NAB 3 - Richmond vs North Melbourne, Sat. March 21 @ Etihad

[WilliamPowell]

Apart from that 10-15 minutes of utter rubbish in the 1st qtr it was pretty much even after that.

There were some good signs, a few things that were clearly settled but also a few things that need massive work between now and round 1

Thought McIntosh was good again, lot to like, just looks and plays like a footballer. Thought Edwards was good in patches.

Really impressed with Jack today, was just fantastic. Ditto Lids his leadership directing the young blokes was first rate.

The one thing that should be settled after today is this nonsense of 3 talls up forward. For us it just doesn't work. There is no point trying it anymore. Seriously I don't think Vickery knows or is willing or adjust to it.

The Morris experiment isn't working either, not enough goals or score involvements. Throw in that today what is supposed to his strength (defensive pressure) was poor then there are reasons to concerned

I know it is only Ben Lennon's 2nd season but I hate seeing blokes no matter what age or how long they've been playing not attacking contests or going for the ball. Sadly, again today he stood back a few times when he just had brace for contact and go after the ball. His kicking is excellent but he needs to be prepared to win his own footy

We need to a lot of work on our disposal. Today proved (again) that when under pressure our skills can be just shambolic

[Jackstar is back!!!]

Best thing - no injuries!

+10000000000. The most important thing to come out of the game today. 

Cotch got through 3/4ers fine and will be right for round 1.
Miles to comeback into the midfield for round 1.


Losing today should at least mean we'll go into round 1 not thinking it's just going to all happen like we did at the start of last year after a couple of big preseason wins. You don't win too many games losing all the possession, contested footy and clearances counts, applying little team pressure for large potions of the game, the whole team applying just 40 tackles (less than 2 per player), and missing so many gettable shots at goal. Add on top of that giving away twice as many free kicks.

Miles has a quad injury and is 50/50 for round 1

[(•))(©™]

Fifa.
NOTHING has changed.

Same mistakes, same unaccountability from the usual suspects.

Smell the coffe stuff yas!

Sack every idiot and start again.

This is the pinnacle of the clubs poo culture but they've pus so much spin on it, half of you believe
things have changed.

So many poo players.

Geez.

[🏅Dooks]

 

[Penelope]

we all need our own Jonestown

[mat073]

Fifa.
NOTHING has changed.

Same mistakes, same unaccountability from the usual suspects.

Smell the coffe stuff yas!

Sack every idiot and start again.

This is the pinnacle of the clubs poo culture but they've pus so much spin on it, half of you believe
things have changed.

So many poo players.

Geez.

2 goal loss against a team that looks definite top 4 in the Nab challenge .
If ever there was an excuse to burn the joint down - this is it.

[🏅Dooks]

Fifa.
NOTHING has changed.

Same mistakes, same unaccountability from the usual suspects.

Smell the coffe stuff yas!

Sack every idiot and start again.

This is the pinnacle of the clubs poo culture but they've pus so much spin on it, half of you believe
things have changed.

So many poo players.

Geez.

2 goal loss against a team that looks definite top 4 in the Nab challenge .
If ever there was an excuse to burn the joint down - this is it.

Yeah. God forbid we are ever the team to win by two goals and look like a top 4 finisher. That would be asking for too much.

So it's ok everybody. 7th to 12th is where we should accept as being our lot in life

[bojangles17]

Fifa.
NOTHING has changed.

Same mistakes, same unaccountability from the usual suspects.

Smell the coffe stuff yas!

Sack every idiot and start again.

This is the pinnacle of the clubs poo culture but they've pus so much spin on it, half of you believe
things have changed.

So many poo players.

Geez.

Lol get with the program dude , the only thing missing out there was the deck chairs and the pina colada we were that relaxed. We were in praccy mode , NM were full throttle and there was 2 straight kicks in it...cotch has like 23 possies in 2 q , like stuffen whoa man , that side can play, make no mistake 

[mat073]

I'm still confident that we are going to do a real number on Carlton in a few weeks.
This is the round 1 we have been waiting for.

[Smokey]

Don't think the three forwards work ?
Ivan would be very clean tonight
Was given a bath today, especially in centre clearances

Agree with both of these comments jack.

[Smokey]

1.  Apart from that 10-15 minutes of utter rubbish in the 1st qtr it was pretty much even after that.

2.  There were some good signs, a few things that were clearly settled but also a few things that need massive work between now and round 1

3.  Thought McIntosh was good again, lot to like, just looks and plays like a footballer. Thought Edwards was good in patches.

4.  Really impressed with Jack today, was just fantastic. Ditto Lids his leadership directing the young blokes was first rate.

5.  The one thing that should be settled after today is this nonsense of 3 talls up forward. For us it just doesn't work. There is no point trying it anymore. Seriously I don't think Vickery knows or is willing or adjust to it.

6.  The Morris experiment isn't working either, not enough goals or score involvements. Throw in that today what is supposed to his strength (defensive pressure) was poor then there are reasons to concerned

7.  I know it is only Ben Lennon's 2nd season but I hate seeing blokes no matter what age or how long they've been playing not attacking contests or going for the ball. Sadly, again today he stood back a few times when he just had brace for contact and go after the ball. His kicking is excellent but he needs to be prepared to win his own footy

8.  We need to a lot of work on our disposal. Today proved (again) that when under pressure our skills can be just shambolic

1.  Yep.

2.  Yep.

3.  Definitely yep and yep.

4.  Definitely yep.

5.  Definitely yep, back to the 2's and only come back in case of an emergency.

6.  Yep, backline or bye bye.

7.  Still has time on his side but we're watching...

8.  Yep but so was every other team's disposal.  Let's judge after R1.

[The Big Richo]

Went to the game today, some random observations:

Etihad is a pooheap. Terrible place to watch footy, genius move to just open half the roof meant only half the ground was unwatchable.

I reckon Maric is in serious trouble. Is a one-trick pony and has been found out. Stay off him and leap and use his man around the ground because he is limited mobility wise.

Last 3 quarters were generally ok, given the limitations of the structures we were using.

Liked the signs our good players are showed, Deledio, Cotchin, Martin, Riewoldt, Rance all showed enough to say they will be in good nick for the season.

The three forwards just don't work, for a few reasons, but not least of all the way we move the ball in. We could have Dunstall, Carey and Ablett up there and they would struggle at times. Not having a dangerous small forward that can get at the fall of the ball doesn't help either. Someone should probably politely point out to Damien that he tried this last year and it didn't work then either.

All Morris as a defensive forward is doing is hurting our defence. We are gaining nothing from it and can't cover the job he did quite well. The match-ups just looked awful today and we look out of balance. Someone again needs to politely point out to Damien that he is a tactical minnow, and as much as he wants to be Alistair Clarkson, all his so called innovations inevitably add up to nothing and do more harm than good. He should aim to maintain the status quo and let Bomber innovate next year.

On the Vickery/Griffiths debate, I thought both had good and poor patches in the game. Vickery is certainly miles ahead in what he does off the ball. Neither were helped by our set-up or ball use today but Griffith took the points.

One other one to finish on. pee poor not to have black armbands on today and our coaching staff dressed in shorts and runners and looked like they were taking a training session. North coaches were in slacks and shoes and the look was far more professional.
It just looked like an unprofessional, untidy club today and that was largely the tone of the play as well.

[WilliamPowell]

One other one to finish on. pee poor not to have black armbands on today ....

Think you will find they will be wearing black arm bands in round 1, which IMHO is the right place & right time

[Go Richo 12]

Fair summation of the game though, TBR.

[bojangles17]

Fair to say we were experimenting with 3 talls down back and forward , can't take all 3 of astbury TV and bg in. for  mine lloyd and a fit Knights would be a better forward line than a three man forward line.
Morris is a back pocket plumber , too often his stuff ups completely to unravel a decent passage of play. He could have salvaged an ordinary day at the office with 2 goals but never looked like it

Bg was getting to the contests , I'm hoping it was a lack of touch seeing first game that stopped him from clunking more than his share coz he grassed plenty
We moved the ball well though and as mentioned , our engine room is in good nick which puts us in a good position for season proper