Preview Round 1 2023: North v WC, at Marvel 1:45pm Saturday March 18

[koshari]

some interesting selections,
bonar over young and dawson,
turner named on ball,
X starting ruck with goldy emergency.

 

[Waynesworld]

It's true, Goldy does struggle in the heat as evidenced by the game against the Bulldogs a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not convinced that this is true, Clarko didn't give him a long enough stint to even get him warmed up against the Dogs.

 

[The Nostradamus]

I’m surprised we have been conservative on Corr after playing 2 vfl matches and being best on he should be ready

 

[berniemccarthy]

Thank you. Took almost 10 pages for someone to mention this.

Has anyone seen Darling play? Yes he's a tall but he does his best work at ground level. Like buddy he barely takes a mark above his head. While I'd prefer dawson and Corr over Bonar, i see the logic behind it.

Al clearly sees something in Bonar. He may be trying to turn him into North's version of Gibson or Sicily. Both played taller in Hawthorn's backline and are only 189cm.

This is correct. Get all his marks on the lead. Bonar will be able to keep up. Dawson on the bench if it all goes **** up.

 

[Roo Beauty]

I thought it was pretty obvious that Goldy is being managed to start the year.

He was rested against the Tigers and played 42% of the game against the Dogs when typically he is one of the team’s highest TOG% players of the last decade. On the ‘Inner North’ episode he and Cunners even joked about him needing a recliner chair on the bench because he was going to spend the majority of the game there.

Clearly in 37°C heat and with no Nic Nat for West Coast the club saw it as a good opportunity to continue to ease him into the year and run with one ruck. He’s an emergency because if something happens to X pre-game he’s the only other AFL quality ruckman fit.

I’d say he misses a few more games this year. 11+ years of barley missing will eventually catch up.

 

[Sillygit]

I thought it was pretty obvious that Goldy is being managed to start the year.

He was rested against the Tigers and played 42% of the game against the Dogs when typically he is one of the team’s highest TOG% players of the last decade. On the ‘Inner North’ episode he and Cunners even joked about him needing a recliner chair on the bench because he was going to spend the majority of the game there.

Clearly in 37°C heat and with no Nic Nat for West Coast the club saw it as a good opportunity to continue to ease him into the year and run with one ruck. He’s an emergency because if something happens to X pre-game he’s the only other AFL quality ruckman fit.

I’d say he misses a few more games this year. 11+ years of barley missing will eventually catch up.

All of that makes perfect sense, but honestly even if it was just a ploy to make sure his 300th doesnt happen in the adelaide round id still be 100% behind it.

 

[franjon]

Phillips hasn't exactly demanded a spot over pre season
Greenwood has had a very good pre season up until his little setback, if he plays R1 ahead of Phillips I can't see how it's a massive backwards step for us as a club.

Phillips has plenty of time left to demand a spot.

Yeah, agree with that.

He was shut out of the game a bit too easily against Footscray albeit on Liberatore but he's going to be playing on those types regularly at AFL level. He has the goods, but he's not quite there yet.

 

[Hojuman]

Yeah, agree with that.

He was shut out of the game a bit too easily against Footscray albeit on Liberatore but he's going to be playing on those types regularly at AFL level. He has the goods, but he's not quite there yet.

Hardly played for 2 years, covid x 2, glandular fever, 37dgC day. Injury sub ?
Nah. Will, 4q in the VFL, get the miles in son. Not far away.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Oh I like it , no Perez amd no Phillips.
Greenwood is in and al Clarko is going with his preferred shorter backline model.
Goldy a bit of a shock but yeah Xerri can make it his own.
Maybe we’ll off load McKay.

North by 45 .
A canter I tell yas.

Love you al

I've said this before. I hope you are the accurate one.

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

Clarko's history suggests he values

1. good kicking skills in the backline
2. competitive/hard working midfield
3. dynamic forward line

If you look at the selections this week it has that ring about it

1. Miller Bergman - nice kicking style
2. Greenwood/Xerri - our hardest working mid and a 'tougher' type ruck
3. Curtis Taylor

5

Curtis Taylor

Age

24

Ht

188cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

No current season stats available

D

6.0

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

- offers X factor

Some of the players selected might not be 'best 22' in most peoples minds - but for Clarko its probably more about getting his mind around the type of player he needs and he is going to give them a chance to show there wares.

 

[Shermanator]

Gee, Jack at CHB has me worried.

Simmo’s gameplan is to move the ball at pace so our backline will see plenty of footy.

Jack has lost another yard of pace, Darling will be too quick for him on the lead and Oscar Allen

12

Oscar Allen

Age

25

Ht

196cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

2.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.2

4star

has a foot on him..

Our backline has been ordinary for 5 years (and Griff aside) it hasn’t got much better..

 

[Tas]

Too many negative Nancies, at least let us wait for us to play a shit game before we start to pot everyone.

 

[shintemaster]

Thank you. Took almost 10 pages for someone to mention this.

Has anyone seen Darling play? Yes he's a tall but he does his best work at ground level. Like buddy he barely takes a mark above his head. While I'd prefer dawson and Corr over Bonar, i see the logic behind it.

Al clearly sees something in Bonar. He may be trying to turn him into North's version of Gibson or Sicily. Both played taller in Hawthorn's backline and are only 189cm.

Agree. Got to back Al in and let him sort through the list... although to be fair every time I've seen Sicily tasked with genuinely minding a tall player he's been obliterated. He's not a stopper. It's about a list and system, not a single player.

 

[Kangas_11]

Wild thought, but could Clarko be considering using Goldy as the sub?

Bring him on with fresh legs in the 3rd and he might give 1.5 qtrs of domination against the 2x eagles rucks.

 

[The acurate one]

I've said this before. I hope you are the accurate one.

oh don't doubt it buddy as acurate as a Mexican Rolex.

 

[Cool Kangas]

I understand what you are feeling, but don’t share it. Maybe I’ll never quite get over the near-death experience we all went through with the Gold Coast push, but the thrill of having my team to watch hasn’t even started to get old, no matter what happens out there. Also I was genuinely pessimistic most weeks even through the 90s, so heading along with nervous anticipation about the result is just part of going to the football for me!

I get it and I’m forever grateful to have a footy team of our own to support but over the last few years it just feels like we’re making up the numbers of a competition. We’re constantly roasted in the media to the point of it being their favourite sport - more than actually talking about footy; the relocation talk STILL comes up which is just bewildering; we’re always speculated about around good players leaving; and the fact that I no longer have nervous anticipation before a game but just resignation of losing or worse being smashed, is awful. Contrary to my ramblings on this site I used to always be such an excited and optimistic footy supporter. Now it’s just pessimism and I don’t like being like that about the sport I love.

 

[zoomba23]

Gee, Jack at CHB has me worried.

Simmo’s gameplan is to move the ball at pace so our backline will see plenty of footy.

Jack has lost another yard of pace, Darling will be too quick for him on the lead and Oscar Allen has a foot on him..

Our backline has been ordinary for 5 years (and Griff aside) it hasn’t got much better..

Bonar on Darling could be ok. In his good games last year, and there were good games despite what some are saying, his closing speed and spoiling was noticeable. I'd still feel more comfortable with Dawson but it is what it is

 

[HBFlanker]

Logue - Allen (Disappointed with this, as Griff would be great to try and free up throughout the day, but this has to happen)
Mcdonald - Darling
Bonar - Ryan (Nervous)

Ziebell as loose as we can get him all day. Cant really have him playing on anyone.

Theres genuinely 6 blokes out of our best team here:

Hall
Mckay
Goldstein
Phillips
Thomas
Corr

 

[Horizons_00]

Curtis Taylor

5

Curtis Taylor

Age

24

Ht

188cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

No current season stats available

D

6.0

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

hasn’t done much to be selected

 

[The Nostradamus]

Curtis Taylor hasn’t done much to be selected

bailey scott has done less over 2 prac games

taylor was one of our best in the vfl prac game last week

 

[Mixed Results]

Curtis Taylor

5

Curtis Taylor

Age

24

Ht

188cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

No current season stats available

D

6.0

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

is one that I'm excited to watch. We haven't seen much of him this preseason, but his inclusion this week suggests that Clarko is a fan.

So far it looks like Clarkson's coaching philosophy is that the rotating wing should come from the half back line. From the practice matches, we can assume that Clarko's wing rotation on Saturday will likely be 80% Scott, 80% Shiels and 40% Goater.

This means that Taylor will play as a permanent half-forward after spending the last two years on the wing. I think most wouldn't be surprised to learn that half-forward is his best position, as the wing experiment was always questionable for a dangerous player without elite running power. Anyways, I'm excited to see how it goes.

 

[tales129]

Jamie Cripps

15

Jamie Cripps

Age

32

Ht

184cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

4.8

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

3.9

5star

G

1.3

5star

D

10.3

3star

K

6.3

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.4

3star

G

0.4

3star

D

6.4

2star

K

4.2

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

1.0

1star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.4

5star

will have a field day with that backline

 

[shintemaster]

Quite a few unexpected selections. Quite a few I would not have chosen. I am really heartened by this though as our team has a lot of experimenting to do to find the unexpected synergies which will be in there. I think this board has great collective wisdom about the best way to pick a best conventional team from our squad, and this team is not that. It reeks of a coach who is excited with new charges, comfortable and confident. It looks like Clarko has a thing he wants to try, and he is ******* well going to try it. We will learn a lot one way or the other, and learn it fast. It makes me feel more excited for the week and frankly for the future.

That said there are a few things which terrify me, chief among them the idea of X going down, leaving Chom and Logue to split that work between them. Especially with the extra bench spot I would definitely have opted for two ruckman, heat be dammed.

Didn't think Taylor was quite there, didn't think we'd risk Zurharr, thought we'd take a chance on Corr, didn't think Goldy needed to bust a nut in the preseason to be a walk up start, didn't think we'd opt for Bergman in R1, thought WhiPhi did more than enough over praccies, thought Dawson was likely after McKay, and would have been a cert without Corr.

The other thing is that, given the surprises at the selection table, you've got to think oppo plans will be under pressure too. So that's also a big positive. Let's get this new era started!

I wouldn't have said exactly the same but, yeah, kind of completely agree.

It's exciting to see selection that challenges some, not all, of our assumptions. It's fun to see a team selected that appears to have an eye on the now and an eye on the work that needs to be resolved before we hit trade and draft period at the end of the season. It's interesting to see a team selected that recognises that we'll be playing football on one of the hottest days in living football memory and appears to be intentionally backing run, hard working and a touch more mid aged experience over raw talent.

It's exciting to see Twinkletoes managing to sneak in another reference to Annabelle Chong, arguably he's more experienced with referencing her than the act which made her imfamous. I'm heading down the coast tonight and going to make a day of it tomorrow on the Ferry with the young man in tow who will no doubt be super excited and looking forward to catching up with all his favourites at the footy - KFC chips, footy chips and a worn down dad's grudging coke no zero as long as he doesn't tell mum when he gets home.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the game, I'm predicting a resounding North win before we famously go on to win every single game of the season against teams lower than us on the ladder at the time we play and lose every one to those above. Cos why not have a batshit theory to enjoy.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

I get it and I’m forever grateful to have a footy team of our own to support but over the last few years it just feels like we’re making up the numbers of a competition. We’re constantly roasted in the media to the point of it being their favourite sport - more than actually talking about footy; the relocation talk STILL comes up which is just bewildering; we’re always speculated about around good players leaving; and the fact that I no longer have nervous anticipation before a game but just resignation of losing or worse being smashed, is awful. Contrary to my ramblings on this site I used to always be such an excited and optimistic footy supporter. Now it’s just pessimism and I don’t like being like that about the sport I love.

The past couple of years have broken my habit of paying any attention to the footy media, so that’s been a big plus.

 

[shintemaster]

This means that Taylor will play as a permanent half-forward after spending the last two years on the wing. I think most wouldn't be surprised to learn that half-forward is his best position, as the wing experiment was always questionable for a dangerous player without elite running power. Anyways, I'm excited to see how it goes.

I think this will be interesting as well. I too haven't been convinced that was his best position. He works bloody hard on field, so a high-ish half forward with neat skills that puts his body on the line and runs until he looks like a beetroot is something to work with. Many of us have spent years sighing in frustration when players like Turner played defensive forward with no real risk of goals - maybe this will be a better solution.