Gus McManus's Roar Profile

MCC predicted 70,000 at the start of the week for this game. They’ve subsequently updated that to 80,000. If that’s anything to go by then it looks like it’s going to be a bumper crowd. Both teams have showed promise over the last few seasons but have been perennially disappointing. One gets to show they’re serious and for the other it will be a long summer. As a North fan I hope we don’t get spooked by the big crowd. Essendon have much experience with these occasions because of ANZAC day.

Go Roos!

2014 AFL finals preview: North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Essendon Bombers

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Good team. Nice to see Ben Cunnington. Starting to get recognised now. Schulz is so underrated.

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I’m curious, why did you choose North Melbourne?

Of the 4 small vic clubs they are easily the best placed financially, membership wise and on field.

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Exceptional forward line. The best ruckmen combo in the comp. Good defence. But an awful midfield, just awful.

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Well they do get that. A game against an interstate team will draw about 22,000.

But it is.

Just think about this for a second. If Essendon draw 15,000 to a home game they make more money than North Melbourne if they draw 30,000. The money making gap between their 30,000 break even point and the 50,000 limit at the stadium is very small.

Basically two of the biggest revenue streams in money at the gate and pokies can have a line drawn through them at North. It is little wonder that they have such a small football department spend.

The 4 games in Hobart, 7 games Melbourne deal I agree is verging on becoming the ‘travelling kangaroos’ again so it will be interesting if they decide to take that deal. I might be mistaken but wasn’t there a ‘replacement game’ aspect of that deal where away games against the saints, bulldogs etc would be available to North members.

North looking good for this year.

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They have a really good side in the works.

Thomas, Goldstein, Thompson are all arguably the best or very close to the best in their position in the competition.

Wells, Swallow, Harvey, Petrie, Hansen are all elite.

Cunnington, Bastinac, Mullet, Black and of course Ziebell are on the verge of becoming elite and they’ll remain elite for a decade. Ziebell and Cunnington are just about there. Ziebell is Voss reincarnate, he even looks like him.

Atley, Garner, McDonald and hopefully Harper, won’t be far behind.

That is the core of a top team for the next 4 years. Then, there is the unknown: Majak Daw. There is a possibility that he could develop into a true star. The future looks bright at North.

2013 AFL season review: North Melbourne

Its all up in the air right now, those top 6 teams could finish anywhere really. A Tottenham or Liverpool title challenge really wouldn’t surprise me. I’d love to see Swansea or Everton pushing for top 4 finish too which I think is entirely possible if the planets align.

Wenger’s best business may well be the 0 pounds he spent on Flamini. People have said ever since Flamini’s departure that they needed a disciplined holding midfielder. Song wasn’t disciplined and Arteta (as wonderful as he’s been) wasn’t a holding midfielder.

Flamini can play there and also as a back up full back on either side. Great signing. As you’ve said in this article, striker is the biggest worry. Giroud’s actually had a relatively magnificent start to the season but they’re one injury away from disaster.

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I’d love a Collingwood fans perspective. How much pressure is their on Buckley? On paper you have the best midfield in the competition, surely there are expectations to finish higher? Are any Pies fans saying its time to say goodbye or is this just the rest of the football public’s external perspective?

Collingwood's rebuild and rejuvenation underway

If Buddy was Jack Ziebell he’d have got 4 weeks. In fact I’m worried that Jack will get suspended for Buddy’s bump!

Should suspensions be reduced during finals?

Lastly I hope when you get to the Western Bulldogs you compare it with the old Footscray song which is 100 times better and a genuine contender for best song. No idea why they changed it. They could have done what the swans did and overdub one word ‘south’ with swans. Listen carefully and you can still sort of hear ‘south’. Boy I’m glad they did that.

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Also, which song has the best ‘intro’?

The intro to North’s is my favourite sound in the world! But even from an objective perspective most agree that its good. Gold coast have taken to playing theirs after every goal (which I like because its different) and its definitely the best part of their song. GWS have a great intro too. But Melbourne wins by a country mile, the start of that song sends shivers down my spine!

Great idea of a post. I can’t wait for you to get to North Melbourne. Easily the most interesting.

The first verse, the ‘Hearts to Hearts and Hands to Hands’ part, comes from a Toso Taylor 1890s (pre-federation) musical called ‘Australia: Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand’.

The second verse no-one actually knows its origins so we can assume its an original. Its got my favourite line from any football song ‘Out we come, out we come, out we come to play. Just for recreation sake to pass the time away!’

Then comes the famous part ‘join in the chorus’ which is from a scottish tune called ‘A Wee Deoch and Doris’. Equal best song in the changerooms with Richmond in my biased opinion.

Best song on the speakers is easily Sydney. When I hear the brass in middle instrumental part all I can think about is footy.

As for Port, it reminds me of a Wiggles song.

No way! Thomas has great defensive pressure, you may be surprised what a fierce tackler he is. I remember after Thomas got suspended for headbutting Brad Scott was worried not about losing his goals or ‘x factor’ but forward line defensive pressure.

The stats don’t back me up completly but you have to read them in the context of the teams they play for. Thomas has 52 tackles and 17 one percenters; that’s decent for a small forward in a team not renowned for its defensive accountability. For comparisons sake Mayne has 90 tackles and 19 one percenters in a team whose game plan is focussed on defensive pressure.

I just think that Thomas has hands down been the best small forward of the year.

AFL 2013 All-Australian team - who's in, who's out?

If North beat Collingwood in those circumstances we’d get in ahead of you on percentage. Its going to be an exciting final round though! Go Port!

Remarkably, Lions could make AFL finals

That Firrito incident was really strange. He attacked the ball with his hands, and the Gold Coast player soccered it, kicking Firrito in the process and injuring his hand and yet the three kick went to the Gold Coast? There has to be a common sense approach to the rule. I’ve always believed that there doesn’t need to be exact cut-off points in the all rules. Running to far is a great example. There IS an exact cut off point, but umpires are not in reality counting the steps of every player. There’s no dramas about how that rule is enforced. Push in the back, because of the supposed need of a definite ‘cut off’ point, became hands in the back. A finger lightly brushing against a players back is illegal. Umpires are good enough to be able to enforce the rule, like running too far, with simple common sense.

Umpiring is tough and I get bored of slagging them, they’re just doing their best follow the rule book they’ve been given. I think the reason this season’s umpiring has seemed particularly bad is because they seem to have to enforce different rules and ‘interpretations’ every week.

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Yes, bring back the place kick! Agree with the sentiment though.

Now, no 3rd quarter drop this time North.

North Melbourne vs Sydney Swans: AFL live scores, blog

Lindsay and Wells have a telepathic connection!

North’s coaches, and especially Brad Scott, are handling Daw very carefully and very cleverly. Daw represents a potential superstar, someone who draws in the crowds. North’s marketing department is probably wetting themselves with excitement. This was his first senior appearance, he is yet to have played for premiership points, and yet look at the headlines he is making! North has an undoubted good young core, but no-one really ‘represents’ them in the way a Franklin or a Natinui do. I don’t want to put pressure on the poor kid but North’s crowd numbers in the 90s with Wayne Carey leading the team were outstanding for the so called small club.

But it would be a total disaster if he didn’t work out, or was rushed in to quickly. He’s had a few attitude problems at training and an in-club suspension for breaking team rules. That’s why Brad Scott is very careful when he talks about him, he wants him to mature before he is unleashed.

Impressing in a more subtle way for North was Currie. This all bodes well for North who have in the ruck-forward position Goldstein, Currie, Petrie and Daw as well additional tall forwards of Tarrant, Hansan, and Black. No wonder Hamish McIntosh is now at Geelong!

For now though, despite Daw’s incredible athleticism and natural ability he is very raw and has a lot to learn.

Daw shows glimpses in Kangaroos' AFL win