The beauty of a forgettable football game is in the name, you forget about it.
I can’t wait to forget about this game of football.
This was the sort of game that neither team gain anything from. The Crows won in a way that you probably expected they would, slowly building a lead before accelerating in the second half over a tired side. North were North but, if it’s possible, more uninspiring than ever? I really struggled to find a positive point to say about them, such was the nature of the game.
It’s the sort of game that makes you question anything happening inside the four walls of the North Melbourne footy club. Do they see progress within? Are they pleased with how players are developing? I don’t know, and I care less and less with each season of the same results.
With all of that said, here’s all that mattered from the clash.
Tune Up
Let’s call this game what it is for the Crows, a tune up for The Showdown next week. Adelaide were never seriously challenged, and the second half was a training drill. The benefit of this sort of game is the opportunity to get guys into form before a big clash next week against the Power.
Taylor Walker played an excellent game today. Just the two goals for himself, but gave off multiple and was a genuine leader up forward. He proved again how important he is to this side, and how much they can ill afford to lose him at any stage.
Rankine kicked four goals, largely by putting himself in good positions to impact the scoreboard. It was the sort of day a small forward dreams of, and is often a reward for effort put in over multiple weeks.
Laird and Dawson were back to their best, with Dawson doing most of his damage early in the game and proving a difference maker with influential disposals. Laird had a typical performance that you come to expect from him. He just knows how to get the job done.
The North Positives
So what do the North supporters take from this one?
Davies-Uniacke was back to his best with an influential 29 disposals and one goal. He had moments where he used his size and strength well and reminded us all of what he’s capable of when he’s firing on all cylinders. We just need consistency with this guy, the gap between his worst and best is far too large at the moment.
Colby McKercher again proved how important he will be to his side over the coming years. Lead the disposals for his side today and used it at a fairly good rate. My only knock on him is how damaging his disposals were. With that said, he’s a young guy in his first season, and it’s great that he’s getting his hands on the ball.
Zurhaar upheld his end of the bargain today with three goals and three behinds. He had a genuine crack today and did his best with what came to him. In a tough day for the North Melbourne forwards, he held his own.
The Adelaide Backs
I know the Crows aren’t an excellent side this year, but credit should be given to the performance of their defence. At times they’ve had to concede high numbers of inside 50’s however they’ve generally held their own. Today they held their own, and won, most of their match ups.
The pairing of Worrell and Michalanney is starting to develop nicely and is the bones of a solid defence for years to come. Mark Keane is doing a phenomenal job down there in such a short career. Add the bit parts around them, and the defence is standing up well right now.
Nick Larkey and Cameron Zurhaar are tough match ups. While Zurhaar kicked three and Larkey two, I feel like the defence of Adelaide split the match ups well. Against a tougher opposition, they may struggle under the numbers to an elite forward set up, but they are definitely doing more than their share to turn the tides for the Crows and try and keep the season alive.
The Half Back Conundrum
Not all half-backs are created equal in our game. In a lot of ways, it’s becoming a bit of a junk position, where players aren’t asked to defend, rather take the game forward and play a game on your own. I have no issues with that if it’s fitting into the style of game the team is trying to play, but it often overinflates numbers and doesn’t give a true picture of the effectiveness of a player.
He’s young, and I gave McKercher credit for getting the ball earlier so this may come across as somewhat contradictory, but are North Melbourne wasting Harry Sheezel right now?
I have a feeling if you ask any of the other 17 coaches, they wouldn’t care if Sheezel has 29 touches like he did today. He didn’t have a single inside 50, two clearances, and 354 metres gained, which equates to about 12 metres gained per disposal.
This kid is a gun, there’s no questioning his footballing ability. He is being wasted at half back. He has the skills to be put inside and start using the ball more effectively for his side. He’s played a little bit forward today as well, which makes no sense really. Give him a go inside for a game, there’s no harm in it, and it may pay off in a big way.
The Side Notes
Ben Keays had a nice game today. He’s always a hard-working player, and today was one of those reward for effort kind of days. 20 disposals and two goals for the battler. He’s the sort of player that just gets everything out of himself.
Elliott Himmelberg came back into the side and showed more than enough to keep his spot. He looked dominant at times and provided a nice option down the line and up forward where required. Two goals today in a nice performance.
Jy Simpkin has gone backwards a bit. No questioning his effort and leadership, but is he becoming a victim of a young up and coming midfield? Just isn’t regularly getting the ball like he has before. Worth keeping a watch on.
Absolutely love the way George Wardlaw goes about his footy. He’s got that old school hard edged attack at the ball. Once he has a few more preseasons in him, he’s going to create headaches as a clearance beast.
An unfortunate shoulder injury to Pedlar early in this one. I think Pedlar’s upside is really promising. You never want to see a young player go down with what looked to be a decent shoulder injury. Hopefully we see him back soon.
Northball doesn’t exist right? It’s just a fictional thing and we’ll all pretend it was never said from here on. Clarkson’s coaching today was so strange. Some of his centre bounce combinations left a lot to be desired. I understand the benefits in trying to find a player that may offer something different, but this early in the season? It screamed of someone out of ideas.
What Mattered Most
Honestly, it’s hard to say what mattered most from this one. North is just a bad football side that were beaten all over the ground in a bad way. Adelaide was cleaner with ball in hand and had more of it by a decent enough number.
The reality is North Melbourne are uncompetitive, and opposition sides don’t need to do a lot to win against them. Let’s not pretend Adelaide are a world beating side, they sit twelfth on the ladder at the time of writing. There is a significant class gap between this side and the rest of the competition right now, as there has been for multiple years. I feel for North Melbourne supporters, because the light at the end of the tunnel hasn’t come any closer for a while.
So that’s all that mattered from the clash today. Adelaide takes on the Power in the showdown next week. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see them win that contest, they won both match ups last year, and question marks around the Power’s current form exist in many forms.
North Melbourne takes on St Kilda in a game only the fans of either side will care about. A lot to be desired from that one. With that said, I see it as a winnable game for North Melbourne, and they should treat it as a chance to get on the board.
