Rnd 10 - Pre Match Thread - vs North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, Saturday 20 May, 1:454 PM

[Jimitron5000]

Here is another one. I looked at our available senior listed players who played VFL last week. Between the five of them, they have a total of 132 games experience with Melican, Wicks and Stephens making up 128. There is very little experienced depth available, and most of them are small (the other two players are Sheldrick and Corey Warner), which really limits our options.

[707]

Seasons from Hell. We are not alone here, two very recent examples are Collingwood and Melbourne

Melbourne were beaten Prelim finalists in 2018, 17th in 2019, Premiers in 2021

Collingwood 2018-2020 were finalists, (in 2020 traded their future first to GWS for a three 20-30s picks inadvertently handing GWS pick 2) 2021 were 17th but bounced back last year to narrowly miss the GF

We are now done it appears so need to use the balance of this season to our future advantage, just like Melbourne and Collingwood did.

[i'm-uninformed2]

This largely reflects my view that things can change quickly. They have for the worse this year for us, and can change back quickly for the better.

In 2019, Melbourne had the best ruckman in the league in Gawn, tapping the ball to the best contested/clearance player in the league in Oliver, a former no 1 draft pick in Petracca, a top 3 Brownlow place finisher in Brayshaw, and Jack Viney . . . and they finished 17th.

There is a real challenge for everyone at the club to fix certain things - the list issues we still have, consistency of performance, etc. So nothing is guaranteed. But it's sometimes part of the evolution of the team.

[ugg]

Big news!

Effective immediately, North Melbourne Football Club senior coach Alastair Clarkson will step away from the club to focus on his physical and emotional wellbeing. Current club assistant coach and former AFL senior coach, Brett Ratten, will take on the role of senior coach in the interim.

Club statement: Alastair Clarkson

[707]

Is this good or bad for us on Saturday?

[KTigers]

Big news!Club statement: Alastair Clarkson

Yep, that is big news alright. You would think this will be mighty unsettling for North Melbourne. Who are not going well anyway.

[Jimitron5000]

Bloody hell...Hickey is out now with delayed concussion symptoms.
Might be time for McAndrew.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I genuinely hope he's ok. I don't necessarily like Clarko, but you'd still hope he's getting the help he needs - and good on the club for being so supportive of him.

Hick is out for us. I imagine Ladhams comes in for him. But do we also blood McAndrew with Logan out - playing McLean as a big body down forward as a contest target, and McAndrew as second ruck.

[dejavoodoo44]

I genuinely hope he's ok. I don't necessarily like Clarko, but you'd still hope he's getting the help he needs - and good on the club for being so supportive of him.

Hick is out for us. I imagine Ladhams comes in for him. But do we also blood McAndrew with Logan out - playing McLean as a big body down forward as a contest target, and McAndrew as second ruck.

Agree, and while I've no idea what's actually going on behind the scenes in the investigation, you'd think that since the investigative panel were supposed to wrap things up by the end of last year, then they would have spoken to Clarkson by now. Maybe the AFL were hoping if they just announced an investigation, then things would quietly fizzle out after that?

[dejavoodoo44]

Bloody hell...Hickey is out now with delayed concussion symptoms.
Might be time for McAndrew.

Yes, I'd quite like to see McAndrew picked. Does well in the ruck, has a bit of speed and can stick a tackle. Probably still has a bit to learn about playing forward, so if he plays, then perhaps their should be more of an even split between him and Ladhams, in regards to time in the ruck and time forward?

[Roadrunner]

Yes, I'd quite like to see McAndrew picked. Does well in the ruck, has a bit of speed and can stick a tackle. Probably still has a bit to learn about playing forward, so if he plays, then perhaps their should be more of an even split between him and Ladhams, in regards to time in the ruck and time forward?

Absolutely- McLean to FF, with Mac and Ladhams (if fit) for the ruck, and Gus in. If Ladhams still not right, bring in the Pelican.
Out: Mills, Logan, Sheather all injured????
Sub: Stephens

[Ludwig]

Football has become really depressing with all the injuries, especially head injuries. Maybe it's time to ban high contact football codes as too dangerous to the health of players. As we learn more, it appears that football is an activity roughly similar to cigarette smoking when it comes to the health of the participants. Perhaps we should start with warning signs at schools that football is dangerous to your health, like we do with cigarette packs.

I can't remember a year being less interested in footy. It seems like the life has been sucked out of the game. So many things are just not right in AFL.

[wolftone57]

Can Will Gould play forward? Francis seems a better defender than forward, as an interceptor and given his dodgy set shot.

Gould could play forward. He has also played mids in a match or two at Glenelg.

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[wolftone57]

If Tom McM and Ladhams are fit then they would come in plus Gus and Dyl for Mills, Logan, Sheather and Gould. Even if Tom and Pete are not fit, the outs should be the same. Maybe McAndrew comes in with Cory Warner.

The Gould question has been settled once and for all. He’s like so many footballers, he’s found his level one grade down.

You are bagging one bloke after only 3 games in one of the worst teams in the comp? The ball comes into the backs so often and so fast that not even Alex Rance would be a good player. Not only that, there is little or no organisation in the backs since Rampe got injured. Tommy seems to give structure when he plays but even with him we lost. In fact in the?game before injury he was all at sea too.

I would hate to be playing in our backs at the moment with the hoards of loose players streaming in there

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[wolftone57]

I genuinely hope he's ok. I don't necessarily like Clarko, but you'd still hope he's getting the help he needs - and good on the club for being so supportive of him.

Hick is out for us. I imagine Ladhams comes in for him. But do we also blood McAndrew with Logan out - playing McLean as a big body down forward as a contest target, and McAndrew as second ruck.

I really think we have to blood Big Mac now

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