We lost the centre clearances by 1...

yep, noted, i'll have to watch the replay. First quarter was what cost us when we were pantsed in the middle, it was similar to the Freo vs West coast game earlier in the year, when freo smashed the eagles in the first quarter and then held them at bay for the rest of the game while the Eagles battled manfully.

Edited August 9, 201510 yr by leucopogon

Defenders were shocking today. Dunn was disgraceful, Garland had some costly turnovers, McDonald provided some run but defended poorly, Jetta easily beaten. Jones & Vince 26 tluches between them, can't win games with that. Thought Viney & Tyson battled well. Matt Jones showed a bit. Lumumba will soon find himself out of the best 22, only a matter of time. Cross showed again why he should go on. Hogan... Don't need words. Dawes best game for the year. Players didn't show up from the first bounce and that is what cost us, can't decide when you want to put in effort, from week to week and in games! The signs today were good in quarters 2 & 3. Feel better today leaving then the Brisbane win, we look like we are moving the ball better and are starting to grasp the concept of moving the ball quicker and hand balling to moving players rather than stationary. I hate North as we all do, but today we showed enough promise.

THe good out of today was the performance of our youth. Viney and Hogan were once again in our best, Gawn was beaten but not shamed by the best Ruck in the game, Brayshaw and ANB showed a fair bit and Harmes fought really hard. We got nothing from Jones, Vince and Watts and our backs were hit and miss, but the young guys stood up really well.

Watts' game didn't really concern me in the long run. It was the thing he usually does so well that let him down, and I don't think that will happen too often.

IMO, we win that game if our 2 best players even have moderately good games, in Vince and Jones. But to North's credit, they didn't.

Edited August 9, 201510 yr by Forest Demon

That dropped mark of Garlett's was the turning point for me. The reason it annoys me so much is it was the second easy mark he dropped and it destroyed all our momentum.

The team selection on Thursday didn't help, North's forwards did as they pleased.

I was happy to give Michie another chance and he did set up Brayshaw's goal but that was about it.

Lumumba needs to be dropped, cannot win a hard ball. ANB needs to be played more and Hogan is a star.

Best game from Dawes who actually held some marks.

I agree. Garlett's dropped chest mark was a massive momentum swinger. Hogan's miss at the start of the last and then North taking it straight down the end and kicking one, well, I knew it was over at that point. We dropped so many simple chest marks today. I counted 5 or 6.

Our best was better but our lapses cost us

Haha so much negativity... I thought we played a really exciting brand of footy in patches! First quarter killed us obviously but it was a flip of the coin at 3 quarter time. North just outclassed us in the end. How good was the midfield in that third quarter?!

Hogan a star

Tyson getting some serious form back

Dawes played his best game

Viney keeps building on a fantastic year

Also Vince and Jones had really quiet ones and we were still in it for a lot of the game... am i right to suggest that there was a bug going around at the club as well? i think i heard that somewhere.

I really don't think Watts played that bad... I mean a drop off in previous recent games but he took a couple of good marks and made some good decision. Granted he made some poor ones but he is a play-maker. He opens the game up with his kicking... it's risky and sometimes it doesnt pay off but when it does we look fantastic.

I agree. Garlett's dropped chest mark was a massive momentum swinger. Hogan's miss at the start of the last and then North taking it straight down the end and kicking one, well, I knew it was over at that point. We dropped so many simple chest marks today. I counted 5 or 6.

I love Garlett, but his first touch is often very poor.

Disappointing for the margin to blow out past 5 goals at the end. Ultra competitive after the first quarter but the gap between our best (Hogan, Tyson, Viney, Dawes) and worst (Watts, Lumumba, Garland) players today was enormous. Jones and Vince were well contained and that was one of the major differences.

Defence had a disastrous start but adjusted okay. Howe's controlling the ball in the air made a big difference in halting their attack and keeping us in the contest. Seemed to give it a bit extra today which was good to see.

I love Jeffy but the dropped chest mark 30 metres out dead in front was a pivotal moment.

Tyson starting to look the player we saw last year. Better late than never.

Hogan. What can you say really. His peak is going to something to behold.

North are a nothing side going nowhere. So many older heads yet they may as well be miles away from a flag tilt. A lot more excited about what our future holds than I would be as a North fan. Goldstein however is a beast. Good workout for Maxy.

Disappointing given we could've won it, but not fuming over that performance.

Watts' game didn't really concern me in the long run. It was the thing he usually does so well that let him down, and I don't think that will happen too often.

IMO, we win that game if our 2 best players even have moderately good games, in Vince and Jones. But to North's credit, they didn't.

Disagree. He played the worst game possibly for the year. There was a contest on the MCC wing and he failed to tackle (was it?) Cunnginton and then they whisked the ball away and ended up scoring. A real step back for Watts today. Let's hope he's a lot better next week.

Thought Lumumba had a really good first half and his second quarter in particular was very good, but he faded. Meanwhile, Bernie was terrible.

Disagree. He played the worst game possibly for the year. There was a contest on the MCC wing and he failed to tackle (was it?) Cunnginton and then they whisked the ball away and ended up scoring. A real step back for Watts today. Let's hope he's a lot better next week.

Thought Lumumba had a really good first half and his second quarter in particular was very good, but he faded. Meanwhile, Bernie was terrible.

Lumumba had 1 disposal in the first quarter and 3 in the second - and all were ineffective.

Edited August 9, 201510 yr by chook fowler

Disagree. He played the worst game possibly for the year. There was a contest on the MCC wing and he failed to tackle (was it?) Cunnginton and then they whisked the ball away and ended up scoring. A real step back for Watts today. Let's hope he's a lot better next week.

Thought Lumumba had a really good first half and his second quarter in particular was very good, but he faded. Meanwhile, Bernie was terrible.

A poor game doesnt mean a step back... it just means a poor game

Jones 12 possessions, Vince 14.

If they played half decent games it's a lot closer.

Lamumba had 1 disposal in the first quarter and 3 in the second - and all were ineffective.

He sprinted off half back twice and set up inside 50 entries. I recall them being effective.

A poor game doesnt mean a step back... it just means a poor game

It was a step back for me, because his intensity to tackle was ordinary and he was out muscled by a small midfielder. His physicality has been improving and today he really let himself down and the team.

Did anyone see Hogans celebration after his first goal? He kissed his black armband and pointed to the sky. What happened?

He sprinted off half back twice and set up inside 50 entries. I recall them being effective.

He had 2 inside 50's for the day. The one good thing he did was hit Dawes. How you can say he had a really good first half is beyond me.

That dropped sitter and follow up limp-wristed handball was almost as costly as Garlett's blunder.

And anyone he went near had a shot at goal.

Even though our “usual suspects” like Jones, Vince, etc, were not going well today, we still fought back from a terrible start – in past years that would have led to a 100 point shellacking.

Also without those players firing we were right in it until the last 15 minutes … means the newer guys and the lesser lights are performing.

Tyson deserves more love than he's been getting on here lately ... he has been carrying an injury.

And it has to be said: well done Dawes! For a while I wondered who it was who was wearing his jumper.

Is it time to ask questions about the Lumumba trade? He has been average at best. I like the way he takes the game on, and for that I can forgive the odd time he runs himself into trouble, but he is just not getting anywhere near enough of it for me to be convinced.

Edited August 9, 201510 yr by Forest Demon

Is it time to ask questions about the Lumumba trade? He has been average at best. I like the way he takes the game on, I can forgive the odd time he runs himself into trouble, but he is just not getting anywhere near enough of it for me to convinced.

I take comfort in the fact that Clark has done as much as he has. Which is SFA!

Grimes deserves to hold his spot more than Lumumba right now. Simple as that.

Collingwood are the clear winners on that 3 way trade to date.

I take comfort in the fact that Clark has done as much as he has. Which is SFA!

Varcoe has come from nowhere and had a very good year, I don't think anyone saw Collingwood winning that trade.

Lumumba's exact problem is that he takes the game on.

He ends up with either himself or his teammate with a Messerchmidt up their jaxie.

Is it time to ask questions about the Lumumba trade? He has been average at best. I like the way he takes the game on, and for that I can forgive the odd time he runs himself into trouble, but he is just not getting anywhere near enough of it for me to be convinced.

You're behind the time Forest. Some have for weeks only to be told how good he is.

Edited August 9, 201510 yr by Baghdad Bob

Infuriating game. We dominated for two quarters but didn't capitalise on the scoreboard (4.4 to 2.0 in the second quarter a good example). Catch up football is tough though, and the awful first quarter is essentially why we lost this game - we'd have been 3-5 goals up at 3/4 time if we'd even played 25% better in the first term.

I can't believe how bad Watts was today, after his last two months. Almost every kick was a turnover.

There were three or four critical second-half errors from leaders which killed us - Garlett's dropped chest mark, Dawes missing from 20m out directly in front (which would have given us the lead), Garland's turnover in the fourth which led to a North goal, and N Jones' turnover in the fourth which led to a North goal. Tidy those stupid things up and we most likely would have won.

On the positive side, we played some great football today but at no point did N Jones or Vince play well, and we also had some other poor performers in Lumumba, Watts and Garlett. So credit to the others (Viney was immense, Tyson was much better, Dunn and McDonald played great games down back, and of course Hogan and Dawes up forward) to not just keep us in it, but lead us to playing impressive, dominant football.

They have the quaddie of arrogant peanuts in Nahas, Harvey, Higgins and Thomas. They spend half their time strutting around the football field.

Higgins is at least a good footballer. Nahas and Thomas won't go near a contested ball and generally have no impact on games of football, but they keep getting on the end of other players' good work and being rewarded with undeserving goals.

I hate them both so much.