North a chance for the 8?

[jacko57]

Watched them tonight, they dominated a very inexperienced team, however they are a very young team themselves.

Just looking at their draw, I have highlighted the games in red as ones they could win, that is 8 wins there, which would take them to 12 wins total and a chance of being in the 8.

13.ESSENDON
14.PORT
15.ST KILDA
16.COLLINGWOOD
17.BULLDOGS
18.BRISBANE
19.CARLTON
20.HAWTHORN
21.BYE
22.FREMANTLE
23.ST KILDA
24.RICHMOND

Thoughts?

We've lost 4 close games we could & should have won. (West Coast, Richmond, Sydney, Brisbane). For the most part, due to bad conversion.

It would be rare to lose that many close ones, and still make the 8.

 

[Mr--ShinBoner--#11]

i just really wanna win next week. don't even really care about the 8 at this stage cos even if we did sneak in we'd just be making up numbers.

 

[Tas]

Doable if they can win the next three. Wouldn't be getting carried away with a win over GC - they've got the worst percentage after ten games of any team since 1966.

The percentage is pretty solid given we have only won four games, if we win the number of games we will need to win to make the top 8 (unlikely at this point in time) then it is bound to go up a reasonable amount.

Our #1 issue is Scott is too soft and I never thought I would say that about one of the Scott brothers.

We really haven't picked our best side since the pre-season started. As much as I like Rawlings, Firrito and Pratt as good hard honest players, their disposal skill and decision making is shizen.

We left Pedersen out of the side for most of the year and the times he hasn't played well was when played out of position, ie expected to ruck against Cox and NN and then brought in to replace our CHF.

Delaney was in great form all pre-season, should have been elevated from the word go as we had a mountain of LTIs.

Tarrant has played well and has been dropped unfairly given some of the howling form others were in.

Drops Harper who kicks accurately and creates goals for Thomas who is psychologically shot with his kicking.

I could go on but if he addressed half these issues we would have been 7 or 8 wins instead of 4.

While the players are young and inexperience, a bigger factor is our coach is as well. I can understand why some guys get auto-selected irrespective of form, he is looking long-term, however, it has cost us games already and if it costs us any more we wont make it. We can't afford to drop any winnable games remaining and unless he changes direction it is no certainty that we will win even the more winnable games.

 

[Tas]

Shaun Atley is a jet.

This kid deserves some loving from bigfooty and the media. He's played every game this year along with David Swallow, Conca, Heppell, Darling and Duigan yet he hasn't had the attention of those other 2010 draftees.

Bastinac, Ziebell and Cunnington are always mentioned when people talk about North Melbourne's youth but I reckon Atley could end up better than those 3 players. He can play inside or outside mid, great in traffic and is very quick. His disposal needed work as a junior but he's shown a lot of improvement and will be an absolute gun.

Atley has the same issue Andrew Swallow had when we picked him up, his kicking isn't reliable enough, which is a big reason he slid. It took Swallow about 2 years to get his kicking right and I expect him to be a late bloomer, much like Swallow was, by late i just mean not in his first year or two.

I think Harper is the one with real potential to explode out of the blocks, if he would get regular games/game time.

I'm very happy with Atley's development but he wont really get the attention from neutrals until he starts to hurt the opposition with his disposals. He is getting better week by week but he really needs the pre-seasons to work hard on it, only so much you can work on between games.

 

[Zagg]

True. But two losses under a goal, then another under 10 points. I reckon we'll end up in a position where we are 4/8 points outside the 8. That's when they hurt.

We've lost 2 by under a kick and drawn another. It happens to all teams.

 

[Morris Major]

Gotta love Bigfooty when a struggler has a victory. Suddenly North are 'finals contenders' after beating the Gold Coast.

Same story tomorrow as well. The winner of Fremantle and Essendon will be "back" based on that one game. Hawthorn are now also absolutely "gone" after their 5 point loss to Geelong.

Oh so fickle... really badly. Will all predictably change next week... again.

Hawthorn are gone because their KPP are falling like flies not because they lost. Do you even pay attention?

 

[Lazarus]

Agree that those close losses hurt us. I am buoyed by North's progress but let's not get carried away by a win against GC

 

[The Nostradamus]

making the 8 is not really important to me this year, if we get in then thats great and it will give our youngsters some finals footy experience but all i want to see is continual development and improvement in the team to get us going for a big 2012 campaign. also want to finally see our side injury free for once this season with our best 22 on the park

 

[worstfold]

geezz beat adelaide and goldcoast all of a sudden north are a top 8 side

 

[liam_13]

A chance for the 8 wins? Certainly.

A chance for the final 8? A chance, but we won't make it. St Kilda are more likely to enter the 8 at the expense of Freo/Essendon before we are.

 

[Thermo]

Shaun Atley is a jet.

This kid deserves some loving from bigfooty and the media. He's played every game this year along with David Swallow, Conca, Heppell, Darling and Duigan yet he hasn't had the attention of those other 2010 draftees.

Bastinac, Ziebell and Cunnington are always mentioned when people talk about North Melbourne's youth but I reckon Atley could end up better than those 3 players. He can play inside or outside mid, great in traffic and is very quick. His disposal needed work as a junior but he's shown a lot of improvement and will be an absolute gun.

Might be nit picking but his disposal by foot did seem a bit off. But then again my whole team was shanking it.

 

[worstfold]

stkilda richmond and melbourne are the ONLY chances to move into the 8

 

[skipper kelly]

7 wins will not see them make the finals.

 

[Lazarus]

Melbourne are not good enough to play finals. If they get in the finals, I will spew.

 

[liam_13]

stkilda richmond and melbourne are the ONLY chances to move into the 8

How are Melbourne more of a chance then us?

1. We easily beat them when we played
2. We are regaining our players from earlx injuries, they have injuries to some very important players (Davey, Grimes, Jamar, Wona, plus Scully has had limited preparation)
3. They have just as many kids as we do, so it's not like they will fly at the end of the season
4. And they are only half a game ahead-admittedly to play this round but I don't expect them to beat the 'Pies. And their percentage isn't a whole heap better then ours.

And to top it off the Demons wins came against GC, Brisbane, Adelaide and Essendon. Not anything to show they can mix it with the big guns and make finals.

Demons are pretty good, and just as good as North, but just asking why you think they can make it and North are no hope...

 

[worstfold]

How are Melbourne more of a chance then us?

1. We easily beat them when we played
2. We are regaining our players from earlx injuries, they have injuries to some very important players (Davey, Grimes, Jamar, Wona, plus Scully has had limited preparation)
3. They have just as many kids as we do, so it's not like they will fly at the end of the season
4. And they are only half a game ahead-admittedly to play this round but I don't expect them to beat the 'Pies. And their percentage isn't a whole heap better then ours.

And to top it off the Demons wins came against GC, Brisbane, Adelaide and Essendon. Not anything to show they can mix it with the big guns and make finals.

Demons are pretty good, and just as good as North, but just asking why you think they can make it and North are no hope...

because when north plays a half decent side they cant win.....just watch what essendon will do to north next week

 

[Magpie Since 1986]

I doubt they will make it, although they could looking at that draw. Certainly hope they don't make it, few teams are less competitive against finals caliber opposition than North. Would be like Essendon 2009 finals appearance all over again.

 

[Ron The Bear]

The percentage is pretty solid given we have only won four games

Was referring to Gold Coast.

Win next week and people will start floating the possibility seriously. But then comes expectation...

 

[R00StaR]

Was referring to Gold Coast.

Win next week and people will start floating the possibility seriously. But then comes expectation...

Agree, while not without chance we need to take down some sides in the 8. We'd gone very close to WC and Sydney but need some bigger scalps, Essendon will be a good start.

 

[Altum Volantes]

You played WCE in Round 1. First game removed from winning the spoon and Mark LeCras went off injured early.

You can't honestly rate that as a sign that you can compete with the better clubs?

and beating a mediocre team like Essendon won't change that.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Are we a chance for the 8? Well:
1) We are currently 1 win out of the 8
2) We will have the best percentage of all teams outside the 8 if Melbourne lose by more than 4 goals on Monday
3) Over the coming weeks HMac, Grima, Campbell will return
4) There is half of season of football left

So yes, we're a chance. Will we make it? Who knows.

Our rucks, mids and forwards look good but my biggest concern is our defense. Thompson is in great form, but guys like Rawlings, Firrito, Pratt worry me (I think they are almost past it), Delaney is just a kid but showing signs, while Grima has lacked continuity and match fitness due to several injuries.

 

[worstfold]

Agree, while not without chance we need to take down some sides in the 8. We'd gone very close to WC and Sydney but need some bigger scalps, Essendon will be a good start.

who cares it means nothing its all we hear from you north posters close enough isnt good enough


freo got close to geelong that doesnt mean we are anywhere near as good as them.....

 

[R00StaR]

You played WCE in Round 1. First game removed from winning the spoon and Mark LeCras went off injured early.

You can't honestly rate that as a sign that you can compete with the better clubs?

and beating a mediocre team like Essendon won't change that.

No ruckman and playing away in almost 40 degree heat. Didnt WC have those fans spraying water over them on the bench, luckily we brought some sunnyboys along.

So round 1 teams = last years team. Exactly when does this year team turn into this years team?

 

[Eth]

WTF, im pointing out that we havent beaten teams in the 9 although falling just short against 2 sides, and we need to start beating some with Essendon being a good start.

We can take it a step further and Freo isnt winning the flag this year so piss off, start posting about them when they will. If you dont care dont read and dont post.

He's proving a point and providing an example that happens to be based on his team. What's the problem with that?

He's 100% correct - coulda, woulda, shoulda. North could've beaten those four teams, Petterd could've taken the mark in Round 2 last year, Milne could've gathered the ball in the Grand Final...

 

[AGC]

You played WCE in Round 1. First game removed from winning the spoon and Mark LeCras went off injured early.

You can't honestly rate that as a sign that you can compete with the better clubs?

and beating a mediocre team like Essendon won't change that.

Well in our defence, you're not exactly a bad team this year especially at Subi, and we didn't have our 3 starting ruckman through injury and suspension against the best ruck in the comp (and playing a 192cm debutant.) To get within a goal of a team that will finish 6th (and thus could easily be classed a "better side" is surely a sign that we can compete with the "better clubs"