Opinion Commentary & Media V

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EDFL follower said:
What a crock! Accusing the umpires of being racial. You are a clown!
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Different sport but an economist used the NBA's own statistics to show that "more personal fouls are awarded against players when they are officiated by an opposite-race officiating crew than when they are officiated by an own-race refereeing crew. These biases are sufficiently large so that they affect the outcome of an appreciable number of games."
 

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That commentary team is just awful. It will be sound off for every channel 7 game I see. Bruce‘s time was well up but they need good commentators (not Brayshaw or worse Zempilas) with ex-players for special comments who can add something valuable (keep Hodge and ditch the rest of the current roster).

They need to take a broom to the setup the way they did with cricket coverage.
 
Hearts to hearts said:
That commentary team is just awful. It will be sound off for every channel 7 game I see. Bruce‘s time was well up but they need good commentators (not Brayshaw or worse Zempilas) with ex-players for special comments who can add something valuable (keep Hodge and ditch the rest of the current roster).

They need to take a broom to the setup the way they did with cricket coverage.
Click to expand...
Duck - 80% of comments on point but the other 20% are woeful. Last night allowing unrewarded frees to go as “I can wear that”

Jobe - mr charisma
 
big_e said:
Different sport but an economist used the NBA's own statistics to show that "more personal fouls are awarded against players when they are officiated by an opposite-race officiating crew than when they are officiated by an own-race refereeing crew. These biases are sufficiently large so that they affect the outcome of an appreciable number of games."
Click to expand...

different campaignerry as well, full of campaignerry racists who define themselves by their colour, here in the land of enlightenment we are multi campaignererists 😉
 
Might be the "new toy" effect, but Justin Leppitch on SEN is a breath of fresh air in the commentary stakes, 1st time i have heard him in the role, and doing a very fine job imo.
 
muttley45 said:
Might be the "new toy" effect, but Justin Leppitch on SEN is a breath of fresh air in the commentary stakes, 1st time i have heard him in the role, and doing a very fine job imo.
Click to expand...

Came here to post exactly that. Was listening pre game and first qtr. Was excellent. Insightful and not dishing up tired cliches.
 

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This clipping is from the March 21 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition. To subscribe, visit https://www.heraldsun.com.au/.


ARDENT STREET
Herald Sun - Sunday, 21 Mar 2021 - Page 82



Roos fed up with negative labels, talk of relocation

NORTH Melbourne is fed up. From its players to its staff, coaches, supporters and former players, the Kangaroos have had enough of the “disrespect” . The “cash-strapped” Kangaroos. The “pauperoos” . The “penniless” Shinboners. The often-used labels that permeated the media and supporter bays during previous eras somehow remain in some sections today. When talk of relocation pops up, North Melbourne is always thrown up as the best candidate. Once it was Canberra, then Gold Coast, and now it’s Tasmania, with the Kangaroos linked to a permanent move to the Apple Isle as recently as this month. Former Roo Nathan Grima spent almost a decade at North before the redevelopment of Arden St. He said the difference from then to now could not be greater. “The things we went through in our time, players aren’t going through now,” Grima said. “We joke about it now, but back then the light fittings would leak water when it rained and we had to put buckets out. “( Michael) ‘Spud’ Firrito once threw a meatball on the wall of the gymnasium and a swarm of bees came out, which had us ducking and diving. “On the way back from training at Bulleen we’d have to stop at the 7-Eleven to get a bag of ice so we could do hot and colds. We genuinely did it the hard way, but North now are not in that position. They’re doing well financially, they’ve got great facilities and admin.

“As to why you’d relocate a club in that position to a state or area they’ve never been in, I couldn’t see why that would be on the table.

“I guess we’re a bit of low-hanging fruit for some people in the media that want to clip us.

“I only played 88 games for the club but for me it is a special place, so I couldn’t imagine what it would be for premiership players and champions.”

North Melbourne great Anthony Stevens is one such champion, with the two-time premiership player labelling those tags as “outdated” .

“We have a very financially strong football club at the moment like we’ve never had before,” Stevens said.

“We’ve got a fantastic board that is leading the club in the right direction and there are some exciting things happening behind the scenes.

“It’s a little bit outdated if you think North are just going to move like in the mergers that were talked about in the 1990s and then with the Gold Coast later on.

“It’s a different club now and in a better place than it’s ever been, so it is disrespecting the club that it is (still being talked about).”

Roos great and Fox Footy analyst David King said it was time to retire the old narrative once and for all.

“We don’t have the membership base of other teams, but we were one of only three Victorian-based teams to make a profit last year,” King said.

“So what’s the push?

“If financially they’re viable, why the thirst every year at this time to push the Kangaroos to Tasmania or somewhere else?

“It’s becoming a very tiring headline.”

WHERE ROOS ARE AT

WHEN you look at many season previews, there is a prevailing view North Melbourne will finish last.

All are aware the club is in a serious rebuild, which Grima applauded given he recalled the club continually topping up the list due to necessity.

“When Brad Scott took over North (at the end of 2009), and everyone knows I’m a big wrap for Brad, it was a time at the club when we couldn’t afford to bottom out for our supporter and membership base,” Grima said.

“We scrapped year in, year out to finish as high as we could on the ladder.

“We never put guys in for surgery or waved the white flag and in Brad’s time we never really finished below eighth or ninth.

“But I think the club has done the right thing by coming out and saying: ‘Unless you can bring in top-end talent through free agency, which we can’t , we’re going to cop some pain here and finish in the bottom two or three and bring in the best kids in Australia and let them build something’ .”

Stevens said he applauded the club’s bold new direction.

“From a supporter’s view, I’m actually very excited about the future at North Melbourne,” Stevens said.

“The club is financially in an amazing situation like it’s never been before. The footy department has been restructured and I’m very excited about what we have in the new coach and the team he’s built around.

“I reckon we have some really X-factor kids there that once they get game time into, the future looks bright.

“Who knows where we end up at the season’s end, but it’s about giving the players game time and experience, and in two or three years we’ll be right back up there.

“A little similar to Brisbane.”

The Roos’ have a very active past player supporter base.

The Kangas’ old boys stay connected through a WhatsApp group, where the messages come thick and fast during games.

Grima said the consensus is the club was in for the long haul.

“We’ve got to be realistic and hopefully it doesn’t offend anyone, but I feel we’re a fair few years off really challenging for a premiership,” Grima said.

“But I’m really comfortable as a past player and supporter that they did the list and staff changes we probably needed to, although it is sad to see staff and players go because it is their livelihood. But it showed we’re in a full rebuild.

“They moved on some players who were more than capable of still playing some good AFL footy, but you could see the clear direction for the first time in a long time.

“As supporters I think we have to get on board that and understand there’s going to be a little pain along the way, but you can’t knock the club for having a crack at a rebuild from the ground up.”

Grima said he’d love to see some of the side’s emerging players to take the next step in 2021.

“You’re just hoping a (Tarryn) Thomas or a Jy Simpkin or Luke Davies-Uniacke can become a bona fide top 10 or 20 player in the league,” he said.

“At North we’ve always battled above our pay grade a little, but I think the teams that are challenging year in, year out have genuine star power and top-end talent.

“I hope the young guys can step up.”

FUTURE CAPTAIN

STEVENS, who played 292 games in the blue and white and is a former skipper and team of the century member, did not hesitate when asked who would succeed Jack Ziebell as captain.

“Jy Simpkin is a standout for me as a leader,” Stevens said.

“By far he is going to be our next captain, but that’s just my view, and from what I’ve seen and heard he’s really hit the ground at North Melbourne and the way he goes about things.

“I think he’s our next captain by a mile.”

King said Ziebell is the right man to lead the Roos until Simpkin is ready.

“Jack’s the logical choice for 2021,” King said.

“He’s the incumbent captain and he’s been a great servant of the football club for a long time and there’s no one really who’s the perfect handover today as we speak.

“It would probably be a small reach to put it to Simpkin, who’s still very young and still finding his new levels as an AFL player.

“Luke McDonald has been around for a while but he’s probably only had his first really big season in 2020, so the timing probably isn’t there to do any kind of handover.

“But Jack’s got his own challenges as captain to find some form in a new role at half-back and still be able to speak with authority and maintain status in the group.”

THE NEW COACH

NOBLE arrived at Arden St as a bit of an unknown for supporters.

He’d been around in high positions at Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions, but who is the man taking the reins?

King said Noble was the perfect fit.

“He’s a guy that has seen it all and he knows exactly where they’re at,” King said.

“He’s not necessarily consumed and dictated by wins and losses at this stage, so 2021 is a little bit of an exploratory season for him finding out who’s in for the long haul and what sort of holes there are on the list.

“But he’s seen all this and understands this is a bit of a slow process.”

Grima predicted Noble to have a steadying influence on the young group.

“I think he can be a real father figure to a lot of those guys and give them some really good guidance,” he said.

“He’s clearly got great footy nous and has been around some top-notch coaches and staff in his career.”

King said the new Kangaroos coach would be well aware of the task that laid before him.

“You can bounce around for 15 years in between 12th and 6th and never really challenge for a flag, despite winning a final or two here or there,” King said.

“That’s where the Kangaroos have been at for the best part of 15 or 20 years.

“You can say they’ve made prelims but even in those seasons, they were never a top-four-finishing team.

“That’s the challenge; get yourself into the top four and that will be a slow process that David Noble understands.”

nicholas.smart@news.com.au


Copyright © 2021 News Pty Limited


Herald Sun - Sunday, 21 Mar 2021 - Page 83



Copyright © 2021 News Pty Limited


1616272945282.png


1616272946260.png


Sent from my iPad
 
Kanga Glory said:
This clipping is from the March 21 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition. To subscribe, visit https://www.heraldsun.com.au/.


ARDENT STREET
Herald Sun - Sunday, 21 Mar 2021 - Page 82



Roos fed up with negative labels, talk of relocation

NORTH Melbourne is fed up. From its players to its staff, coaches, supporters and former players, the Kangaroos have had enough of the “disrespect” . The “cash-strapped” Kangaroos. The “pauperoos” . The “penniless” Shinboners. The often-used labels that permeated the media and supporter bays during previous eras somehow remain in some sections today. When talk of relocation pops up, North Melbourne is always thrown up as the best candidate. Once it was Canberra, then Gold Coast, and now it’s Tasmania, with the Kangaroos linked to a permanent move to the Apple Isle as recently as this month. Former Roo Nathan Grima spent almost a decade at North before the redevelopment of Arden St. He said the difference from then to now could not be greater. “The things we went through in our time, players aren’t going through now,” Grima said. “We joke about it now, but back then the light fittings would leak water when it rained and we had to put buckets out. “( Michael) ‘Spud’ Firrito once threw a meatball on the wall of the gymnasium and a swarm of bees came out, which had us ducking and diving. “On the way back from training at Bulleen we’d have to stop at the 7-Eleven to get a bag of ice so we could do hot and colds. We genuinely did it the hard way, but North now are not in that position. They’re doing well financially, they’ve got great facilities and admin.

“As to why you’d relocate a club in that position to a state or area they’ve never been in, I couldn’t see why that would be on the table.

“I guess we’re a bit of low-hanging fruit for some people in the media that want to clip us.

“I only played 88 games for the club but for me it is a special place, so I couldn’t imagine what it would be for premiership players and champions.”

North Melbourne great Anthony Stevens is one such champion, with the two-time premiership player labelling those tags as “outdated” .

“We have a very financially strong football club at the moment like we’ve never had before,” Stevens said.

“We’ve got a fantastic board that is leading the club in the right direction and there are some exciting things happening behind the scenes.

“It’s a little bit outdated if you think North are just going to move like in the mergers that were talked about in the 1990s and then with the Gold Coast later on.

“It’s a different club now and in a better place than it’s ever been, so it is disrespecting the club that it is (still being talked about).”

Roos great and Fox Footy analyst David King said it was time to retire the old narrative once and for all.

“We don’t have the membership base of other teams, but we were one of only three Victorian-based teams to make a profit last year,” King said.

“So what’s the push?

“If financially they’re viable, why the thirst every year at this time to push the Kangaroos to Tasmania or somewhere else?

“It’s becoming a very tiring headline.”

WHERE ROOS ARE AT

WHEN you look at many season previews, there is a prevailing view North Melbourne will finish last.

All are aware the club is in a serious rebuild, which Grima applauded given he recalled the club continually topping up the list due to necessity.

“When Brad Scott took over North (at the end of 2009), and everyone knows I’m a big wrap for Brad, it was a time at the club when we couldn’t afford to bottom out for our supporter and membership base,” Grima said.

“We scrapped year in, year out to finish as high as we could on the ladder.

“We never put guys in for surgery or waved the white flag and in Brad’s time we never really finished below eighth or ninth.

“But I think the club has done the right thing by coming out and saying: ‘Unless you can bring in top-end talent through free agency, which we can’t , we’re going to cop some pain here and finish in the bottom two or three and bring in the best kids in Australia and let them build something’ .”

Stevens said he applauded the club’s bold new direction.

“From a supporter’s view, I’m actually very excited about the future at North Melbourne,” Stevens said.

“The club is financially in an amazing situation like it’s never been before. The footy department has been restructured and I’m very excited about what we have in the new coach and the team he’s built around.

“I reckon we have some really X-factor kids there that once they get game time into, the future looks bright.

“Who knows where we end up at the season’s end, but it’s about giving the players game time and experience, and in two or three years we’ll be right back up there.

“A little similar to Brisbane.”

The Roos’ have a very active past player supporter base.

The Kangas’ old boys stay connected through a WhatsApp group, where the messages come thick and fast during games.

Grima said the consensus is the club was in for the long haul.

“We’ve got to be realistic and hopefully it doesn’t offend anyone, but I feel we’re a fair few years off really challenging for a premiership,” Grima said.

“But I’m really comfortable as a past player and supporter that they did the list and staff changes we probably needed to, although it is sad to see staff and players go because it is their livelihood. But it showed we’re in a full rebuild.

“They moved on some players who were more than capable of still playing some good AFL footy, but you could see the clear direction for the first time in a long time.

“As supporters I think we have to get on board that and understand there’s going to be a little pain along the way, but you can’t knock the club for having a crack at a rebuild from the ground up.”

Grima said he’d love to see some of the side’s emerging players to take the next step in 2021.

“You’re just hoping a (Tarryn) Thomas or a Jy Simpkin or Luke Davies-Uniacke can become a bona fide top 10 or 20 player in the league,” he said.

“At North we’ve always battled above our pay grade a little, but I think the teams that are challenging year in, year out have genuine star power and top-end talent.

“I hope the young guys can step up.”

FUTURE CAPTAIN

STEVENS, who played 292 games in the blue and white and is a former skipper and team of the century member, did not hesitate when asked who would succeed Jack Ziebell as captain.

“Jy Simpkin is a standout for me as a leader,” Stevens said.

“By far he is going to be our next captain, but that’s just my view, and from what I’ve seen and heard he’s really hit the ground at North Melbourne and the way he goes about things.

“I think he’s our next captain by a mile.”

King said Ziebell is the right man to lead the Roos until Simpkin is ready.

“Jack’s the logical choice for 2021,” King said.

“He’s the incumbent captain and he’s been a great servant of the football club for a long time and there’s no one really who’s the perfect handover today as we speak.

“It would probably be a small reach to put it to Simpkin, who’s still very young and still finding his new levels as an AFL player.

“Luke McDonald has been around for a while but he’s probably only had his first really big season in 2020, so the timing probably isn’t there to do any kind of handover.

“But Jack’s got his own challenges as captain to find some form in a new role at half-back and still be able to speak with authority and maintain status in the group.”

THE NEW COACH

NOBLE arrived at Arden St as a bit of an unknown for supporters.

He’d been around in high positions at Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions, but who is the man taking the reins?

King said Noble was the perfect fit.

“He’s a guy that has seen it all and he knows exactly where they’re at,” King said.

“He’s not necessarily consumed and dictated by wins and losses at this stage, so 2021 is a little bit of an exploratory season for him finding out who’s in for the long haul and what sort of holes there are on the list.

“But he’s seen all this and understands this is a bit of a slow process.”

Grima predicted Noble to have a steadying influence on the young group.

“I think he can be a real father figure to a lot of those guys and give them some really good guidance,” he said.

“He’s clearly got great footy nous and has been around some top-notch coaches and staff in his career.”

King said the new Kangaroos coach would be well aware of the task that laid before him.

“You can bounce around for 15 years in between 12th and 6th and never really challenge for a flag, despite winning a final or two here or there,” King said.

“That’s where the Kangaroos have been at for the best part of 15 or 20 years.

“You can say they’ve made prelims but even in those seasons, they were never a top-four-finishing team.

“That’s the challenge; get yourself into the top four and that will be a slow process that David Noble understands.”

nicholas.smart@news.com.au


Copyright © 2021 News Pty Limited


Herald Sun - Sunday, 21 Mar 2021 - Page 83



Copyright © 2021 News Pty Limited


View attachment 1082097


View attachment 1082096


Sent from my iPad
Click to expand...

Who’s this Nicholas smart and how did he get this positive story past the editor
 
Kanga Glory said:
This clipping is from the March 21 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition. To subscribe, visit https://www.heraldsun.com.au/.


ARDENT STREET
Herald Sun - Sunday, 21 Mar 2021 - Page 82



Roos fed up with negative labels, talk of relocation

NORTH Melbourne is fed up. From its players to its staff, coaches, supporters and former players, the Kangaroos have had enough of the “disrespect” . The “cash-strapped” Kangaroos. The “pauperoos” . The “penniless” Shinboners. The often-used labels that permeated the media and supporter bays during previous eras somehow remain in some sections today. When talk of relocation pops up, North Melbourne is always thrown up as the best candidate. Once it was Canberra, then Gold Coast, and now it’s Tasmania, with the Kangaroos linked to a permanent move to the Apple Isle as recently as this month. Former Roo Nathan Grima spent almost a decade at North before the redevelopment of Arden St. He said the difference from then to now could not be greater. “The things we went through in our time, players aren’t going through now,” Grima said. “We joke about it now, but back then the light fittings would leak water when it rained and we had to put buckets out. “( Michael) ‘Spud’ Firrito once threw a meatball on the wall of the gymnasium and a swarm of bees came out, which had us ducking and diving. “On the way back from training at Bulleen we’d have to stop at the 7-Eleven to get a bag of ice so we could do hot and colds. We genuinely did it the hard way, but North now are not in that position. They’re doing well financially, they’ve got great facilities and admin.

“As to why you’d relocate a club in that position to a state or area they’ve never been in, I couldn’t see why that would be on the table.

“I guess we’re a bit of low-hanging fruit for some people in the media that want to clip us.

“I only played 88 games for the club but for me it is a special place, so I couldn’t imagine what it would be for premiership players and champions.”

North Melbourne great Anthony Stevens is one such champion, with the two-time premiership player labelling those tags as “outdated” .

“We have a very financially strong football club at the moment like we’ve never had before,” Stevens said.

“We’ve got a fantastic board that is leading the club in the right direction and there are some exciting things happening behind the scenes.

“It’s a little bit outdated if you think North are just going to move like in the mergers that were talked about in the 1990s and then with the Gold Coast later on.

“It’s a different club now and in a better place than it’s ever been, so it is disrespecting the club that it is (still being talked about).”

Roos great and Fox Footy analyst David King said it was time to retire the old narrative once and for all.

“We don’t have the membership base of other teams, but we were one of only three Victorian-based teams to make a profit last year,” King said.

“So what’s the push?

“If financially they’re viable, why the thirst every year at this time to push the Kangaroos to Tasmania or somewhere else?

“It’s becoming a very tiring headline.”

WHERE ROOS ARE AT

WHEN you look at many season previews, there is a prevailing view North Melbourne will finish last.

All are aware the club is in a serious rebuild, which Grima applauded given he recalled the club continually topping up the list due to necessity.

“When Brad Scott took over North (at the end of 2009), and everyone knows I’m a big wrap for Brad, it was a time at the club when we couldn’t afford to bottom out for our supporter and membership base,” Grima said.

“We scrapped year in, year out to finish as high as we could on the ladder.

“We never put guys in for surgery or waved the white flag and in Brad’s time we never really finished below eighth or ninth.

“But I think the club has done the right thing by coming out and saying: ‘Unless you can bring in top-end talent through free agency, which we can’t , we’re going to cop some pain here and finish in the bottom two or three and bring in the best kids in Australia and let them build something’ .”

Stevens said he applauded the club’s bold new direction.

“From a supporter’s view, I’m actually very excited about the future at North Melbourne,” Stevens said.

“The club is financially in an amazing situation like it’s never been before. The footy department has been restructured and I’m very excited about what we have in the new coach and the team he’s built around.

“I reckon we have some really X-factor kids there that once they get game time into, the future looks bright.

“Who knows where we end up at the season’s end, but it’s about giving the players game time and experience, and in two or three years we’ll be right back up there.

“A little similar to Brisbane.”

The Roos’ have a very active past player supporter base.

The Kangas’ old boys stay connected through a WhatsApp group, where the messages come thick and fast during games.

Grima said the consensus is the club was in for the long haul.

“We’ve got to be realistic and hopefully it doesn’t offend anyone, but I feel we’re a fair few years off really challenging for a premiership,” Grima said.

“But I’m really comfortable as a past player and supporter that they did the list and staff changes we probably needed to, although it is sad to see staff and players go because it is their livelihood. But it showed we’re in a full rebuild.

“They moved on some players who were more than capable of still playing some good AFL footy, but you could see the clear direction for the first time in a long time.

“As supporters I think we have to get on board that and understand there’s going to be a little pain along the way, but you can’t knock the club for having a crack at a rebuild from the ground up.”

Grima said he’d love to see some of the side’s emerging players to take the next step in 2021.

“You’re just hoping a (Tarryn) Thomas or a Jy Simpkin or Luke Davies-Uniacke can become a bona fide top 10 or 20 player in the league,” he said.

“At North we’ve always battled above our pay grade a little, but I think the teams that are challenging year in, year out have genuine star power and top-end talent.

“I hope the young guys can step up.”

FUTURE CAPTAIN

STEVENS, who played 292 games in the blue and white and is a former skipper and team of the century member, did not hesitate when asked who would succeed Jack Ziebell as captain.

“Jy Simpkin is a standout for me as a leader,” Stevens said.

“By far he is going to be our next captain, but that’s just my view, and from what I’ve seen and heard he’s really hit the ground at North Melbourne and the way he goes about things.

“I think he’s our next captain by a mile.”

King said Ziebell is the right man to lead the Roos until Simpkin is ready.

“Jack’s the logical choice for 2021,” King said.

“He’s the incumbent captain and he’s been a great servant of the football club for a long time and there’s no one really who’s the perfect handover today as we speak.

“It would probably be a small reach to put it to Simpkin, who’s still very young and still finding his new levels as an AFL player.

“Luke McDonald has been around for a while but he’s probably only had his first really big season in 2020, so the timing probably isn’t there to do any kind of handover.

“But Jack’s got his own challenges as captain to find some form in a new role at half-back and still be able to speak with authority and maintain status in the group.”

THE NEW COACH

NOBLE arrived at Arden St as a bit of an unknown for supporters.

He’d been around in high positions at Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions, but who is the man taking the reins?

King said Noble was the perfect fit.

“He’s a guy that has seen it all and he knows exactly where they’re at,” King said.

“He’s not necessarily consumed and dictated by wins and losses at this stage, so 2021 is a little bit of an exploratory season for him finding out who’s in for the long haul and what sort of holes there are on the list.

“But he’s seen all this and understands this is a bit of a slow process.”

Grima predicted Noble to have a steadying influence on the young group.

“I think he can be a real father figure to a lot of those guys and give them some really good guidance,” he said.

“He’s clearly got great footy nous and has been around some top-notch coaches and staff in his career.”

King said the new Kangaroos coach would be well aware of the task that laid before him.

“You can bounce around for 15 years in between 12th and 6th and never really challenge for a flag, despite winning a final or two here or there,” King said.

“That’s where the Kangaroos have been at for the best part of 15 or 20 years.

“You can say they’ve made prelims but even in those seasons, they were never a top-four-finishing team.

“That’s the challenge; get yourself into the top four and that will be a slow process that David Noble understands.”

nicholas.smart@news.com.au


Copyright © 2021 News Pty Limited


Herald Sun - Sunday, 21 Mar 2021 - Page 83



Copyright © 2021 News Pty Limited


View attachment 1082097


View attachment 1082096


Sent from my iPad
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting, a pretty rare type of article to read about us for once.
 
shinboner magic said:
Who’s this Nicholas smart and how did he get this positive story past the editor
Click to expand...

Big Footy’s own Nick Smart. Long term posters will remember him from the GC push days.

Great article Nick.
 
Kanga Glory said:
This clipping is from the March 21 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition. To subscribe, visit https://www.heraldsun.com.au/.


ARDENT STREET
Herald Sun - Sunday, 21 Mar 2021 - Page 82



Roos fed up with negative labels, talk of relocation

NORTH Melbourne is fed up. From its players to its staff, coaches, supporters and former players, the Kangaroos have had enough of the “disrespect” . The “cash-strapped” Kangaroos. The “pauperoos” . The “penniless” Shinboners. The often-used labels that permeated the media and supporter bays during previous eras somehow remain in some sections today. When talk of relocation pops up, North Melbourne is always thrown up as the best candidate. Once it was Canberra, then Gold Coast, and now it’s Tasmania, with the Kangaroos linked to a permanent move to the Apple Isle as recently as this month. Former Roo Nathan Grima spent almost a decade at North before the redevelopment of Arden St. He said the difference from then to now could not be greater. “The things we went through in our time, players aren’t going through now,” Grima said. “We joke about it now, but back then the light fittings would leak water when it rained and we had to put buckets out. “( Michael) ‘Spud’ Firrito once threw a meatball on the wall of the gymnasium and a swarm of bees came out, which had us ducking and diving. “On the way back from training at Bulleen we’d have to stop at the 7-Eleven to get a bag of ice so we could do hot and colds. We genuinely did it the hard way, but North now are not in that position. They’re doing well financially, they’ve got great facilities and admin.

“As to why you’d relocate a club in that position to a state or area they’ve never been in, I couldn’t see why that would be on the table.

“I guess we’re a bit of low-hanging fruit for some people in the media that want to clip us.

“I only played 88 games for the club but for me it is a special place, so I couldn’t imagine what it would be for premiership players and champions.”

North Melbourne great Anthony Stevens is one such champion, with the two-time premiership player labelling those tags as “outdated” .

“We have a very financially strong football club at the moment like we’ve never had before,” Stevens said.

“We’ve got a fantastic board that is leading the club in the right direction and there are some exciting things happening behind the scenes.

“It’s a little bit outdated if you think North are just going to move like in the mergers that were talked about in the 1990s and then with the Gold Coast later on.

“It’s a different club now and in a better place than it’s ever been, so it is disrespecting the club that it is (still being talked about).”

Roos great and Fox Footy analyst David King said it was time to retire the old narrative once and for all.

“We don’t have the membership base of other teams, but we were one of only three Victorian-based teams to make a profit last year,” King said.

“So what’s the push?

“If financially they’re viable, why the thirst every year at this time to push the Kangaroos to Tasmania or somewhere else?

“It’s becoming a very tiring headline.”

WHERE ROOS ARE AT

WHEN you look at many season previews, there is a prevailing view North Melbourne will finish last.

All are aware the club is in a serious rebuild, which Grima applauded given he recalled the club continually topping up the list due to necessity.

“When Brad Scott took over North (at the end of 2009), and everyone knows I’m a big wrap for Brad, it was a time at the club when we couldn’t afford to bottom out for our supporter and membership base,” Grima said.

“We scrapped year in, year out to finish as high as we could on the ladder.

“We never put guys in for surgery or waved the white flag and in Brad’s time we never really finished below eighth or ninth.

“But I think the club has done the right thing by coming out and saying: ‘Unless you can bring in top-end talent through free agency, which we can’t , we’re going to cop some pain here and finish in the bottom two or three and bring in the best kids in Australia and let them build something’ .”

Stevens said he applauded the club’s bold new direction.

“From a supporter’s view, I’m actually very excited about the future at North Melbourne,” Stevens said.

“The club is financially in an amazing situation like it’s never been before. The footy department has been restructured and I’m very excited about what we have in the new coach and the team he’s built around.

“I reckon we have some really X-factor kids there that once they get game time into, the future looks bright.

“Who knows where we end up at the season’s end, but it’s about giving the players game time and experience, and in two or three years we’ll be right back up there.

“A little similar to Brisbane.”

The Roos’ have a very active past player supporter base.

The Kangas’ old boys stay connected through a WhatsApp group, where the messages come thick and fast during games.

Grima said the consensus is the club was in for the long haul.

“We’ve got to be realistic and hopefully it doesn’t offend anyone, but I feel we’re a fair few years off really challenging for a premiership,” Grima said.

“But I’m really comfortable as a past player and supporter that they did the list and staff changes we probably needed to, although it is sad to see staff and players go because it is their livelihood. But it showed we’re in a full rebuild.

“They moved on some players who were more than capable of still playing some good AFL footy, but you could see the clear direction for the first time in a long time.

“As supporters I think we have to get on board that and understand there’s going to be a little pain along the way, but you can’t knock the club for having a crack at a rebuild from the ground up.”

Grima said he’d love to see some of the side’s emerging players to take the next step in 2021.

“You’re just hoping a (Tarryn) Thomas or a Jy Simpkin or Luke Davies-Uniacke can become a bona fide top 10 or 20 player in the league,” he said.

“At North we’ve always battled above our pay grade a little, but I think the teams that are challenging year in, year out have genuine star power and top-end talent.

“I hope the young guys can step up.”

FUTURE CAPTAIN

STEVENS, who played 292 games in the blue and white and is a former skipper and team of the century member, did not hesitate when asked who would succeed Jack Ziebell as captain.

“Jy Simpkin is a standout for me as a leader,” Stevens said.

“By far he is going to be our next captain, but that’s just my view, and from what I’ve seen and heard he’s really hit the ground at North Melbourne and the way he goes about things.

“I think he’s our next captain by a mile.”

King said Ziebell is the right man to lead the Roos until Simpkin is ready.

“Jack’s the logical choice for 2021,” King said.

“He’s the incumbent captain and he’s been a great servant of the football club for a long time and there’s no one really who’s the perfect handover today as we speak.

“It would probably be a small reach to put it to Simpkin, who’s still very young and still finding his new levels as an AFL player.

“Luke McDonald has been around for a while but he’s probably only had his first really big season in 2020, so the timing probably isn’t there to do any kind of handover.

“But Jack’s got his own challenges as captain to find some form in a new role at half-back and still be able to speak with authority and maintain status in the group.”

THE NEW COACH

NOBLE arrived at Arden St as a bit of an unknown for supporters.

He’d been around in high positions at Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions, but who is the man taking the reins?

King said Noble was the perfect fit.

“He’s a guy that has seen it all and he knows exactly where they’re at,” King said.

“He’s not necessarily consumed and dictated by wins and losses at this stage, so 2021 is a little bit of an exploratory season for him finding out who’s in for the long haul and what sort of holes there are on the list.

“But he’s seen all this and understands this is a bit of a slow process.”

Grima predicted Noble to have a steadying influence on the young group.

“I think he can be a real father figure to a lot of those guys and give them some really good guidance,” he said.

“He’s clearly got great footy nous and has been around some top-notch coaches and staff in his career.”

King said the new Kangaroos coach would be well aware of the task that laid before him.

“You can bounce around for 15 years in between 12th and 6th and never really challenge for a flag, despite winning a final or two here or there,” King said.

“That’s where the Kangaroos have been at for the best part of 15 or 20 years.

“You can say they’ve made prelims but even in those seasons, they were never a top-four-finishing team.

“That’s the challenge; get yourself into the top four and that will be a slow process that David Noble understands.”

nicholas.smart@news.com.au


Copyright © 2021 News Pty Limited


Herald Sun - Sunday, 21 Mar 2021 - Page 83



Copyright © 2021 News Pty Limited


View attachment 1082097


View attachment 1082096


Sent from my iPad
Click to expand...

biggest take out for me was the almost expectant tone that Jy will be next Captain.

Thst suits me snd I hope he kills it this year and steps up next year!
 
gokangas said:
Coach a Taswegian - thats it then. Done deal to Tassie. Can’t believe I hadn’t picked up on that before. Thanks Caro.
Click to expand...

And head of Football , Mr Rawlings! As well as Ben Buckley our Chairman!
 
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