Perspective

[Rocco Jones]

Apologies if I come across as the self-appointed voice of reason but some perspective on the loss last night people.

Of course we want to, need to, start winning the big games. It is frustrating as we have a history of losing them. Thing is I think our 2 big ones this year have been different. We are what? The 2nd youngest 22 at the moment? Did I hear it right that North has the oldest average player of any side since 1945? We turned up, worked hard but made wrong decisions. We need more of these games to hone our ability to correct this under pressure.

Bob, JJ and Suckling all about is just comic (dark comedy). Short term it kills us but we are nowhere near our peak list wise. Crameri we know is suspended and Tom Boyd value to structure very underrated. Caleb also out.

All this and we lose to the 6-0 side by 16 points.

[Daughter of the West]

Your voice of reason is appreciated Rocco, but *whine, whine* I just really wanted to beat those tossers! *sticks out bottom lip*

[Eastdog]

Will be ok. This is a setback but we have a lot of players out and haves lot of players in with great talent but that wasn't unfortunately at the forefront last night. We are still a good team but we need to beat sides who are gonna be top 4 and top 8.

[Eastdog]

Your voice of reason is appreciated Rocco, but *whine, whine* I just really wanted to beat those tossers! *sticks out bottom lip*

Me too DOTW.

[Daughter of the West]

Me too DOTW.

In all seriousness, it's the wastefulness that really gets me. If we're out worked and outplayed, fine. We're not good enough. But to be within striking distance and to fluff opportunities (particularly set shots) makes it really tough to swallow. And it makes me nervous that decision making is a problem , because that is a difficult, difficult skill to teach, especially under pressure. Hopefully getting some of our injured personnel back will help and create a bit of a flow on effect.

[always right]

Reality is...until we get Daniel, Suckling and JJ playing again we are going to battle. Our game is built on breaking lines and using the footy well....all aspects we are currently unable to do to the standard we are used to. With these players we are a top four chance...without them we are fighting for a spot in the top 8.

[1eyedog]

737

Thank you.

[comrade]

Shhh that sort of logic has no place here after a loss.

[chef]

2nd youngest team. We are tracking well.

[Mofra]

Reality is...until we get Daniel, Suckling and JJ playing again we are going to battle. Our game is built on breaking lines and using the footy well....all aspects we are currently unable to do to the standard we are used to. With these players we are a top four chance...without them we are fighting for a spot in the top 8.
Any one of those players in teh side and we go close to winning that game.

I have serious doubts over Fletcher Roberts now, still concerned about Jong's kicking (effort can't be faulted) and Bailey Dale still looks unready, he's icing not cake.

In 12 months we will feasibly have Dunkley playing Jong's role from tonight and Dad overtaking Roberts (or Hamling in), while Daniel takes over from Dale in a couple of weeks. We have the personnel to improve quickly on last night's performance.

[GVGjr]

North have a good record this season and have been a top 4 side for the last 2 years. While we are all frustrated by the loss it's not like we played our best football and came up short we simply never got to play our best football.

We can improve significantly on last nights performance.

[Mantis]

Shhh that sort of logic has no place here after a loss.

That's crap and you know it.. Even given the outs the number of chances we wasted and the basic skill errors we made, often resulting in North goals was inexcusable.

Time is on our side, but not being able to execute basic skills under the type of pressure that you get from decent opposition is an area of great concern.

[Rocco Jones]

That's crap and you know it.. Even given the outs the number of chances we wasted and the basic skill errors we made, often resulting in North goals was inexcusable.

Time is on our side, but not being able to execute basic skills under the type of pressure that you get from decent opposition is an area of great concern.

I completely agree it's an area of concern and address that in my OP.

Basically things weren't as good as they seemed before the game and aren't as bad as they seem now.

[Mantis]

I completely agree it's an area of concern and address that in my OP.

Basically things weren't as good as they seemed before the game and aren't as bad as they seem now.

How were things not as good as they seemed prior to the game?

[Twodogs]

Your voice of reason is appreciated Rocco, but *whine, whine* I just really wanted to beat those tossers! *sticks out bottom lip*

We will when it matters. Premierships aren't handed out in April.

[comrade]

That's crap and you know it.. Even given the outs the number of chances we wasted and the basic skill errors we made, often resulting in North goals was inexcusable.

Time is on our side, but not being able to execute basic skills under the type of pressure that you get from decent opposition is an area of great concern.

The age and experience of the playing group means we'll have some up and downs, where we just have an off night and look terrible. Combined with our best users out of the team and no genuine focal point up front, I'm not surprised we struggled.

Similar to the Demons game last year.

I'm sure it is an area of concern for the coaching staff, not sure how what I've said contradicts that. I'm just not going to throw a tantrum or get depressed that we're no good after a game like that.

[Rocco Jones]

The age and experience of the playing group means we'll have some up and downs, where we just have an off night and look terrible. Combined with our best users out of the team and no genuine focal point up front, I'm not surprised we struggled.

Similar to the Demons game last year.

I'm sure it is an area of concern for the coaching staff, not sure how what I've said contradicts that. I'm just not going to throw a tantrum or get depressed that we're no good after a game like that.

Completely agree.

[chef]

The age and experience of the playing group means we'll have some up and downs, where we just have an off night and look terrible. Combined with our best users out of the team and no genuine focal point up front, I'm not surprised we struggled.

Similar to the Demons game last year.

I'm sure it is an area of concern for the coaching staff, not sure how what I've said contradicts that. I'm just not going to throw a tantrum or get depressed that we're no good after a game like that.

Well said.

[Ghost Dog]

The age and experience of the playing group means we'll have some up and downs, where we just have an off night and look terrible. Combined with our best users out of the team and no genuine focal point up front, I'm not surprised we struggled.

Similar to the Demons game last year.

I'm sure it is an area of concern for the coaching staff, not sure how what I've said contradicts that. I'm just not going to throw a tantrum or get depressed that we're no good after a game like that.

I agree with Mantis. Hawthorn had patches where they lost Gibson, Mitchell and Hodge all throughout 2014 yet they found a way. We have to be a team that finds a way when the chips are down. And you always take your chances when you are 10M out, yes Mr Ruckman from Ballarat who GD has spent many weeks talking up!!!! Heartbreaker!
But can we all make a note of this game - Jordan Roughead was not injured. Ok?:D
Our forward line's kicking was the problem and boy did they have their opportunities.

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

This is almost the Positive Thread

[jeemak]

I'm circumspect about any team's season prospects this early in the year, including ours, which is why I've not let myself get too carried away with our early ladder position and form - especially given every game we've played has effectively been a home game!

Yes we're young, and yes many pundits tipped us to either stagnate or slip a little due to that and the improvement of some teams around us. We're playing a long game, one that will see us improve areas of weakness on our list and develop the players we think can come on the journey with us.

I've no doubt that even with the same players in the side we can improve and at least be more competitive and cleaner with the football than we were last night, so the upside of Daniel, JJ, Suckling and Boyd returning is as obvious to me as it is everyone else.

The things that concerned me about last night were things I'll be looking for closely over the coming weeks. I don't want to see a pattern of sloppy use by hand and foot, crowding of the contest and a lack of spacial awareness, and quick kicking from contested situations or bombing to the forward line handing massive advantage to our opponents. These things over time would present as a relapse into how we used to play, and ultimately a mental issue the club would need to address because the players who played last night are largely capable of not doing those things with the regularity they did.

[Eastdog]

That's crap and you know it.. Even given the outs the number of chances we wasted and the basic skill errors we made, often resulting in North goals was inexcusable.

Time is on our side, but not being able to execute basic skills under the type of pressure that you get from decent opposition is an area of great concern.

We had lots of key players out last night but we were in the game from the start pretty much and they had their opportunities to finish it off. If only we took our chances and executed a bit better. Cannot fault our work rate which was of a high standard.

[LostDoggy]

I thought we had a bit of a down night last night but thought the boys all gave their 'all' however I was disappointed in the spelling error in the first line about Luke Dahlhaus's 100th game. It was glaring. Should have been spell checked!

[F'scary]

Perspective is that it is not as if we were fielding our best side last night and it is still relatively early in the season. Only Bob and Crameri are certain to miss the rest of the year. That is bad but last year we had a "winning season" without 2014 club champ Libba jr. Plenty of players to come back into the side and plenty of time for a few to find their form.

A real dark horse for mine would be a successful return of Clay Smith in the last third of the year.

[SonofScray]

Am concerned injuries have generated a Flag Which May Have Wagged scenario instead of TFWW I envisaged all summer.

[Mantis]

The age and experience of the playing group means we'll have some up and downs, where we just have an off night and look terrible. Combined with our best users out of the team and no genuine focal point up front, I'm not surprised we struggled.

And there enlies our biggest problem, take out 4 or 5 of our best kicks and we are left with a team full of contested hard-nuts or one-paced endurance freaks who all have below average foot skills... We need to get the balance better


I'm sure it is an area of concern for the coaching staff, not sure how what I've said contradicts that. I'm just not going to throw a tantrum or get depressed that we're no good after a game like that.

I don't think anyone is saying we are no good, more that the issues we have had for forever and day don't look like disappearing and it's extremely frustrating.. The distinct lack of poise in our team is depressing!

[Ghost Dog]

And there enlies our biggest problem, take out 4 or 5 of our best kicks and we are left with a team full of contested hard-nuts or one-paced endurance freaks who all have below average foot skills... We need to get the balance better



I don't think anyone is saying we are no good, more that the issues we have had for forever and day don't look like disappearing and it's extremely frustrating.. The distinct lack of poise in our team is depressing!

Yes but don't blame the team for the injuries. We had out 300+ games of experience and silk from the side. Daniel, Murphy, Suckling and JJ are all playmakers.

[stefoid]

At first I thought our only problem on Friday was smarter kicking inside 50. It was and continues to be something of a problem.

But the thing that was different on Friday in particular was our lack of goals from stoppages inside 50. north had a phenomenal amount of tackles and Ill best the majority of them would have been inside our F50 since the ball spent so much time in there.

Thats going to be a point of interest amongst opposition coaches.