Even though I dislike North Melbourne as a team, I cannot help but admire their fighting spirit. Almost every week they offer stern opposition and never give up. Tonight's effort against Geelong was just so typical of their 'never say die' spirit. The looked like they were in for a real belting at quarter time but continued to fight back. They are not loaded with talent and on paper look like pushovers. BUT THEY RARELY ARE EASY BEATS! I love my Demons fervently but wish they could show the same spirit week in and week out. Sadly, over many years, our mental approach has been questioned. Is this a coaching problem or do we have too many players who think they are better than they really are? Maybe Monday will be one of those days when we give it our all and knock those magpies off their perch AGAIN!

The 'Shinboner Spirit' is so overrated it's not funny.

No, it's not.

  Hards said:

No, it's not.

I'm sold.

You're wrong H.

They are chronically underrated by the media, but despite a lack of top draft picks and a draw that sends them interstate more than any other Victorian side they find a way to get the job done. If you could bottle the culture of their footy club and sell it you'd be a millionaire. They have something that most other clubs do not.

  Hards said:

They are chronically underrated by the media, but despite a lack of top draft picks and a draw that sends them interstate more than any other Victorian side they find a way to get the job done. If you could bottle the culture of their footy club and sell it you'd be a millionaire. They have something that most other clubs do not.

They've played 11 matches this year and won 5. They lost the last final they played by over 100 points. They got Wells from pick 2 and Hansen from pick 3, and they gave up two top 20 picks for Hay and another top 10 pick for Thompson, so don't bleat over their lack of quality picks.

I'm not suggesting that they don't have a good coach, or culture, but the Shinboner Spirit grows legs with every good performance and is conveniently forgotten when they're [censored].

  Hannabal said:

They've played 11 matches this year and won 5. They lost the last final they played by over 100 points. They got Wells from pick 2 and Hansen from pick 3, and they gave up two top 20 picks for Hay and another top 10 pick for Thompson, so don't bleat over their lack of quality picks.

I'm not suggesting that they don't have a good coach, or culture, but the Shinboner Spirit grows legs with every good performance and is conveniently forgotten when they're [censored].

Notwithstanding all that I would love it if Melbourne as a team could dish it up to Collingwood on Monday they way North Melbourne did against Geelong last night. There were half a dozen times when they could have thrown in the towel and given up the ghost but they kept plugging away and were in it until the last two minutes.

  Hannabal said:

I'm not suggesting that they don't have a good coach, or culture, but the Shinboner Spirit grows legs with every good performance and is conveniently forgotten when they're [censored].

The Shinboner Spirit is their culture, that's the whole point.

It's why they wins games when they aren't expected to, and make finals series when everyone writes them off. Those who ignore it fall victim to it repeatedly.

The Shinboner Spirit is overrated? I'd say that the North Melbourne FC has overachieved dramatically in the past 3 years (including this season). They finished 4th last season. At least they have a culture. We have nothing. Ultimately, that "Shinoner Spirit" is what saved them from the GC.

  Hards said:

The Shinboner Spirit is their culture, that's the whole point.

It's why they wins games when they aren't expected to, and make finals series when everyone writes them off. Those who ignore it fall victim to it repeatedly.

Rubbish. It's a fallacy.

  Hannabal said:

Rubbish. It's a fallacy.

whatever you want to call it, its not overated. spirit is an intangible that must dwell in a team for success. we have had it at times over the last decade. we need to build it again. You build on it every time a player performs an act of courage, or makes a good decision under pressure, or lays a great tackle or kicks an unbelievable goal. You see it time and time again. Teams lift, find another gear, become more courageous and instinctive and win games because of it.

The great thing about building young teams in difficult times is that the strong survive and bond and the players are hungry because success isn't taken for granted. This is what we will see in the coming years. My hope is that the players, coaches and off fielders grasp this opportunity and entrench or reactivate the demon spirit.

Amen

  dandeeman said:

whatever you want to call it, its not overated. spirit is an intangible that must dwell in a team for success. we have had it at times over the last decade. we need to build it again. You build on it every time a player performs an act of courage, or makes a good decision under pressure, or lays a great tackle or kicks an unbelievable goal. You see it time and time again. Teams lift, find another gear, become more courageous and instinctive and win games because of it.

The great thing about building young teams in difficult times is that the strong survive and bond and the players are hungry because success isn't taken for granted. This is what we will see in the coming years. My hope is that the players, coaches and off fielders grasp this opportunity and entrench or reactivate the demon spirit.

Amen

I'm all for culture and reckon that any Leigh Matthews team would have it in bucket loads, but the Old Shinboner Spirit that supposedly endlessly permeates Arden St is an absolute croc. It's governed by the coaching and playing personnel of the time.

Shinboner Spirit LOL

Where was it when they got flogged by Brisbane last week?

Interesting.

  Yze_Magic said:

Shinboner Spirit LOL

Where was it when they got flogged by Brisbane last week?

Interesting.

umm, footy teams get beaten now and then.

Id say they have two things that a lot of posters here say we need and its superstar players. people who can turn a game or win it on there own and they are Shannon Grant and Boomer Harvey. Add to that a strong leading forward in Thompson and the brilliance of Wells and you have already a top 8 side. They are underated but across the lines they do have players most people would know of.

  dandeeman said:

umm, footy teams get beaten now and then.

  Yze_Magic said:

You asked the obvious question. What is your caper?!!! Are you a Melbourne supporter/member or sent from the filth to try and undermine us, cause derision and spread stupidity throughout the membership? Did Dimetriou send you???

  Hannabal said:

I'm not suggesting that they don't have a good coach, or culture, but the Shinboner Spirit grows legs with every good performance and is conveniently forgotten when they're [censored].

Very true.

I actually reckon North are overated...with all the Shin Boner spirit/Glen Archer milestone games bla bla bla....

They are never held accountable after their losses, they always beat the [censored] sides by a goal or 2, lose to the top teams without fail, get spanked in finals, rely on milestone games to get them over the line.

They're just an average footy side who will always be around the 6-10 mark.

H is right - shinboner spirit is a myth. The easiest example I can think of is that their greatest captain was on the shag with his best mates wife. Now Hards, what kind of spirit is that? Really, what does that say about the spirit of north melbounre? Remember when they were [censored] in the 70's and bought players in to win a flag...what does that say about their spirit - that for the right price they'll win?

If anyone wants to prove a theory then rigorously look for evidence against it. If you cannot find any, then you're o.k. The evidence against the notion of a fundamental permeating spirit is anywhere you want to look. Do you want to look?

  Hannabal said:

I'm all for culture and reckon that any Leigh Matthews team would have it in bucket loads, but the Old Shinboner Spirit that supposedly endlessly permeates Arden St is an absolute croc. It's governed by the coaching and playing personnel of the time.

Spot on

They were brimming with that old 'spirit' against the competition's laughing stock today, eh Hards ?

Grants ok but... his position is safe What a joke. strangeways indeed at Arden St

  Rhino Richards said:

Spot on

see MFC circa 1987.

I've always had a soft spot for North, and they're the team I like to see win the flag if we don't.

BUT......We Demon faithfuls have to hope another Melb side falls over , to take the heat off us. They're the most likely to disintegrate(after us, un -fortunately).Somehow they've managed to be a strong team over the last 30 years despite all their disadvantages. I think this has been largely due to their being fortunate in securing a few champion players in this time. Without Carey, Archer, Stevens, etc, they'd have been down the bottom repeatedly, and would have moved interstate by now.

Their form's pretty ordinary at present, and they'll really miss the injured McIntosh. Keep this up, and they'll struggle to raise 30,000 members,and such good sponsorship next year.

Ditto with the Saints, but they have a better home base.Footscray look like they'll be strong for a few years, and Richmond seem to have a huge following despite consistent bad performances(to which we can significantly add tomorrow).

So North is the only side that can take the heat off us.(plus it wouldn't do any harm for us to win a few games!)