Where To Now For North?
September 8th 2008 08:01
The Village Bell. or Dalton Bar (it answeres to both names), down St Kilda way was the venue of choice for a footballing few who thought North might just be able to knock Sydney over on Saturday night.
As it turned out, the only things knocked over by game’s end were quite a few pots and very nearly a couple of Sydney supporters who must have left their brains in the harbour city, so antagonistic, arrogant and at times, racist were they.
Nothin’ like safety in numbers eh, boys?
As one Northener pointed out, they were a cockey bunch for a mob that’s won a solitary flag in 75 years. And even that premiership, added another Shinboner, won’t compensate for a relocation.
A good line that drew a chortle, but the blue and white brigade wore long faces.
The game itself was the old finals Dickensian classic of a game of two halves and indeed, two cities.
North had every right to think itself well and truly in the game at half time, going in ten points to the good.
A fumbly start to the third quarter gave little indication to the free Swan scoring that was to come.
In fact, had Ed Lower taken a mark he should have twenty metres out, instead of fumbling like a schoolboy who has finally come to grips with his girlfriends’ brassiere only to hear her parents arrive home unexpectedly and Brent Harvey not blazed away with a torpedo punt that was about as controlled as Boris Yeltsin’s drinking habits, North may well have skipped away to a decent lead.
The momentum shifted when Adam Simpson grabbed the ball on North’s half forward line and wound his left leg up as though hoping to send the ball out of Australian controlled airspace, only for it to ricochet from a team mate’s back to a Sydney player who shuffled it forward to some other Sydney type as all the other Sydney types at the bar started their guttural neanderthalisms - “… just whack ‘im, Bazza … whack someone, Bazza …” - finally landing in some other Sydney type’s arms for a Sydney type goal.
Seven others followed in quick enough time for North supporters at the bar to think that the beginning of the end was upon them.
So what’s the wash up for team that only three weeks ago was touted as the team most likely to square up to Geelong come the second half of September?
It must be frustrating to all at the club that since winning the Premiership in 1999, North have won only two finals since, and a few decent old hammerings have been copped in those losses - Essendon in 2000, Port in 2005 and 2007 and Geelong last year.
So as one axeman said to another, who’s for the chop?
Shannon Grant has offered his own head. Jess Sinclair’s tears at games end could be something of a prophecy. Aaron Edwards is unspectacular far more often than he is the reverse, Nathan Thompson’s battle scarred knees seem to have caught up with him, Corey Jones couldn’t get a game at the weekend while a few others in the centre of the ground have to stop getting totally smashed in big games. Harris tried hard but without effect, while Daniel Wells was silky smooth in the first half and invisible in the next as the game slipped away.
Dean Laidley was candid as always after the game when he said he thought the team of ‘08 was nearer a flag than the Preliminary Finalists of last year and in a sense he was right. North pushed Geelong two months ago in a game of the utmost quality. They beat Hawthorn and should have done so twice. They knocked Collingwood and Footscray over twice for the year and drew with the blood - sucking Swans in their only home and away meeting.
The home and away year was bookended by two strangely similar and disastrous games.
Against Essendon in Round 1, North shot out to a four goal lead before realising they still had three and a half quarters to play. They thought it inappropriate to do so and handed a pretty ordinary Essendon side their biggest win of the year.
Much the same happened in Round 22 - four quick ones against Port Adelaide, the double chance looking rosier by the minute, then instant hibernation as the Power played keepings off and dished out a belting so despicable, Dean Laidley apologised to Shannon Grant and his family as to the circumstances of his 300th game
Adam Simpson should play on but stand down as Captain and oversee the transition of a Drew Petrie led Kangaroos. Young players like Lower, Urquhart, Thomas, and Campbell are genuinely exciting. Leigh Harding has been a revelation across half back. Hamish McIntosh will benefit from a tough pre-season and the back line is tough and united.
North have the nucleus of a good team and don’t look like bottoming out. Geelong have shown that great teams can be built without a couple of seasons south of the Mason - Dixie line and the ‘Roos should take heart from that.
Ultimately, what is really needed is a team that performs in Finals, but then again, there are fifteen other clubs craving the same thing…
As it turned out, the only things knocked over by game’s end were quite a few pots and very nearly a couple of Sydney supporters who must have left their brains in the harbour city, so antagonistic, arrogant and at times, racist were they.
Nothin’ like safety in numbers eh, boys?
As one Northener pointed out, they were a cockey bunch for a mob that’s won a solitary flag in 75 years. And even that premiership, added another Shinboner, won’t compensate for a relocation.
A good line that drew a chortle, but the blue and white brigade wore long faces.
The game itself was the old finals Dickensian classic of a game of two halves and indeed, two cities.
North had every right to think itself well and truly in the game at half time, going in ten points to the good.
A fumbly start to the third quarter gave little indication to the free Swan scoring that was to come.
In fact, had Ed Lower taken a mark he should have twenty metres out, instead of fumbling like a schoolboy who has finally come to grips with his girlfriends’ brassiere only to hear her parents arrive home unexpectedly and Brent Harvey not blazed away with a torpedo punt that was about as controlled as Boris Yeltsin’s drinking habits, North may well have skipped away to a decent lead.
The momentum shifted when Adam Simpson grabbed the ball on North’s half forward line and wound his left leg up as though hoping to send the ball out of Australian controlled airspace, only for it to ricochet from a team mate’s back to a Sydney player who shuffled it forward to some other Sydney type as all the other Sydney types at the bar started their guttural neanderthalisms - “… just whack ‘im, Bazza … whack someone, Bazza …” - finally landing in some other Sydney type’s arms for a Sydney type goal.
Seven others followed in quick enough time for North supporters at the bar to think that the beginning of the end was upon them.
So what’s the wash up for team that only three weeks ago was touted as the team most likely to square up to Geelong come the second half of September?
It must be frustrating to all at the club that since winning the Premiership in 1999, North have won only two finals since, and a few decent old hammerings have been copped in those losses - Essendon in 2000, Port in 2005 and 2007 and Geelong last year.
So as one axeman said to another, who’s for the chop?
Shannon Grant has offered his own head. Jess Sinclair’s tears at games end could be something of a prophecy. Aaron Edwards is unspectacular far more often than he is the reverse, Nathan Thompson’s battle scarred knees seem to have caught up with him, Corey Jones couldn’t get a game at the weekend while a few others in the centre of the ground have to stop getting totally smashed in big games. Harris tried hard but without effect, while Daniel Wells was silky smooth in the first half and invisible in the next as the game slipped away.
Dean Laidley was candid as always after the game when he said he thought the team of ‘08 was nearer a flag than the Preliminary Finalists of last year and in a sense he was right. North pushed Geelong two months ago in a game of the utmost quality. They beat Hawthorn and should have done so twice. They knocked Collingwood and Footscray over twice for the year and drew with the blood - sucking Swans in their only home and away meeting.
The home and away year was bookended by two strangely similar and disastrous games.
Against Essendon in Round 1, North shot out to a four goal lead before realising they still had three and a half quarters to play. They thought it inappropriate to do so and handed a pretty ordinary Essendon side their biggest win of the year.
Much the same happened in Round 22 - four quick ones against Port Adelaide, the double chance looking rosier by the minute, then instant hibernation as the Power played keepings off and dished out a belting so despicable, Dean Laidley apologised to Shannon Grant and his family as to the circumstances of his 300th game
Adam Simpson should play on but stand down as Captain and oversee the transition of a Drew Petrie led Kangaroos. Young players like Lower, Urquhart, Thomas, and Campbell are genuinely exciting. Leigh Harding has been a revelation across half back. Hamish McIntosh will benefit from a tough pre-season and the back line is tough and united.
North have the nucleus of a good team and don’t look like bottoming out. Geelong have shown that great teams can be built without a couple of seasons south of the Mason - Dixie line and the ‘Roos should take heart from that.
Ultimately, what is really needed is a team that performs in Finals, but then again, there are fifteen other clubs craving the same thing…
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