Some good points there but a bit harsh on Curtis and Powell.
Curtis kicked 31 goals in that shambles of a team and forward line.
Powell overall had a decent year.
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AFLW 2024 - Round 10 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
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Some good points there but a bit harsh on Curtis and Powell.
Curtis kicked 31 goals in that shambles of a team and forward line.
Powell overall had a decent year.
shintemaster
Brownlow Medallist
As much as I'm frustrated with the close out of the season the reality is that we are better than last year (not a high bar I know) as we were almost entirely carried by players 26 and under with huge efforts from a handful of <21's leading the way. I do think we need to find some ways to make their lives easier in the short term and I don't know if it is wishful thinking but I suspect that a couple of stalwarts that have been protected by being slightly younger versions of poor senior players might find that the music is finally going to stop.
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Apart from five players (two have just retired too,) our entire list is 26 and under.
shintemaster
Brownlow Medallist
Yep. It's too young realistically now but I'm torn - I don't want to invest too much capital on "experience" unless it is the right type or can play a role in the mid term.
That makes me sick when you take into account the last 6-8 years.
Im sorry, whilst I appreciate your sentiment, it is precisely this sort of mentality that is why the club is where it currently is. There is just not enough ruthlessness and accountability around the joint on a week to week basis and that is clearly evidenced by the past two weeks.
Clarko says the fizz went out of the season after the Eagles game. Why? Because it was just flatly accepted that we should have won and didn’t and an oh well attitude kicked in with two rounds to go against the two ‘in form’ sides of the comp. If this was a sole season of failure then I can pass this. But 5 years of absolute shyteness which is at historically bad levels means this mentality has become engrained and accepted as kosher. It’s not good enough!! Can not be accepted any longer! Hawks were ruthless early in the year after their 0-5 start to bring their mouthguards both metaphorically and literally. Not once did I hear even remotely this kind of rhetoric from the club during the year or at any point during the last few years.
It’s why I’m not against trading the likes of LDU now while they have currency because quite frankly he presents as “damaged goods” on far too many occasions when the going gets tough. Not once have I seen him pull us out of the doldrums when it was absolutely needed. He is one of many.
Outside leaders required now to drive standards and show what true toughness is. The Shinboner Spirit is a fallacy right now
Summary:
My expectation for this season was a more competitive team that was capable for at a minumum, 5 wins with at worst 16th and at best 15-13th.
Before a ball was bounced, we loss an extremely talented and important player in TT not through injury but sheer stupidity and inability to change his behaviour to the betterment of the community at large, resulting in his contract torn up and AFL banishment for all levels of this game.
First 3 games we were every competitive with the Freo game possibly the most winnable while the Good Friday game was heavily affected by a very lopsided free kick count.
However, as competitive as we were, there were signs of things to come as in all three games, we had lead only to concede multiple goals as turnover and inability to arrest momentum, marred these 3 early games.
Gather Round vs Brisbane - this game is a highlight (or low light to me), as Brisbane ruthlessly dismantled every aspect of this new and aggressive run and carry game plan highlighting how easily we could be turned over and scored against.
From this round to the bye, the side heavily conceded goals whilst struggling to put up a score past 80 pts...oh dear!!!
During the bye Clarkson admitted to the group how the Hawks Rascism scandal had effected him but reconfirmed his desire to coach this club to success.
After the bye to round 22, we had 3 wins and were in winnable position up to the siren against the current premiers, 21 premiers, 2 top eight sides with largest losing margin of 17pts. Yes, we got thumped by a smarting top of the ladder Swans and in a game that we dominated, we lost to the 22 premiers in the Cats though, 40pt margin belied how we were in winnable positions throughout this game ...to this point of th year had been a remarkable turnaround since the bye of which, l had the season treading to an D.
Round 22 and West Coast - In what l thought was our grand final, against a side that fairly or unfairly, we have been measured against since both teams were at a rebuilding stage.
We dominated every quarter and every statistic, on the verge of showing the football world of how far advanced our rebuild program was ...only to lose it in the last 2mins of the game. The same issues that have blighted this side, all came home to roost in this one game.
Round 23 and the Bulldogs - After a competitive 1st quarter, a ruthless doggies showed us how and what an efficent contending side looks like as they surgically transitioned from our turnovers to a fully functioning forward line. It also exposed how a loss of a KPD utterly left a gapping hole that a). We couldn't cover and b). no alternative plan against such a loss which was further exposed by another loss of a defender.
Round 24 and the Hawks - Aberration, in the longest season and a red hot Hawks, this team had basically used up it's petrol tickets and were looking to the off season...the season was done in round 22.
Season Grade: F
Coaching:
This was the first full season of Alister Clarkson after missing most of his first season due to the Hawks Rascism scandal and whilst the playing group (more later) largely contributed to such a poor season, there are issues that this master coach needs to address which has dogged this team all year - turnover, forward entry, lack of defensive game plan and tactical strategy against momentum - we've yet to see his innovations like Clarko Cluster or Unsocial Hawks...Northball was just a cheap imitation of Collingwood's game plan that's was far too aggressive for this team at this time.
Clarkson's post game pressers have been more about education, how we have to learn from this and from that. Whilst it's primarily aimed at protecting this young list surely it won't be long before he demands more from his chargers....simple mistakes cannot be tolerated.
Of the assistants, aside from Viney the footy manager, these assistants have been largely anonymous and as such, escaped a fair bit of scrutiny from media and supporters alike. If we've been plagued by simple skill errors, i cannot believe its all due to player talent alone.
Coaching Grade: D
Playing Group
There are heaps of individual threads on each player so l won't review them individually.
Collectively though, there doesn't seem to any disharmony within the playing group both on or off the field which is a great sign that they have brought into the vision that Clarkson is selling. Whether you liked it or not, Zurhaar and Scott recommitting sent a great message that they are committed for this rebuild and not deserting a sinking project.
However, there needs to be more accountability and demands placed by the players on each other as the simple turnovers and brain fades should no longer be tolerated and this starts and ends with the leadership group.
Whilst LMac and Simpkin are the face of the club in terms of the tag of co-captains, the leadership group as a whole, have lacked inspiration and the courage to demand not just more from each other but the greater team as a whole - these senior players are often the culprits when it comes to making basic skill and composure errors at times when there is no pressure which all of sudden turns into a turnover and then panic sets in - this leadership group have often been voiceless this year which needs to change.
Playing Group Grade : D
Club and Supporters Patiences.
Overall, the club and our supporters have largely held steadfast. Whilst some call for the sacking of the whole board, administratively, they have been solid as shown by the difficult handling of TT's sacking - some want to hear from Sonja and publicly condemn the performance of the players etc but l believe a silence president and board shows stability at a time when instability could easily derail. Even with our performances this year, we have largely stayed out of critical media scrutiny and barely any leaks to the press about anything which l believe is a sign of a stable club.
However, this currently board was sold on a vision and much like the the comments below, there must be some accountability to be reckon with when they review this this season and the whatever metrics they are measuring the football department with.
Our supporters, l believe, continue to believe in this rebuild as our total home attendance are up from last year by 13k and av of 21.9k@home games compared to 20.7k in 2023 and 14.3k in 2022.
However, it's starting to wear thin especially the last few games pre bye and after round 22...the games l've attended, imo, there is a quiet sense of optimism but it's allows underlined but the sense of tripidation that we could get rolled at any minute - l guess when the team starts to have more success, this undertone will start to disappear.
Grading B+
Overall:
I'm still optimistic about the current playing group and coaches however the expectation is simply to show improvement from win/loss because no matter if you believe such and such player has improved or certain aspects of our game has improved...comparing this season to last season at 23 games, our win/loss is 3-20 @ 63% vs 3-20 @ 71%.
On this very simple metric of win/loss and percentage added to the fact that, on all accounts, we've nailed the last two draft and maybe you can factor that it's Clarkson's first full season due to external factors that effected his first season, the 2024 has been a disappointment and can only be graded no higher than F.
If we want to have any sembelance ofa successfully 2025 season, I believe the onus fairly and squarely lay at the feet at the most important person at the club - Alister Clarkson. He must demand that this playing group improve in fitness and skills during the off season, demand to his assistants to improve the skills of the player and then demand of himself, a game plan and mutiple scenarios that fit this playing list but more importantly, he needs to find decide on one captain.
My expectation for this season was a more competitive team that was capable for at a minumum, 5 wins with at worst 16th and at best 15-13th.
Before a ball was bounced, we loss an extremely talented and important player in TT not through injury but sheer stupidity and inability to change his behaviour to the betterment of the community at large, resulting in his contract torn up and AFL banishment for all levels of this game.
First 3 games we were every competitive with the Freo game possibly the most winnable while the Good Friday game was heavily affected by a very lopsided free kick count.
However, as competitive as we were, there were signs of things to come as in all three games, we had lead only to concede multiple goals as turnover and inability to arrest momentum, marred these 3 early games.
Gather Round vs Brisbane - this game is a highlight (or low light to me), as Brisbane ruthlessly dismantled every aspect of this new and aggressive run and carry game plan highlighting how easily we could be turned over and scored against.
From this round to the bye, the side heavily conceded goals whilst struggling to put up a score past 80 pts...oh dear!!!
During the bye Clarkson admitted to the group how the Hawks Rascism scandal had effected him but reconfirmed his desire to coach this club to success.
After the bye to round 22, we had 3 wins and were in winnable position up to the siren against the current premiers, 21 premiers, 2 top eight sides with largest losing margin of 17pts. Yes, we got thumped by a smarting top of the ladder Swans and in a game that we dominated, we lost to the 22 premiers in the Cats though, 40pt margin belied how we were in winnable positions throughout this game ...to this point of th year had been a remarkable turnaround since the bye of which, l had the season treading to an D.
Round 22 and West Coast - In what l thought was our grand final, against a side that fairly or unfairly, we have been measured against since both teams were at a rebuilding stage.
We dominated every quarter and every statistic, on the verge of showing the football world of how far advanced our rebuild program was ...only to lose it in the last 2mins of the game. The same issues that have blighted this side, all came home to roost in this one game.
Round 23 and the Bulldogs - After a competitive 1st quarter, a ruthless doggies showed us how and what an efficent contending side looks like as they surgically transitioned from our turnovers to a fully functioning forward line. It also exposed how a loss of a KPD utterly left a gapping hole that a). We couldn't cover and b). no alternative plan against such a loss which was further exposed by another loss of a defender.
Round 24 and the Hawks - Aberration, in the longest season and a red hot Hawks, this team had basically used up it's petrol tickets and were looking to the off season...the season was done in round 22.
Season Grade: F
Coaching:
This was the first full season of Alister Clarkson after missing most of his first season due to the Hawks Rascism scandal and whilst the playing group (more later) largely contributed to such a poor season, there are issues that this master coach needs to address which has dogged this team all year - turnover, forward entry, lack of defensive game plan and tactical strategy against momentum - we've yet to see his innovations like Clarko Cluster or Unsocial Hawks...Northball was just a cheap imitation of Collingwood's game plan that's was far too aggressive for this team at this time.
Clarkson's post game pressers have been more about education, how we have to learn from this and from that. Whilst it's primarily aimed at protecting this young list surely it won't be long before he demands more from his chargers....simple mistakes cannot be tolerated.
Of the assistants, aside from Viney the footy manager, these assistants have been largely anonymous and as such, escaped a fair bit of scrutiny from media and supporters alike. If we've been plagued by simple skill errors, i cannot believe its all due to player talent alone.
Coaching Grade: D
Playing Group
There are heaps of individual threads on each player so l won't review them individually.
Collectively though, there doesn't seem to any disharmony within the playing group both on or off the field which is a great sign that they have brought into the vision that Clarkson is selling. Whether you liked it or not, Zurhaar and Scott recommitting sent a great message that they are committed for this rebuild and not deserting a sinking project.
However, there needs to be more accountability and demands placed by the players on each other as the simple turnovers and brain fades should no longer be tolerated and this starts and ends with the leadership group.
Whilst LMac and Simpkin are the face of the club in terms of the tag of co-captains, the leadership group as a whole, have lacked inspiration and the courage to demand not just more from each other but the greater team as a whole - these senior players are often the culprits when it comes to making basic skill and composure errors at times when there is no pressure which all of sudden turns into a turnover and then panic sets in - this leadership group have often been voiceless this year which needs to change.
Playing Group Grade : D
Club and Supporters Patiences.
Overall, the club and our supporters have largely held steadfast. Whilst some call for the sacking of the whole board, administratively, they have been solid as shown by the difficult handling of TT's sacking - some want to hear from Sonja and publicly condemn the performance of the players etc but l believe a silence president and board shows stability at a time when instability could easily derail. Even with our performances this year, we have largely stayed out of critical media scrutiny and barely any leaks to the press about anything which l believe is a sign of a stable club.
However, this currently board was sold on a vision and much like the the comments below, there must be some accountability to be reckon with when they review this this season and the whatever metrics they are measuring the football department with.
Our supporters, l believe, continue to believe in this rebuild as our total home attendance are up from last year by 13k and av of 21.9k@home games compared to 20.7k in 2023 and 14.3k in 2022.
However, it's starting to wear thin especially the last few games pre bye and after round 22...the games l've attended, imo, there is a quiet sense of optimism but it's allows underlined but the sense of tripidation that we could get rolled at any minute - l guess when the team starts to have more success, this undertone will start to disappear.
Grading B+
Overall:
I'm still optimistic about the current playing group and coaches however the expectation is simply to show improvement from win/loss because no matter if you believe such and such player has improved or certain aspects of our game has improved...comparing this season to last season at 23 games, our win/loss is 3-20 @ 63% vs 3-20 @ 71%.
On this very simple metric of win/loss and percentage added to the fact that, on all accounts, we've nailed the last two draft and maybe you can factor that it's Clarkson's first full season due to external factors that effected his first season, the 2024 has been a disappointment and can only be graded no higher than F.
If we want to have any sembelance ofa successfully 2025 season, I believe the onus fairly and squarely lay at the feet at the most important person at the club - Alister Clarkson. He must demand that this playing group improve in fitness and skills during the off season, demand to his assistants to improve the skills of the player and then demand of himself, a game plan and mutiple scenarios that fit this playing list but more importantly, he needs to find decide on one captain.
Spud11
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We need to drop all of the seniors who don’t respect keeping possession of the ball or using it well. Many of our players don’t put any value on having the ball, they’re happy to turn it over with a laugh.
Clarkson is the king of sweet left-footed half-backs… Yet Lmac is the captain? All of these spuds need to GO. All of them. If you don’t have skills, smarts or coolness under pressure at 25-30, you ain’t ever making it.
I feel we would’ve won 3 or 4 more on momentum if these absolute peanuts didn’t kill all the good work the young players were doing. Lmac destroyed our morale on his own against West Coast. It was stark.
Fix your goddamn forward entries, North.
I hope Clarkson is the man.
We can’t afford the next three years of development into these kids to be under the wrong coach. It’s critical we get this right.
We’re worse than Fitzroy ever were and I don’t think the ppl in charge realise the gravity of that situation.
Sheezel- I’m sorry. This is not a high-performance culture and you deserve better.
Season: 2/10
Clarkson is the king of sweet left-footed half-backs… Yet Lmac is the captain? All of these spuds need to GO. All of them. If you don’t have skills, smarts or coolness under pressure at 25-30, you ain’t ever making it.
I feel we would’ve won 3 or 4 more on momentum if these absolute peanuts didn’t kill all the good work the young players were doing. Lmac destroyed our morale on his own against West Coast. It was stark.
Fix your goddamn forward entries, North.
I hope Clarkson is the man.
We can’t afford the next three years of development into these kids to be under the wrong coach. It’s critical we get this right.
We’re worse than Fitzroy ever were and I don’t think the ppl in charge realise the gravity of that situation.
Sheezel- I’m sorry. This is not a high-performance culture and you deserve better.
Season: 2/10
Im playing a little devils advocate here, but I also don’t like it when eras are compared. Its not a fair comparison.
How many wins would they have if they had to stand on the mark and play 666? The HtB rule has significantly changed since those teams played, as insufficient intent. You can’t lock a ball in like you once could, you can’t disguise a kick that goes out of bounds. All these rules impact repeat entries.
Those rules destroy rebuilding teams. Im telling you all, it ****ing kills their confidence and damages psyche.
Coaches cant stop run ons with goals, if a player could move sideways or if a coach could move a loose player behind the ball at centre bounce or if they could coach their players to lock the ball up for contest after contest they can stop bleeding. But when your team is so inexperienced, and with senior players that have no skill/composure they cant stop it on their own.
We won’t be the last team to be this bad with these rules.
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Troy Make Peace
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I hate to blame injuries but Sheezel, Comben, Archer and Logue are the heart & soul of the team. The last two rounds were shambolic but can see why the season petered out. Zero depth to cover these players.
100% agree and have said to whoever wants to listen...we started his rebuild when the stand rule just came into place and 2nd year into conception of the 666 which happened to be covid affected for 2 years! Therefore, comparing previous rebuilds to ours, you have to take into account these two rules because the number 1 tactic that all previous rebuild sides had up their sleeve was the flood and move off the mark/hold onto the marking player which in 2021 the stand rule came in and if our players just had an erection it was a 50m penalty.
Irrespective though, the above is no excuse for the season we had!
The season that was: Round 24 v Hawthorn
Today’s post has little to do with the Hawthorn game specifically and is more of an overarching look at 2024.
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Better Loosen Up
Brownlow Medallist
I don't think it should be underestimated the influence the fixture had on our season. More specifically the first 5 rounds.
We came into the season off the back of 2 really promising preseason games against St. Kilda and Collingwood and there felt like there was a positive feeling around the club.
R1. GWS Away - Lost by 39pts against last years Prelim finalists on their home deck. GWS also had the advantage of having blown out the cobwebs in Opening Round.
R2. FREO Home - Lost by 26pts. Winnable game and dominated early but Freo also in very good form early in the season.
R3. CARL Home - Lost by 56pts against last years Prelim finalists who were also in hot form early in the season. Never looked likely.
R4. LIONS Away - Lost by 80pts against last years Grand Finalists who were struggling form wise at the time.
R5. CATS Away - Lost by 75pts. Tough assignment against an undefeated team at the time. Never looked likely.
This is pretty close to the worst stretch of games you could hope for as a bottom side. By the end of it, we were totally devoid of the confidence we had going into the season and that was franked by our poor loss to Hawthorn the following week who were also winless at the time. Getting off to a positive start to the season can be really valuable and set you up for the rest of the year. Thanks to the AFL's fixturing, this stretch of games completely bombed our season. Of course, we have to play these games at some stage regardless but to have them week after week, it played a major part in shaping the rest of our season.
We came into the season off the back of 2 really promising preseason games against St. Kilda and Collingwood and there felt like there was a positive feeling around the club.
R1. GWS Away - Lost by 39pts against last years Prelim finalists on their home deck. GWS also had the advantage of having blown out the cobwebs in Opening Round.
R2. FREO Home - Lost by 26pts. Winnable game and dominated early but Freo also in very good form early in the season.
R3. CARL Home - Lost by 56pts against last years Prelim finalists who were also in hot form early in the season. Never looked likely.
R4. LIONS Away - Lost by 80pts against last years Grand Finalists who were struggling form wise at the time.
R5. CATS Away - Lost by 75pts. Tough assignment against an undefeated team at the time. Never looked likely.
This is pretty close to the worst stretch of games you could hope for as a bottom side. By the end of it, we were totally devoid of the confidence we had going into the season and that was franked by our poor loss to Hawthorn the following week who were also winless at the time. Getting off to a positive start to the season can be really valuable and set you up for the rest of the year. Thanks to the AFL's fixturing, this stretch of games completely bombed our season. Of course, we have to play these games at some stage regardless but to have them week after week, it played a major part in shaping the rest of our season.
Season grade: F.
Half believe players like Zurhaar & Scott stayed more because they didn’t get the offers they thought they would when they looked elsewhere. I can’t see any well run team offering them equal money to us. LDU probably stays on a 1+ mil contract too.
Found out:
-Fisher & Stephens are awful, might be good stats but not winning team players.
-Ford going to struggle to make it.
-Our ability to identify tall key competiveness is awful (Biggie, CCJ, Sellars)
-Clarko persisting with outside weak runners in our defence is ridiculous
Reconfirmed:
McDonald = spud. Top 5 worse captain ever in the comp.
Stephenson too soft to make it. Same with Taylor.
Powells ceiling is highly limited.
We are the worst training club in the comp - skills, fitness etc.
Zurhaar is very limited
Positives:
Sheezel, Xerri, Archer & Comben - although Comben should never aim to kick the ball less than 30m and NEVER inboard. Turnover king on the short
Half believe players like Zurhaar & Scott stayed more because they didn’t get the offers they thought they would when they looked elsewhere. I can’t see any well run team offering them equal money to us. LDU probably stays on a 1+ mil contract too.
Found out:
-Fisher & Stephens are awful, might be good stats but not winning team players.
-Ford going to struggle to make it.
-Our ability to identify tall key competiveness is awful (Biggie, CCJ, Sellars)
-Clarko persisting with outside weak runners in our defence is ridiculous
Reconfirmed:
McDonald = spud. Top 5 worse captain ever in the comp.
Stephenson too soft to make it. Same with Taylor.
Powells ceiling is highly limited.
We are the worst training club in the comp - skills, fitness etc.
Zurhaar is very limited
Positives:
Sheezel, Xerri, Archer & Comben - although Comben should never aim to kick the ball less than 30m and NEVER inboard. Turnover king on the short
Terrible start, some reasonably good (with outstanding patches in there )football for 9.5 weeks, terrible final 2.5 weeks.
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Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk
Not really an excuse, but how a team who finished equal bottom managed to get 3 of the previous year's Preliminary Finalists and the 2022 Premiers (only one of those was at home) in the first 5 rounds is staggering. Go back to the fixtures of the early 2010s - Melbourne, Port, GWS and Suns all seemed to get a couple amongst themselves in the first couple of rounds so they'd have some chance to bag at least one win early on.
It ensured our season was shot by mid-April. It would have been shot soon enough anyway, but for team as poor as ours and with as fragile mindset as ours, we were stuffed before we even got started.
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Priorities must be -
Increase fitness - how many games did we get overrun in the second half of games. Freo, Collingwood, WCE. We need to become one of the fittest teams in the comp.
Increase Physical strength - We need to have a presence in games. Opposition needs to know that when they play North, they are going to hurt the next day (Just like the Pagan era). Players like Sleevo, Curtis Taylor, even LMac are not physical enough. And all of them have 6 years plus, in the system, FFS!
Angry - We need players in the side that are mean and play like they are p1ssed off. Anyone remember Archer, Martyn, Pike and Pickett (Pagan era again). We need to create doubt in the opposition mind, by letting them know when they play North, there is a high possibility they will get hurt.
Fix these three areas and we will improve. Or at least it will be fun going to the footy again LOL.
Increase fitness - how many games did we get overrun in the second half of games. Freo, Collingwood, WCE. We need to become one of the fittest teams in the comp.
Increase Physical strength - We need to have a presence in games. Opposition needs to know that when they play North, they are going to hurt the next day (Just like the Pagan era). Players like Sleevo, Curtis Taylor, even LMac are not physical enough. And all of them have 6 years plus, in the system, FFS!
Angry - We need players in the side that are mean and play like they are p1ssed off. Anyone remember Archer, Martyn, Pike and Pickett (Pagan era again). We need to create doubt in the opposition mind, by letting them know when they play North, there is a high possibility they will get hurt.
Fix these three areas and we will improve. Or at least it will be fun going to the footy again LOL.
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