Opinion Commentary & Media VI

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Mav said:
Come on mate. There has to be some sort of learning curve. We just beat a very bad Eagles round one, did well against Freo but then back to learning. I wouldn’t say the whole team was unfocused and of course we were disjointed. I think we’ve played 38 players this year. No surprise we’ve been a bit disjointed.
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I think we regressed from those early games at one point. Obviously there's a learning curve going on but it just seemed more than that. I wasn't hugely surprised he stepped down.
 

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www.theage.com.au

Mid-season report: Reality bites, but the kids are all right at North

It looks like another year occupying one of the bottom two spots for the Kangaroos, who could yet suffer the ignominy of a third straight wooden spoon, given they still have a trip west to face the Eagles.
www.theage.com.au www.theage.com.au


Mid-season report: Reality bites, but the kids are all right at North​

By Marc McGowan​

June 5, 2023 — 11.59am


In numbers​

  • 4/10 - SCORE
  • 2 - WINS
  • 10 - LOSSES
  • 17th - LADDER POSITION

Our footy experts analyse each team leading into the mid-season bye rounds. Who’s hot, who’s not, and how the run home plays out.See all 19 stories.
The Kangaroos’ defeat to Essendon on Sunday means they have won only 11 of 73 games since the start of the 2020 season, which makes for hideous reading.
They have won the past two wooden spoons, finished second-from-bottom the year before that and are in that spot again this season.

North have lost 10 straight matches since a surprise 2-0 start that sparked optimism among the club’s fans, especially on the back of Alastair Clarkson’s appointment, but reality soon sank in.
At the same time, the tide might be turning, if the past three weeks are any guide. There were narrow, and admirable, defeats to the Swans and Bombers, a pretty competitive effort against Collingwood, and the kids are a real cause for excitement. Tarryn Thomas also played his first senior game for 2023 this past weekend after his off-field troubles.


The benefit of the extended struggles is the increased access to the country’s best teenage talent, and the Roos are not lacking for promise.
George Wardlaw made his belated (and impressive) debut three weeks ago and looks a brilliant prospect, while the young gun taken one pick before him in last year’s draft – Harry Sheezel – is in a two-man race with No.2 pick Will Ashcroft for the Rising Star award.
Will Phillips has produced back-to-back career-best games, and Luke Davies-Uniacke is already a competition star. There is also plenty to like about Bailey Scott, Tom Powell, Paul Curtis, Eddie Ford and the injured Charlie Comben.
But there is still no certainty about who will be star spearhead Nick Larkey’s long-term partner in attack. Comben certainly has the ability to be that player but is on the sidelines again, and ex-Tiger Callum Coleman-Jones continues to struggle at AFL level.


Free agent-to-be Ben McKay is gobbling up intercept marks down back but not having the influence he or the coaches would like, and the defence as a whole has struggled to contain the league’s best forwards. Usual suspects Jy Simpkin, Todd Goldstein and Luke McDonald have led from the front, and Jaidyn Stephenson is playing his most consistent football in years as a forward again.

Who’s hot?​


A hamstring injury has sidelined Luke Davies-Uniacke, but his start to the season was scintillating and, perhaps, was topped by only Collingwood’s Brownlow Medal favourite Nick Daicos. The soon-to-be 24-year-old is arguably the Kangaroos’ best player, such is his line-breaking run and match-winning ability. The knock on Davies-Uniacke early in his career was he was not fit enough and did not find enough of the Sherrin, but he began the year with three consecutive games of 30 disposals or more. He also racked up seven or more clearances – with a season-best of 11 – in four of his seven matches.
Harry Sheezel is one of six North Melbourne footballers to play every match this year, and has dipped below 21 disposals just once while having 30-plus touches six times already. He has been stationed in defence for much of the season, including being trusted with kick-in duty, but is increasingly being used forward of centre in recent rounds. Sheezel’s competitiveness is obvious and that combined with his skill and innate feel for the game suggests he will be a star for the next decade and beyond.

What more can be said about Nick Larkey? Continues to play effectively a lone hand in attack and is on pace to shatter his personal best for goals in a season with 32 through 12 matches, including five bags of at least three. That follows him kicking 80 majors across the past two years. Making Larkey even deadlier is his incredible strike rate in front of goal, where he boasts the fourth-best efficiency since 1963, according to AFL Tables. He is a free agent at the end of next season, and the Kangaroos will need to pay him handsomely because rival clubs will come knocking.

Who needs to lift​

We are almost certainly witnessing the final games of a North Melbourne champion. Ben Cunnington is one of the game’s and club’s most respected players for his contested ball prowess and no-nonsense approach. Cunnington triumphantly made it back for the last two games of 2022 after beating testicular cancer, in an effort far more important than football. However, nearing 32 years of age, the midfielder is stuck in the VFL – winning 17 clearances in one such match – despite the Roos’ battles at senior level. Cunnington has twice been subbed out this season, and North are clearly prioritising their on-ball brigade of the future. He will return at some stage, but seems likely to retire at season’s end after a great career complete with two Syd Barker Medals.


Free agency can go two very different ways for players garnering mass attention. They either thrive and play at career-best levels, or struggle to maintain their best. Ben McKay sits in the latter category, although he was a strong contributor against Essendon with 14 intercept possessions. McKay is still hauling in almost three intercept marks a match but is losing a whopping 42 per cent of his defensive one-on-ones, which is not sustainable. None of McKay, recruit Griffin Logue or Aidan Corr is having a great time of it, especially given they are under constant pressure.

Callum Coleman-Jones arrived at Arden Street in a pick swap with Richmond at the end of 2021, with Robbie Tarrant also becoming a Tiger, and there was great hope he could excel as a ruckman, key forward or both. The truth is he has not been able to deliver on the promise he showed at Tigerland. Coleman-Jones has kicked two goals just twice in 14 games in royal blue and white – the same number of times he has reached 20 hit-outs in that period. The opportunity is there for him, but Tristan Xerri and Comben have outperformed him.

Coach’s box​

Alastair Clarkson’s decision to step away from football indefinitely to focus on his mental health – amid the AFL investigation into allegations from his time at Hawthorn – is one of the biggest stories of the season.

He was lauded as a beacon of hope for North Melbourne when he accepted the job, but the historical allegations directed at him, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt from ex-Hawks Indigenous players, which they all strenuously deny, landed shortly afterwards.



Brett Ratten stepped up as caretaker for the past three weeks and will for however long Clarkson remains away. Clarkson’s early season exuberance coaching from the boundary, when the Roos started 2-0, gradually faded as the losses added up and the investigation took a personal toll.

One area North have improved under Clarkson is their forward-half pressure, even if their lack of offensive weapons – sans Larkey, Jaidyn Stephenson and Cam Zurhaar – meant it has not quite translated to the scoreboard.


The road ahead​


Round 13 v GWS Giants at Blundstone Arena
Round 14 v Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium
Round 15 Bye
Round 16 v Adelaide at Adelaide Oval
Round 17 v Geelong at GMHBA Stadium
Round 18 v Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium
Round 19 v St Kilda at Marvel Stadium
Round 20 v West Coast at Optus Stadium
Round 21 v Melbourne at Blundstone Arena
Round 22 v Essendon at Marvel Stadium
Round 23 v Richmond at MCG
Round 24 v Gold Coast at Blundstone Arena

1686211425215.png
 
giantroo said:
www.theage.com.au

Mid-season report: Reality bites, but the kids are all right at North

It looks like another year occupying one of the bottom two spots for the Kangaroos, who could yet suffer the ignominy of a third straight wooden spoon, given they still have a trip west to face the Eagles.
www.theage.com.au www.theage.com.au


Mid-season report: Reality bites, but the kids are all right at North​

By Marc McGowan​

June 5, 2023 — 11.59am


In numbers​

  • 4/10 - SCORE
  • 2 - WINS
  • 10 - LOSSES
  • 17th - LADDER POSITION

Our footy experts analyse each team leading into the mid-season bye rounds. Who’s hot, who’s not, and how the run home plays out.See all 19 stories.
The Kangaroos’ defeat to Essendon on Sunday means they have won only 11 of 73 games since the start of the 2020 season, which makes for hideous reading.
They have won the past two wooden spoons, finished second-from-bottom the year before that and are in that spot again this season.

North have lost 10 straight matches since a surprise 2-0 start that sparked optimism among the club’s fans, especially on the back of Alastair Clarkson’s appointment, but reality soon sank in.
At the same time, the tide might be turning, if the past three weeks are any guide. There were narrow, and admirable, defeats to the Swans and Bombers, a pretty competitive effort against Collingwood, and the kids are a real cause for excitement. Tarryn Thomas also played his first senior game for 2023 this past weekend after his off-field troubles.


The benefit of the extended struggles is the increased access to the country’s best teenage talent, and the Roos are not lacking for promise.
George Wardlaw made his belated (and impressive) debut three weeks ago and looks a brilliant prospect, while the young gun taken one pick before him in last year’s draft – Harry Sheezel – is in a two-man race with No.2 pick Will Ashcroft for the Rising Star award.
Will Phillips has produced back-to-back career-best games, and Luke Davies-Uniacke is already a competition star. There is also plenty to like about Bailey Scott, Tom Powell, Paul Curtis, Eddie Ford and the injured Charlie Comben.
But there is still no certainty about who will be star spearhead Nick Larkey’s long-term partner in attack. Comben certainly has the ability to be that player but is on the sidelines again, and ex-Tiger Callum Coleman-Jones continues to struggle at AFL level.


Free agent-to-be Ben McKay is gobbling up intercept marks down back but not having the influence he or the coaches would like, and the defence as a whole has struggled to contain the league’s best forwards. Usual suspects Jy Simpkin, Todd Goldstein and Luke McDonald have led from the front, and Jaidyn Stephenson is playing his most consistent football in years as a forward again.

Who’s hot?​


A hamstring injury has sidelined Luke Davies-Uniacke, but his start to the season was scintillating and, perhaps, was topped by only Collingwood’s Brownlow Medal favourite Nick Daicos. The soon-to-be 24-year-old is arguably the Kangaroos’ best player, such is his line-breaking run and match-winning ability. The knock on Davies-Uniacke early in his career was he was not fit enough and did not find enough of the Sherrin, but he began the year with three consecutive games of 30 disposals or more. He also racked up seven or more clearances – with a season-best of 11 – in four of his seven matches.
Harry Sheezel is one of six North Melbourne footballers to play every match this year, and has dipped below 21 disposals just once while having 30-plus touches six times already. He has been stationed in defence for much of the season, including being trusted with kick-in duty, but is increasingly being used forward of centre in recent rounds. Sheezel’s competitiveness is obvious and that combined with his skill and innate feel for the game suggests he will be a star for the next decade and beyond.

What more can be said about Nick Larkey? Continues to play effectively a lone hand in attack and is on pace to shatter his personal best for goals in a season with 32 through 12 matches, including five bags of at least three. That follows him kicking 80 majors across the past two years. Making Larkey even deadlier is his incredible strike rate in front of goal, where he boasts the fourth-best efficiency since 1963, according to AFL Tables. He is a free agent at the end of next season, and the Kangaroos will need to pay him handsomely because rival clubs will come knocking.

Who needs to lift​

We are almost certainly witnessing the final games of a North Melbourne champion. Ben Cunnington is one of the game’s and club’s most respected players for his contested ball prowess and no-nonsense approach. Cunnington triumphantly made it back for the last two games of 2022 after beating testicular cancer, in an effort far more important than football. However, nearing 32 years of age, the midfielder is stuck in the VFL – winning 17 clearances in one such match – despite the Roos’ battles at senior level. Cunnington has twice been subbed out this season, and North are clearly prioritising their on-ball brigade of the future. He will return at some stage, but seems likely to retire at season’s end after a great career complete with two Syd Barker Medals.


Free agency can go two very different ways for players garnering mass attention. They either thrive and play at career-best levels, or struggle to maintain their best. Ben McKay sits in the latter category, although he was a strong contributor against Essendon with 14 intercept possessions. McKay is still hauling in almost three intercept marks a match but is losing a whopping 42 per cent of his defensive one-on-ones, which is not sustainable. None of McKay, recruit Griffin Logue or Aidan Corr is having a great time of it, especially given they are under constant pressure.

Callum Coleman-Jones arrived at Arden Street in a pick swap with Richmond at the end of 2021, with Robbie Tarrant also becoming a Tiger, and there was great hope he could excel as a ruckman, key forward or both. The truth is he has not been able to deliver on the promise he showed at Tigerland. Coleman-Jones has kicked two goals just twice in 14 games in royal blue and white – the same number of times he has reached 20 hit-outs in that period. The opportunity is there for him, but Tristan Xerri and Comben have outperformed him.

Coach’s box​

Alastair Clarkson’s decision to step away from football indefinitely to focus on his mental health – amid the AFL investigation into allegations from his time at Hawthorn – is one of the biggest stories of the season.

He was lauded as a beacon of hope for North Melbourne when he accepted the job, but the historical allegations directed at him, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt from ex-Hawks Indigenous players, which they all strenuously deny, landed shortly afterwards.



Brett Ratten stepped up as caretaker for the past three weeks and will for however long Clarkson remains away. Clarkson’s early season exuberance coaching from the boundary, when the Roos started 2-0, gradually faded as the losses added up and the investigation took a personal toll.

One area North have improved under Clarkson is their forward-half pressure, even if their lack of offensive weapons – sans Larkey, Jaidyn Stephenson and Cam Zurhaar – meant it has not quite translated to the scoreboard.


The road ahead​


Round 13 v GWS Giants at Blundstone Arena
Round 14 v Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium
Round 15 Bye
Round 16 v Adelaide at Adelaide Oval
Round 17 v Geelong at GMHBA Stadium
Round 18 v Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium
Round 19 v St Kilda at Marvel Stadium
Round 20 v West Coast at Optus Stadium
Round 21 v Melbourne at Blundstone Arena
Round 22 v Essendon at Marvel Stadium
Round 23 v Richmond at MCG
Round 24 v Gold Coast at Blundstone Arena

View attachment 1707342
Click to expand...
Usually McGowan is close to the mark but theres plenty way off here. Hes right when he mentions the 2022 kids, WP, Stevo and LDU. No issues there. Goldi and Jy having great seasons as well.

However Tom Powell looks all at sea at times with flashes of brilliance and was dropped last week. Paul Curtis is a talent but has also been dropped twice this year.
CCJ sucked early on but I thought his games against Sydney and * were good signs.
Ben McKay has played 2 good games this year against St Kilda and *. Thats it. I wouldnt say hes gobbling up everything that comes his way.
And no Marc, Luke McDonald has not led from the front. Hes been asked to play as a stopper as hes been offering nothing else all year.

All in all, still one of the better journos with knowledge of our list (he'll probably read this too lol) but some slightly off takes.
 
Last edited:
He used to be assigned to us when he was with the AFL didn't he?

Yeah think he has probably watched the weekend game as he was assigned the article.. and might've watched Good Friday (McDonald was excellent that day from memory) and wham bam... there's the source material for the article.

He's a good journo though, I like him but the McKay and McDonald calls are definitely wrong.
 
Harris 10 said:
I found these stats interesting:

Mckay averages half a mark less than Moore and 2.5 less intercepts on average per game.

And for the record i think Mckay has been terrible this year.
Click to expand...
2.5 seems a fairly significant number.

Think the issue with McKay is more how poor he has been one on one and how often he is losing contests.
 
tazaa said:
Usually McGowan is close to the mark but theres plenty way off here. Hes right when he mentions the 2022 kids, WP, Stevo and LDU. No issues there. Goldi and Jy having great seasons as well.

However Tom Powell looks all at sea at times with flashes of brilliance and was dropped last week. Paul Curtis is a talent but has also been dropped twice this year.
CCJ sucked early on but I thought his games against Sydney and * were good signs.
Ben McKay has played 2 good games this year against St Kilda and *. Thats it. I wouldnt say hes gobbling up everything that comes his way.
And no Marc, Luke McDonald has not led from the front. Hes been asked to play as a stopper as hes been offering nothing else all year.

All in all, still one of the better journos with knowledge of our list (he'll probably read this too lol) but some slightly off takes.
Click to expand...
Its a Process said:
Agree - article doesn’t match reality and I’m not sure Marc has seen us play much based on that.
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sorry but disagree here, I reckon he is mostly on the money if I'm honest.

Powell and Curtis still look like good prospects (and thats all he was really saying).

CJ has yet to prove anything.

He called McKay's season average

but yeh Mcdonald has kinda been shit lol.

Overall, i think the article was fine - no edits required.
 

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zoomba23 said:
His only glaring error was saying that CCJ is struggling and has been a noticeable downgrade from Chom. He's dropped a few gimmes, but let's be honest, CCJ has definitely had more impact within games than Chom
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Offensively yes, at least in the games against Syd and Ess, but Comben offered a bit more defensively over his games.
 
I thought it was a bit of a pointless article.

To say CCJ hasn’t done much but McKay has been ‘gobbling’ up intercepts shows he hasn’t been watching.

CCJ has allowed us to perform better. He is taking marks further up ground and providing a legitimate option in the f50. He has converted better than Comben too right? One is better at crashing packs and the other is better at taking marks and going back. Ironically Larkey can’t seem to do either unless it’s directly in front of him without a defender on his tale.
 
Not North related, but has been doing the rounds...



Kind of funny to see ol' Scoop get owned liked that - even if it's by Jabba the Hutch. But it's kind of the problem with AFL Media right now. Come up with a sexy story, base it on totally nothing, and just breathlessly run with it.

McClure is so keen to pump the tyres of a "Dusty traded" story he a) doesn't care that it's absolutely not happening and that there is no evidence that it's even possible, b) has performed some mental gymnastics around it that amounts to Martin going interstate to do two-more year's work for just $100,000 and c) hasn't got the commonsense wherewithal to do anything but look flabbergasted when challenged on it.

The main irony is that Hutchison calls him on it, when it's exactly the sort of coverage Hutchy endorses through his networks.
 




 
giantroo said:
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I remember a bloke called Clayton Oliver being criticised for not kicking enough, that turned out ok for Melbourne.

In all seriousness, the comment about Phillips being a small hand baller is on the podium for dumbest comments he’s ever made and we’ve got a long list to pick from.
 
SmallRoo said:
He’s right in that you don’t expect the small inside midfielder at pick 3.
But he fails to see that no one has fired a shot from that 2020 draft outside of Perkins in the picks after Will Phill.
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And he's always linked it to us missing out on McDonald in the past, not an explosive midfielder.
 
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