AFLW North Melbourne Football Club AFLW - Season 2024

[Hearts to hearts]

The commentators basically ignored the goalless score line.

Have we kept a team goalless before? Is this a common occurrence in AFLW? Or are all north Melbourne teams considered irrelevant by the media regardless of how we play?

Scoreless in the second half too.

 

[sutcliffe's hotel]

Scoreless in the second half too.

Had to double check that as it was not how I remembered the game.

Says a lot about the commentary.

Our pressure has been elite.

 

[muttley45]

How good was the play that ended with Martin's 1st goal in Q1 ?

 

[Horace]

Had to double check that as it was not how I remembered the game.

Says a lot about the commentary.

Our pressure has been elite.

I had to double check the scores several times yesterday due to the fact that the commentators managed to keep saying, almost continuously, how well the dogs were going and the pressure they were putting on our girls (or words to that effect).

Is it perhaps possible that the people in charge of scoreboards these days miss a few of the opposition goals and award them to our girls instead?

Or is it that the commentators are nearly as bad as the umpires these days?

Or am I just simply a one-eyed, biased, silly old fool?

 

[Marstermind]

I had to double check the scores several times yesterday due to the fact that the commentators managed to keep saying, almost continuously, how well the dogs were going and the pressure they were putting on our girls (or words to that effect).

Is it perhaps possible that the people in charge of scoreboards these days miss a few of the opposition goals and award them to our girls instead?

Or is it that the commentators are nearly as bad as the umpires these days?

Or am I just simply a one-eyed, biased, silly old fool?

1) The scoreboard at the ground died in the second half, so maybe they forgot the score?
2) Yes
3) No comment.

 

[Luke72]

I had to double check the scores several times yesterday due to the fact that the commentators managed to keep saying, almost continuously, how well the dogs were going and the pressure they were putting on our girls (or words to that effect).

Is it perhaps possible that the people in charge of scoreboards these days miss a few of the opposition goals and award them to our girls instead?

Or is it that the commentators are nearly as bad as the umpires these days?

Or am I just simply a one-eyed, biased, silly old fool?

Option 3 Horace and it’s why we love you!

 

[Horace]

I'm wondering if we should rename our forward line to "If Tahlia doesn't get you, Vikki will instead", after back to back bone crunching tackles, our two girls delivered yesterday in the third quarter.

A joy to behold in my eyes at least, but pity the recipients of these two shinboners operating at their most fearsome best.

 

[Luke72]

I'm wondering if we should rename our forward line to "If Tahlia doesn't get you, Vikki will instead", after back to back bone crunching tackles, our two girls delivered yesterday in the third quarter.

A joy to behold in my eyes at least, but pity the recipients of these two shinboners operating at their most fearsome best.

Yeah they certainly would strike fear into any opposition teams.

The physical side of the team across the board has really stood out. I love Mia King’s work in tight and Rikki for a slight player lays a lot of strong tackles.

 

[Samsquanch]

The week before last: cROcKeR CaN'T coACh!

Seriously though, the team is really coming along in leaps and bounds. They are terrific to watch and represent the club in a fantastic manner. They football!

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

I'm wondering if we should rename our forward line to "If Tahlia doesn't get you, Vikki will instead", after back to back bone crunching tackles, our two girls delivered yesterday in the third quarter.

A joy to behold in my eyes at least, but pity the recipients of these two shinboners operating at their most fearsome best.

The fears that a lot of people had about Hannah Mouncey (or any trans player) being allowed to play at AFLW level due to the difference in size and power are playing out in a perfectly legal and fair way with Vikki and Tahlia simply because of their speed, power, determination, and technique.

 

[shinboner magic]

Guess we can play in the rain.

Team is really busy laying some inspired with the whole of the side really gelling together.
The usual suspects are doing their thing and the role players have really stepped up.
All 3 Irish girls are playing good footy and Bresh has lifted her output

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Guess we can play in the rain.

Team is really busy laying some inspired with the whole of the side really gelling together.
The usual suspects are doing their thing and the role players have really stepped up.
All 3 Irish girls are playing good footy and Bresh has lifted her output

The most absurd bit of commentary was when someone suggested with all this success playing in the rain every game, maybe our weakness is playing in dry weather.

 

[Sillygit]

The most absurd bit of commentary was when someone suggested with all this success playing in the rain every game, maybe our weakness is playing in dry weather.

Oh my god, i just about fell out of my seat at that suggestion. Seemed though it was responded too appropriately from memory:

*awkward pause

"no i think their absolute drubbing of brisbane round one would put any of those thoughts away"

 

[CURVE]

The commentators basically ignored the goalless score line.

Have we kept a team goalless before? Is this a common occurrence in AFLW? Or are all north Melbourne teams considered irrelevant by the media regardless of how we play?

The top 10 lowest AFLW scores against North.

SCORE	OPPONENT	NMFC SCORE	RND	YEAR	GROUND
0.1.1	SYDNEY SWANS	9.13.67	6	2022B	PUNT ROAD
0.2.2	GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY	4.8.32	5	2023	ARDEN STREET OVAL
0.4.4	WESTERN BULLDOGS	8.11.59	7	2024	ARDEN STREET OVAL
1.0.6	CARLTON BLUES	10.6.66	2	2023	ARDEN STREET OVAL
1.0.6	PORT ADELAIDE	6.5.41	4	2024	WHITTEN OVAL
1.3.9	GEELONG CATS	11.5.71	1	2021	KARDINIA PARK
1.3.9	WESTERN BULLDOGS	7.13.55	10	2023	WESTERN OVAL
1.3.9	MELBOURNE DEMONS	7.8.50	QF	2023	PRINCES PARK
1.4.10	ST KILDA SAINTS	5.6.36	2	2021	ARDEN STREET OVAL
1.4.10	CARLTON BLUES	12.7.79	5	2024	PRINCES PARK

 

[kool kangas]

The most absurd bit of commentary was when someone suggested with all this success playing in the rain every game, maybe our weakness is playing in dry weather.

l asked Tess about the same thing at the end of the game and she said that "maybe we might forget how to play dry weather football again" to which we both laughed..

 

[Tas]

Guess we can play in the rain.

Team is really busy laying some inspired with the whole of the side really gelling together.
The usual suspects are doing their thing and the role players have really stepped up.
All 3 Irish girls are playing good footy and Bresh has lifted her output

We don't prefer the wet, we like to use handball and chain short passes quickly to generate attacks, it doesn't suit wet conditions. I think if they made that point it would have been okay.

Bresnehan and Craven have been big improvers this season, I think it is easy for players to coast in good teams when the stars are playing well, but we have had a fair games already where the stars have had a very subdued impact and it has been the hard work of the second tier that has lifted and carried the load. This was a bit of a weakness last year and was very evident a few seasons ago where if someone like Garner didn't dominate then we didn't win.

We have a much more even contribution now, Kearney and Shierlaw go out and the side still looks very strong.

I think Libby Birch was a really good pickup, she is a very good defender. I think the club has done a fantastic job in terms of list management, which is a stark contrast to the men's team. We have had a very lean look at picks since we came into the competition and the club has been aggressive with trading to find a good balance to the team and make it stronger. We only have 7 players from the inaugural team, lost a fair few to expansion sides but year after year we have made the side stronger through good list management and good player development.

Some of the ladies that had obvious flaws in their game have improved on them from season to season and that is what you need to improve and put yourself in a position where you can have a crack at the flag. It has been fantastic to be able to watch the evolution and development of the side.

 

[Horace]

The top 10 lowest AFLW scores against North.

SCORE	OPPONENT	NMFC SCORE	RND	YEAR	GROUND
0.1.1	SYDNEY SWANS	9.13.67	6	2022B	PUNT ROAD
0.2.2	GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY	4.8.32	5	2023	ARDEN STREET OVAL
0.4.4	WESTERN BULLDOGS	8.11.59	7	2024	ARDEN STREET OVAL
1.0.6	CARLTON BLUES	10.6.66	2	2023	ARDEN STREET OVAL
1.0.6	PORT ADELAIDE	6.5.41	4	2024	WHITTEN OVAL
1.3.9	GEELONG CATS	11.5.71	1	2021	KARDINIA PARK
1.3.9	WESTERN BULLDOGS	7.13.55	10	2023	WESTERN OVAL
1.3.9	MELBOURNE DEMONS	7.8.50	QF	2023	PRINCES PARK
1.4.10	ST KILDA SAINTS	5.6.36	2	2021	ARDEN STREET OVAL
1.4.10	CARLTON BLUES	12.7.79	5	2024	PRINCES PARK

Yeah, but on the day surely the commentary team would have judged the opposition as playing the better game. Pity about the scoreboard really.

 

[CURVE]

Yeah, but on the day surely the commentary team would have judged the opposition as playing the better game. Pity about the scoreboard really.

My memories of the GWS game were the commentators applauding their defense and calling out North's offense.

 

[Gumble Frankieton]

I watched the replay after getting home via the Town Hall and Drunken Poet. Only had the one pint of Guinness at the Poet which showed great self-control… draft me now

Libby Birch seems to be moving better and played another good, solid game. She’s such a good addition to the backline.

I thought Eliza Shannon did pretty well. Her long kicks to position were pretty good and she was solid defensively. Her post match interview is well worth a look. I liked how she corrected the interviewer after being congratulated for making her North debut in what was her 14th game for the club.

Harf was pretty good in commentary.

The bulldogs should be relieved that we missed 3 or 4 easy set shots on goal.

Another thing that I’ve noticed during this season is that we don’t spoil or shepherd on the goal line. A number of times a shot on goal will just drop short but our tall isn’t on the goal line to help shepherd it through for a goal or to touch it but instead is standing in the middle of the goal square.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

I think it was 3 or 4 easy set shots just in the first quarter. Would have been 7 or 8 for the game, plus a couple of easy Joe the Goose opportunities that we blew. It was a great win regardless, but we could have got to triple digits. Yet the AFL website match report suggested the game was much closer than the scoreboard suggested. I guess all games seem much closer when the scoreboard stops working.

 

[CURVE]

I think it was 3 or 4 easy set shots just in the first quarter. Would have been 7 or 8 for the game, plus a couple of easy Joe the Goose opportunities that we blew. It was a great win regardless, but we could have got to triple digits. Yet the AFL website match report suggested the game was much closer than the scoreboard suggested. I guess all games seem much closer when the scoreboard stops working.

I find it funny that the one ground where we struggle to convert in front of goal is the ground we train on every week.

As much as we hate Casey Fields we are almost 20% better in front of goal there than our home ground. Our accuracy at Casey is 63.8% compared to 44.5% at Arden Street.

 

[Luke72]

Yeah it feels at times like the opposition adjusts to the conditions better than us which is bizarre.

 

[Liam Boy]

Yeah it feels at times like the opposition adjusts to the conditions better than us which is bizarre.

it can feel that way when the commentary team is constantly trying to push the narrative but I don't think it's really borne out by reality, when you're talking about scenarios where one team might kick a single goal and the other team doesn't during a downpour, there's way too many other factors that come into it to be able to point to a pattern, the sample size is too small.

I think the draw with Geelong had more to do with coming back from the Brisbane heat with a 6 day break after giving everything against a fellow top side, and then having to front up against a side that's had a chip on their shoulder about finally getting a win over us since they lost that final 2 years ago, and so threw absolutely everything at us. Alice being out also made our forward line a lot worse, I think. All the other wet weather games we've won, and decisively. We slowed down against Port once the monsoon began, but isn't it normal for a side to absolutely flog another for a half and then naturally slow down a bit since the game's pretty much already won? The closest anyone came is Richmond, where they barely outscored us in a half where we lost our captain early to an injury and had to readjust the defensive gameplan on the fly to account for her absence. Also on a shorter break than them, significantly a 3 day break compared to their 4.

What they normally point to is an increase in pressure. They particularly couldn't shut up about it during the Carlton game. But it becomes easier to shut down free-flowing football like ours with pressure when it's pouring, because clean disposal becomes so much harder. That's just physics, it's a factor that affects everyone.

 

[The Nostradamus]

How is there no vision for the eardley injury?

She looks out cold

 

[Dodecahedron]

I’ve watched every one of North’s AFLW games since inception. The fact that we are dominant now has been the result of a slow build over many years. I for one, am enjoying seeing our dominance this season. However, we must put a premiership cup on the mantle or it will all be for nought.

PS: It’s nice to come back to this thread today to find that the tone-deaf, miserable, pathetic, positivity-sapping posts have been deleted by the mods.