Coach Alastair Clarkson - NMFC Senior Coach - Coaching & Football Discussion

[ferball]

On his first day meeting North's young players, Clarko said this:



“We’re searching for players that can play in an AFL premiership team.

“There’s a lot of blokes capable of playing league footy and there’s a lot of them that will get that opportunity – they can play, but can they play at the highest level on the last day in September and be part of a team that holds the silverware at the end of the day.”

So after nearly a season of trials, how many has he got? For mine:

LDU
Sheezel
Wardlaw
Larkey
Logue
Zurhaar
Simpkin
Thomas
Scott

Its possible that Phillips, Powell, Goater, Curtis, Bergman and Comben join them. Is there anyone else?

So somewhere between a quarter and third of a contending squad.

If this season has achieved little else, I would say the papers have been stamped on a fair few others over the past couple months.

Ford, even in his average games he fights it out. Stephenson (lol) had 2 goals and 3 tackles in a GF which other players lost. End of last year would have said Perez but he hasn't been great this year and has another knee issue. Corr has been very good over the last month. Archer tries his guts out.

George, Harvey and Hansen jr all have potential.

Even Spicer was straight lining the contest in the VFL yesterday, which is something I hadn't seen from him before.

But its the shitmen who can play a role with 110% commitment that make the difference imo.

 

[ferball]

Bingo. If they were present for the whole game and approached it on its merits, we'd have won by 50

If you go back to that Walsh review - psyche issues were one of the things he mentioned.

That Richmond mindfulness person might be what we need.

 

[zoomba23]

If you go back to that Walsh review - psyche issues were one of the things he mentioned.

That Richmond mindfulness person might be what we need.

Bare minimum. Preferably we'd resurrect the Buddha and put him in charge of the club's psychological services, logistical issues be damned

 

[Uncle_Leo]

Tad harsh on LDU.

On SM-S901E using BigFooty.com mobile app

Suppose he does play a bit of a lone hand at times

He might get a flag, it won't be with us sadly

 

[Only Forwards]

Lol at tanking.

was a winnable game and we didn't because the opposing side also saw it as a winnable game and their senior players led them.

Jack Darling

27

Jack Darling

Age

32

Ht

191cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

4.2

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.9

5star

D

8.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

3.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.4

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

14.6

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.0

5star

M

6.0

5star

T

4.0

5star

G

1.4

5star

had his best game for the year. They had a senior core that spread across every third of the ground. They had clearly set themselves for the game.

People keep bringing up that they lost by 170 points etc, when that is what they are staring out surely when a team comes around that is doing about as poorly as you are you do set yourself to actually win.

We lost this game in 4 clear areas, at the selection table, in the box, and through inexperience combined with poor and lacking leadership on field.

Also lol at their being no incentive to lose the game, of course there was. wonder if there is a platform to turn a this or that, into this and that.

 

[Danni_Benson]

Did you see the body language of the coaching staff at quarter times as they walked onto the ground. Looked a bit off.

They’ve probably also had enough of their half arsed efforts. Sick of wasting their breath on half this group.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Ford, even in his average games he fights it out. Stephenson (lol) had 2 goals and 3 tackles in a GF which other players lost. End of last year would have said Perez but he hasn't been great this year and has another knee issue. Corr has been very good over the last month. Archer tries his guts out.

George, Harvey and Hansen jr all have potential.

Even Spicer was straight lining the contest in the VFL yesterday, which is something I hadn't seen from him before.

But its the shitmen who can play a role with 110% commitment that make the difference imo.

Ford is fine, I'd keep him, but I'll be happily surprised if he turns into a premiership calibre player.

Corr too.

Stevo: just too mercurial. We all see the flashes of talent, but he's just proven to be too unreliable to feature in longterm thinking, imo.

Archer, George, Harvey and Hansen I couldn't include just because the sample size is too small.

 

[bengrina]

I haven't seen North fans blow up at the players coming off the field the way Carlton fans reacted recently after the *essendon loss and other clubs have done in the past given continued poor performances, I feel that we are fast approaching something similar.

We have been patient and supportive of the club for a long time. We all make significant effort to support the club financially and attend games but I'm sick to death of the laid back attitude of our players. If I see them waltzing off at half time against * in a couple of weeks time 40 points down pats on the back grinning I can see it happening

 

[chubbspeterson]

Lol at tanking.

was a winnable game and we didn't because the opposing side also saw it as a winnable game and their senior players led them.

Jack Darling had his best game for the year. They had a senior core that spread across every third of the ground. They had clearly set themselves for the game.

People keep bringing up that they lost by 170 points etc, when that is what they are staring out surely when a team comes around that is doing about as poorly as you are you do set yourself to actually win.

We lost this game in 4 clear areas, at the selection table, in the box, and through inexperience combined with poor and lacking leadership on field.

Also lol at their being no incentive to lose the game, of course there was. wonder if there is a platform to turn a this or that, into this and that.

They approached it like it was their grand final. Darling, Cripps, Kelly, Yeo, Hunt etc. all played like they wanted it.
If Shiels is in the side you can bet he'd have told the whole team to man up with 90 seconds left - no leaders. Larkey should've led the way up forward.

 

[Only Forwards]

They approached it like it was their grand final. Darling, Cripps, Kelly, Yeo, Hunt etc. all played like they wanted it.

Correct.

Because they were acutely aware that their fixture is shithouse and the opportunity for victory is slim from here on out. However nourishment [shudder] is important, for everyone. A win can do decent things to confidence and trust.

If Shiels is in the side you can bet he'd have told the whole team to man up with 90 seconds left - no leaders. Larkey should've led the way up forward.

just one of a heap of failings.

West Coast ran 1-2 extra at stoppage for the entire third quarter and no one on field or in the box did anything to stop it. The defence never stood a chance and the forwards never got the ball. They kicked 3.6 a better side completely puts us away.

 

[ferball]

They’ve probably also had enough of their half arsed efforts. Sick of wasting their breath on half this group.

I meant between the group of coaches.

Like something ****ed up and people were annoyed with each other and tense.

 

[DuckYeah]

Tanking implies that your are trying to improve change your ladder position for some kind of benefit.

Yesterday had no bearing on our ladder position. We are still second last and it would need to be a miracle for West Coast to win another game or their percentage improve enough or our drop enough for us to finish last.

Anyone that put that performance down to tanking is looking for excuses.

What we did do was pay no respect to our opponent and decided it was more important to play guys not up to it as some kind of loyalty or farewell thing, over prioritising the win the club badly needed.

So in short they royally ****ed up!

No but it improves the argument for draft assistance

 

[zoomba23]

I haven't seen North fans blow up at the players coming off the field the way Carlton fans reacted recently after the *essendon loss and other clubs have done in the past given continued poor performances, I feel that we are fast approaching something similar.

We have been patient and supportive of the club for a long time. We all make significant effort to support the club financially and attend games but I'm sick to death of the laid back attitude of our players. If I see them waltzing off at half time against * in a couple of weeks time 40 points down pats on the back grinning I can see it happening

Carlton's fans blew up at them after a period that was about a thousandth of what we've been through. Granted, there might've been some pent up resentment born of the last twenty years thrown in there too, but hey, they care and they showed the players. Is it nuffy behaviour? Absolutely. Does it nevertheless show the players what the people who rock up every week think of them? Also absolutely

 

[Samsquanch]

Larkey should've led the way up forward.

I didn't really accept the Ben Brown trade at the time, but mainly as I thought we should have got a better deal. I'm over that now of course and I'm thinking that if a decent offer was put up for Larkey I'd take it. Honestly, it ought to be a first round pick or a player who fills a badly needed hole. Of course the forward line would be deficient, so we'd need to find a couple of hard edged big men who would not allow themselves to be pushed and shoved around the way Larkey does.


Or, get him onto a strength development program that builds him up so he can match the strength of his opponents.

 

[Samsquanch]

No but it improves the argument for draft assistance

Whether deliberate or just the way it is, the weekend's loss ought to soften any opposition to North getting a PP or two (or three).

 

[Horizons_00]

I didn't really accept the Ben Brown trade at the time, but mainly as I thought we should have got a better deal. I'm over that now of course and I'm thinking that if a decent offer was put up for Larkey I'd take it. Honestly, it ought to be a first round pick or a player who fills a badly needed hole. Of course the forward line would be deficient, so we'd need to find a couple of hard edged big men who would not allow themselves to be pushed and shoved around the way Larkey does.


Or, get him onto a strength development program that builds him up so he can match the strength of his opponents.

bolded you're dreaming

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Yeah I don't buy it either. It's actually a cop out to say we tanked, because in actual fact we just weren't good enough to beat West Coast.

To me the playing group thought they were going to just win. This was evident in the first Q. They then put the foot down in Q2 which showed that when we want to be, we are the superior side. Q3 it was almost as if the group thought that they were home and could just sit back and enjoy a W, which didn't happen. Q4 the margin was too big and it's as though they realised they need to actually try and win, but ultimately was too late.

The contrasts in effort across each of the four quarters, paints the purest picture of the endemic issues at the football club.

Being spanked by Hawthorn and well outplayed by West Coast, but coulda shoulda beaten Sydney, Essendon and Saints, says it all to me - it’s above the shoulders.

 

[DuckYeah]

Being spanked by Hawthorn and well outplayed by West Coast, but coulda shoulda beaten Sydney, Essendon and Saints, says it all to me - it’s above the shoulders.

Tanking. Im firm.

 

[Only Forwards]

Being spanked by Hawthorn and well outplayed by West Coast, but coulda shoulda beaten Sydney, Essendon and Saints, says it all to me - it’s above the shoulders.

the stat that has been thrown around in here that has stuck out is 4 coaches in 27 games.

What sort of yoyo in expectations this is likely to have been. no one decision that lead us to this situation has been incorrect on paper they are all the right decision to make. It was clear we needed to move on from Noble. You can't immediately appoint another coach in season so a caretaker was required. Patch was as good as any. Clarkson was and remains a great get. Him stepping away is completely understandable. Ratts needing to step in was the obvious choice.

but this sorta stuff is death by a thousand cuts. you cannot fault the logic for an individual decision but we have a situation where things were murky to begin with and the above has not really provided the clarity that anyone here would have thought we'd have by now.

 

[r00boy96]

Tanking. Im firm.

I'm bout half chub

 

[giantroo]

 

[King Corey]

It's fair enough Clarkson has commented on Buddy.

But I'd be lying if I said that GR posting in this thread had me upbeat for a second that it was something pertinent to our current plight.

 

[My Left Foote]

When's our first presser for the week, is it normally tomorrow? Or is it Thursday? Either way Clarko will have a lot of questions to answer not only about where he is at but also where the club is at and what the short term future holds. Very interested to hear what he has to say.

 

[King Corey]

When's our first presser for the week, is it normally tomorrow? Or is it Thursday? Either way Clarko will have a lot of questions to answer not only about where he is at but also where the club is at and what the short term future holds. Very interested to hear what he has to say.

(muffled question about leadership) "Yeh love what Howey brings to the playing group"

(question about McKay contract) "We're in talks with his management, looking at a 2 year deal. Stay tuned"

(confused muffled response) "No you guys can report that. Yep, 2 years. We've been in constant dialogue with Daniel's management"

(question about Eddie Ford) "Yep really happy how he is helping to develop Curtis Taylor. We rate Curtis highly as a player of the future"

(question about gamestyle since bye) "Buddy has been such a champion, very proud of the man he's become"

(another question about leadership) "Love how Lukey and Jy are leading from the front. We'll look at rolling in a 3rd co-captain over the summer"

<End of presser>

 

[My Left Foote]

(muffled question about leadership) "Yeh love what Howey brings to the playing group"

(question about McKay contract) "We're in talks with his management, looking at a 2 year deal. Stay tuned"

(confused muffled response) "No you guys can report that. Yep, 2 years. We've been in constant dialogue with Daniel's management"

(question about Eddie Ford) "Yep really happy how he is helping to develop Curtis Taylor. We rate Curtis highly as a player of the future"

(question about gamestyle since bye) "Buddy has been such a champion, very proud of the man he's become"

(another question about leadership) "Love how Lukey and Jy are leading from the front. We'll look at rolling in a 3rd co-captain over the summer"

<End of presser>

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.