Kangaroos players have been grilled over “disgraceful” efforts made in the opening minutes of a 90-point hiding against Melbourne.
North Melbourne was outscored eight goals to one in the opening quarter, but coach Alastair Clarkson was encouraged by the performance from his side.
“I thought we played better tonight than what we played in the last two weeks,” the veteran coach said after the loss.
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“Usually when you lose a game by 15 goals you haven’t been able to get the ball inside 50 and you’ve been smashed in clearances (but) we competed in different areas of the game really, really well.”
However, Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes took an opposing view to Clarkson, shredding a number of players with some damning vision, including Cam Zurhaar.
“He was watching a different game to me, Alastair Clarkson,” he told Nine’s AFL Sunday Footy Show.
“The first five minutes in this game was as bad a (display of) football as you are ever going to see.
“I want to highlight the lack of effort and they are witches hats. This is Zurhaar, who did a lot of talking in the off-season. How’s this for a chase three minutes into the game?
“This is disgraceful vision here. We’re three minutes into this game of football, give me some effort.
“It’s not talent, this is all effort. This is training stuff, the first day back in pre-season. This is uncompetitive stuff.
“The victory lap was long when they signed Alastair Clarkson (and) it’s quickly finished.”
North currently sits 15th on the ladder and will face St Kilda at Marvel Stadium next Sunday afternoon.
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