Why the Bombers can't beat North

For those unaware, it has been seven long years since Essendon has beaten the North Melbourne Club. They are the only side since we last played in the "big one in 01" that we are yet to beat - and it frustrates the absolute shit out of me.

North since the early noughties have always been a gritty tough side, with sparse gun players (with the inclusion of Harvey, Wells et al) that always gets our number.

It is what shits me about North that makes me envy them also. They play as a team and play for each other more than any other team in recent history. Who in right mind can still believe that they finished 3rd in 07 - they were a long way third behind PA and Geelong, but they faced and passed all challenges put before them with flying colours.

In contradiction, Essendon have spent the last seven years ith a team of champions (Hird, Fletcher, Lloyd etc) and have not played as a team. In 2000 and 2001 they were that team, they had the stars and would have stepped in front of a train for their teammate, a trait that North contain now. Until this current Essendon side learns to play like North we will continue to lose to them and will struggle to get back to finals footy for a while to come. I hope the new coach is putting the plans in place. Mediocrity is not an Essendon trait.