Autopsy GWS d NMFC 121 - 82.

[Dirty_11]

Last week's AFL opening round just adds to an already fixed competition.

The scoreboard flattered us in the end.

Some great signs from the two new draft picks.

Shattered for Goater.

Xerri a big positive.

Still playing blokes who are nowhere near it.

GWS will be top 4.

Let see how we back up against Freo.

 

[Caracas]

THE GOOD
—————

Larkey - Always finds a way, even against the “best fullback in the game”. He was a coat of paint from kicking four.
McKercher - Definitely, the future.
Duursma - Definitely, the future.
Dawson - Proved he belongs.
Scott - Has improved his ball use.
Xerri - He’s arrived!
Winning clearances.
Ford/Curtis have X factor.

THE BAD
————-

Zurhaar/ Ford/Curtis - Too intermittent.

Laz - Unfortunately, doesn’t seem to make the cut.

CCJ - See Laz.

Fisher - Disappointing disposal.

Mids not clean with first touch - costs us dearly.


UGLY
———

Goater


Other Comments
—————————
Corr will be better for the run.
Comben will add grunt.
Simpkin is really important.
Phillips deserves to be in the side.

 

[LETSGOKANGAS]

Im calling it now.

We’ve already ****ed up landing pick one this year

 

[Spud11]

Next year we start our climb, 2026 we start to contend.

I hope you’re right. Once again, sounds like buying time and aiming low but we’ll see.

 

[Lomas]

Im calling it now.

We’ve already ****ed up landing pick one this year

This will upset people.

 

[LETSGOKANGAS]

This will upset people.

Apologies rd1 too early to joke.

Pick 1 can get stuffed we aint finishing last this year.

Up we go.

 

[scottywiper]

If we're contending in 2026 it will be a miracle. We're miles off it still IMO.
Nevertheless, they cracked in and didn't give up
Too many list cloggers though and still not enough top young talent across entire field.
Backline is horrid.
Shattered about Goater. He looked good.
Need to beat Freo next week or we'll be 0-5 and it'll be another horribly long season.

 

[Lomas]

If we're contending in 2026 it will be a miracle. We're miles off it still IMO.
Nevertheless, they cracked in and didn't give up
Too many list cloggers though and still not enough top young talent across entire field.
Backline is horrid.
Shattered about Goater. He looked good.
Need to beat Freo next week or we'll be 0-5 and it'll be another horribly long season.

Please try to keep a lid on the enthusiasm.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Only just got home because they opened the field for kick to kick after the game, and Mr 7 was keen to partake.

Shiels and Bergman continued doing interval training in the centre square for like half an hour after game, surrounded by a few hundred kids kicking balls in all directions.

Ive got a soft spot for giants stadium, once you’re inside it just has this country vibe where everyone is quite friendly and chilled.

Great to see Logue made it up with the travelling Zurhaar fan club.

Game was pretty good. It’s funny seeing the critical comments about Stephens and Tucker here. I thought their gut running was impressive and allowed us to hold a decent structure for much of the game.

We really just got smashed in the aerial contests, and lacked a pacy crumber to be at Taylor and Souvs feet.

Dawson was great. I thought Powell really stepped up. Kerch and Duurs took to the senior level like ducks to water. X was solid all day long, showed a much improved tank. That goal was great reward for effort too.

Also it was no mean feat that we won more clearances against one of the leagues most accomplished and classy midfields.

Would like to see another KPF be given a shot sooner rather than later, and I couldn’t help but feel we were missing Jy in that second half. To say nothing of Logue.

Sucks for Goater, but I think he’s established that he has a good future ahead of him, and he’s still young.

Go Roos.

 

[justroyal]

While the margin doesn’t look devastating, we need to remember that GWS (and Collingwood before them) were widely tipped as bottom 4 material before flipping the narrative and becoming the ones to beat.

Our language as a club is still tinged with a lot of things like “hopefully” and “maybe” being said. We’re not bold in our expectation and we’re not ruthless. It’s like we’re timid and we’ll take success only if everyone else allows it.

I’m also bothered by our supposed team of experts who still think things like Shiel as sub are good ideas. I give them time but I will be frustrated when obviously poor decisions such as this continue to be made.

Well Zuurhar came in and said we should be playing finals… it was pretty evident he doesn’t actually mean it

 

[Spud11]

Well Zuurhar came in and said we should be playing finals… it was pretty evident he doesn’t actually mean it

They all talk it up but I don’t see any monumental change. Another year of honourable losses (if we can kick straight enough to flatter the scoreboard) followed by the old “well, we were playing a flag contender”, followed by “we will be better next year” with zero evidence for that happening. It’s not inevitable. It actually requires the Zurhaar bracket to step up which is why I enjoyed Clarko’s comments during the week.
Still, if nothing is actually done, nothing will come of that

 

[Ischenko]

Only just got home because they opened the field for kick to kick after the game, and Mr 7 was keen to partake.

Shiels and Bergman continued doing interval training in the centre square for like half an hour after game, surrounded by a few hundred kids kicking balls in all directions.

Ive got a soft spot for giants stadium, once you’re inside it just has this country vibe where everyone is quite friendly and chilled.

Great to see Logue made it up with the travelling Zurhaar fan club.

Game was pretty good. It’s funny seeing the critical comments about Stephens and Tucker here. I thought their gut running was impressive and allowed us to hold a decent structure for much of the game.

We really just got smashed in the aerial contests, and lacked a pacy crumber to be at Taylor and Souvs feet.

Dawson was great. I thought Powell really stepped up. Kerch and Duurs took to the senior level like ducks to water. X was solid all day long, showed a much improved tank. That goal was great reward for effort too.

Also it was no mean feat that we won more clearances against one of the leagues most accomplished and classy midfields.

Would like to see another KPF be given a shot sooner rather than later, and I couldn’t help but feel we were missing Jy in that second half. To say nothing of Logue.

Sucks for Goater, but I think he’s established that he has a good future ahead of him, and he’s still young.

Go Roos.

So much harder to notice the wings on tv. Hard agree re; arial work. I reckon we took like a total of 3 contested marks between the arcs. It’s a huge issue.

 

[The Dougster]

The first sentence you wrote is the issue I have with our club.

“But we were up against the premiership favourites”

Etc, etc.

When is our turn?

How many years do we have to spend justifying honourable losses on the basis of the accepted fact that the other team is simply better? Why not us?

A year ago everyone expected GWS to crash. But they grabbed their own narrative with two hands and turned it in their favour.
Watching them dourly destroy interstate teams (Adelaide comes to mind) with no support… I haven’t been proud of North doing something like that for 15-20 years. We don’t seem to pull of mercurial unexpected wins, even like Hawthorn did last year.

Let alone mercurial, unexpected seasons.

When is our turn?

The season just started. We'll get our big scalp(s) at some point. GWS have picked up where they left off last year, a team the equal of both grand finalists.

Let's beat Freo first

 

[Spud11]

The season just started. We'll get our big scalp(s) at some point. GWS have picked up where they left off last year, a team the equal of both grand finalists.

Let's beat Freo first

I hope you understand the frustration though. We’ve become a polite team too friendly to be successful. It’s like we’re not allowed to be. Who says?

 

[Frank Thring]

Pink, Tucker and Stephens were awful but ill give Pink some slack for his first game but he lost so many one on ones.

Xerri, Sheezel, LDU, Dawson and Goater (sigh) our best.

They just killed us in transition

 

[Archer_11]

Question - should we be trying Zuhaar down back?

If too slow, why does he get time in the midfield? If needed down front, based on what? He's a great target but is seldom the reason we kick ahead or claw back. He loves the contest and is our only big bodied aggro player.

I'm sure there's a good reason but right now I don't see it.

 

[Elite Master]

The season just started. We'll get our big scalp(s) at some point. GWS have picked up where they left off last year, a team the equal of both grand finalists.

Let's beat Freo first

We beat Freo last season in round 2, let's do it again in round 2.

 

[Waynesworld]

Positives:

McKercher - classy, agile and quick
Duursma - super talented, makes it look easy
Xerri
Dawson
LDU

Negatives:

• Goater injury
• Way too easy for the opposition to rebound from D-50 the length of the field very quickly - we looked like witches hats
• absolutely smashed in contested possessions
• the midfield lacks class despite the names - the sooner McKercher goes in there the better
• a lot of fumbling and poor disposal particularly from players who've come from other clubs
• inability of the forwards to bring the ball to ground (you should be able to kick the ball long occasionally and get a contest)
• scoreboard was flattering

Not sure how you saw LDU’s game as a positive, thought he has been average all preseason and again today.

 

[datakid]

As it stands, we have the fifth highest score for the round. Not a great statistic for comparison, but it supports the positives we take out of the game.

 

[Harris 10]

As it stands, we have the fifth highest score for the round. Not a great statistic for comparison, but it supports the positives we take out of the game.

Had this convo with my kid.
We kicked 13 goals today, last year we kicked 13 goals 4 times.

 

[Lomas]

Question - should we be trying Zuhaar down back?

If too slow, why does he get time in the midfield? If needed down front, based on what? He's a great target but is seldom the reason we kick ahead or claw back. He loves the contest and is our only big bodied aggro player.

I'm sure there's a good reason but right now I don't see it.

He’s an aggressive player with goal sense. Not a great field kick unless kicking inside the fifty to players with the same qualities.
Doesn’t suit defence.

 

[Waynesworld]

Question - should we be trying Zuhaar down back?

If too slow, why does he get time in the midfield? If needed down front, based on what? He's a great target but is seldom the reason we kick ahead or claw back. He loves the contest and is our only big bodied aggro player.

I'm sure there's a good reason but right now I don't see it.

Funny how he talked up his contract, finals and being more consistent, celebrates his 1 goal like he is a superstar and does very little else. Needs to worry less about the tattoos and more about his team performances.

 

[Moti]

Funny how he talked up his contract, finals and being more consistent, celebrates his 1 goal like he is a superstar and does very little else. Needs to worry less about the tattoos and more about his team performances.

It was obvious from 5 minutes in he should have played in the middle. 10 possessions in the 3rd quarter, he has it.

 

[Only Forwards]

It was obvious from 5 minutes in he should have played in the middle. 10 possessions in the 3rd quarter, he has it.

Needs stints in there when he is not getting the ball

 

[Passmore]

I would say the game went as expected. A bit of good footy, some terrible footy, the defence got exposed etc..

The two main takeaways…

Big X looked like a legit number 1 ruckman.

Dawson looked like he belonged at the level

Sheezel, Wardlaw, McKercher and Duursma were all impressive, but you’d expect they would be.