North Melbourne Kangaroos - Round 23 Review

Disappointing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here was the lay of the land pre kick off. If the boys from Arden Street could beat the Saints and then beat the Tigers in a probable win they would be playing finals.

Round 23 - Vs St Kilda Saints @Etihad

St Kilda Saints 4.4 9.9 15.16 19.21 135
North Melbourne Kangaroos 2.5 7.7 9.7 10.10 70

The 1st quarter started with North getting all the inside 50's for little return and the Saints scoring on a couple of horrendous turnovers and using the wide open spaces for easy goals. 2 goals 5 for the quarter was always going to hurt the Royal Blue who need to punish the Saints early and keep it up. Well a semi-inspired spurt to start the second quarter was premature as the team went flaccid and let the Saints score the bulk of the goals for the remainder of the match. Nick Reiwoldt and Stephen 'tiprat' Milne combined for 9 goals as the forward entry for the Roos reminded me of my fumbling advances in my high school days that inevitably ended in rejection. This time the rejections were by the defence not cute girls not interested in a pimply faced dork. Todd Goldstein finished with 33 hitouts to finish #3 on the all-time hit out list with 1 week to go. He needs a gettable 27 to finish the year 2nd overall.
 

Andrew Swallow has his 2nd consecutive 30+ possie game finishing with 34, 9 marks and 9 tackles to be the best in Blue. Jack Ziebell continued his impressive end to the season with 28 possies, 19 kicks, 7 marks, 4 tackles and 4 inside 50's. Scott Thompson also continued his rich vein of form with 26 possies out of defence. There is little more to say about yet another blown opportunity on the big stage. Here's hoping the Roos finish of the season next week against the Tiger with a promising performance that can lead into a strong pre-season.
 

Roo Rating: 2 / 10
 
Daniel Wells
 

Wells was in and out of the game and when it was there to be won he was amongst the rest with an insipid performance. He racked up an average 18 possessions, 4 tackles, 5 inside 50's and a nice long range goal. Any chance of All-Australian selection has gone in the same direction as his teams prospects. Out of contention. Let's hope another uninterrupted pre-season can see Wells play his best year to date in 2012.
 
Wells Rating: 5 / 10
 
Until then hail to David's brother!

North Melbourne Kangaroos - Must Win Saturday Night Game!

With 2 weeks to go North Melbourne sit 6 points out of the 8. That is 1 and a half (draw) wins for those of you who aren't used to the simple scoring systems of the Australian Football League. A win is worth 4 points, a draw is 2 points, a goal is 6 points on the scoreboard and a behind is 1 point. Yes that's right if you miss the target but are pretty close you get rewarded.

Well now that you've caught up, the Kangaroos need to win both of their last 2 games to be a chance to play finals. Their first opportunity comes this Saturday against St Kilda. This will be their biggest challenge then they finish off the regular season against Richmond which should (sic) be an easier offering. Like a virgin (which I'm assuming Jack Riewoldt is!) sacrificed into the volcano (which is Eddie McGuire).

North Melbourne accounted well for themselves in their last meeting in round 15 falling just 9 points short after kicking 1 goal 4 in the last quarter and keeping the Saints scoreless. The Roos have been a much more successful playing an up tempo game since then culminating in the 98 point drilling of the Fremantle Dockers last Saturday night. What most bouys me most (apart from my unusually high fat %) is the fact it was such a team game. 10 players had 20+ possessions, another 8 had 15 -19 and every player registered 10 or more apart from Jack Ziebell who received a bruised lung early (he still tried to play for almost a quarter before coming off, what a hard man he is. At 20 give him 2 pre-seasons and the AFL will have to introduce a new Ziebell rule for his crunching tackle sand shirt fronts). Another promising sign was the debut of Aaron Mullett who looked at home with 17 possies, 3 tackles and 4 inside 50's. He was also cleaned up and jumped to feet adding to the strong mind strong bodies of the new age Roos. Former All-Australian Hamish McIntosh has also recovered from Achilles issues to push for selection. Brad Scott will never drop AA contender Todd Goldstein so will he play 2 feature ruckmen who can go forward and kick goals?

Where the game will be won:

Total Disposals: 11th in the AFL - Dal Santo (StK), 14 - Swallow (NMFC)
Goals: 6 - Milne (StK), 11 - Petrie (NMFC), 18 - Edwards (NMFC)
Tackles: 7 - Jones (StK), 9 - Swallow (NMFC)
Hit Outs: 1 - Goldstein (NMFC), 7 - McEvoy (StK)
Inside 50's: 11 - Wells (NMFC), 14 - Swallow (NMFC)
Total score for: 1932 - NMFC, 1670 - StK
Total score against: 1541 - StK, 1856 - NMFC

Most does it mean? Both teams are about average in total disposals and tackles. North kick a lot of their goals with their 3 tall forwards, Petrie (42 goals), Edwards (32) and super mature aged rookie of the year Cameron Pederson (17 from 13 games) (who since solidifying his position in the team has kicked at least a goal 8 of the last 9 weeks, the one week off being the slapping by Collingwood where the team kicked only 3 goals total.) and evergreen Brent Harvey's 29. Whereas St Kilda have dangerous small forward/serial pest Stephen Milne (48 goals) with Nick Riewoldt kicking 30 and Adam Schneider (another small forward) kicking 23.

Goldstein should have the advantage over St Kilda's Ben McEvoy in the ruck and if he gives the Roos midfield first use of the ball they need to spread and run up a score. North have scored 250 more points and St Kilda have been winning by keeping the score down. So North are more likely to win a high (100+) scoring game where the Saints will win if they keep the score down.

Both teams matched up pretty well earlier in the year so this is likely to be an intriguing clash for the non-involved spectator and a real white knuckle encounter for us Roos and Saints supporters.

Until then hail to the high hat!

North Melbourne Kangaroos - Round 20 Review v Hawthorn Hawks

Well what can I say another go against a top 4 team and another loss. Don't get me wrong it wasn't a thumping, the Roos were even briefly ahead with 4 minutes to go. But.... they faded and the old guard for the Hawks came through and again showed us that the Roos are still off the mark. Not much in my mind but still can't seem to win the games when they're in the balance. The Kangaroos have won 2 games by okay teams and through responding to the opposition surge that inevitably came. Round 13 vs Essendon and round 17 vs Western Bulldogs showed a glimpse of some semblance of ticked for the boys in Royal Blue. The rest of the games were a mix of downhill skiing against inferior opposition, getting blasted by Collingwood or Geelong or most frustratingly being in the game for 3 quarters or so before rolling over and giving the game away. This was particularly prevalent against West Coast (Rd1) by 4 points, Richmond (Rd 5) 9pts, Brisbane (Rd 9) 14pts, Sydney (Rd 10)1pt, St Kilda (Rd 15) 9pts, Carlton (Rd 19) 18pts, and on Sunday against Hawthorn (Rd 20)17 pts.

Yes that's correct we have been either even or ahead at some point in the last quarters and lost on 7 occasions. Just because I'm drinking scotch and researching doesn't make me wrong! If the Roos could have pulled 2 of those losses into victories they'd be playing finals this year and getting valuable experience into a core group of 30 - 100 gamers. Considering the Roos held considerable leads at some point in some of those games makes it even more disappointing. All the Kangaroos can do now is take the bye week off and regroup, hope for Essendon to lose to the Bulldogs and win their last 3 games. If results fall the way so that the Roos make it, great. If not, they probably didn't deserve it!

Round 20 @Aurora Stadium vs Hawthorn Hawks

Hawthorn Hawks 2.1 6.6 9.8 15.13 103



North Melbourne Kangaroos 3.7 5.7 9.7 13.8 86

Again North squandered early chances kicking 3 goals 7 behinds and failing to take ascendancy, with a strong breeze in their favour no less. Hawthorn kicked a little better in the second quarter taking a 5 point lead into the main break. Jack Ziebell was again strong in the engine room while Daniel Wells and Andrew Swallow seemed affected by the supposed flu they had. Todd Goldstein again held his own in the ruck. The Roos pulled the deficit back to 1 point at the 3 quarter break. Hawthorn were going to be kicking with the wind in the last so it was always going to be a tough ask. The most disappointing part of the loss was the fact that the Roos took ascendancy and kicked 4 quick goals, all to forward pocket speedster Matty 'Flash' Campbell, he finished with 5 goals for the match. His last goal giving the Roos a 4 point lead with 4 minutes to go. Things started to unravel from there, Lance Franklin finally decided to play and the Hawks kicked away with the last 3 goals of the game. Scott McMahon was great off half back with a team high 29 disposals, 8 marks and 6 tackles. Jack Ziebell was clearly Norths best with 27 disposals including 17 contested and 16 clearances and a goal. Todd Goldstein finished with 37 hit outs to go with his league leading tally. In the end the Hawks midfield stepped it up a gear when it was needed and proved they are about 5 ladder positions ahead of the Arden St boys. Rumour has it that several North player came down with flu like symptoms and diaargha and Lachlan Hansen actually had to pull out just before kick off.
 
Roo Rating: 7/10
 
Daniel Wells
 
Daniel apparently was suffering from mild flu symptoms and even though he finished with 19 touches and 5 tackles he only showed glimpses of brilliance including a much needed long range goal in atrocious Tasmanian conditions.
 
Wells Rating: 5/10
 
Until then hail to

North Melbourne Kangaroos - Round 19 Review

In the Kangaroos only Friday night game of the year they were pitted against top 4 Carlton in a true of test of their place in the pecking order. 3 heavy losses to Collingwood (twice) and Geelong only enhanced the view that they were a fair pace of the mark.

The Kangaroos have been able to match it with teams out of the 8 and 2 disappointing losses to Sydney (1 point) and St Kilda (9 points) prove they are comfortable in he middle of the ladder. The middle of the ladder however could be seen as ranging from 7th to 11th and you only get to play finals if you finish 8th or higher. So where abouts do the Kangaroos sit in the 'middle pack'? Well losses to Sydney (6th), St Kilda(7th), West Coast (5th) and Fremantle (8th) make it appear they are just off the mark at the moment but a closer inspection shows the Roos were a chance in those games losing them by 1, 9, 4 and 29 points respectively. Sure I here you say, the good teams wins the close games (see Geelong) but it also points out that the Roos aren't that far off either.

The last 4 games of the year against Hawthorn (4th), Fremantle(8th), St Kilda(7th) and Richmond(13th) will give a good indication as 3 are top 8 sides and Richmond sitting in 13th spot. The Roos should win the last game if they want to be seen as improving and heading in the right direction. A home game against an injury riddled Fremantle, a visit to Tasmania against the Hawks and a rematch against the Saints will show the Roos where they're at. 3 wins out of 4 could see them playing finals and 4 would give them a likely chance.

But I'm getting ahead of myself let's look back at Friday night. If we must.

Round 19 vs Carlton Blues @ES

North Melbourne Kangaroos 3.2 6.2 7.6 9.8 62



Carlton Blues 1.4 3.9 6.12 11.14 80

I was quietly confident about the match up with several key position players missing through injury and our ability to match up well against the Blues. 5 scoring shots a piece but wayward kicking from Carlton saw the Roos go into the first break 10 points up. The usual players for both teams were laying well.
 
Again wayward kicking saw the Blues go into the main break 11 down after kicking 3 goals 9. Carlton clearly had the better of the 3rd quarter restricting the Roos to 1 goal 4 and clawing back the deficit so that both teams were tied at the last break.
 
The going was tough at the start of the last quarter and the Kangaroos squandered a couple of gettable chances particularly marks inside 50 to Drew Petrie and Lachie Hansen. Carlton capitalised on these mistakes and took their chances in a 5 minute spurt kicking 3 quick goals, the ascendancy and as it turns out the game. Andrew Swallow toiled hard all day and tried his heart out in the last but in the end there were too many travellers and the Roos were over run by a fit Carlton side led admirably by skipper and new dad Chris Judd who was instrumental in the last quarter. Bryce Gibbs also shone in a different role in attack kicking 4 important goals in a low scoring match. Swallow ended with a game high 32 possessions, 5 I50's a goal and 9 tackles. Ziebell continued his consistent form with 22 touches and 10 tackles. Goldstein as always played his role with 36 hit outs and 5 tackles.
 
Roo Rating: 7 1/2 / 10
 
Daniel Wells
 
Wells had by far his quietest night with 5 tackles and 13 possessions. Most disturbing was the fact he went missing in the last when he was most needed and this game alone could be his unravelling for an All-Australian selection. Overall a disappointing performance by Daniel.
 
Wells Rating: 3  / 10
 
Let's hope Wells and his Roo mates can bounce back next Sunday @Aurora Stadium, Launceston.
 
Until then hail to FNF!

North Melbourne Kangaroos - Top 3 individual performances

There are 2 performances that stand out as 2 of the best for the whole league but choosing the third best was a little tougher. Having a high number in one or more statistical areas doesn't necessarily make it a great performance. Brady Rawlings often picks up 30+ possessions but they aren't as damaging to the opposition as 30 possessions from a more skillful player like Daniel Wells. Shear possessions and marks don't tell the same story as taking into account whether they were contested or a number of uncontested half-back time wasters.

So these are in order and I'm going to start with #1.

#1 Individual Performance (so far)

Andrew Swallow

Round 11 vs Adelaide Crows

I rate Andrew's game against the Crows as the most complete and influential by any player wearing the Royal Blue this year.

Swallow started the game hot winning 2 clearances and kicking a goal in the first 90 seconds. By quarter-time he had 17 disposals, 14 contested possessions, and 10 clearances to his name. Swallow single handedly won the team the quarter and although he didn't replicate these dizzying stat for the 3 subsequent quarters he still played a great game and ending up with some near records on the way. His 39 possessions were used at an astonishingly high 84% effectiveness. He laid 5 tackles, picked u 17 clearances and kicked 2 goals. He also took 3 uncharacteristic bounces as he was obviously aware he was playing a blinder. His most impressive stat was his 27 contested possessions that was 1 off the all-time record. This stat shows that Swallow wasn't on the end of easy kicks and he went and got the ball himself.

#2 Individual Performance

Jack Ziebell

Round 17 - Western Bulldogs

You could excuse Ziebell his relatively slow start to the season as his is coming off 2 broken legs and hip surgery and he's only 20. Coach Brad Scott subbed him out of most games at the start of the season as his fitness slowly built up and Ziebell has started to repay the faith picking up 20+ possies in 7 out of the last 9 games.

It was on the Sunday afternoon against the Bulldogs that Ziebell played his breakout game picking up 41 valuable possessions. His 28 kicks were more than any Bulldog could manage in possessions for the match. Ziebell entered the league with a mature body and show this by shrugging many tackles as well as laying 6 of his own. He was able to pick up 20 contested possessions and executed 8 valuable clearances. His confidence building during the season and reaching a crescendo as he attacked the ball and took the game on as evident by his 8 inside 50's an a goal.

Ziebell still needs to build a bigger fitness base as an uninterrupted pre-season will help with this but his game is even more magnificent in the reality that Ziebell was only on he ground for 68% of the game time. Imagine what he'll be able to do when he can play a regular midfield role at about 85% GT?

#3 Individual Performances

Todd Goldstein

Round 14 vs Port Adelaide

Picking the 3rd IP was difficult as a few players has very good games and Daniel Wells was unlucky as was Drew Petrie but Goldstein needs to be rewarded for his ultra consistent season thus far that could/should result in an All-Australian selection.

Goldstein set the tone early and finished the game with a staggering 53 hit outs (His second 53HO game for the year) and his attack on the footy a marvel for a player who stands 201cm and 103kgs. He picked up 13 handy possessions including 4 rebounds out of 50 and a goal. When he didn't have the ball on a string he laid 6 tackles.

I'd love to be able to update this post with another stand out performance before the season is over particularly a finals game.

Until then hail to Spitta!

North Melbourne Kangaroos - Round 18 Review

Round 18 - Brisbane Lions @ET

North Melbourne Kangaroos 4.7 8.10 12.15 17.20 122


Brisbane Lions 4.0 8.5 10.6 11.11 77

I hate game when we're quite strong favourites and this one was as important for final 8 aspirations as any this weekend. 'We' also owed the Lions an uppercut after they beat us earlier in the year when they had no rights!!!
 
Another dominant 1st quarter wasted by inaccurate goal kicking had me prepared for the worst. 11 scoring shots to open the game is a good effort but 4 goals from those opportunities is not. 4 goals 3 in the second quarter was in improvement in accuracy but saw the Roos holding onto a tenuous 5 point lead at the main break. Daniel Wells was having a rare quiet half but Ryan Bastinac was having a consistent ball winning half to counter it. While some of the usual suspects were playing well Swallow, Goldstein and Petrie (Despite his inaccurate goal kicking!?) what was most refreshing was the younger brigade in Leigh Adams, Bastinac and Jack Ziebell picking up the midfield slack.
 
I was always of the belief that the Roos would wear the young Lions down and eventually pull away and they did just that kicking 4 goals to 2 in the 3rd quarter and 5 to 1 in the last to pull out a percentage boosting 45 point win. The key match up for the game was in the ruck between 2 of the up and coming tall timber of the AFL Todd Goldstein and Matthew Leuenberger. They are 1 and 2 respectively in the league for hitouts and are capable of going forward and adding to the scoreboard. It was almost a tie but Goldstein stamped another claim for All-Australian honours with 42 hit outs and 2 very important goals. Leuey was probably 50/50 in ruck contests against Goldy but Goldy's tank enabled him to play an astounding 98% of game time to Leuey's 68% which allowed him to attend more stoppages and therefore end up with the more hit outs. I tipping this two ruckmen to be the premiere ruckmen of the comp for the next 10 years like Dean Cox and Aaron Sandilands. If Petrie had kicked straighter we would have been 'Best on Ground' with 13 very strong marks and 8 scoring shots. Unfortunately he kicked 3.5 and should have had at least 6 but in the end it was enough and the Roos have the chance to enter the 8 next weekend if they can beat Carlton on the big stage of the Roo grown Friday Night canvas. On a Lions note Simon Black played a blinder and should be good for at least 2 more years!
 
Roo Rating: 8 / 10
 
Daniel Wells
 
Daniel had a quiet day amassing only 17 possessions and almost half of them in the last quarter. It is his lowest output for the year and goes with a n 18 and a 19 possie performance as the only time he hasn't had 20+ in 18 rounds. It goes to show how good he is when his 12 kicks all hit a target and he drifted forward and kicked 2 goals plus an easy snap that was just wide left. He also laid 5 bone crunching tackles to match his new aggressive inside game. If Wells wants to be considered elite and one of the A grade players in the comp he will need to step up on Friday night with a team lifting performance.
 
Wells Rating: 6.5 / 10
 
Until then hail to the Dish!!