Horrible Finals Record

[Justin Bieber]

North Melbourne Average Losing Margin in finals since 2000: 78.00

GWS Giants Average Losing Margin this year: 77.10

Seriously, the first step is admitting you have a problem

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colliwobbles

;)

Hey it's Cw ;D

[Wolf67]

North Melbourne Average Losing Margin in finals since 2000: 78.00

GWS Giants Average Losing Margin this year: 77.10

Seriously, the first step is admitting you have a problem

ossie85, I'm writing this because I'm currently at work and filling in a bit of time before I go home shortly, but i won't give this a minutes more thought when i leave work in about 20 minutes, but I'm wondering why you have researched all of this useless information.

Most of norths team yesterday were finals debutants, so about 14 of them had nothing to do with the losses you are referring to.  It's like comparing the winning margin with that of the north team of the 90's.  It's a different team.   

RooBoys and I have enjoyed watching north this year.  The club has played some good exciting football, and we have been very happy overall with what North have produced in most games this season, and we are optimistic about our club going forward.

ossie85, you've done all of this research on another AFL club in your own time, for reasons unknown.  I'm pretty confident that RooBoys and I, are not the ones with the problem here.

I suggest ossie that maybe get out of the house a bit more.

[bomberboy0618]

Can't help but think of us last year and how we got smashed, I'd be a bit worried RB...

[ossie85]

North Melbourne Average Losing Margin in finals since 2000: 78.00

GWS Giants Average Losing Margin this year: 77.10

Seriously, the first step is admitting you have a problem

ossie85, I'm writing this because I'm currently at work and filling in a bit of time before I go home shortly, but i won't give this a minutes more thought when i leave work in about 20 minutes, but I'm wondering why you have researched all of this useless information.

Most of norths team yesterday were finals debutants, so about 14 of them had nothing to do with the losses you are referring to.  It's like comparing the winning margin with that of the north team of the 90's.  It's a different team.   

RooBoys and I have enjoyed watching north this year.  The club has played some good exciting football, and we have been very happy overall with what North have produced in most games this season, and we are optimistic about our club going forward.

ossie85, you've done all of this research on another AFL club in your own time, for reasons unknown.  I'm pretty confident that RooBoys and I, are not the ones with the problem here.

I suggest ossie that maybe get out of the house a bit more.

Don't get me wrong, I like North, and watched (most) of the match. I honestly thought they were a chance to win given there form over the year, and have lots of young, exciting talent.

But they didn't even put up a yelp! Game over in 5 minutes.

Honestly, it took me literally 2 minutes to come up with those statistics (I have most at my fingertips), probably less time than it took for you to write the response.

Love the passion though wolf67, wish I saw some of it on Sunday.

Optimism is great, but 12 years of pathetic finals performance from a team that once prized themselves hard-at-it competitive for just about all of the 90s, is not optimistic. The players would have got NOTHING from that match, so what was the point in even making the finals? Or even worse, they went backwards.

The Roos are sincerely a good team, just have to stop getting thrashed so badly. Teams will lose all the time, but teams should never give up.

Collingwood were slaughtered on Friday Night, but they threw everything at them.

[Wolf67]

ossie85 i appreciate what you have written in your last post, and the fact that you have been more constructive.  I'm not sure if they gave up.  Only the players would know how much they gave in the last quarter when West Coast piled on the goals.  I think a young North side was simply outplayed by a more experienced west coast team, who were too good on the day and were able to handle the pressure of a final, much better than North were able to do.  This is what finals experience is all about.  that's why when about 3 weeks ago when north were playing great football, and people (even the likes of Robert walls) were saying that North could win the flag, my response was, "No they cant".

In 1993 North had a great season and were on top of the ladder mid season, and on track to play their first finals series since 1987.  I wasn indoors at the old princess park, and I overheard someone say, "Do you think North can win the flag?"   His mate said "No. Teams do not come from nowhere and win the flag".

This person was correct.  ossie85 you no doubt know your football, so you will understand that football teams often have several finals losses before achieving the ultimate success.

North in 1993 lost their only final to west coast, then had to endure a narrow prelim loss to geelong the next year and a 10 goal defeat against carlton in 1995, before winning in 1996, and further success followed in 1999, before they faded.  the north teams in the next decade after that were very average teams, but they made finals from time to time.  They were topping up with fringe players for most of the decade, with the likes of hay and rawlings amongst others being bad trade moves, and their finals performances reflected an average team, who had over achieved to play finals, and the results were indicactive of that.  this current group of north players is potentailly much better than anything they had in the last decade.  they will need more time though to develop.

In 2009, the club realized that they had messed up their recruiting, so they started drafting good young players, rather than recycling older players who had not made it for one reason or another.  In the next few drafts they picked up players such as ziebell, cunnington, bastinac, mcmillan, atley and harper, and focussed on developing their own players in the same fashion that geelong, collingwood and brisbane have done in the past.  we know this takes time, and with young players some very 
inconsistant performances will follow.

I've never played football at the highest level because I wasn't good enough, but i've played team sports my whole life.  we've all played enough sport to know that you are fitter, stronger, faster, and mentally tougher at 27 or 28, than we are at 20.  We know from playing sport also that sometimes the opposition is just too good.  You are out there playing your guts out for your team, and all your mates are doing the same, but no matter how hard we try, sometimes there is nothing you can do to stop them from scoring heavily and dominating the contest.  It's frustrating but there is nothing you can do. 

Even the great sides who have won multiple premierships such as hawthorn, west coast, brisbane and geelong have suffered big defeats before going on to win the premiership.  Most premiers need to taste defeat before they can taste the ultimate victory.  It's up to the North coaching staff and players to point out that West Coast and hawthorn earlier in the season are the benchmark that they must now aspire to.  I have massive respect for Brad scott. he could have sat in the coaches box, but at the end of the game, he went onto the ground and walked off with the players.  All in it together, which is how it should be, and love having scotty as coach.  2012 was a season of improvement for North Melbourne.  To win 9 from 10, including wins against finals sides in crows and pies, and also wins against bombers, tigers, blues and saints, all of whom were in the 8, or still in the finals mix at the time was a step in the right direction, but the coaches know that the good sides are those who back up their great performances, week in week out for the entire season.

North would have learned that they now know the benchmark, the teams that thrashed them is a good place to start.  I am still optimistic about north in the future, but there are no gaurantees in football, or any sport.  I hope the young roos go on to have a sustained period of success, such as what they had in the 70's and the 90's, Only time will tell how good they become, but if history is anything to go by, it may take time.