thought tonight showed that Walker has more upside with his marking and desperation.
5. Natural improvement from our youngsters. It feels like 2004/2005 all over again.

I'm not slitting my wrists just yet. We're ahead of many other clubs in development and we've made the finals again in 2014. I'll back us to do it again in 2015.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Too many passengers. Horlin-Smith, Stokes, Guthrie, Duncan, Murdoch, Motlop were terrible for most of the game.

Changes need to be made. Some hard calls.

Kelly is clearly done. It was only when the pace went out of the game that he came into it. I have grave concerns over Mackie too. Stokes - back to his form of a few years back where he does SFA.

Someone needs to give Guthrie a kick up the arse. I was told from someone within the club that he is arrogant and has tickets on himself. He needs to have a reality check and get back to the player he was earlier this year. Get rid of that excuse for a haircut for a start.

Duncan is another who had a poor finals series after an excellent h&a season. Needs to address that.

I'm not sure about Horlin-Smith. Goes to ground too much. Lacks pace...Brown? Still not sure. Did some nice things but he STILL lacks the intensity required for AFL footy in my opinion.

On the positives - Hawkins, Caddy and Selwood were outstanding. Walker showed a lot. He needs to be persevered with.

I will be interested to see the response from the playing group and the coaching/list management groups.

Definitely the main reason for him playing poorly over the past week or two.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

why do i get the feeling this is gonna be a recurring theme from the optimists for the next 6 months

Going to be a recurring theme for the next 6 years at least.

 

[fpm84]

Whoever won would have be smashed by 10 goals next week.

Let's go and get a ruckman.

Who's our next A grade midfielder? On tonight's evidence, it's Caddy. Let's hope he makes the leap as soon as next season.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Oh shit. Fox saying Hawkins will become like Cloke
Oh Pulease NO!!!

 

[Gogeelong]

we had 11 players with equal or less than 10 possies and they had 6

 

[alfy!]

What I am saying is that since winning the 3rd flag in 2011, and putting in some very good H&A seasons, this side has not been the same when it comes to finals.

Talent, cattle and execution. The hunger is the same, it always is. These guys are professionals. Half our team are youngsters without a premiership. I'd never doubt the hunger at all.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Blaming the umpires? Is this the Hawks board?
Watch the 1st half again and tell me the umpires cost us the game..

The reality is if the last 10 minutes are umpired correctly we win,thats reality.

I also made clear we didnt deserve to win the game,the two things arent mutually exclusive.

 

[fpm84]

Gee, in those final moments, when we needed a goal, you know who would've been really handy?

The guy who was nowhere to be seen as North clawed back a 6 goal deficit last week?

 

[alfy!]

Gee, in those final moments, when we needed a goal, you know who would've been really handy?

Menzel?

 

[cynical]

no good finishing 3rd on the ladder if we aren't good enough for finals

disappointing year, MC not brave enough to make tough calls on vets

guys like Murdoch, Blicavs and Smedts get a free ride while Brown, Thurlow, Walker hardly get a look in

 

[Tackle_happy]

Hunger is the kind of crap you harp on about when you can't think of anything to say about real football - eg. game plans, execution and results.

Call hunger being mentally switched on and it would work better. Poor kicking, poor running, two or more guys going the mark/spoil and none down, the balls continually popping over the top to outside runners (80% north), spread of north v no spread of Geelong ... those are all things they train for and 'usually' are quite adept at (although I have been concerned about ball watching and outside unaccountability for a bit now). Mentally they were off, energy dropped as a result, sloppiness set in ...

Who is our midfield coach btw?

 

[Teriyakicat]

Came in to see the sooking. Wasn't disappointed. Pleased that Caddy and Duncan stood up (along with Selwood). Disappointed that GHS didn't show more, but that's life. In all honesty, what we need next year is;

1. A ruckman of some description.
2. An extra tall defender to replace an ageing Lonergan (Frawley will do nicely)
3. A better run with injuries come finals time.
4. To persist with Walker and possibly Brown, although I thought tonight showed that Walker has more upside with his marking and desperation.
5. Natural improvement from our youngsters. It feels like 2004/2005 all over again.

I'm not slitting my wrists just yet. We're ahead of many other clubs in development and we've made the finals again in 2014. I'll back us to do it again in 2015.

I thought Duncan was mostly poor with a smattering of talented play. Very sad for his 100th.
Most of the boys were stuffed. Would've liked to have seen a bit more rolling rotations on resting them all for maybe one more game.

 

[thylacine60]

congrats north! best of luck to them and their supporters next week in the prelim. very deserving winners tonight.

Mate, been reading your posts tonight - one hell of a good sport. Well done to you.

 

[footymissionary]

Yes....it is five defeats.

In a way it was sort of like the 1980 Prelim....we just never got close enough during the game, and the late comeback failed. As it was, we had over 3 minutes to add to the final scoreline but couldn't. We would have been no match for a rested Sydney so maybe it's better to lose in straight sets and give the club ample time to dissect the weaknesses in the side. Bews must become a fixture as a small defender, and we need more midfield depth. We also need to really make a call on some of the ones on the list for the last 4-5 years who have yet to step up. Seeing Turner and the mop-headed Brown impact the game as 1st year players is telling when we've got 3,4 and 5 year players who have yet to debut or have played very sparingly.

Anyway, we're gawnski now and to be honest, it's probably our standing in the year. Question is, are we officially 5th or 6th?

probably get a 10 goals thumping had we play syd next week....

dont you think our young guys need to bulk up and build up strength to shake off tackle?

 

[tzman]

Meh. What the colas will do to the roos next week they would do to us, I think this will make the young blokes hungry. The flogging Norf will cop will set them back.

Straws, clutching at.

Cant see anyone beating Sydney this year

 

[Play it Sam]

I said all week - Murdoch out for McCarthy and GHS as sub. Johnson pulled out so Murdoch got a reprieve, but why make our only decent crumbing/pressuring forward the sub?!? GHS - 10 disposals, Murdoch - 7 and McCarthy 6 in a quarter (including almost a massively important goal).

I'm not one to pretend that I know more than Scott and the match committee, but I thought it was a shit decision to put McCarthy as sub before the game started, and I still do now.

AGREE!!! You beat me to it, I was ranting before the game - if ever we needed that terrier Mc Carthy it was tonight.
GHs went in as a liability in my mind after I watched him at the MCG - all at sea, I don't care about his stats,
he's promising but clumsy and inconsistent. Mc Carthy was the go, blind Freddy could see that. (sorry Fred )
Fecking disgusted with this standing back off the ball and stupid basic errors.