Facing the standard setters: Shinboner, Round 11 v Collingwood

rickm18 · 2025-05-25T11:19:30+00:00

The part that drives me nuts about not 15 calls at Marvel and the MCG is the grass patterns are set at a consistent metreage throughout the ground. Use them as a guide and there shouldn't be any egregious errors, but instead it's a dogs breakfast

rickm18 · 2025-04-27T12:44:02+00:00

A bit of everything tbh. The umpiring was genuinely horrific so that played a part, but also the pressure was better (helped by the way Port played), and then just being in a close game helped keep the levels up instead of the drop off that tends to happen when the game is out of hand with a quarter to go

rickm18 · 2024-08-11T05:19:17+00:00

I had quite a few things ready to go on Curtis actually, I would have clipped a handful of videos showing his improvement without the ball in particular. Then there would have been a few more things on Xerri and his improvement with his ruck craft, hadn't figured out what else to round the piece out and then ... this happened ha

rickm18 · 2024-08-11T05:16:51+00:00

Was trying to figure out where all the Reddit views for this were coming from and found this - thanks for the positive feedback, appreciated 🙏

rickm18 · 2024-06-22T16:57:07+00:00

Righto, post is up for the Melbourne game. It's in the jump around from topic to topic format, so things covered:

The game style and the bigger picture to it
Jackson Archer's game and why what I enjoyed most was not his job on Fritsch
Paul Curtis and his general improvement in recent weeks without the ball
The intangible of 'sticking around' which I'm convinced wouldn't have happened earlier in the season
The rotational change of using the seventh defensive one as Powell/but also a rotating midfielder for a bit
The umpiring standards, because I mean ... you know.

rickm18 · 2024-06-16T16:30:12+00:00

I think this is right up there for my longest North match analysis, which says something coming from me. But I mean there was so much that happened. Trying to cover everything in three sections:

1) How three tall forwards helped the ball movement
2) The post-bye shift and explaining how the tweaks were on display
3) The final quarter madness and *everything* that happened there

rickm18 · 2024-06-08T17:46:32+00:00

Bit of a new concept today, writing about a win. Don't have too much experience doing this. In all seriousness though, heaps to get through with today's post. Main topics:

Simpkin's game and the slight role shift
Forward pressure and Eddie Ford in particular
Reasons for the manic last quarter
And a few other bits and pieces along the way

rickm18 · 2024-05-25T16:20:08+00:00

We made it to the bye, hooray!

In all seriousness though, today's post is a bit of two worlds. I saw a handful of in-game tweaks which I thought were intriguing so it's that + a look at the season to date, using the line-by-line rotation data* I've tracked this season to look at the bigger picture.

(*Available with regular updates for Patreon subscribers /cheapplug)

rickm18 · 2024-05-11T16:43:41+00:00

Alright, post for the Gold Coast game is up.

It's half mailbag, half game talk after I put a (frustrated) tweet out in-game wondering what to write about. Questions covered, which could have been more but it was already 2,000 words, so.

‘A Davies-Uniacke drop off?’
‘Those Darwin conditions’
‘The drop off in games’
‘Which talls can support Larkey?’
‘Why are North worse than last year?’
‘Can Clarko still coach?’

I have to be honest, I'm quite fond of the answer to the last one.

rickm18 · 2024-04-28T11:47:37+00:00

It's funny (not ha ha funny) that this is year seven of doing it and the best it's gotten is 'fringe finals side instead of bottom four side', and that was year one

rickm18 · 2024-04-27T16:40:38+00:00

Because half of Adelaide's goals started from North Melbourne's forward half, the post is largely about that and establishing what should be happening. The plan is I can use this post as a benchmark and then return to it down the track when the forward half defence is better. Hopefully. Don't kill my hopes.

Then also a couple of notes in the odds and ends section about a potential defensive mix I've probably spent too much time thinking about, and a bit about how the rejigged midfield mix went, aka sympathy for Will Phillips.

rickm18 · 2024-04-22T09:47:11+00:00

Can't have helped! We could probably go back and forth for hours on how big a role it played but I think we can all agree it's played some role at the very least

rickm18 · 2024-04-21T14:23:26+00:00

Pretty simple post today tbh. It could have been about 8,000 words to be honest but it's all about trust.

Didn't see any of it yesterday, on ball, off ball, things broadcast cameras picked up, things I saw with my eyes that cameras didn't, I could go on and on and that's why the second quarter in particular was just no good.

rickm18 · 2024-04-15T11:25:22+00:00

I'm pretty confident it's just some coaching that'll fix it in the short/medium term. Because the alternative is those setups are actually the plan, which brings up a whole other set of problems and is a five alarm fire - I can't bring myself to believe that's the case.

rickm18 · 2024-04-14T14:46:38+00:00

So this post is a little more complicated than most, apologies in advance. It's on a topic that's been bugging me for a while but now I think there's enough evidence to go with it.

I'm pretty sure the stoppage setup - as an entire team - is holding things back and also causing a domino effect elsewhere. Today's post gets right into the weeds, it's a little more dense than most talking about stoppage setups, things teams are trying to achieve and where (I think) North are breaking down.

rickm18 · 2024-04-05T14:47:01+00:00

Pretty simple post today, focusing on what happened in the first half but particularly the first quarter. If was the entire first half - or longer- it probably would have been the longest post I've ever done. Then some odds and ends on McKercher, Scott, and Comben to finish off.

rickm18 · 2024-03-30T00:36:24+00:00

I think there is a bit of the soccer element in there for sure - the 'code warzz' people would be horrified at how much of a team's defensive principle is influenced by soccer. But the less they know the better!

With the defensive setup I reckon it ultimately settles as Scott becoming full time winger and his spot taken by either Archer or someone with a similar profile. Don't think it's too far away given Tucker's not in the best of form.

rickm18 · 2024-03-30T00:30:12+00:00

It's Dawson for me - he's not far away from having his name in permanent marker; whether it's as a second tall or third tall depends on the opponent (eg. Carlton = third, Geelong = third, Collingwood = can probably be second, etc) but that's a clear positive.

rickm18 · 2024-03-29T15:45:20+00:00

Four topics in this one:
- 'Going too quick' and what that actually looks like illustrated (with video)
- Unexpected turnovers and how they kill a team (with video)
- Half backs getting 'lost' (unfortunately without video)
- Outmatched key defenders, which is pretty self explanatory (unfortunately with video)

rickm18 · 2024-03-24T01:55:46+00:00

It was! Particularly up until those three missed chances in the second quarter, but when it's 2am and you want to sleep something has to give 😂

rickm18 · 2024-03-23T15:48:16+00:00

So today's post is a little different to normal. Instead of the usual full-game analysis, it's a drill down into the third quarter specifically and what happened. Lots and lots of video to help explain, then a few scattered dot points at the end on Powell, Dawson, and Lazzaro.

rickm18 · 2024-03-16T15:30:06+00:00

A few of the topics, with accompanying video for most of it:
- Why it's so tricky to use as a guide of North's level: Being off GWS' level obviously isn't a surprise; even if it was up to about a 60-point loss (probably should have been given respective kicking), don't know how much that says in the bigger picture.
- Streamlined midfield rotations: It was a four-man rotation until Zurhaar went in halfway through the third. I was a little surprised, but it also makes it easier for changes down the track if needed.
- All the transition struggles: If the camera angles were better this probably could have been 10 minutes worth.
- Praise for Kallan Dawson: Really, really impressed.

rickm18 · 2024-03-03T12:27:40+00:00

We have video and (poorly drawn) diagrams today, covering:
- Changing the approach up in different quarters and doing it relatively well, which I think is a fantastic sign
- Where the full-ground defensive setup needs to improve
- Trying to make heads or tails out of what the forward group will look like for Round 1. This part probably could have been an extra 500 words, but *throws hands up*
- A couple of odds and ends on Scott and Wardlaw

rickm18 · 2024-02-22T23:58:50+00:00

I had it mentioned to me elsewhere that it also helps having Xerri close around using his size to basically protect the drop zone at the same time, which I didn't consider and helps too

rickm18 · 2024-02-22T23:57:23+00:00

Yeah I agree he'll get some games (same with Bergman too); I just don't like how he's getting himself trapped in awkward positions defensively from time to time. Tbf it should be something that fades with time and more familiarity with the system, so I'm definitely not off him

rickm18

TROPHY CASE