Post Match Discussion - Round 19

[Earl Hood 6,129]

To Axis of Bob: Listen to Nate Jones interview.

To quote " you have to question our effort because we rolled over in the last quarter. You get what you put in"

Nuff said.

Agree at the end of the day in the last, our midfield went missing, we stopped running hard enough and in numbers and that is exactly what the Lions were doing. I went to the game and have finally calmed down. The positives were Jetta, Tyson and Jones. Frawley good first half, Howe off the backline and some cameos from Kent, maybe Dawes and Watts but just not enough really.

We won the contested possessions, total possessions and some other stats but our stop and hold style is killing us in the end in most matches. Take a mark but hold the ball looking for options is killing us, by the the time we pass it to a contest there are no options and we cough it up. Maybe now we have enough inside grunt but gee we need some outside runners with silky skills. Can we have 2 or 3 priority picks next year?

[chook fowler 19,693]

I think generally our back 6 have been very, very good and Jetta has been a great addition. Garland has been struggling, hopefully only due to a poor preseason. The midfield has too many D graders and nothing will change until they are purged. I also think Cross has been a big absence - leadership on field is a real issue.

[dazzledavey36 55,533]

Just in regards to the lack of fight for Pedersen but im pretty sure I read last year on this board that a poster was at a MFC function and an unamed player mentioned that pedo isn't well liked by the group??

[Wiseblood 24,637]

Just in regards to the lack of fight for Pedersen but im pretty sure I read last year on this board that a poster was at a MFC function and an unamed player mentioned that pedo isn't well liked by the group??

That would be in direct contrast to the fact that he was very well liked and respected down at North. Not saying you're wrong, just doesn't seem to fit.

[timD 994]

We were putrid today and so were Brisbane it was just a rubbish game between two bottom 4 sides. But I think there is hope. Other than a handful of games we've been pretty good this year and by pretty good I mean still in the game in the final quarter. Even today we were up by 13 points in the last and had a horrendous run of points kicking 1.10 for pretty much a half of footy (Tyson's goal on 3/4 time made it 2.10). We were pretty unlucky in both Dogs and both Port games, we won in SA for the first time in 13 years and we've got Hogan to come.in next year as well as more time Into Tyson, Salem, Viney. If we can have a decent trade/draft period I think we'll improve again next year and can make finals in 2016. It sucks that it's been going on so long but I've got faith in those there now as well as our young players. What most worries me is Jackson and Roos won't want to.stick around and their good work is undone before they are able to make a real impact.

Finally, a real doctor!

I've thought the same thing for many a year. Truth is, unless I see the class come in to the team, then I'll not believe we are capable of drafting or developing it. We have all the depth in the world and no damn class to put on top. You can talk of luck, but from my POV, you make your own luck. And we deserve to be here because of the sum total of decisions made at the club over a long time. IT is the thing that drives me to despair. We have done this to ourselves.

So I'll wait to see the class we bring in. Traded or drafted. I'll see if we start to make our own luck. I wish I were hopeful.

PS, I do find it interesting to see how well Bailey's record stacks up. Just makes me think, what might have happened if he had been as well-resourced as Neeld or Roos and not undermined from within...

[Watts Jurrah Dunn? 735]

From memory big, tough, antagonistic Lynden Dunn was right near the Merrett hit on Pederaon. Absolutely spineless response from him and the other players in the area. Pathetic. Something seriously wrong if you're willing to let a teammate get split open like that. When will we see that line in the sand moment?

So pleased we continue the Spencer project and let blokes like Martin go.

Christ almighty I hope they payout Mckenzie and Evans and replace them with anything.

Trade Watts for whatever you can get. I can't believe he could possibly be 196cm the way he is constantly knocked off the ball and always going to ground. Just insipid.

[Watts Jurrah Dunn? 735]

From memory big, tough, antagonistic Lynden Dunn was right near the Merrett hit on Pederaon. Absolutely spineless response from him and the other players in the area. Pathetic. Something seriously wrong if you're willing to let a teammate get split open like that. When will we see that line in the sand moment?

So pleased we continue the Spencer project and let blokes like Martin go.

Christ almighty I hope they payout Mckenzie and Evans and replace them with anything.

Trade Watts for whatever you can get. I can't believe he could possibly be 196cm the way he is constantly knocked off the ball and always going to ground. Just insipid.

[Deecisive 1,709]

time to look at the positives.

1. Roos signed for another year before we played this disgraceful game.

2. It has kind of killed a lot of discussion about lets keep bail, lets keep blease, tapscott, strauss, McKenzie, etc... if they are not good enough to get into a rubbish side like we have at the moment they probably should not be on our list.

3. We went inside 50, 34 for times for 21 scores that is not bad, obviously our pathetic kicking let us down, but we did get it through the sticks instead of having rebound out for no result.

4. We have drafts period coming up, with a couple of low draft picks (if chip leaves) and possible chance to pick up some other players who are let go by their clubs who may help strengthen our list for next year, so that we are not taking 12 new kids but a mix of older heads and bodies with some new kids. Hopefully Roos and co will do a big cleanout.

5. The season is almost over.

6. Hogan still to play his first game.

[ijbfossil 77]

See Roosy feels some of the players may be permanently scarred. I know the players play the game. But what about the long suffering members and supporters - how scarred are they/we? How many 2015 memberships were lost today and how many young kids are giving up on the Dees and will become followers and members of other clubs who can win?

[Go the Biff 3,454]

See Roosy feels some of the players may be permanently scarred. I know the players play the game. But what about the long suffering members and supporters - how scarred are they/we? How many 2015 memberships were lost today and how many young kids are giving up on the Dees and will become followers and members of other clubs who can win?

2015 ? I'm terrified of what might happen next week !

[PaulRB 6,432]

Was at the game and given our static play, turnovers and lack of fluid ball movement, its maybe a blessing we lost as we won't be able to continue to paper over this rubbish.

[Axis of Bob 11,876]

From memory big, tough, antagonistic Lynden Dunn was right near the Merrett hit on Pederaon. Absolutely spineless response from him and the other players in the area. Pathetic. Something seriously wrong if you're willing to let a teammate get split open like that. When will we see that line in the sand moment?

So pleased we continue the Spencer project and let blokes like Martin go.

The irony that you bemoan that nobody went to remonstrate, and then immediately complain that we keep one of the blokes who would be first to remonstrate!

[dazzledavey36 55,533]

That would be in direct contrast to the fact that he was very well liked and respected down at North. Not saying you're wrong, just doesn't seem to fit.

You sure about that.

Majority of North Supporters will disagree with you.

[bing181 9,353]

... at the end of the day in the last, our midfield went missing, we stopped running hard enough and in numbers and that is exactly what the Lions were doing.

Agree ... and not helped that both T Mac and Pedersen were off for a large slab of the last quarter (injured), and our 3 man forward line (Dawes, Frawley, Pedersen) was reduced to one when Frawley was moved forward to cover for T Mac. On top of which, and with Tapscott already subbed out, rotations almost stopped - I saw a few get waved back on when they were trying to come off.

[Pipefitter 2,183]

How is Watts still getting a game? He loses every 50-50 ball embarrassingly no matter how big or small the opponent is. What is his actual role in the team?

[Go the Biff 3,454]

You sure about that.

Majority of North Supporters will disagree with you.

Supporter's perceptions don't always tell the tale but I heard Pederson described in scathing terms (as a bloke) from someone directly connected to North

Haven't heard anything while he's been with us though

No matter what - he wears a Melbourne jumper & player should have flown the flag for him

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

time to look at the positives.

1. Roos signed for another year before we played this disgraceful game.

2. It has kind of killed a lot of discussion about lets keep bail, lets keep blease, tapscott, strauss, McKenzie, etc... if they are not good enough to get into a rubbish side like we have at the moment they probably should not be on our list.

3. We went inside 50, 34 for times for 21 scores that is not bad, obviously our pathetic kicking let us down, but we did get it through the sticks instead of having rebound out for no result.

4. We have drafts period coming up, with a couple of low draft picks (if chip leaves) and possible chance to pick up some other players who are let go by their clubs who may help strengthen our list for next year, so that we are not taking 12 new kids but a mix of older heads and bodies with some new kids. Hopefully Roos and co will do a big cleanout.

5. The season is almost over.

6. Hogan still to play his first game.

i kinda...sadly...agree..mostly...

[mrtwister 652]

Quite a lot of our players have misplaced confidence. They bizarrely have the confidence to take on a player on foot within 30m from goal, but so many times, there were open players in the corridor with nobody within 20 metres but nobody had the confidence to even try and kick it to them. Every other team in the competition has the balls to hit that guy and open up their attack straight up the middle. Everything is just so overly safe except when we handpass or run ourselves into trouble and throw it on the boot to hit an opponent standing on the 50m arc. All our defenders are too careful and lack the confidence to make that kick, but hey, try and run past the guy on the mark and then keep wrapping around each other for handpasses while their opponents stand there thinking how much it looks like a Benny Hill sketch (cue music).

[RalphiusMaximus 6,101]

I was at work today, keeping up with it on the AFL website. I watched the mounting figures in the point column with a familiar sense of dread and told myself that the Lions would kick a few quick goals to head us after our succession of misses. No real surprise, it's not like it's the first time this year we've done this. Round one we did exactly the same thing. I somehow doubt I'll bother downloading this game given I've seen it a few times already this season. Failure to execute in the forward half has been one of the big flaws for this side for years, and we're not seeing a real improvement.

[Redleg 41,829]

I'd be asking Blease the questions, not Dawes. When you're running past a teammate under pressure, surely you should be looking for the handball receive ...

He was, Dawes handballed it 5 metres behind him. Don't blame Blease, it was a pathetic handball, and Dawes knew it immediately.

[mrtwister 652]

Just in regards to the lack of fight for Pedersen but im pretty sure I read last year on this board that a poster was at a MFC function and an unamed player mentioned that pedo isn't well liked by the group??

Shouldn't matter.

I've played sport with absolute douchebags who I couldn't stand. But when he crosses that white line on my team, I've got his back.

[Wiseblood 24,637]

You sure about that.

Majority of North Supporters will disagree with you.

As I said, wasn't saying you're wrong, just that I've heard differently from a few people.

[Tony Tea 2,814]

Look on the bright side: Hawthorn next week.

[Guest]

Here is the part where I usually say I am circumspect about the result and highlight the positives of the loss.

Not tonight.

I will say again: the drafts of 2008-2011 are our lost generation and we need to cut our losses. Roos said as much at the presser in that these blokes are tainted by the history of the MFC of that period and may never recover.
I think that ''here we go again'' mentality is part of it. The other problem is that we have a lot of footballers, for whatever reason, who just make appalling decisions and commit appalling skill errors.

I think it's self indulgent and wrong to clear people out just for the sake of it and I think that 10 clearances plus at the end of the year may be excessive. However, there could be 10 plus clearances in the next two (potentially 8 per year).
I do wonder about the mindset of this entire club sometimes and whether it can be fixed. We have a majority of supporters on this site who voted in a poll saying they don't care full stop if we win the spoon. We have a bunch of footballers who have multiple chances to ice a game against a very average opponent and blokes missing shots from 10 meters out.

We fooled a lot of people this year into thinking that we had toughened up but today the soft underbelly was exposed for the world to see and for the Lions to carve open and feast upon. The truth is that a lot these blokes tried to play faux tough guy roles at the start of the year but have been exposed as the pretenders they always were.

WYL: That reaction you had after the GCS loss? If you want to rant like that this time, I have no problem with that.

Edited August 3, 2014 by Colin B. Flaubert

[PJ_12345 1,098]

Just in regards to the lack of fight for Pedersen but im pretty sure I read last year on this board that a poster was at a MFC function and an unamed player mentioned that pedo isn't well liked by the group??

The lack of fight has been there for a while (wasn't there an incident last round where someone was decked after the whistle on the boundary?). The only players I've seen in the past two years to stand up consistently have been Davey, Dawes and Viney.