The North Melbourne Conundrum
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:45 pmThis is an outsider's view of what has happened to North during the Laidley years.
This is only my perception (I know how much Roos supporters hate ill-informed perceptions about their club), and I don't present it as fact but I'm interested in hearing other people's thoughts.
The club isn't a basketcase but it isn't as comfortable as it would like to be.
During Laidley's time, the Roos have consistently lived up to the Shinboner ethos of battling against the odds.
They've mostly found themselves in the middle parts of the table with Laidley's guidance taking them to 10, 10, 7, 14, 3, 8.
Due to the club's financial situation and the club's smaller, but no less passionate, supporter base the club has been unable to adopt the 'accepted' football practice of copping a few year's pain for long term gain by dropping towards the bottom of the ladder to get better draft picks. It cannot afford to.
The combined factors above meant that the club has had to push for the best possible position each season with what it has but has never been a premiership threat in Laidley's term.
Its circumstances don't allow it to bottom out but at the same time it can't aim for the peak and instead remains middle of the road.
Working within that cycle, it is going to take a very special coach or some significant changes at the Kangaroos for the club to progress in the near future.
This is only my perception (I know how much Roos supporters hate ill-informed perceptions about their club), and I don't present it as fact but I'm interested in hearing other people's thoughts.
The club isn't a basketcase but it isn't as comfortable as it would like to be.
During Laidley's time, the Roos have consistently lived up to the Shinboner ethos of battling against the odds.
They've mostly found themselves in the middle parts of the table with Laidley's guidance taking them to 10, 10, 7, 14, 3, 8.
Due to the club's financial situation and the club's smaller, but no less passionate, supporter base the club has been unable to adopt the 'accepted' football practice of copping a few year's pain for long term gain by dropping towards the bottom of the ladder to get better draft picks. It cannot afford to.
The combined factors above meant that the club has had to push for the best possible position each season with what it has but has never been a premiership threat in Laidley's term.
Its circumstances don't allow it to bottom out but at the same time it can't aim for the peak and instead remains middle of the road.
Working within that cycle, it is going to take a very special coach or some significant changes at the Kangaroos for the club to progress in the near future.
