Preview Round 8, 2023: North Melbourne v St.Kilda - Marvel Stadium, Sunday 7th May, 4:40PM AEST

[11men1cup]

Won't be surprised if King's listed as a test this week. We really need that forward target.

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[bird_man]

The player most likely to influence the way North play is Harley Reid. Sadly for them West Coast also had a percentage booster on the weekend.
Clarko was way too chilled , and happy in his post match interview , which was odd , considering his team just got belted. I think if we bring in our best tackler (Jones) and our most physical player (billings) and keep that ball magnet (Cordy) in the side , we might be able to compete with them.

Thought the spoon was a one horse race with the way Hawthorns off season went but it seems West Coast and North as desperate for that pick

 

[Mavefromdelburn]

And this is why its not Membreys fault

Didn't say it was his fault

 

[bird_man]

Dropping this game would be the kind of loss that could unravel the season, especially with having to play Adelaide away the next week

Just need to turn up and get the job done convincingly

 

[Mowman]

Dropping this game would be the kind of loss that could unravel the season, especially with having to play Adelaide away the next week

Just need to turn up and get the job done convincingly

Play like we have every game this year and we will get the job done

Don't think we beat the Crows

 

[bird_man]

Play like we have every game this year and we will get the job done

Don't think we beat the Crows

Crows have been very impressive. Still think they are beatable but clearly you'd have to be at your best over there

 

[bird_man]

We play 7 games on the run home against the current bottom 4 sides

 

[AirWinmar]

This may be unpopular but I don't think we've looked as good since Skunk came back in.
Not that he's been bad directly - he has actually been quite good in my opinion - but it has changed our method i50 as I thought it may.
We looked like the Saints of old a little against Port with dump bombs i50 to packs, just for Aliir or Finlayson to pick them off repeatedly.
It felt like we were creatively manufacturing different avenues to goal earlier in the year, and the last couple of games we've bombed much more.
I'm excited for King to comeback don't get me wrong, there's no way he doesn't make us better, but I'd hate to see us just revert and dump it to him or Membrey in a pack of 6 constantly.

Also our mids need a rocket (as good as Crouch has been), cannot get beaten like that by a young kid and SPP.

I think it's more that Caminiti is out and we don't have a legit key forward playing, which makes it very difficult for Members and Owens. You need a key forward in to take a couple of players and then Members can get going. Seemed to have about 3 players on him everytime we kicked it to him

 

[gringo2011]

I think it's more that Caminiti is out and we don't have a legit key forward playing, which makes it very difficult for Members and Owens. You need a key forward in to take a couple of players and then Members can get going. Seemed to have about 3 players on him everytime we kicked it to him

They set up like we do with a defensive line parked so that you either kick to about 60-70 meters out ...where you take a low percentage shot or have to send the ball into congestion behind that line. We couldn't get hold of the ball within scoring range. That's when a tall marking forward is super handy. Cordy just isn't that and he was our only option. Owens was the closest we had because he can genuinely compete in the air and take a true contested mark.

 

[Diehard Saint]

I think it's more that Caminiti is out and we don't have a legit key forward playing, which makes it very difficult for Members and Owens. You need a key forward in to take a couple of players and then Members can get going. Seemed to have about 3 players on him everytime we kicked it to him

Will he come straight back in I wonder?
King in this week to shake off the cobwebs hopefully, and then King, Caminiti and Membrey against the Crows?
Only problem I can see with that is they wouldn’t have all played together ever so the communication could be a bit off.
Owens into the midfield.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

Would be nice to go into the bye 8-3

 

[Mavefromdelburn]

Would be nice to go into the bye 8-3

I've seen this script before...

We've got a decent run at it though, hopefully we make the most of it.

 

[gringo2011]

I'm still haunted by the Good Friday Massacre they inflicted on us. One loss and I'm already feeling like someone has loosened all of our wheel nuts.

 

[Saintbloke]

Bring in Sharman- we need forwards, and some kind of marking options, and need to do something about our poor efficiency in the forward half. North are not great opposition, so time to take a couple of risks.

 

[my name was taken]

We play 7 games on the run home against the current bottom 4 sides

Plus 2 against Suns and Giants. They're away games but a serious top side closes those out.

 

[botts]

Bring in Sharman- we need forwards, and some kind of marking options, and need to do something about our poor efficiency in the forward half. North are not great opposition, so time to take a couple of risks.

Might be a good idea. Sharman I reckon can do what ever chordy can’t.

 

[malevu]

Bring in Sharman- we need forwards, and some kind of marking options, and need to do something about our poor efficiency in the forward half. North are not great opposition, so time to take a couple of risks.

I worry for Sharman's future. With a forward line stuck together with bandaids he still seems miles away in player discussion. If he can't get a game at the moment what chance does he have when King, Caminiti, Hayes, Billings, Jones etc are up and about? The idea of turning him into a winger might have been worth a try but he's not Mason Wood. Different skill sets.

 

[malevu]

Someone said he's the most subbed off player in the AFL this year. He had 1 touch in 3 quarters or something last night. To me he barely even competes, borderline liability and we should instead add a running player and stop bombing it into the 50 all game like we seemed to do last night.

If we're smarter with our entry and get the ball to ground then we'll be fine IMO

Before this round Cordy has been subbed off 3 times, the most in the AFL for non injury reasons. It's now 4 from 7. If he's not dropped this week then he's definitely RTB's new poster boy.

He's the stats after round 6 -
AFL's most subbed: How clubs are using 2023's substitute rule - AFL's most subbed: How clubs are using 2023's substitute rule

 

[Geezington]

Need to give mitchito and windhager ago as inside mids, mitchito especially he got 19 contested touches as a forward ffs I don’t think the kamakazi has gotten an uncontested touch his whole life!!! Out Paton forever bloke will cost us a final one day with his fumbling and turnovers late in the game

 

[Mowman]

Need to give mitchito and windhager ago as inside mids, mitchito especially he got 19 contested touches as a forward ffs I don’t think the kamakazi has gotten an uncontested touch his whole life!!! Out Paton forever bloke will cost us a final one day with his fumbling and turnovers late in the game

Owens should be that midfielder beast we need

 

[Sully111]

Owens should be that midfielder beast we need

I'm going to keep harping on about this til it happens.

Clear as the nose on your face.

We've been bullied a bit in the midfield.

 

[Geezington]

If Ross doesn’t figure it out by round 9 they should terminate his contract

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

Owens should be that midfielder beast we need

I'm going to keep harping on about this til it happens.

Clear as the nose on your face.

We've been bullied a bit in the midfield.

Still remember this article from last year when Owens was beating Steele in midfield contests Out from the skipper's shadow: Owens ready to make his own name

 

[St Kilda Death]

Think Owens is tied up in the forwardline until we find more contest there.

Luxury to make him mid,
Despite not dominating midfield, we have crouch and seb very capable mid and near useless as forwards.
Windhager and bytel lined up too.

Forwardline we have good smalls to crumb/pressure Higgins/butler/Gresh/hill
Without king we lack the ability to contest in the air.

Cordy failing.
Even skunk is not someone who takes pack marks.

 

[Sully111]

Cordy has obviously been set a task by Ross that he's executing. Clearly it's not about marks or possessions.