Autopsy The annihilations continue v suns

[shintemaster]

Pies won a flag with virtually 1 KPF but it suits their gameplan. Quick ball movement, kick to 1-1 goal side.

Atm I don’t know what our gameplan is, saw a bit of chip chip, then just reckless kicking forward, bit of slow play, kick down the right wing, then some long kicking to Larkey 1-3.

We have no talls, so we need to play similar to the pies, have to take the game on more, run to advantage, kick to 1–1’s, overlap handball.

Looks like exactly what they tried to do until beaten by a more experienced team on the day in Fremantle - then just shut up shop and went into their shells.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Looks like exactly what they tried to do until beaten by a more experienced team on the day in Fremantle - then just shut up shop and went into their shells.

The mental fragility of this side should be the subject of an in depth study.

 

[Amicalola]

I would like to know if a team has willingly ignored KPFs as a player type for so long while being on the bottom of the ladder. Comparing Collingwood’s luxuries while they are good, contending and winning premierships to ours and noticing they only really play 1 KPF (despite always playing two tucks, two KPDs and having some of the best 30+ YO experience in the game in their midfield) is like comparing chalk and cheese.

We and Collingwood are also chalk and cheese when it comes to attracting good free agents.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

They are much more skilled than us, but importantly much more organised. I agree with you, we have neglected a 2nd tall forward. Hasn’t helped with Comben playing back, and CCJ not really working out. Hope Duursma works out cause we could’ve got Curtin.

How do we go about it then?

Actually draft a KPF with our draft hand.

Or, trade our draft hand for picks where KPFs will indicatively be found in the draft to maximise our hand.

 

[DuckYeah]

We and Collingwood are also chalk and cheese when it comes to attracting good free agents.

The difference between Collingwood and Us is they drafted a born leader from an AFL priority pick who has almost played 400 games.

 

[ansonholt]

Fitness.
Fix that and it will help. Not by much but surely it will achieve something. At the moment it is one of many ingredients of a horridly tasting meal that nobody who watches the club can digest.

To think some of us here predicted 4-6 wins this year. Maybe they meant quarters.

Never seen a worse performing team in the last 50 years in any sport, let alone the AFL.

Our forward entries and our accumulation of possessions are our biggest problem.

Or is it gameplan? Or cohesiveness? Or player development? Or intent? Or confidence?

It's all of the above. And there's no end in sight at the moment. Except the off season. We have 14 more rounds of pain to come. Including against Richmond.

The club needs to explain to me why I shouldn't end 30 years of paying them to be a member. I can't keep doing this to myself. I'm just about done. My mental health is more important to me than continuing to support this club hoping to see improvement, let alone a win.

This is not really happening, is it?

Ok. In the light of day, having slept on it, I'm not happy I posted this. There are many people trying their best and at the moment we're not good enough. In time, things can change.

A bit of luck here and there wouldn't hurt, though. A few handy free kicks when needed. The ball bouncing our way and sparking confidence in the right player or players at the right time. Suddenly we get a run on. And things turn around miraculously. It's not impossible.

Sorry I wrote what I wrote. In the light of day, I haven't and won't give up.

 

[koshari]

I realise there are many more factors than just list management to lay the blame, but I doubt there has been or ever will be a team that knowingly, willingly creates and plays a team of 22 players and only one is a KPF. Has it ever happened when a team has been so crap?

It is absolutely killing us. Last year our midfield was functioning and for the most part cared. But they had only one option to kick to. We sucked as a result of that. It is even worse now as our mids have checked out.

This is going on 5 years with only one target up forward. How the f*ck does this happen? How the f*ck does Clarko expect us to take any advantage of the measly opportunities when the only KPF pretty much relies on perfect delivery on the lead and hasn’t got a clue how to halve a contest if there is physical contact made?

Bigger issue is there is little he can do about it til we draft or develop a fwd tall

 

[Paddy_Mac]

Actually draft a KPF with our draft hand.

Or, trade our draft hand for picks where KPFs will indicatively be found in the draft to maximise our hand.

What do we do about now but? Midseason draft is a lottery. Sellers did SFA in the 1’s.

 

[Ligma]

Our fwds have 0 craft what so ever.

I don’t think I have ever seen one of our fwds put a block on for another since Tay Garner did it.

It doesn’t help that we just keep bombing it into the forward line either because we don’t know how to retain possession

 

[Samsquanch]

The below who featured last night have been in the AFL system for 8+ years:

Corr, McDonald, Tucker, Fisher, Zurhaar, Larkey, Greenwood

Downright embarrassing and negligence of the highest order that this bracket has reached this level of ineptitude.

I thought Greenwood was ok last night.

 

[DuckYeah]

Our fwds have 0 craft what so ever.

I don’t think I have ever seen one of our fwds put a block on for another since Tay Garner did it.

It doesn’t help that we just keep bombing it into the forward line either because we don’t know how to retain possession

The umpire would have their whistle in the mouths salivating the thought of paying block free kicks against us. A rule rarely paid but comes out time and time again vs us

 

[spurs]

Jen Watt
Sonja Hood
Brady Rawlings

I can understand Rawlings, but I thought Watt and Hood are doing a good job at holding us together when we are ****ed.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I thought Greenwood was ok last night.

I don’t want our senior players to be OK every now and then.

They need to be reliable and deliver quality performances over a sustained period.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Bigger issue is there is little he can do about it til we draft or develop a fwd tall

Which is why it should have happened 3-4 years ago.

Understandably, that isn’t all on him. But in the lead up in 2022 (??) when Clarkson is looking at our list and deciding to jump on board, why wouldn’t he aim to do something to bring in more forward talent. For Pete’s sake in his first years, Haethorn drafted a HOF star forward and another forward that would go on to kick bags of goals for fun. Did he not think that - based on past experience - that there was a massive hole that needed plugging at CHF?

The club will fully went in to build the midfield first approach thinking they could attract KPP along the way. Do they realise how naive that was?

 

[CBSlogger]

Underrated parts of this evening

Xerri having multiple opportunities to handball to our outside midfielders with space and time to work in, and choosing on each of those occasions to kick blindly into the ether onto the chest of a GCS player

Larkey getting four outed on every conceivable occasion because for whatever reason we still refuse to play another KPF down there to support him.

Spot on re Xerri, infuriatingly poor awareness and decision making.

But the Larkey one-out thing is top of the tree this week. In 10 ******* minutes last week Toby Pink, the dumbest sub selection of the entire AFL season, unexpectedly gave us the most compelling evidence we've seen of what a 2nd, even only half capable KPF does to help Larkey and improve our overall forward structure.

Then match committee abandoned it.

Insanity.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

What do we do about now but? Midseason draft is a lottery. Sellers did SFA in the 1’s.

We draft the best KPF we can at the MSD. Then we go again and draft the best KPF in the AFL draft.

Teams are constantly picking up KPF on a 1-2 year cycle because of how important they are and the low strike rate of them turning into good players.

We drafted 1 with pick 30 four and half years ago.

We drafted one with pick 73 seven years ago.

How is that acceptable?

 

[WesternRoo]

Our fwds have 0 craft what so ever.

I don’t think I have ever seen one of our fwds put a block on for another since Tay Garner did it.

It doesn’t help that we just keep bombing it into the forward line either because we don’t know how to retain possession

Agree.

Not having a second (or strong overhead 3rd) tall forward sees the ball not brought to ground at all or in dangerous spots.

The defenders simply have to push Larkey under the ball, then either mark or sweep it up behind him.

Zurhaar is out the door clearly and it’s time we moved Ford/Duursma/George into that role and tried Bull in defence or wing until he leaves.

 

[Engimal v3]

One of the criticism I heard Jason Dunstall talking about is our habit of over possessing the ball only to lead to a turnover, and I think this is a good example of that:



The ball passes through 11 different touch points before we end up turning it over. It's just an awful lot of wasted effort.

 

[Amicalola]

The difference between Collingwood and Us is they drafted a born leader from an AFL priority pick who has almost played 400 games.

That is part of the difference. Another part of the difference is they are good enough, and have a strong enough culture, to continue developing him. If we had drafted Nick Daicos, there is zero chance he'd be as good as he is now. That is my point when I feel pessimistic and don't think this will improve, and that we will fold. ****ing imagine what Sheezel would be if he went to a better team...

 

[Amicalola]

We draft the best KPF we can at the MSD. Then we go again and draft the best KPF in the AFL draft.

Teams are constantly picking up KPF on a 1-2 year cycle because of how important they are and the low strike rate of them turning into good players.

We drafted 1 with pick 30 four and half years ago.

We drafted one with pick 73 seven years ago.

How is that acceptable?

Drafting one now won't do us any favour. Jed Walter is a ****ing monster and I love him, but he didn't exactly set the world on fire last night. He (and any we draft) will take years to develop.

 

[Ardent Roo]

We and Collingwood are also chalk and cheese when it comes to attracting good free agents.

And that my friends, is the rub.

Trade and Free Agency for quality players is off the table for us. No one is walking into their manager's office and saying dammit get me to North Melbourne.

Low crowds, no leadership, 4 trips to nothingness in Hobart, there was nothing on the table before but it's almost totally done and dusted now. Our only avenue to improvement is the draft, all the while what quality senior players we do have will leave.

 

[Ardent Roo]

Drafting one now won't do us any favour. Jed Walter is a ******* monster and I love him, but he didn't exactly set the world on fire last night. He (and any we draft) will take years to develop.

Good luck with getting anyone via Trade or Free Agency. You're dreeeeeeaming.

 

[RooDave]

One of the criticism I heard Jason Dunstall talking about is our habit of over possessing the ball only to lead to a turnover, and I think this is a good example of that:
View attachment 1986773


The ball passes through 11 different touch points before we end up turning it over. It's just an awful lot of wasted effort.

This is exactly why North players are loved by Fantasy Footy players and most teams have multiple North players even though we dont win.

We overpossess like crazy and then turn it over. Every. Damn. Time.

But Sheezel as Captain won me multiple weeks.....

 

[Engimal v3]

This is exactly why North players are loved by Fantasy Footy players and most teams have multiple North players even though we dont win.

We overpossess like crazy and then turn it over. Every. Damn. Time.

But Sheezel as Captain won me multiple weeks.....

Another reason is that the opposition scores a lot, so players like Sheezel and McKercher take a lot of kickins

 

[big_e]

We draft the best KPF we can at the MSD. Then we go again and draft the best KPF in the AFL draft.

Teams are constantly picking up KPF on a 1-2 year cycle because of how important they are and the low strike rate of them turning into good players.

We drafted 1 with pick 30 four and half years ago.

We drafted one with pick 73 seven years ago.

How is that acceptable?

We have been prevented from selecting some very good ones, of course. As well as some we have passed on.

2023, we bid on Jed Walter, but GC got him because of academies and all that.
2022, we could have taken Cadman but chose Sheezel and Wardlaw. On the face of it, good decision.
2021, would Sam Darcy have been in the conversation if he wasn't tied to the Dogs?
2020, we had the second pick, and one of Ugle-Hagan or Thilthorpe would have been nice.