One of the worst defeats of 2009 came against 13th finishing Kangaroos.

This defeat came from a team that is unlikely to push for finals in the next few years.

I had a look at the 'highlights' of that game and could not find many positives. We had a real shocker and got totally outplayed.

The reality is that we got convincingly beaten by a bottom finishing side with only a few games before seasons end.

This is a very sobering thought for those posters thinking that we can push for finals in 2010.

So WHAT WENT WRONG?

There were 10 potential starters missing from the side. (half of our back line)

Please let me know if the following players who were out of that game could have turned around the 62 loss?

Rivers

Garland

Warnock

Grimes

Green

Watts

Wonaeamirri

Jurrah

Scully

Trangove

Can anyone else help turn around my sobering thoughts....

what went wrong was that we were due to play Freo at the G the next week

edit: imo, our worst defeat came against the roos in round 1

Edited October 19, 200915 yr by Trengove

Would you have rather beaten the kangaroos & not had Picks 1-2-11-18 & the First Pick in the PSD.

Think long term will ya.

....

Not sure what you are getting at. You ask a question as to why we got flogged and then list half of our walk up starter that weren't there.

Who cares? A crap game at a crap stadium, not sure why I even bothered going...probably 'cause I feel sorry for North...

While I'm not concerned about that particular game - as we were list 'managing', I think we have a serious issue against North Melbourne. For a team low on talent they sure have our measure as they've beaten us the last 5 times.

If we were playing North Melbourne next week I'd expect to lose by at least 6 goals.

I seem to recall losing a player (Bail) in the first minute and being short of players because someone else got injured. North had a few talls in attack and we had only one key defender in Frawley. Bailey in his wisdom played Stef Martin up forward. Then there was that appalling kick from Jake Spencer.

Oh, and I could be wrong but Scully and the other bloke whose name nobody can spell correctly weren't even on our list and still aren't to this very day!

I hope we play North once next year, and it's at the G.

...... I think we have a serious issue against North Melbourne. For a team low on talent they sure have our measure as they've beaten us the last 5 times.

If we were playing North Melbourne next week I'd expect to lose by at least 6 goals.

In the past three years do you think MFC have had a serious issue with all teams? Hmmm.

We have won 18% of our matches during that time. We have been one of worst sides I have seen.

And NM are low on talent!

In the same period they have won more than 50% of their matches and finished 4th, 7th and 13th in that time. They have done so with few stars but a number of low profile players who perform consistently (eg Petrie). Our lines of progress may cross in the future but they like all other sides have been clearly better than MFC. Its not a case of one team having the wood on us. Its the whole competition.

We were pretty average against North, but I don't mind. I feel sick at the thought of the lengths that would have been required to lose to Freo the next week if we'd beaten North.

goldstein kicked 6 goals, we had no talls to match, Hmac,Petrie, Goldstein

While it's true that we don't exactly have the upper hand on many teams in the last few years (except Freo), it is also true that the Demons have struggled against North for quite some time. The key things I remember being a problem were -

1. Their tall marking forwards being able to take contested grabs from very long kicks into 50.

2. That little Harvey bastard.

My read of that is that Warnock is our only defender (right now) capable of contesting in body strength with a truly BIG forward. There's no denying the prospects from a few of the other young defenders, but it may take a year or two more to get them developed to the point we don;t have this weakness.

As for Brent Harvey... it's not often you hear about 'champion' taggers/back pockets, but we must all be hoping someone like Bennell, Bail or Jetta steps up to become a speedier Whelan capable of controlling players like Harvey.

They've killed us with those big-bodied contested marking fowards in all those losses. Thompson in round 4 '08 and then Hale in round 17 was unstoppable. But who could forget round 1 this year - thirteen contested marks to one for the game <_<

They've killed us with those big-bodied contested marking fowards in all those losses. Thompson in round 4 '08 and then Hale in round 17 was unstoppable. But who could forget round 1 this year - thirteen contested marks to one for the game <_<

MacIntosh this year particularly when he was allowed to drift into the F50 and take uncontested marks.

Wait...

...we played in round 19?

Wait...

...we played in round 19?

My thoughts exactly.

I have removed all memory of season 2009 beyond our 4 victories and that Jordan McMahon kick.

North would rather have lost that match and got a better draft position, no doubt about it.

My thoughts exactly.

I have removed all memory of season 2009 beyond our 4 victories and that Jordan McMahon kick.

North would rather have lost that match and got a better draft position, no doubt about it.

I know for fact that North wanted to win the match. Their coach at the time Darren Crocker was coaching for his future and was definitely focussed on a win. Not that it did he much good in the end.

They were not playing for a draft position. And their subsequent upset win over the Saints only proves the point.

Thought this was one of the more obvious drubbings.

We seem to play below par against the Roos (even for our standard) and especially poorly at that ground. With the injury list, the upcoming Freo match and the factors RR has stated, it was always going to happen.

Whilst we were never going to win that game it`s fair to say we could have been a bit more competative. It must have been hard however for the players to give 110% when they knew they were being coached to lose. I thought the players were admirable in what must have been a very tough and frustrating year. Just glad its over !

I know for fact that North wanted to win the match. Their coach at the time Darren Crocker was coaching for his future and was definitely focussed on a win. Not that it did he much good in the end.

They were not playing for a draft position. And their subsequent upset win over the Saints only proves the point.

I have no doubt that, at the time, their caretaker coach who was vying for the job, wanted to win.

Before that match, they still had the chance to score themselves pick 2 in the draft. They won and then all bets were off and they kept on winning from there, knowing full well that they won't secure a top 2 pick.

But no doubt Brad Scott and their supporters would rather have Trengove or Scully in November, than a few meaningless wins.

I have no doubt that, at the time, their caretaker coach who was vying for the job, wanted to win.

Before that match, they still had the chance to score themselves pick 2 in the draft. They won and then all bets were off and they kept on winning from there, knowing full well that they won't secure a top 2 pick.

But no doubt Brad Scott and their supporters would rather have Trengove or Scully in November, than a few meaningless wins.

The week before North had Carlton on the rocks in the last quarter and had the majority of the play and three times the number of inside 50s. The players could not convert the opportunities. NM kicked 0.9 (and a couple out on the full) while Carlton kicked 2.3. Crocker was honestly devastated by the failure to convert in the last quarter. They had Carlton on toast and he had coached to win that day. If they were seriously chasing the 2nd pick there is no way they would have played to win against Carlton.

They were never pursuing the pick 2 option coming into the game against us. If you had look at the draw and the position, NM had as much chance of concocting 2nd pick at the end of Rd 18 as pushing a camel through the eye of a needle.

I have no doubt that, at the time, their caretaker coach who was vying for the job, wanted to win.

Before that match, they still had the chance to score themselves pick 2 in the draft. They won and then all bets were off and they kept on winning from there, knowing full well that they won't secure a top 2 pick.

But no doubt Brad Scott and their supporters would rather have Trengove or Scully in November, than a few meaningless wins.

We won that Game...North Lost & they know it.

North did not lose that day - in any way

We won that Game...North Lost & they know it.

North did not lose that day - in any way

Exactly

North did what North were planning to do for the past couple of weeks. They had little chance of creating Jaded's alleged outcome. They would have had to rely on outcomes with Freo and MFC that they could not possibly control

Exactly

North did what North were planning to do for the past couple of weeks. They had little chance of creating Jaded's alleged outcome. They would have had to rely on outcomes with Freo and MFC that they could not possibly control

Come Draft Day when those first few names are read out, North Melbourne won't be thinking of how they Beat us. We Won That day & they know it..