Husk
Club Legend
Their kicking for goal was crap, but we did push them pretty wide on most occasions.
Did we even want it?
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Frustrating game with some real low points, but the signs of what will come this year were there.
Loved the way we willed ourselves back into the game.
We will have a good season.
Loved the way we willed ourselves back into the game.
We will have a good season.
Wow geez... the calls to dump Thomas are pathetic. Taking out a man that had the joint most tackles in the game and only forward to be able to apply forward pressure is sure going to get us over the line.
Yep his set shots were horrible, but so were Tippet's today and Buddy on Friday. You Thomas haters need to stop hating
Yep his set shots were horrible, but so were Tippet's today and Buddy on Friday. You Thomas haters need to stop hating
Kangalicious
Premiership Player
Actually only one of his set shots was horrible. And I note the haters aren't calling for Drew, H, or Harper to be dropped.
Lindsay's pressure was immense. His tackling was superb. And the use of his body to shepherd out his opponent for his first goal was both skillful and strong.
Husk
Club Legend
Thats the conundrum.
He has a skill set few of our players possess. Unfortunately he also misses absolute gimmies in front of goal. Soooo frustrating. He really could be a premier player in the competition if he could fix that one glaring weakness.
Hearts to hearts
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I'm sure we did want it, but the action on the field showed the opposition, for most of the game, consistently:
Got to the ball first and in greater numbers
Chased harder to corral/tackle when they didn't have it
Ran harder to make space when they did have it.
More than how the other team were better at taking marks, keeping their feet and hitting their targets by hand and foot, it was those work/desire related shortcomings from North players I minded most. Un-Shinboner like, and not what we got used to from so many of the same players last year.
So much room for improvement, and we still nearly pinched it. I can't help but be optimistic.
Got to the ball first and in greater numbers
Chased harder to corral/tackle when they didn't have it
Ran harder to make space when they did have it.
More than how the other team were better at taking marks, keeping their feet and hitting their targets by hand and foot, it was those work/desire related shortcomings from North players I minded most. Un-Shinboner like, and not what we got used to from so many of the same players last year.
So much room for improvement, and we still nearly pinched it. I can't help but be optimistic.
great post
Husk
Club Legend
You took a lot of shots from further out, and from the pockets. No doubt you kicked poorly and let us back in, but that did not tell the entire story.
rooboy44
Team Captain
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As has been said before, there were a couple of patches throughout the game when the intencity dropped off and they flew past us. I'm watching the replay now and we really had a chance in the second quarter after we kicked the two goals in a row (one of them the free to Petrie) to really use the momentum we had and slam on a couple more before half time to push the margin out to around 5 goals. Instead we dropped off, they get the next few and we end up going in behind at half time. I agree Thomas wasn't great but he wasn't our worst, I actually don't mind him playing a bit further up the ground, he is quick, he tackles and applies alot of pressure. There wasn't one player that was our worst tonight, even our best player for the night, Wells, missed a couple of easy shots at goal so last nights loss was a team effort.
We really need to address our kick outs from defense, playing on, running 15m and kicking to Petrie in a 1on5 isn't working and it's absolutely killing us. We needed more height down back and why Pederson wasn't selected baffles me, instead we had Goldstein back there half the time give the last line a chop out. Considering how often the ball went in our defensive 50 I think our backs did really well.
And the fight back in the last quarter was good, but the day that I say losing is a good effort is the day I stop following footy. So overall I'm completely pissed off bout tonight, we can't just think that it's just round 1 so it doesn't matter we've still got the rest of the season to make up for it because as we've found out in recent times, 1 loss can be the difference between playing and not playing finals. Our biggest positive for the night was Wellsy, he's an absolute gun and I think he's in for his best season so far which is remarkable considering what he's had to deal with over the off season so big thumbs up for him.
We really need to address our kick outs from defense, playing on, running 15m and kicking to Petrie in a 1on5 isn't working and it's absolutely killing us. We needed more height down back and why Pederson wasn't selected baffles me, instead we had Goldstein back there half the time give the last line a chop out. Considering how often the ball went in our defensive 50 I think our backs did really well.
And the fight back in the last quarter was good, but the day that I say losing is a good effort is the day I stop following footy. So overall I'm completely pissed off bout tonight, we can't just think that it's just round 1 so it doesn't matter we've still got the rest of the season to make up for it because as we've found out in recent times, 1 loss can be the difference between playing and not playing finals. Our biggest positive for the night was Wellsy, he's an absolute gun and I think he's in for his best season so far which is remarkable considering what he's had to deal with over the off season so big thumbs up for him.
a lot hit the post, and there were easy shots missed. We dominated the Inside 50s in the last quarter, yet kicked 1.6 to 4.something.
Not trying to piss on your parade because it was a stirring comeback by your mob. Gave me a ****ing heart-attack it did.
Glad to see one of my fav's do well - Harper. Gosh he's going to be special when he fills out. 100 odd SC points to, glad I didn't listen to DoS and get Cunners instead!
You deserve to win no doubt and it would have been daylight robbery if we got up. I just wish our mob completed the grand heist.
rooboy44
Team Captain
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PS not saying this lost us the game, because a lot of things happen throughout the game, but Watson's goal that he got from the free againat Thompson for too far? just saw it on replay, clearly the wrong decision and really cost us
Too many panic merchants..
If H kicks the goal you'd have different opinions..
You'd think this game will make North's chances from now on, an incredible task.. c'mon people.. pull yourselves together. Both teams are even.. an eight point game most definitely but then again.. the Bombers will find ways to shoot themselves in the foot against other (lesser?) teams and hopefully North will be more resilient and squeeze out a few upset results. Can be done. LOCk it in!
Beautifully put Woodson.
It's good to see you back on here, the site needs your balanced ilk.
Yeah it is round one, we get to play Bombers again so have a chance to square the ledger, I am sure our draw is more reasonable than the bombers, they always get the blockbusters and have to play them twice. So there is plenty of time to catch the bombers.
Woodson
Former AE commish
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Beautifully put Woodson.
It's good to see you back on here, the site needs your balanced ilk.
Thanx Fles. Once you've seen it all before (katrillion times!!!!!!)
You just have to suck it up and hope the team can actually learn something from the loss... had H sink that kick thru the main uprights, I think you'd have a more less hardened team... I don't like these close loses as much as the next person but I always wondered had North lost in r22 of 1998, would that have hardened them for the GF with more resolve? Or the loss of '98, have them hardened for '99 considering North didn't have a strong start in 1999 IIRC. Time will tell but with Brad Scott in the situation he finds himself in, I can see him wanting to emphasis how it's very much a fine line between wine and stomping grapes.
Offset by the Petrie goal imo which looked a bit soft. Both teams had one, Wells shouldve got a 50 though that wouldve made a certain goal. Anyway cant expect to win games when slaughtered around the stoppages like we were.
At least we can console ourselves in that we didn't really deserve to win the game. It's not like we lead most of the night, played well, got screwed by the umpires etc etc.
I've calmed down since last night and can now chuckle at the thought that we nearly completed the biggest football hustle in years - a totally undeserved win after the siren on top of Essendon getting screwed by the umps. Oh well.
Our first qtr and a half were good and the comeback in the last qtr was good so the team did 'want it' somewhat. In between it was like a re-run of most of 2011..... skill errors, turnovers, poor decision making etc etc.
At worst we'll be 2-2 after 4 rounds so no need to panic yet.
I've calmed down since last night and can now chuckle at the thought that we nearly completed the biggest football hustle in years - a totally undeserved win after the siren on top of Essendon getting screwed by the umps. Oh well.
Our first qtr and a half were good and the comeback in the last qtr was good so the team did 'want it' somewhat. In between it was like a re-run of most of 2011..... skill errors, turnovers, poor decision making etc etc.
At worst we'll be 2-2 after 4 rounds so no need to panic yet.
- Nov 27, 2000
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How do you figure when we havent beaten Geelong or Sydney in about 5 years?
edit: whoops wrong post quote, hehe
A Swallow
Norm Smith Medallist
I was there mate. Thomas missed easy opportunities AGAIN, gave away stupid free kicks, shirked contests. He wasn't our worst on Saturday, or the reason we lost, but he wasn't nearly as good as his stats would lead people to believe.
Who???
- Banned
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Thomas???
Mate I have been his biggest critic on this site but even I applauded/acknowledged he was probably in our best 3 on Saturday night.
Other than a few early brain farts and a bad shot at goal, he was borderline brilliant.
