Autopsy vs Sydney - Rd17

[Caracas]

Was pretty much the same apparently, didn't lose his shit at all, think he's pretty happy with how we're tracking and it is hard to argue against. Just need a topliner to say yeah **** it I'll join North and we're balls deep into 2019 flag contention.

Of course, he's disappointed but overall happy. There was a bounce of the ball between the two sides. If we had been a fraction cleaner, we'd have won.

 

[lockheed]

Was pretty much the same apparently, didn't lose his shit at all, think he's pretty happy with how we're tracking and it is hard to argue against. Just need a topliner to say yeah **** it I'll join North and we're balls deep into 2019 flag contention.

A topliner would help immensely, but I think that our bottom six players are currently substandard and leave us vulnerable. Hopefully, we can get Wood, Garner etc fit and able to stay on the park, showing a lot of natural improvement. We also need our reserve players to show substantial improvement. But with luck, good injury management and canny recruitment, we might move into contention in a couple of years.

 

[archereleven]

Was pretty much the same apparently, didn't lose his shit at all, think he's pretty happy with how we're tracking and it is hard to argue against. Just need a topliner to say yeah **** it I'll join North and we're balls deep into 2019 flag contention.

A top liner and a very good young player to go with him please.

Gaff type plus a Lloyd type thx

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[giantroo]

 

[The chorus]

I noticed that in the last quarter but would put it down to those younger players (LDU/Ahern specifically) still building their fitness base. Its the last when things like that really show up.

There is a bit of a double bind about this because by playing those two they are developing and will be better in the future but it costs us in games like yesterday's. I'm not saying they are the reason for the loss either, we had our chances, and both of them played really well.

This is spot on. I particularly noticed this in the last quarter, and commented that there was something wrong with the fluoro boots because the players wearing them couldn't run. It is good watching Ahern and LDU but they struggle to run out a match. That was made worse by the early departure of one of our best runners in Turner. I also wonder whether Clarke wasn't 100% because it was the worst I have seen him play and he spent less time on the ground than either Ahern or LDU. Usually he improves as the game goes on but not yesterday

 

[naturally north]

He was decent in terms of direct opponent but his mobility issues do have an impact on team defence.

I like him and would play him but the erosion of mobile options on our list to balance the slower crew out hurts us.

I'd.Play.Wright.Forward.

 

[Roobound]

Ahern will be better than any of the recruits Carlton secured from GWS.

He is vital in the centre so clean rarely fumbles finds targets & will only get better with another pre season you would reckon.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Ok, I can think a bit straighter now.

Positives - for the first time I really feel ok about how our forward line can operate post-Waite. Brown is outstanding, Ziebell could be all kinds of wonderful, I'll come back to Daw, and it functioned well so they (players and coaches) are learning. Yes we need more small support, Turner playing would have helped, but I saw a lot to like and keep building on.

Daw with confidence and clarity can be a real asset all over the ground.

Ahern, LDU, Anderson alongside Cunnington and Higgins, with Goldy back in form - the midfield doesn't look too shabby either.

Negatives - really, just the obvious. We have kids playing but there was plenty of experience out there and that game should not have slipped away. From getting 7 points up, it was like too much adrenaline and not enough clear thinking. Not just Morgan but many more experienced teammates could have used up time and found a teammate with the ball in their hands late on that game, but they played on quickly and wildly instead. I really thought this year this team had showed they had learned that lesson, but they got a bloody hard reminder yesterday.

And we need much more pressure forward - the missing link was even clearer there than in lost goal sneak opportunities, because our forwards were outpaced time after time.

It was a ride. More to like than dislike across the match from our boys. I wish I'd left happier but my goodness there were some massive highs. When Jack kicked that last goal for us I was on my feet running towards the field like I could have jumped the fence. Next time and all the times after that, I just need them not to be as beside themselves as I was, knuckle down and not give an inch, having worked so brilliantly to get into that winning position.

Onwards and upwards.

 

[Reginald0]

Exactly
Well said
They are a good outfit, not great, but they don't make many errors
Play like that and we will give the pies a good run for their money
Flag race is officially wide open

 

[Waussie]

Great game North. I know it’s a hard pill to swallow but try to be perspective. If someone told you at the start of the year you would be competitive and fighting for a finals spot and end up winning 1/2 against the swans with the loss being only a goal difference I think you would have been stoked!

Some great signs - Daw can literally be a genuine swing man. Ben Brown is quickly becoming the best “true” full forward in the league. Higgins is a freak and IMO should be right up there for the Brownlow. Ziebell is killing it. Cunners just works so hard week in week out. Jed Anderson has become a very reliable player.

So much to look forward to for you lo

I reckon you are biased and just want to see Hayden play.

(And that's cool/understandable - its all good.)

We are developing our kids. 2 of them played in the guts yesterday.

I'd like to see Hayden Mc Kay, Pruess, Larky and defiantly Walker play. The best development a player can get is to play with and against stronger players.

 

[ferball]

I'd like to see Hayden Mc Kay, Pruess, Larky and defiantly Walker play. The best development a player can get is to play with and against stronger players.

I live 1000 miles from Melbourne so i don't see reserves games but from what I've seen, heard on here and from a few other people down that way Larkey needs to be bigger, stronger and more capable of absorbing impact. Otherwise I'd like to see all of them play as well.

I think we could have fitted a couple of them in over the last month.

But yesterday we had 3 players with less than 15 senior games between them and they all played well. One of them was excellent. So we are getting games into younger players.

 

[Waussie]

I live 1000 miles from Melbourne so i don't see reserves games but from what I've seen, heard on here and from a few other people down that way Larkey needs to be bigger, stronger and more capable of absorbing impact. Otherwise I'd like to see all of them play as well.

I think we could have fitted a couple of them in over the last month.

But yesterday we had 3 players with less than 15 senior games between them and they all played well. One of them was excellent. So we are getting games into younger players.

I think we forget Larkey quite often is playing against fully grown developed men as there are a lot of past, and present AFL players competing in the VFL. Yes he isn't a big solid guy, but I like the way he keeps his feet in a contest. Just looking at his frame, I think he is unlikely to be a Hayden or Pruess build, more like a Brown build, but time will tell.

 

[Billy Bob65]

Midfield frequency stats from the match.

There were 35 bounces

Simpkin 31 wing
Higgins 30
Cunnington 28
LDU 25
Dumont 24 wing
Ahern 22
McDonald 11 wing
Clarke 4 wing

Rucks:
Goldstein 34
Daw 1

Notes:
- With LDU in the side, Anderson switched to starting off the back of the square at bounces, then became an extra mid in general play.
- I've only analysed 1 previous LDU game this season, but he received a large uptick in appearances in this match: 71.4% bounces attended vs. 40.9% for the Rd 2 game.
- First time Simpkin has topped your list in an analysed match and only the 2nd time he has finished in your top 6 mids in analysed matches (the last one being Rd 23, 2017). I haven't reviewed last week's game so I'm not sure whether he also played wing, but this is a tremendous increase in midfield time considering his previous season high (in analysed games) was a mere 2 starts.
- Clarke lost out in the Simpkin shift, with a marked decrease from his 26 wing starts against Essendon.

 

[Hojuman]

Has anyone taken into account the swans were coming off a 10 day break????

I posted that after our win against G.C.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Also is it really that hard to pin the arms in a tackle? On the positive at least we aren't turnstiles but would be nice if we stopped the ball moving

That many times swans players had their arms free to give off a handball while tackled

 

[hilly]

Midfield frequency stats from the match.

There were 35 bounces

Simpkin 31 wing
Higgins 30
Cunnington 28
LDU 25
Dumont 24 wing
Ahern 22
McDonald 11 wing
Clarke 4 wing

Rucks:
Goldstein 34
Daw 1

Notes:
- With LDU in the side, Anderson switched to starting off the back of the square at bounces, then became an extra mid in general play.
- I've only analysed 1 previous LDU game this season, but he received a large uptick in appearances in this match: 71.4% bounces attended vs. 40.9% for the Rd 2 game.
- First time Simpkin has topped your list in an analysed match and only the 2nd time he has finished in your top 6 mids in analysed matches (the last one being Rd 23, 2017). I haven't reviewed last week's game so I'm not sure whether he also played wing, but this is a tremendous increase in midfield time considering his previous season high (in analysed games) was a mere 2 starts.
- Clarke lost out in the Simpkin shift, with a marked decrease from his 26 wing starts against Essendon.

Kudos BB Thornton.

 

[Dirty_11]

I usually move onto next weeks game by Wednesday. Still shitty about this loss though. Maybe tomorrow I will move on.

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[Gasometer]

Of course, he's disappointed but overall happy. There was a bounce of the ball between the two sides. If we had been a fraction cleaner, we'd have won.

Overall happy with the season or that game?

We made as many errors in the last 5 minits as we did v Freo 2017 in Perth

Sunday was a game we should not have lost and my fear is that it’s the one that bites us come late August

 

[shintemaster]

Overall happy with the season or that game?

We made as many errors in the last 5 minits as we did v Freo 2017 in Perth

Sunday was a game we should not have lost and my fear is that it’s the one that bites us come late August

All of the above is true however if we're realistic the Bulldogs game for example is one that we absolutely stole. It hurts but if it's one game the difference in the end we were borderline to start with. FWIW this is close to the most honest season I've seen out of North since I started going to every game in 2003. Can only really think of 1-2 games that we've not looked likely from the start and in both of those we still fought it out.