Jasper Pittard: Game 150

My interest and intrigue in Jasper Pittard started not long after he arrived at North Melbourne towards the end of 2018.

He was the “steak knives” thrown in to sweeten the Jared Polec deal the club made with Port Adelaide in the 2018 trade period.

To be honest, I didn’t know much about Jasper other than that North had unsuccessfully tried to bring him over to the club a few years earlier.

But the negative reviews from Port Adelaide fans are what truly sparked my interest. 

“He’s a hack”, “He can’t hit a target to save his life”, “Turns it over at every chance”… few had anything positive to say.

I just couldn’t understand how North Melbourne could be so keen on such a “horrible” player for so long.

That’s where the story starts. 

I figured that I’d keep an eye on Jasper and see just how “bad” he really was.

Jasper had a solid start to the 2019 season and while he didn’t set the world on fire, there was nothing so terrible about the way he went about his footy.

Each week, as he’d do a couple of special things here and there, I realised we had potential on our hands. He just needed to shake the whipping boy tag and get on with it.

And incredibly, it was facing his old side and supporters in round six that re-ignited his passion.

He was booed and ridiculed by Power supporters that evening and it wasn’t his finest performance, but he soldiered on.

And he’s barely put a foot wrong since that night.

It's almost as if, from that moment on, he's been determined to prove doubters wrong.

Week in, week out his numbers have been impressive.

Clean possessions, smart decision-making and fearless defensive work has become part of his regular game.

I’ve been told many times that I just need to “wait and see” what the “real” Jasper Pittard is like. That he’ll stuff it up at any minute.

Well…. I’m still waiting.

The thing with “whipping boys” is that they could do 10 good things and 1 bad in a game, but it’s that one thing that’ll be overanalysed.

Everyone has bad games; I’m not going to excuse him of that when it happens.

His performance in round six against Port Adelaide wasn’t crash hot and he made some really questionable decisions against St Kilda in round one of this year.

But he picks himself up and moves on.

The same way Ben Brown did after that putrid performance against Collingwood last year in round 15.

The same way Boomer Harvey did (yes, even he had a bad performance here and there) after he was kept to just six touches by St Kilda’s Clint Jones in round 2, 2010.

At the moment, his good completely outshines the bad. Within the walls of Arden Street, he's anything but the whipping boy now.

That’s been made very clear by the enormous amount of love and support he’s received from his fellow teammates, North Melbourne staff and supporters over the past 18 months.

It was also made clear by his efforts in last year’s Syd Barker Medal count, where he finished in the top 10.

Within six months of that, he was voted into the leadership group and he has become an integral part of the North Melbourne Football Club both on and off the field.

The best part about Jasper Pittard (if I am forced to choose one) is that in a world where everyone judges your every move and in an industry where everything you do, say and think is scrutinised… he just could not care less.

He is a unique individual and he owns it. Completely unfazed by what others have to say about him.

And he treats everyone with the same respect.

That’s an incredibly rare and special trait.

We are so lucky to have such a great role model representing our club and the more he puts himself out there, the more he is loved by North supporters.

And if you think our love for Jasper is overwhelming, try the love his teammates have for him and vice versa.

He’s the ultimate team player.

Have you ever seen someone run all the way from defence to congratulate every single teammate every time they kick a goal?

Many joke that he’s just trying to get him KMs up, but really Jasp is just keen to get around the boys.

And in his 150^th game, we will get around him.

It’s been an eventful 18 months since 'The King' arrived at Arden Street, but seriously how good has it been.

While Jasp hasn’t spent his whole career at Arden Street, it’s safe to say that he hasn't needed a lot of time to make a massive impact.

He is a Shinboner now and forever.

And it’s a pleasure to have him represent the blue and white every single day.

Especially in Game 150.

Flashback: Round 7, 2017 v Adelaide

I remember this day so clearly.

I was working weekends at the time and had a deal with my manager that I would go to every North Melbourne game in Vic if I worked weekends when North played interstate.

But I always kept the score close.

The first time I checked the scores was 10 minutes into the first quarter, when North were in front 19 points to Adelaide's 0.

I screenshot the scores because I was beaming. Grinning from ear to ear.

I thought being 19 points up in the first term against the ladder leaders would be North Melbourne's big moment of 2017.

The Crows were undefeated for 2017 and on top.

While North were sitting 15th and had only won their first game of the year the previous week.

So to be 19 points up against the early competition pace setters was an absolute delight.

Little did I know that the best was yet to come.

I remember the game so vividly that I almost didn't need to re-watch it.

I don't need to tell you why. It's all about that opening quarter.

Sixty Four points to Nil.

It was one thing to be a significant margin in front against the ladder leaders.

It was another to hold them scoreless. Not just goalless, but not a single point.

Remarkable.

The game played out pretty evenly for the next three quarters but the damage was already done.

There are a few beautiful things about this game that makes it mean so much to North supporters.

I'd say the main reason is pretty obvious. That the club won just six games for the season and this was something supporters could really enjoy.

That and the fact that a big underdog win is always something fun to reflect upon fondly.

But in my opinion what makes this game so magical is that it only truly meant something - both at the time and to this day - to one club: North Melbourne.

For the 16 other teams, it was "just an upset" but no one really talks about it after it happened.

For Adelaide, it was a disappointing loss but it barely made a dent on their reputation. They remained on top on the ladder and finished the 2017 season as minor premiers.

But it was a moment of joy for North Melbourne and its supporters, who never would've expected that performance or result.

It was also a pure joy for beloved forward Jarrad Waite, who stared in his first game since round one.

22 touches, eight marks, six tackles, six goals and three Brownlow votes for Waitey in his return from injury.

Honestly, if it wasn't for his mammoth performance I don't think this game would be adored as much either.

Hard to think he was only at the club for four seasons, given the impact he had on supporters.

He was brought in via the free agency at the end of 2014 with many of us questioning the decision.

But by the time he departed, we had the answers we needed and gained a new Shinboner for life.

He was always entertaining - mostly for the right reasons but sometimes the bad.

But he always gave his all. And we at North Melbourne are all heart.

There's not much more to say about this game, in my opinion.

As it was a performance completely pulled from no where. No other game North played that year replicated it.

Adelaide was the only top eight side the club managed to defeat all season.

There's truly no better way to reminisce about this game than to watch it.

Go back and relive the first quarter.

Between Brendon Speed's marvellous commentary and Jason Dunstall's sheer disbelief at the events which unfolded is enough for me.

Oh and a bit of Jarred Waite magic, which I will never get sick of.

Flashback: Round 12 2014 v Richmond

This has to be one of my favourite games I've been to over the years.

For many reasons.

For what it was in the moment, because everyone loves a comeback story.

How it further enhanced North Melbourne's 2014 season, because looking back on it as a whole it was full of memorable victories.

It was our first glimpse of the 'third quarter blitz' that shaped a number of games later in the season, none more memorable than the 2014 Elimination Final victory against Essendon.

And finally, because the game's hero was Robbie Nahas, who played a vital role against his old side. But we'll get to him later. 

The game took place on Queen's Birthday Eve. Good to know that we made the most of a rare marquee fixture. 

North entered the game in 8th position, Richmond in 13th. 

And I'd say that was a reflection of how North and Richmond's relationship played out from about 2010 to 2016. 

Richmond did get over North here and there but it was on the rare occasion.

Both sides featured in a few final series, but only North managed to advanced past the first week.

Let's not discuss what happened since and while Dimma and Brendan Gale have done a marvellous job with Richmond, I'd rather look back on fonder times. 

North had defeated West Coast the week prior to this game in Perth and it showed early. The struggle that is the WA return was real. 

Despite a fairly even first quarter, Richmond pulled away in the second and took a 35 point lead to the half time break.

True to form, I was panicking because who wants to be almost six goals down at half time to a Richmond side seeking blood? Not I.

But then something magical happened.

It was the birth of the "third quarter blitz."

Within fifteen minutes into the third term, North had piled on six unanswered goals and hit the front.

And the man who put us in front?

Robin Nahas.

It's a crime that the man only played 34 games for North. 

He kicked 35 goals and was a pretty hand pick up. Had it not been for injuries he probably would've enjoyed a longer tenure at the club.

But let's apprecaite what he did do during his three seasons at North; a time that is reflected upon fondly by most.

Nahas kicked the goal that put us in front in the third quarter and kicked the sealer against his old side in the fourth.

Ahhhhh, memories.

But now back to the blitz.

Six goals in 15 minutes in this game against Richmond was just the start of things to come.

Five goals in the first 13 minutes of the third quarter against GWS in Round 20. We finished the quarter with eight unanswered goals.

Five within fifteen minutes against the Dogs in Round 21.

North also had big third quarters against Melbourne (Rd 14), Hawthorn (Rd 16) and of course THAT Elimination Final.

Five goals in 11 minutes, between the six and 17 minute mark of the third quarter against Essendon that set up a finals win for the ages.

It was something about the third quarter that fired up the troops. 

Once we got started, we just didn't stop.

And it's probably what I remember most about the 2014 season.

We had so narrowly missed finals in 2013, that we fought hard to make up for it the following year.

The usual suspects made it happen.

Boomer took the three Brownlow votes in round 12 for his all-round spectacular performance.

He had 25 touches, five tackles, a couple clearances and three goals. So in other words, it was just Boomer Harvey doing Boomer Harvey things.

Drew kicked four, Goldy single handedly had 43 hit outs to Richmond's 35, and former captain Andrew Swallow had 29 touches, seven tackles, nine clearances and three marks in his 150th game.

Gee Swallow was exceptional in the middle.

Nowadays it's often hard to think about anyone other than Ben Cunnington dominating at the stoppages (for those interested, Cunners had eight clearances this night) but Swallow worked so cleanly that he was often underrated. 

One afternoon in 2011 against Adelaide at Etihad, he had 39 touches and 17(!!!!) clearances. We may save that for another day, though.

It's no surprise why people love this game so much.

The opponent is probably up there for a lot of people, but it doesn't really bother me. It could've been against anyone and still held such significance. 

I think it really set the scene for what was to come in the back half of the season.

Up to that point in the year, North had enjoyed some very good wins.

There were not one but TWO victories in Perth, a couple of Boomer Harvey-inspired victories in rounds two and three and a big, rare victory over the Swans... at the SCG! 

Overall, there are incredible memories of that season.

But the win against Richmond came smack bang in the middle. It had a comeback story which was replicated in the EF. Often those two memories can be tied together.

Finally, the game is rather entertaining. And ultimately we turn to sport for entertainment, so why not indulge a little in a game that was good.

Just skip the second quarter yeah?

And don't say I didn't worn you!

Flashback: Round 15 2019: NM v Collingwood

I sometimes wonder what the fascination is with this game.

Don't get me wrong. I, like everyone, loves a big win against a big team who is having a big season... which is exactly what this victory was.

But North enjoyed a few good wins last season.

We had a great win over eventual premiers Richmond in Rhyce Shaw's first outing as coach.

And a come from behind victory against Hawthorn to kick off our 150th anniversary celebrations.

And what about Ben Brown's 10 goals against Port Adelaide? That was a true masterpiece.

So there were some big moments last year, but the Collingwood game still sticks out in the minds of supporters as the "Game of 2019".

I mean, it even beat out Jack Ziebell's match winner in the goal square with 29 seconds to go against the Bulldogs in 2018 for this latest NMOpinion flashback.   

There must be something so special about this game that allows it to stand out above the rest.

Let's take a look back at the game first.

It was North's first game back from the bye and Rhyce Shaw was looking for his third victory from four starts as interim coach of the club.

And it was (almost) a complete demolition.

North held Collingwood to five goals for the entire game. The physicality and pressure coming the Pies way was too hot to handle.

There was a moment halfway through the third quarter that at the time (as well as now, looking back on the game) that made me realise this was truly a new look North Melbourne side.

Ben Cunnington uncharacteristically shanked a kick about 20 metres along the ground that Collingwood's Hoskin-Elliot gathered and passed off to Sidebottom, who passed it onto Pendles. None could break free, as there were countless North players closing in. The ball was hand passed back and fourth a few more times, before it landed in the hands of Pendles again. The Pies skipper was met with a crunching tackle from young gun Nick Larkey.

He was caught holding the ball, and Larkey took possession.

Scott Pendlebury is a tricky guy to nail down, let alone by a kid in his 11th game.

It was then that it all made sense.

I think the new look and attitude displayed throughout that game is what made so many North fans realise that a new era was beginning. From this game forward, the noise in favour of Rhyce Shaw's appointment as senior coach started to grow louder. Our hunger was growing and our attitude was changing for the better.

That's what makes this game so special to North fans.

It finally filled them with some belief that had left the building some time ago.

It was the start of something new.

For those wondering what else made this game so different, you'll need to go back anoher two years prior.

Against Collingwood in Round 20, 2017 Ben Brown was taken from the ground on a stretcher late in the second quarter with concussion. He wouldn't return, instead spending the night in hospital.

North barely functioned for the remainder of the game. Not even Jack Ziebell's five goals were enough, as we went down by 54 points.

Fast forward almost two seasons and Ben Brown didn't have an influence on this game either.

He played the entire game, but he barely made a dint on the scoreboard.

He missed four shots on goal.

And that was no problem for a 'new look' North Melbourne.

Ziebell again stood up, kicking three. But he had some help.

Some help in the form of LDU, Turner, Thomas and Larkey, just to name a few.

The kids stood up and ran over the top of a top four finisher.

North had a younger and slightly less experienced side. North fielded seven players with less than 50 games experience to Collingwood's five.

I also want to make mention of Jasper Pittard's game.

Because I can. And because he was one of North's best on the night.

25 disposals at 88 per cent disposal efficiency (seven intercept) , nine marks (included one contested over a 211cm Mason Cox), two goal assists, five inside 50s and seven one percenters.

And for those looking to pick a bone with him... just the one turnover.

It was a superb performance.

It was also a brilliant performance by best and fairest winning Ben Cunnington.

He had 37 touches, seven clearances, two marks and four tackles to go with his three Brownlow votes.

I tipped North to win the game and it ended up being the right move.

After watching both sides closely for a few weeks leading up to their meeting, it was clear that North's best under Rhyce Shaw was better than what Collingwood was stringing together.

The result? A 44 point victory to North Melbourne.

Pure grit, hard work, heart and soul.

THAT there is something I couldn't predict.

It led to a game that instilled confidence in supporters - which had left the building quite some time ago.

But I can assure you that in this new era, it won't be leaving anytime soon.

Flashback: 2014 Elimination Final: NM v Essendon

No North fan ever needs a reason to re watch the 2014 Elimination Final.

But if you happen to be in the minority, lockdown happened and gave you the perfect excuse.

As a kid who first attended a football game in 2001, this game is - to this date - the best game I have ever seen live.

Like many others, I have watched this game quite a few times over the last five and a half years and the butterflies don't go away.

The fact that I know how the story goes doesn't ruin the ending.

It doesn't make Sam Wright's intercept mark in the backline any less brilliant.

It doesn't make Petrie's "Frank the Tank" celebration any less special. If anything, we grow to love it more as they years go by.

Brad Scott and Bomber Thompson only coached against each other three times.

Once in 2010 in Bomber's last season at Geelong and twice in 2014 when he returned to Essendon.

This was the only time Brad Scott prevailed.

And it wasn't as though those two games before it were close. North lost both of those games by more than five goals.

It's quite poetic that the Bombers lined up against North in their first and final games of 2014.

Oh how much changed in five and a half months.

There was a sense of belief amongst this North Melbourne group, which was probably quite rare during the Brad Scott era.

More often than not, the team played with drive. With passion. And with purpose.

Coming off a missed opportunity that was 2013, things were starting to come together for the side in 2014.

They pulled off big statement victories throughout the season against Port Adelaide, Fremantle, Richmond, Hawthorn and Adelaide (in Tasmania) that re-enforced belief.

That Queen's Birthday Eve clash against Richmond in particular, set the scene for what was to come in the Elimination Final.

I still can't get the image of Robin Nahas kicking the lead-snatching goal in the third quarter of thqat game out of my head. What a shame injury kept him from finals.

There were two remarkable things about that Elimination Final that were just remarkable.

The first, is that every man had at least one match-defining moment over those four quarters.

The second, is that it was all done without Boomer.

Of course the side was not without class.

Daniel Wells and Nick Dal Santo combining in the middle of the ground is more than handy.

But Levi Greenwood's career revival hit new heights that evening, thanks to a team high 32 touches, seven tackles, seven marks, six clearances and a goal.

Ben Brown, in just his ninth AFL game booted four goals, all in the second half. He led the revival along with Lindsay Thomas. The pair combining for seven of 12 second half goals. Monstrous effort when you think about it.

And then there was Drew Petrie, doing Drew Petrie things.

He was a sensational player, our Drew. And often he would only need five minutes to completely change the game.

His two goals in the final four minutes sealing the unforgettable come from behind victory and sending North into the second week of the finals.

After watching this game again over the weekend, it became apparent to me what was the driver behind Petrie's last gasp heroics.

With eight minutes to go in the final quarter, Paddy Ryder took a mark just inside Essendon's forward 50, played on and snapped a remarkable goal from 45 metres out off a few steps.

His direct opponent?

Drew Petrie.

It was a sensational goal. And I've got no doubt Petrie felt responsible for that goal and his brain fade in that moment.

Because it spurred him to one up Ryder, which he did.

You know what happens next. Not one, but two match winning goals in the space of 30 seconds.

The first saw the birth of "Frank the Tank", which stands as the iconic moment of the game.

The second was on the back of some exceptional ruck work by Todd Goldstein, who beat Ryder in the contest and served it straight down Dal Santo's throat who took the clearance.

Little moments in the game shifted its destiny completely.

After the siren, I once again go back to an initial thought.

The fact that each player stood up and contributed in individual moments, patches or throughout the entire game made up for the absence of Boomer.

It was quite remarkable, really. We all know what an influential player he was.

Not only did those moments make up for a missing Boomer, but they were likely the difference between victory and defeat.

I've deep-dived into the full time stats of the game and on paper, very little separated the two sides.

But as mentioned just previously, North made the most of its opportunities when they were there for the taking.

Let's look back on the third quarter.

Obviously that was when the momentum shifted and North's comeback begun, but the way we converted when we dominated the play, in comparison to Essendon in the second quarter was a major difference.

In the second quarter, Essendon registered seven scores but only managed 4.3 (27). Despite kicking the first goal of the third quarter and taking the led out to almost six goals, they failed to genuinely capitalise on their second quarter dominance. 

North, on the other hand booted seven goals and just the single behind from a total of eight scores in the third quarter, making the most of the momentum shift.

That there is the difference.

For a bit of perspective, North had 23 scoring shots to Essendon's 21 at full time and won the game by 12 points.

I'm obviously not complaining at how the game played out.

If you'd like to dive a little further, North won the clearances by one.

Of course during the game things were different. Essendon smashed North in the clearances in the first half but as we came back, we evened things up.

But if we are looking back on it overall, five and a half years on.

Stoppage clearances were even around the ground, but North took 14 centre clearances to Essendon's 13.

The difference? The second last centre clearance of the game went the way of Nick Dal Santo, who set up Drew Petrie's match sealing goal I touched on earlier.

Goldstein won the final centre clearance of the game, too for those wondering.

It's a game of seconds and inches, and North certainly inched their way to victory.

It took guts and moments of brilliance. I remember the game so clearly I almost didn't need to re-watch the game to write this article!

But I figured another replay wouldn't hurt.

There's just one person left to talk about. The man sitting in the coaches box.

An entire coaching panel is responsible for what a team does and how well they succeed, but ultimately there's one person who is thrust into the spotlight during the good, bad and ugly.

When Brad Scott faced the media in his post game press conference, he was asked a simple question.

"Is this the best win in your coaching career?"

He broke out into a massive grin. "Yes".

You can say what you want about Brad Scott, but this was a moment that brought euphoria to North fans around the world and he was part of the puzzle.

He was our coach, first and foremost but like the rest of us, he too was a North fan.

Sure, what followed two weeks later was less than desirable, but you can't change history.

However, if we get to recount this game forever, then it's not a bad thing after all.