- Apr 29, 2009
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- North Melbourne
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- Waterford GAA, Glenorchy, Hob (BBL)
Jason Dunstall summarised it perfectly during the broadcast - "they find ways not to execute". Twice in the space of a few minutes, we turn it over kicking sideways - far more often than that, we go for a handball too many, a sidestep too many, a short pass too many, and squander whatever opportunities we've actually worked to open up (or get lucky, like Mahony's first quarter goal - messed it up about five times but somehow still got the score).
That is, of course, during the periods where we actually had some degree of control over the play... it's hard to take much from a game where the standard is that abysmally low, but we were nowhere near it in the first quarter and the fact we were only a goal down says a lot about how Collingwood were playing. Really encouraging patch of play to get us back into it at the start of the second half, and like the first half against Melbourne last week it's obvious just how much this side lifts when they have enthusiasm and confidence (and, as we saw in the Adelaide game and elsewhere, just how far we slump when that confidence is dented...) - but we certainly can't rely on that kind of buzz consistently, just like we couldn't sustain the aggressive physicality mindset under Shaw, and when we don't have that we keep messing up the basics, not being set up to execute those basic structures anyway, and so trying to pull off unlikely and absurd moves instead which is how things come unstuck. So whilst it was such a poor match that it's hard to take much that's meaningful from it, I do think it's concerning just how poor we actually were for the majority of this match.
I don't think a discussion on this match can be had without mentioning what might be the most inept display of umpiring I've seen in the league. Shot for goal? Deliberate out of bounds. Smother without moving towards the opponent's legs whatsoever? Forceful contact below the knees. Protected area rule? Exists when Collingwood players have a mark/free kick, but not when North players do. Repeated headscratcher calls/non-calls both ways on holding the man and holding the ball. Genuinely had no idea when they would pay something or not, which never indicates great officiating... just adds to yet another frustrating football game to watch.
That is, of course, during the periods where we actually had some degree of control over the play... it's hard to take much from a game where the standard is that abysmally low, but we were nowhere near it in the first quarter and the fact we were only a goal down says a lot about how Collingwood were playing. Really encouraging patch of play to get us back into it at the start of the second half, and like the first half against Melbourne last week it's obvious just how much this side lifts when they have enthusiasm and confidence (and, as we saw in the Adelaide game and elsewhere, just how far we slump when that confidence is dented...) - but we certainly can't rely on that kind of buzz consistently, just like we couldn't sustain the aggressive physicality mindset under Shaw, and when we don't have that we keep messing up the basics, not being set up to execute those basic structures anyway, and so trying to pull off unlikely and absurd moves instead which is how things come unstuck. So whilst it was such a poor match that it's hard to take much that's meaningful from it, I do think it's concerning just how poor we actually were for the majority of this match.
I don't think a discussion on this match can be had without mentioning what might be the most inept display of umpiring I've seen in the league. Shot for goal? Deliberate out of bounds. Smother without moving towards the opponent's legs whatsoever? Forceful contact below the knees. Protected area rule? Exists when Collingwood players have a mark/free kick, but not when North players do. Repeated headscratcher calls/non-calls both ways on holding the man and holding the ball. Genuinely had no idea when they would pay something or not, which never indicates great officiating... just adds to yet another frustrating football game to watch.
