North to jump on Hardwick

[Horace]

Didn't Hardwick absolutely poleaxe Johnny Blakey in the middle of the ground, first bounce from memory, in a massive Bombers v Roos night game back in the 90's?

I think it was him. At that moment I wanted to leap the fence and rip his arms off! Unless of course it was Mr Sunbury? Either way, I felt the same about both of them back then!

It was Mr. Sunbury, Mark Johnson who did it T'toes. Mongrel act.

 

[kangalover]

Very very true, its kind of amazing it has taken us this long to hit rockbottom after winning 2 premierships, we had some pretty good recruiting up until about 02 and the backlash from that has only just started to hit us.

Love this club, and i didnt realise how much i took to heart what people say about us to yesterday.
Have a friend who is an essendon supporter who thinks North is an absolute rubbish club and a disgrace to the afl, yet he can never give me reasons why. He said something along those lines yesterday and it hit me like a sledgehammer, i wished pain upon him and i probably could of given it to him with my (limited) martial arts training. But it really hit me, i was disgusted he'd make comments like that about the club i love (especially since he was sitting next to a pies supporter ).

We've been hit hard this year, end of an era, players retiring, LOTS of injuries, theres no denying it, starting to feel the effects of poor list management and recruiting, but one look at our list and you know that 3-4 yrs from now were going to have a real crack at a premiership, as long as we get a decent coach under our belts.

Your post has detailed the opinion, unfortunately, that many in the public and media have of our club- every day I make myself sick worrying about this. In the past NMFC Administrations did little, if anything at all, to promote, improve the profile etc of our magnificent club.
Is this one of the reasons why people speak badly about us? Yes, I think it is.
Is it because our club has survived and produced the goods under extremely bad financial restraints? Yes I think this is true also.

Many, many years of very bad administration, coupled with a "hang dog" coach, who did nothing to raise our image publicly, namely due to his style of coaching and his inability to test out young players unless he had no other choice, contributed to further compound the already bad public image of the NMFC.
Our club for too many years under previous administrations liked to be seen but not heard. They thought public image was not important - what a shocking and detrimental disaster this attitude has caused over the years.

Things are changing slowly, very slowly,and hopefully as soon as the new facilities are completed and a new coach is in the job such changes should help raise our profile somewhat- we will be entering a new era.
People will be interested to observe our progress. We will surprise those who have over the years continued to bag and/or ignore our club as useless and pathetic. It hurts me to even write these words.

The new NMFC is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

 

[Roscoe_G]

Didn't Hardwick absolutely poleaxe Johnny Blakey in the middle of the ground, first bounce from memory, in a massive Bombers v Roos night game back in the 90's?

I think it was him. At that moment I wanted to leap the fence and rip his arms off! Unless of course it was Mr Sunbury? Either way, I felt the same about both of them back then!

It was Jason Johnson. To take out a player of Blakey's stature and quality in such a way chilled me deeply, hence my recollection.

 

[Horace]

It was Jason Johnson. To take out a player of Blakey's stature and quality in such a way chilled me deeply, hence my recollection.

My memory is that it was Mark Johnson. Maybe he is not Mr. Sunbury, I might have that wrong. Jason Johnson was a tough nut but not the sort of bloke who took out opposition players while they were not looking.

 

[Roscoe_G]

My memory is that it was Mark Johnson. Maybe he is not Mr. Sunbury, I might have that wrong. Jason Johnson was a tough nut but not the sort of bloke who took out opposition players while they were not looking.

Hi Horace,

It was J Johnson. I just confirmed it via youtube, though will not post the link so as to re-live a shocking moment.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Hi Horace,

It was J Johnson. I just confirmed it via youtube, though will not post the link so as to re-live a shocking moment.

I remembered it as the 2000 preseason final, smoke had just cleared from the fireworks and Essendon were fired up to make North pay for their humiliating end to 1999. Possibly the peak of my hatred for that club to see Blakey ironed out. I have a vague meory of Maxfield doing the same to Blakey ina game against the Swans and never could see him again as anything other than a sniping little twerp. Blakey was such a model player.

Anyway, I can't let old rivalries interfere with how I'll feel about a new coach, as I really want a fresh pair of eyes and with that comes overlooking having once wished the guy, whichever it is, significant injury.

 

[Roscoe_G]

I remembered it as the 2000 preseason final, smoke had just cleared from the fireworks and Essendon were fired up to make North pay for their humiliating end to 1999. Possibly the peak of my hatred for that club to see Blakey ironed out. I have a vague meory of Maxfield doing the same to Blakey ina game against the Swans and never could see him again as anything other than a sniping little twerp. Blakey was such a model player.

Anyway, I can't let old rivalries interfere with how I'll feel about a new coach, as I really want a fresh pair of eyes and with that comes overlooking having once wished the guy, whichever it is, significant injury.

Great post. I do concede I felt some inner pleasure every time I saw J Johnson cop one following the Blakey incident. There was no more honest or noble warrior than John Blakey, and to see him strewn on the turf made the blood boil.

 

[macka11]

My memory was it happened during Blakeys 300th game.
Terrible night for the man.

Blakeys 300th was against West Coast

 

[tazaa]

Blakeys 300th was against West Coast

was it a nyt game we lost?

 

[Horace]

Hi Horace,

It was J Johnson. I just confirmed it via youtube, though will not post the link so as to re-live a shocking moment.

Thanks Roscoe, and to think I have harboured dark thoughts about Mark Johnson all this time.

It was a sickening sight and I think it threw the whole team that game.

John Blakey is one of my all time favourites and to see him knocked out in that manner was truly horrific.

 

[bellzy]

Hee hee .. too true!

This is simply unbelievable. A mediocre ex-thug in Hardwick is supposedly our best roll of the dice? Such a proud club, such a proud history ... now here we are re-signing David Hale, and now apparently clamouring to sign Damian Hardwick.

Attention: Brayshaw and Arocca .. you are making this bed, and you will indeed lie in it!

Mate just out of pure curiosity, who'd be your preferred candidate?

I (along with 99% of the people on this forum whether they like to admit it or not) have NO idea what one person brings that another doesn't, etc etc.

Personally, I can't see what more someone would want than an assistant coach who's literally just won a premiership, with lets face it, a good list, not a great one.

 

[Roosurgence]

Off Topic....

I thought Blakey's 300th was against Hawthorn at the "G"?

I thought he got knocked out in the first quarter and we got belted by Hawthorn (who were crap at the time)?

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Mate just out of pure curiosity, who'd be your preferred candidate?

I (along with 99% of the people on this forum whether they like to admit it or not) have NO idea what one person brings that another doesn't, etc etc.

Personally, I can't see what more someone would want than an assistant coach who's literally just won a premiership, with lets face it, a good list, not a great one.

Wasn't Sheedy a mediocre ex-thug once?

 

[Roscoe_G]

was it a nyt game we lost?

Just to clarify and confirm, it was a night grand final.

 

[Roscoe_G]

Mate just out of pure curiosity, who'd be your preferred candidate?

I (along with 99% of the people on this forum whether they like to admit it or not) have NO idea what one person brings that another doesn't, etc etc.

Personally, I can't see what more someone would want than an assistant coach who's literally just won a premiership, with lets face it, a good list, not a great one.

As per previous detailed posts (in the Crocker huddle thread), my preferred candidate is Crocker. Your reasoning on Hardwick is quite good, but personally I'd still prefer Crocker.

 

[Roscoe_G]

Wasn't Sheedy a mediocre ex-thug once?

Indeed he was. And Leigh Matthews was a premium one.

In any case, Crocker is my preferred coach for the next 2 seasons. To see him in that huddle after the Melbourne win, head gleaming, belting out "Hearts to hearts...", warmed the heart and allowed me to conceive of a better place for North down the track.

 

[bellzy]

Wasn't Sheedy a mediocre ex-thug once?

Wasn't JYD a mediocre ex-thug once?

As per previous detailed posts (in the Crocker huddle thread), my preferred candidate is Crocker. Your reasoning on Hardwick is quite good, but personally I'd still prefer Crocker.

Fair enough mate, just interested.

Cheers.

 

[hilly]

Indeed he was. And Leigh Matthews was a premium one.

In any case, Crocker is my preferred coach for the next 2 seasons. To see him in that huddle after the Melbourne win, head gleaming, belting out "Hearts to hearts...", warmed the heart and allowed me to conceive of a better place for North down the track.

Are you related to him or something?

 

[Roscoe_G]

Are you related to him or something?

Hee hee .. that's a tad harsh!

No, most certainly not a relative. But I was a fan in his playing days, and think him worthy of a shot at the top job. He has served a very reasonable apprenticeship, has good football nous, a seemingly tremendous rapport with the players and staff and, of course, the magic soup!

 

[The Other Dean]

Hee hee .. that's a tad harsh!

No, most certainly not a relative. But I was a fan in his playing days, and think him worthy of a shot at the top job. He has served a very reasonable apprenticeship, has good football nous, a seemingly tremendous rapport with the players and staff and, of course, the magic soup!

I heard it was more of a Crock pot.

 

[Roscoe_G]

I heard it was more of a Crock pot.

Excellent work Dean!

Here's one for the stalwarts .... Does anyone here recall Crocker's first touch in senior football?

 

[DarwinRoo]

Wasn't JYD a mediocre ex-thug once?

Fair enough mate, just interested.

Cheers.

If you can call a bloke who finished 4th in our B&F 2 years in a row mediocre then yeah he was.

 

[Roscoe_G]

If you can call a bloke who finished 4th in our B&F 2 years in a row mediocre then yeah he was.

Agree. Laidley was tough and uncompromising, and certainly not mediocre. He was at worst mid-range in our best 90's teams.

 

[Kimbo]

No homecoming for Hardwick

By Katrina Gill 2:49 PM Fri 14 August, 2009


PORT Adelaide coach Mark Williams says it is unlikely former premiership player Damien Hardwick will return to the club as an assistant coach.

Hardwick met with Port Adelaide officials in Adelaide last week and it is believed the club was trying to lure the highly-regarded assistant to the club by offering him a Collingwood-type "succession plan" to take over the job from Williams.

But Williams (whose contract expires in 2011) said Hardwick was ready to take a senior coaching job immediately after serving as an assistant at Hawthorn for more than four years.

“Damien is very qualified for that [senior] position. We love him at Port Adelaide and if the opportunity arises [to get Hardwick to Alberton] that would be great,” Williams said.

“But I’m thinking Damien’s looking at senior coaching positions at the moment and currently, as I read it, this one [at Port Adelaide] is not available.”

Port has a vacancy for an assistant coach on their panel after part-time midfield mentor Tony McGuinness informed the club he was unable to fill the newly-created full-time role next season.

Hardwick is currently in the running for senior coaching positions at both North Melbourne and Richmond and Williams said he was resigned to the fact the Hawthorn assistant would be at the helm of another club in 2010.

 

[windsock]

Excellent work Dean!

Here's one for the stalwarts .... Does anyone here recall Crocker's first touch in senior football?

Not sure if it was his first touch but he took a hanger in the goal square at the Punt Rd end of the ground in his first match. Went back and missed the goal from five metres out. The game ended in a draw.