Mental scars

[Cicjose]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-05-26/brad-scott-postmatch

NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott has savaged his team's lack of mental toughness after its heartbreaking one-point loss to Adelaide, vowing to weed out players who cannot develop a killer instinct.

North's loss to the Crows was its fourth by four points or fewer this season,
following a four-point loss to Geelong in round two, three-point loss to Hawthorn in round five and two-point loss to West Coast in round eight.

[quinny88]

Richmond 2012  :o

[Cicjose]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/kangaroos-skipper-andrew-swallow-says-the-defeat-to-adelaide-was-the-lowest-point-in-his-career/story-e6frf3e3-1226651434510?from=public_rss

North Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow emerged from a two-hour team meeting this morning looking and feeling flat.

"There are lapses right throughout the game which are really hurting us now.

"... It's going to follow us all year. We put ourselves in this situation, we've got no one else to blame. As bad as we feel right now, it's probably going to stay until we get out there and play next Sunday.

"It's probably one of the flattest the group's ever been and personally as low as I can remember."

[ossie85]

But what's worse?

It wasn't that long ago that North were getting smashed by top 8 teams by over 10 goals every time!

Not they are losing by only a goal. Surely improvement?

I'd be worrying more about the blow outs, than the close losses! And the Roos have stopped those this year

[Cicjose]

gotta take the small milestones before reaching the goals....

[Holz]

But what's worse?

It wasn't that long ago that North were getting smashed by top 8 teams by over 10 goals every time!

Not they are losing by only a goal. Surely improvement?

I'd be worrying more about the blow outs, than the close losses! And the Roos have stopped those this year

It's an improvement I agree but we still have an inibility to beat the top teams. It's frustrating as 1-2 goals a week and we would be a too 4 team. On class we should easily be top 8 not sitting where we are

Will bet stkilda easy this week, like a top 8 side shoukd

[McRooster]

If North Melbourne was a steeple chaser

[roo boys!]

If North Melbourne was a steeple chaser

Funny because it's true...  :-\

[Holz]

we did it again, injuires are injuries but we still cant stop a run of goals. Missing the 8 this year is a joke, the calibre of the sqaud is good enough to push for top 4.

if we can fix it we will be a flag contension team, easier said than done. Boomer is still incredibly important, Petire is still one of our most important players something needs to be done fast. If not with the young sqaud i think we will be up in 2-3 years but than we have GWS and GC to worry about.

[roo boys!]

Agreed Holz, something is seriously wrong down there and holding the group back from what it should be achieving on a week by week basis.

Black really taking a step up this year has been critical, Petrie, while still being key, isn't being relied upon as much and he's played a few very unselfish team oriented games displaying that this year. Still, Black/Tarrant dealing with the number 1 defender will be a different kettle of fish once Petrie's gone.

Need to try and make the most of Boomer's presence while he's still around, still he's got a bit longer in him and even starting as the sub in years to come he'll have a profound effect on the group. That's what we have to move to eradicate, the reliance on so few.

[j959]

your coach is right but from the outside looking in, you've got some players that only run one way ... can't do that in modern footy ...

[Cicjose]

http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2013/16/bl-v-nmfc

NORTH Melbourne's inability to close out sizeable late-game leads is set to haunt it through the AFL off-season after yet another nightmare fadeout against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night.

Holding a 33-point advantage late in the third term, the Kangaroos wilted badly as the Lions kicked 11 of the last 13 goals for a thrilling 18.9 (117) to 17.3 (105) win in front of 18,131 boisterous Gabba fans.

It was North's fifth loss this season after leading at the final change to confirm its tag as the League's 2013 chokers.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-07-13/five-talking-points-brisbane-v-north-melbourne

No, no, no! not again North

It's a nightmare that just keeps happening for the Kangaroos. This time they led by 33 points at the 24 minute mark of the third quarter. Surely they couldn't lose. But it's North Melbourne and for the fifth time this season they gave up a lead in the last quarter to throw away four points.

It was 41 points against Geelong, 30 against Adelaide (in the last 10 minutes), after the siren against West Coast, and now this against the Lions. With finals seemingly out of the equation again, this will be a season remembered for all the wrong reasons

[roo boys!]

your coach is right but from the outside looking in, you've got some players that only run one way ... can't do that in modern footy ...

Agree to an extent but would like to hear some names...haven't taken all that much of a focus on this so far this season, will look out for it from now on.

A pet hate of mine playing in my local team, I know it's about 30 grades below AFL level but the amount of fellow midfielders that are plain and simple unwilling to work into the defensive half pisses me off, not chance of winning with that happening

[j959]

your coach is right but from the outside looking in, you've got some players that only run one way ... can't do that in modern footy ...

Agree to an extent but would like to hear some names...haven't taken all that much of a focus on this so far this season, will look out for it from now on.

A pet hate of mine playing in my local team, I know it's about 30 grades below AFL level but the amount of fellow midfielders that are plain and simple unwilling to work into the defensive half pisses me off, not chance of winning with that happening

R&B, i can't really point out any individuals but more as a collective issue - i was 'pinching' some commentator comments along the lines that Kangas can be free-wheeling and get on a roll and start smashing it but when they don't have the ball they struggle.

this can obviously be said about all teams but some in particular this season are struggling with this sort of play eg Adelaide and then Geelong when they lost to Brisbane - since that loss the Cats have focussed on their all-round defence so that they don't leak goals in patches ...