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Finals hopes fade as Kangaroos exposed, again
Mike Sheahan | June 30, 2008 12:00am
"WHERE's the respect?" the North Melbourne faithful barked all week after the win over Hawthorn. Respect, I'm afraid, isn't dispensed on a week-to-week basis.
It is earned over an extended period. North will get respect when it deserves respect.
A win over Hawthorn obviously is an achievement, and great for bragging rights.
Those bragging rights, though, are as meaningful as last week's AFL Record when the win is sandwiched between losses to Fremantle and St Kilda.
After 14 rounds, North is 10th, with six wins and a draw, and a percentage of 93.97. After winning five of its first nine, and drawing another.
The Roos surprised everyone except themselves in the 2007 home-and-away series. Since then, they have blown all the credits.
Starting with the finals campaign last year, they have won seven of 17 games, with one draw.
The average losing margin in the nine losses is 45 points.
In that period, the Roos have travelled six times, winning once: beating West Coast by six points on the Gold Coast.
In the old days, you could schedule them to play anywhere in the country, any time of day and know they wouldn't whinge and they would be competitive.
North led by five goals in the second quarter at Carrara Saturday night and by four midway through the third.
It also was gifted a goal in the final term from a St Kilda interchange infraction, yet ended up beaten by 15 points and out of the eight.
The Saints failed to kick a goal in the first quarter and kicked just two in the third quarter. They should have been out of business at three-quarter time, but North couldn't put them away.
Finally, inevitably, St Kilda's senior group, headed by skipper Nick Riewoldt, issued a challenge.
The better players grew in stature during the night and dominated late in the game as St Kilda added 6.5 to 1.4 in the final term.
North just doesn't kick enough goals. For the fourth time this year, it failed to kick 10 in a game.
This time, not one from Nathan Thompson and Corey Jones, the club's leading goalkickers of the past two seasons.
Dean Laidley has promised to shake up the group. He has run out of patience; some of his men surely have run out of time.
The Roos are just two premiership points out of the eight and will beat Port Adelaide in Round 15, but they will need to do more than that to win back universal respect.
St Kilda has climbed into the eight with successive wins and there are encouraging signs, with Riewoldt growing in confidence, and Leigh Montagna, Nick Dal Santo and Justin Koschitzke, all critical in the structure, looking better.
The Saints play Carlton after the break in the game that will place the winner a game clear of the other.
The Blues overran Richmond at the MCG on Saturday with a seven-goal last quarter.
No Judd and only a modest contribution from Fevola, who kicked four yet was beaten by Kelvin Moore.
The Tigers, who went into the game with a sniff of finals in their nostrils, fell apart.
They just don't have a player with the presence, physically and mentally, to lead the way when the heat is on in a tight final quarter.
Matty Richardson can inspire with his brilliance, but there's no Jonathan Brown or Luke Hodge or Brad Johnson or Tom Harley or Scott Burns to set the tone.
While Moore, Brett Deledio and Trent Cotchin did their best, they were let down by their far more experienced teammates.
Nathan Brown with six behinds, Troy Simmonds a mere shadow of the ruckman who started the season in such promising fashion, Richo shut down by Jarrad Waite until he went down with a hamstring strain.
Cotchin looks a beauty and his progress is even more exciting considering his interrupted preparation.
Mitch Morton and Cleve Hughes also underlined their promise, but, bottom line, the Tigers aren't ready to play with the big boys just yet.
Much more to like about Carlton, which has won seven of its past 11.
Whether the Blues are ready to play finals remains to be seen, but beat St Kilda next up and it's a distinct possibility.
Mike Sheahan | June 30, 2008 12:00am
"WHERE's the respect?" the North Melbourne faithful barked all week after the win over Hawthorn. Respect, I'm afraid, isn't dispensed on a week-to-week basis.
It is earned over an extended period. North will get respect when it deserves respect.
A win over Hawthorn obviously is an achievement, and great for bragging rights.
Those bragging rights, though, are as meaningful as last week's AFL Record when the win is sandwiched between losses to Fremantle and St Kilda.
After 14 rounds, North is 10th, with six wins and a draw, and a percentage of 93.97. After winning five of its first nine, and drawing another.
The Roos surprised everyone except themselves in the 2007 home-and-away series. Since then, they have blown all the credits.
Starting with the finals campaign last year, they have won seven of 17 games, with one draw.
The average losing margin in the nine losses is 45 points.
In that period, the Roos have travelled six times, winning once: beating West Coast by six points on the Gold Coast.
In the old days, you could schedule them to play anywhere in the country, any time of day and know they wouldn't whinge and they would be competitive.
North led by five goals in the second quarter at Carrara Saturday night and by four midway through the third.
It also was gifted a goal in the final term from a St Kilda interchange infraction, yet ended up beaten by 15 points and out of the eight.
The Saints failed to kick a goal in the first quarter and kicked just two in the third quarter. They should have been out of business at three-quarter time, but North couldn't put them away.
Finally, inevitably, St Kilda's senior group, headed by skipper Nick Riewoldt, issued a challenge.
The better players grew in stature during the night and dominated late in the game as St Kilda added 6.5 to 1.4 in the final term.
North just doesn't kick enough goals. For the fourth time this year, it failed to kick 10 in a game.
This time, not one from Nathan Thompson and Corey Jones, the club's leading goalkickers of the past two seasons.
Dean Laidley has promised to shake up the group. He has run out of patience; some of his men surely have run out of time.
The Roos are just two premiership points out of the eight and will beat Port Adelaide in Round 15, but they will need to do more than that to win back universal respect.
St Kilda has climbed into the eight with successive wins and there are encouraging signs, with Riewoldt growing in confidence, and Leigh Montagna, Nick Dal Santo and Justin Koschitzke, all critical in the structure, looking better.
The Saints play Carlton after the break in the game that will place the winner a game clear of the other.
The Blues overran Richmond at the MCG on Saturday with a seven-goal last quarter.
No Judd and only a modest contribution from Fevola, who kicked four yet was beaten by Kelvin Moore.
The Tigers, who went into the game with a sniff of finals in their nostrils, fell apart.
They just don't have a player with the presence, physically and mentally, to lead the way when the heat is on in a tight final quarter.
Matty Richardson can inspire with his brilliance, but there's no Jonathan Brown or Luke Hodge or Brad Johnson or Tom Harley or Scott Burns to set the tone.
While Moore, Brett Deledio and Trent Cotchin did their best, they were let down by their far more experienced teammates.
Nathan Brown with six behinds, Troy Simmonds a mere shadow of the ruckman who started the season in such promising fashion, Richo shut down by Jarrad Waite until he went down with a hamstring strain.
Cotchin looks a beauty and his progress is even more exciting considering his interrupted preparation.
Mitch Morton and Cleve Hughes also underlined their promise, but, bottom line, the Tigers aren't ready to play with the big boys just yet.
Much more to like about Carlton, which has won seven of its past 11.
Whether the Blues are ready to play finals remains to be seen, but beat St Kilda next up and it's a distinct possibility.
