An adult thread about the North Adelaide Football Club

[Blue Boy]

This is what I love about the SANFL - the true passion of it all brings out the best and worst of every ones opinions.

Last Year Centrals couldnt win a game at the start of the year and looked like actually missing the finals all together - then after one dark day at Elizabeth oval against my Blue Baggers ( round 11 ) they found form and well the rest is history - after that they went on there merry way to another premiership.

Some teams can take a liitle while to gel and maybe looking a far ways from a premiership in round 11 - So in a nut shell I am going to say that North are my favourites for the 2006 season - they might take a little while to gel because of there ins and outs and yes they might not have the best defence but I think for how many times there strong running midfield and halfbacks will take in to there forward line coupled with the fire power they have up in the forward line it might be a case of not how much they let through but how do we stop them - becuase at the end of the day it is the team with the biggest score at the end of the day wins ( so some famous coach said ).

Centrals and Port will probably battle it out for the other grand final spot - I think Centrals ( they have played in a few GFs in a row) more than Port - as Port will not be the same with out Cahill at the helm - cause lets face it he does have a pretty good record and he had them playing like the Port of old.

Eagles 4th as they always are just around the mark.

The battle for 5th will be a good one with my Blue baggers - Norwood - South - Glenelg.

Sorry to Westies I think it is now your turn to find it a bit tough.

Go you Blues !!!

[Jimmy]

I think there will be slightly more pressure on Port given the claibre of recruits they have picked up (and money outlayed for them). I think with North's improved depth they should finish top 3 but at this stage it is still Centrals as favourites and they rightly deserve that ranking with Port/North/Eagles next in line - after that who knows?
I always find these pre-seasonn predictions and polls amusing because until the season proper starts (trials don't count as they are used to experiment and no coach shows all his cards that early) and we see how new recruits go, any developing juniors improve to league level, and the odd unknown popping up - throw in injuries (no club can afford key position players injured) who really knows how it is all going to pan out? Too much unknown speculation!

agree drebin, it is amusing to hear all the predictions...no one is really going out on a limb...

[TigerBoss]

The ladder WILL finish as follows...

Port
Centrals
Eagles
North
Glenelg

Norwood
Sturt
West
South

Is that limb enough for you Jimmy?

[Jimmy]

The ladder WILL finish as follows...

Port
Centrals
Eagles
North
Glenelg

Norwood
Sturt
West
South

Is that limb enough for you Jimmy?

what the fk do i care? but you should replace glenelg with norwood (but not that the gays will finish 6th anyway)

[drebin]

TB - can't resist a dig at North can you? Just to keep the ball rolling - a bit optimistic putting the bays at 5th are you not? Your playing stocks are thinner than last year and with no big recruiting announcements as yet (and unlikely given Glenelgs recent history) I can see the tigers battling for the spoon! Down, not up I'm afraid. Still cannot knock you for your one-eyed passion and "blind freddy" optimism for your club.

[MatteeG]

Thing is Centrals are a great TEAM.

A few losses means they find someone to slip into* the role of the missing player.

Debatable point- I personally dont think player for player Centrals have had the best list in the comp over the last 6 years, but they all pull together when it comes to the crunch and understand the style of play required by each other.

I think Centrals are still the team to beat.

Norf and Port may gel together quickly and be a force, or may turn into the Souf situation of recent years.

Its all speculative at this time of year folks!

[TigerBoss]

Sheesh Drebin I can feel you breathing down my neck today...that's the 3rd post across 2 websites (that I've seen so far) where you've commented towards me.

Are you harbouring any secret desires?

As for being one-eyed...I'm fairly impartial actually, but obviously have a lot of passion for the GFC.

My top 5 prediction is basically due to the fact that we've moved on several of our trouble-maker "above the club" players and have a new Coach that appears to be working wonders with the players.

As for no recruits...watch this space. If this goes with that, and that goes with this, expect to hear some announcements soon...only one thing in the way at present, though that may change soon.

Perhaps understandable how it appears a bit optimistic from an outsider looking in, but if you don't have hope, what do you have?

Lots of love

Blind Freddy

[LBJ8]

All in all i'd rather be in Norths position than a lot of the other clubs in the comp...it's good that we will have four very good teams in the comp again next year, but it would be a lot better if the other five including the Bays caught up and closed the gap. Having said that i hate seeing the salary cap abused as it is now and two of those clubs out of the top four should face some big penalties soon after next year, rules will need to be changed to fix this so in season 2007 we can have a more even playing field compared with this year, and i would suggest the SANFL will do this in due time....

[Wedgie]

And thanks to TB for his serious predictions, if anything we can only lay claim to choking if we finish below 4th in his eyes!

I've been thinking about the old "choking" issue that supporters love to chat about. Its a very emotional sort of topic for fans to talk about but I thought of an objective fair way to deduct the level of "chokability" from a club over a period of time. That is have a look at the odds for each game as bookies are fairly objective and don't make too many emotional decisions when their hard earned is on the line.
If a club has won more as underdogs than its lost as favs you'd have to say they've done well in that period of time, also the opposite if you'd lost more as favs than won as underdogs it could be deemed as "choking".

Having said that North have easily won more games as underdogs over the last couple of years than they've lost as favs, I can testify for that as I've had quite a few bets on them, Punky would back me up here. Although we have lost a few when we were favs such as the Bays at Prossie this year and Norwood in Rd 23 we we firm underdogs in quite a few other matches we won such as the 2 at Elizabeth and Woodville.
Last year we had some great wins as underdogs, I know a heap of North supporters myself included had a heap on North when they were paying between $4.50 and $3.60 against Norwood and won that game easily.
Both recent finals we lost we we were underdogs in the bookies eyes (I was suprised we started underdogs in the 1st semi in 2004 but the bookie was spot on) and both finals we've won recently we were favs so that's a 50/50.

Of course that doesn't take into account "when" those games are won/lost, the 2 last minor round games for North in 2004 were huge in terms of what it had on the line but if I had a choice between losing those 2 and winning at Unley and other wins against Sturt, Port and the Eagles that year I'd take it any day of the week. Equally so this year, if I had a choice of dropping the game at Woodville,Alberton or Elizabeth in return for winning the Rd23 I'd never take it. Only in the full context of the season, not as a week by week proposition of course.

Christ, it wasn't that long ago we had our worst year in our history (2003) so its all good to me!

Play on, interesting posts lads, keep em coming.

[Wedgie]

And I tend to agree about the attitude of some (NOT ALL) North supporters these days ..

Just curious but who exactly are these North supporters a few people seemed to be obsessed with?
I'm after names, not generalisations.
Not touchy, but genuinely curious.

[doggies4eva]

they might not have the best defence but I think for how many times there strong running midfield and halfbacks will take in to there forward line coupled with the fire power they have up in the forward line it might be a case of not how much they let through but how do we stop them - becuase at the end of the day it is the team with the biggest score at the end of the day wins ( so some famous coach said ).

Interesting pint Blue Boy and I agree with a lot of what you say except in modern day footy defence is the key to a strong team. The doggies may not have had the best list for the past 5 or 6 years but they have had the best defence - check the stats if you don't believe me. Forwards are no good unless the ball gets down to them so I would rather a strong defence and a competent on ball group than a gun forward line. Last year having one of the best forwards going around was a definite bonus but we won in 2000 without a big scoring forward.

[stan]

I still think that if both Gowans boys are playing Centrals will still be tough to beat.

[fish]

I still think that if both Gowans boys are playing Centrals will still be tough to beat.

Amen to that

[spell_check]

I still think that if both Gowans boys are playing Centrals will still be tough to beat.

Amen to that

Proof being on Anzac Day when one Gowans didn't play and the other went off during the game, and Central got creamed. IMO, they are a major factor in the 5 premierships - it's no coincedence that they joined CDFC in 2000 and the flags followed.

[doggies4eva]

I still think that if both Gowans boys are playing Centrals will still be tough to beat.

Amen to that

Proof being on Anzac Day when one Gowans didn't play and the other went off during the game, and Central got creamed. IMO, they are a major factor in the 5 premierships - it's no coincedence that they joined CDFC in 2000 and the flags followed.

True but the other thing that happened was they got their backline settled with Haraida, Geister, Hopwood and picked up Guerra from the mini-draft.

[giffo]

The best players in the world wont win you a flag if they don't play as a team and are poorly led. Look at the change in Adelaide after getting rid of Ayres and installing Craig. Same list- different TEAM. As the old saying goes "A cahampion team will always beat a team of champions" If you wont proof, just look back at the recent Aus v The World one dayers and Test match. The Aussies played as a team, the World side played as 11 individuals with different agendas (and appearance fees).

[stan]

Inzaman recieved about $4000 per ball he faced.

[Blue Boy]

they might not have the best defence but I think for how many times there strong running midfield and halfbacks will take in to there forward line coupled with the fire power they have up in the forward line it might be a case of not how much they let through but how do we stop them - becuase at the end of the day it is the team with the biggest score at the end of the day wins ( so some famous coach said ).

Interesting pint Blue Boy and I agree with a lot of what you say except in modern day footy defence is the key to a strong team. The doggies may not have had the best list for the past 5 or 6 years but they have had the best defence - check the stats if you don't believe me. Forwards are no good unless the ball gets down to them so I would rather a strong defence and a competent on ball group than a gun forward line. Last year having one of the best forwards going around was a definite bonus but we won in 2000 without a big scoring forward.

Centrals do play as a unit and that is a fact - I dont rate many of there players sorry - but you have kept your very good inside players ( maybe its just the blue in my vains ) - but no one can argue with what they have done - they are a team and with the changes they have had - they still produce except for 2002 ( had to put that in there ).

I still think that maybe the roosters will have the wood on ya this year ( You dont know how much that kills me to say that - you really don't).

Just something for us blues supporters can we please start workin out what we have to do to beat the eagles. They dont just have the wood on us they have a bloody great tree trunk on us.

Go you Blues !!!

[sus]

North Adelaide can look forward to a very good season but in my opinion have a serious deficiency in the midfield - this is where games are consistently won and lost. They have a lack of depth of talent in this area and, based on information from an ex player, also lack the overall hard-work ethic to develop mid-field output to its full potential. Have a look at their list - who objectively are their gun midfielders? Wintle and possibly Ladhams (if he's fit?).

Also, personally I think people get carried away with the importance of NEW big name ex-AFL recruits. Unless they have a tremendous work ethic, play for the right reason, adjust to the SANFL (they tend to underestimate it), do the right thing by their health off the ground, are genuine in their personality, etc, etc, they inevitably disappoint. There would have to be doubts on a couple of North recruits coping in these areas. I acknoweldge there have been exAFL recruit successes but I think if you look at the history they would be in the minority.

So in summary my opinion for what its worth - a couple of North Adelaide's gun ex-AFL recruits will probably turn out as disappointments and even if they dont their midfield will struggle against the strongest midfields in the competition - their gun forward line will likely be starved of supply.

[Wedgie]

Our "gun" on ballers are Darryl Wintle and Chris Ladhams. Captain Wintle tends to fly under the radar a bit but anyone who saw his performance in the 1st semi final against the Eagles will know what I'm talking about.
Matt Krieg plays on the ball quite a bit and usually racks up at least 20 possies per game when he's there but one of the standout players last year who played a lot on the ball was Shaun Gatto, one of my fav players.
I'd expect Nick Kurzel to take the next step in 2006 and will be a good on baller and it wouldn't suprise me if B&F winner Lukey Ivens gets a run in the midfield in 2006.
No disrespect to Wakelin but I think our biggest gap was in ruck and we've addressed that in O'Hara, Ladhams and Wintle are used to feeding off the opposition ruckmen and will get even more of it in 2006.
I'm actually more concerned about Full Back and this was exposed in our last game of 2005 when Watts kicked 10, we also only contain Schell when he doesn't kick straight. Luckily for us the quality of full forwards except for Schell is down so we might be able to get away with it but I would have been a lot happier if Roe, Hunt or Gilham hadn't got drafted.