Thoughts On The Nth Melb Game

[WaynesWorld19]

Any win in the rain I'll take as it can be a bit of a lottery

But a win that now sets our season up ......equal 4th at the halfway mark .... who would have thought with all the youngsters played this year

3 Players out of last weeks team .......replaced by Reilly, Petrenko, and Shirley ......all contributed with Reilly the pick till injured .....will he ever get thru games un-scathed.

We fumbled a lot early and bombed the ball in to Tippett ........really dumb footy and something we have be proned to do all season.

New dry ball in last qtr and suddenly handling was sure, movement good, and we actually started to look for players in the forward 50.

Thompson: superb game, at the bottom of packs getting and distributing the ball and looked dangeroius all night.

Mackay: just getting better and better .....is now starting to string more qtrs of good footy rather than flashing in and out of the game.

Still only played under 40 games so his best is still a way off ........and that's an exciting thought

Dangerfield: fell away as the game went on but in the first half was every where and really tantalized us with his brilliance.

Reads the game well , lopve how he stands up in the tackles, can mark strongly and has a real burst of speed .........rare for many players to have all those attributes and the ones that do are champions of the game.

Maric: A return to form ....and maybe that gaol last week was a turning point. Still a ways to go but we saw some of that real agression tonight and he looked a very different player to a few weeks ago

Moran: Wanted to rub his old clubs nose in the proverbial and IMO he would be satisfied with his game tonight.

There are signs of his development albeit really hard to specify in any particular area ........IMO its coming with confidence in getting regular games and the clubs confidence in him, more experience, and some good coaching by the club dev team

Porplyzia: Class act .....has been down in recent weeks, but todays conditions suited him and he was our most dangerous forwrd

Rutten: The rock of our defence today ........didn't put a foot wrong and really glued the defensive team together.

Bock and Rutten make a great defensive backbone and with Otten who must be close to favorite for the rising star gives us a formidable unit.

Petrenko: Looked all at sea for the first 3 qtrs but with the game on the line in the last qtr he put in his best effort in when most 1st year players would be tiring and falling away.

Like Mackay in his first season Petrenko flash's in and out of the game tantalizing us to his potential ..........he will be a very good player going forwrd but he may only get limted game opportunities in the second half of this season.

Shirley: Work horse who did what was expected ....but not enough to break the preconception he is a tagger and only a tagger at AFL level

Walker: Is brilliant in flashes as with Petrenko and Dangerfield .......he may lose his spot when Burton returns to play and in form, and that may be good for Walker to not have a full season with the Crows but have to go back to SANFL to work on his obvious weaknesses

 

[Lets Beyblade]

Any win in the rain I'll take as it can be a bit of a lottery

I really think we dominated the play in the first half but just couldn't post it too the score board. North's players behind the ball combined with the shocking conditions meant that the opposition stayed within striking distance for 3 quarters.

Really wish I could have gone (work commitments) because despite the rain it would have been a good match to be watching live.

Does everyone agree that Moran is getting better every week?

 

[ltdamn]

Last part of the 4th quarter was plain to see the confidence in the young guys soaring once we put a break on North.

That passage of handballs on the members side wing that ended up with Macca hitting Tex and the resulting conversion in the last quarter was FB.

For the best part of the last 8 years or so that passage would have ended up with a contested spoil and the opposition running the ball out of defense against us, but not tonight.

 

[ltdamn]

Does everyone agree that Moran is getting better every week?

I only saw the last half and thought he was OK. Got a few touches around the ground for a big fella in heavy conditions, but I'm not setting a high bar for him. Happy to see him hold is own in the side as a 3rd ruck to give Tippett more time up forward.

 

[Lets Beyblade]

Just another thing did anyone else get excited as me when:

Walker came off the bench and pefectly hit up Otten on the run before he ran on and kicked long into the forward line.

and...

Dangerfield gathered the ball and burst through the pack under the old scoreboard and just turned on the afterburners. One of the first real times he has unleashed his pace and kicked long into the forward line. If Walker had taken the big mark I may have had to change my pants

 

[ltdamn]

Dangerfield gathered the ball and burst through the pack under the old scoreboard and just turned on the afterburners. One of the first real times he has unleashed his pace and kicked long into the forward line. If Walker had taken the big mark I may have had to change my pants

If the umpire hadn't given a free against him in the last quarter for taking the arms, he would have done it again!

 

[RealSlimShady]

Any win in the rain I'll take as it can be a bit of a lottery

Handy win given who we have to play later in the season.

Do the umps actually know what holding the ball is? Even without prior opportunity if you decide to just DROP the ball it is a throw, incorrect disposal whatever you want to call it. Players are now getting tackled and just dropping the ball and the umps need to crack down on it.

 

[Lets Beyblade]

If the umpire hadn't given a free against him in the last quarter for taking the arms, he would have done it again!

Yeah I went a little crazy after that call but seeing the replay it was probably correct. The North player easily had the first touch.

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

you would take a 44pt win in those conditions every time

4 in a row now sitting equal 4th with Syd at AAMI to come with Goody, Dougy and Stiffy all hopefully available

all is looking good

 

[WALL-e]

Good win.

Scrappy, but good.

 

[Herfooty]

A win is a win is a win, especially in the wet.

 

[PrideOf]

Do the umps actually know what holding the ball is?

No, no they don't. I never, ever want to hear the phrase Crow Throw after today's game. The Roo Throw happened in pretty much every tackle we laid.

 

[xamol]

Good second half. Thommo, Vince, Porp, Doughty, Bock, McKay, Edwards, Macca all good.
I like the way we are moving the ball at the moment. Good hand skills.

Our next 3 games are very winnable. Sydney, Richmond and Freo.

Ok, I'll calm down now..

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Handy win given who we have to play later in the season.

Do the umps actually know what holding the ball is? Even without prior opportunity if you decide to just DROP the ball it is a throw, incorrect disposal whatever you want to call it. Players are now getting tackled and just dropping the ball and the umps need to crack down on it.

I am by no means an umpire basher ........hell I can't even tell you the names of the umpires each week

But I agree tonight the umpires were very inconsistent with the intepretations of holding the ball

Somtimes you were given an eternity ......sometimes they were hot

 

[ltdamn]

Yeah I went a little crazy after that call but seeing the replay it was probably correct. The North player easily had the first touch.

Thought it was 50/50, tough one to judge in heavy conditions, but I still cracked it because I wanted him to flick the switch and take off again.

 

[PrideOf]

When Bock got smashed behind the ear after a mark the first bloke to come in to fly the flag was Andy Otten. Love it.

 

[RealSlimShady]

No, no they don't. I never, ever want to hear the phrase Crow Throw after today's game. The Roo Throw happened in pretty much every tackle we laid.

It happens more in the wet because the umps give them the benefit that the ball is wet and it pops out but it happens in matches in the dry as well and umps just continue to ignore it.

 

[formula16]

liked how danger has started to gain some confidence in using his awesome pace

 

[Damp Squarie]

Does everyone agree that Moran is getting better every week?

Yep, I do.
Nearly gave him a vote in the BTM.

 

[brucetiki]

Great win in wet and greasy conditions. Great effort to keep North Melbourne to 3.6.

Fantastic that we kept our foot on the pedal to the very end - despite the low score it's been a handy percentage booster.

Only disappointing thing was the attendance - just over 30 000 are Crows supporters really THAT afraid of water

 

[Riggy1]

2nd Best game Moran has played. Loved him. Team mates actually used him for a change. Loved the bump he layed in the North West pocket in (I think) the first qtr, if not the 2nd. His ruckwork was pretty good, he was our best ruckman out there (I consider Tippett a forward now).

 

[WALL-e]

Scrappy, but we dominated the game and was good that we could 'eventually' get the score on the board.

Good on Simpson for his 300th game and I was glad we gave him the respect he's earned.

Bock: Has hardly put a foot (not hand) wrong this year. He's still in that AA form, beats his man, runs off him. At the point where you almost have to tag him.

Dangerfield: Well we saw the turn of speed. And we also got to see the gutsy hard balls he continuously gets. So clean, so gutsy, so bloody good. Can't wait to see him after a full pre-season.

Doughty: Started a bit iffy and almost nervous like, but then settled in and continued on his good form. Solid game.

Edwards: Well he couldn't go at last weeks pace forever. Probably a down game considering his form, but not a bad one. Pretty clean around the contests, just not that same weight of numbers he's had this season.

Knights: So... I guess it's a down game. Started on target, but the wet made it difficult for him. Was still productive and dangerous, and hopefully he can get back into full flight against the Swans.

Mackay: Zooma MKII had a classy game. A couple of miss kicks, but overall, bloody quality. He's really come on well.

Maric: Not fantastic, but I find it really hard to hate his games as his effort is there. Would have been good if he kicked the goal, but I thought he was servicable in the ruck.

McLeod: That's better, not your best, but a lot better. Looked a bit more like he wanted to be there, and he was a bit more damaging.

Moran: Much much better big man. Actually bodying up in the ruck, pushing and shoving, and using your leap to nullify McIntosh's ruck work. Let McIntosh do a bit too much around the ground, but was fairly dangerous himself. Should back his kicking more and try and take it off and be more offensive, but another step up for the big Englishman.

Otten: Class on legs! Was fantastic, and very poised under pressure. He's deceptively quick and it will be fun having him in the midfield in the future. Really enjoyed him coming in the support Bock when he pushed up Hansen, great stuff.

Petrenko: Seemed very nervous early on, but after they stopped he was pretty handy and had a big 10 minute purple patch. Probably wont play next round if a few injured players come back, but he wasn't shamed at all. Still needs some more weight, as most kids do.

Porplyzia: Rises above in the wet. Clean and balanced. Just needs to build up that fitness base as much as he can so we can see more of him in the middle as well.

Reilly: Injured, shame, he'll have to work very hard to get back into the squad again. Was fairly good when on, his disposal is a feature.

Rutten: Move over Dwayne Johnson, this is the real Rock. Just quality again this season, in the right positions, directing traffic and a good hard body in the wet.

Shirley: Look.....I'll be surprised if he plays again for us, just not damaginf enough on attack.

Stevens: Unlucky not to be given another mark or two, but was OK today, not one of his best at all, but ok.

Symes: Mr wet whether delivers in th H2O again. Has the perfect midset to be a gun footy player, just needs to work on the kicking. That said, it was alright today.

Thompson: Might go chuck a tenna on him for the Brownlow because he's been fantastic for us over the past 6 or so weeks. Just works so hard, and the disposal was again very good.

Tippett: Not up to last week, but I thought we sold him down the drain bombing it ontop of his head a few times when it's pissing down, and he has 2-3 on him. We have to learn to bomb it long wen it's there, but look elsewhere when it's not. Love his work after it hits the deck too.

van Berlo: Apart from not giving it off to Knighta on the HFF,not bad at all. More consistant than the early rounds, but he'll be looking to get back into the form of late last week.

Vince: More touches again. Lovely goal, and he's being more damaging with his foot. Providing good run through the middle and his decision making is getting better.

Walker: Thought he battled well, wasn't bogged down because he wasn;t having a day out. Chased well, and got a few more touches. Good that he got some goal love to enjoy too.

 

[beartoo]

Hard day for the boys. Glad we have a week off as there will be quite a few sore spots after that. Sydney play next week I'm glad to say.
We stuck at it and slogged out the game, pulled away in the last, which is pleasing.
Porps was great & Edwards. Doughty, Rutten, Bock, Mackay and McLeod also good. Thommo, what can you say? In and under the whole day. Points to Symes for courage as well. Ivan and Moran had their best games for the year. Promising signs that Moran is beginning to get the hang of things. Sorry if I've forgotten anyone.

 

[mulz]

good and bad for me

well played by all the lads, didnt study the game to close as too many beams today, hard fought, never an easy game against the roos, kudos to them they are a better side than 3 goals, lacking fire power, great hit out for us going into the break, tough conditions, commited opposition, nice to come up trumps. well done to all the boys

bad thing was i had a 100 bucks coming my way if we won by under 39, DOH! happens everytime

 

[footy4ever]

Does everyone agree that Moran is getting better every week?

Can't argue against that. Is getting his hand to the ball in ruck, and did pretty well against a 6'8" giant.

Though someone at the game tried to point out that he pulled out of a contest last quarter Southern end grandstand pocket...I really think he was called out of it and simply let the ball go by.

To me he seems to be making better position across the middle and did some hard running to get there.