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A quick formal note to address the lack of posts – we’ll be back in 2027 as usual, but no posts until then unless something extremely unexpected happens. It isn’t one of those ‘beginning of the end’ type deals so there’s no need to speculate. Instead it’s a case of … Continue reading On hiatus until 2027 →

Time to dust off the cobwebs. The well-intentioned plans of keeping up with the blog while on holiday fell by the wayside.

32 minutes and 54 seconds into the last quarter, Cam Zurhaar puts North Melbourne in front for the first time.

There can only be one topic of discussion for today’s post.

Saturday at Marvel Stadium was an absorbing tactical battle.

North Melbourne’s 49-point loss to Geelong on Saturday functions as a fascinating litmus test.

The original title for today’s piece was going to be something along the lines of ‘single issue game’.

If we are to divide North Melbourne’s 2026 into sections…

If North Melbourne are lucky, they won’t have another game this year with the conditions they faced on Saturday.

Winning comebacks of any variety have been in rare supply for North Melbourne, particularly in Melbourne.

In my head, a streak-busting win over Essendon arrived in more glorious fashion.

There are an ungodly number of topics to get to today. Let’s try our best to hit all of them.

Right, another year. A year with different expectations than the last few, to be sure.

Three weeks ago, Geelong were imperious in handing Brisbane a 38-point Qualifying Final loss.

Given Chris Scott’s famous reluctance to talk anything tactically in public, even the slightest bread crumb can reveal plenty.

Adelaide are the first minor premiers in the final-eight era to depart from finals in straight sets.

The fourth and last 2025 Finals Dossier is all about a team that looked untouchable for most of the year.

Today’s Finals Dossier is a look at the reigning premiers and a fascinating campaign to date.

The 2025 Finals Dossiers continue with another appearance by the ever-present, Geelong.

The Finals Dossiers are back for a sixth edition, starting with the minor premiers.

It’s time for the final home and away season Notebook!

Today’s post will juggle between three different tasks, covering small and big picture items.

Two of this season’s three highest mark tallies by a team in a game have happened in the last fortnight.

Thankfully, North Melbourne’s last game in Hobart for 2025 went much better than their last game in Hobart for 2024.

It’s a bumper three topic edition of The Notebook for Round 22.

Today’s post will zoom out a little bit and talk about a big picture aspect of open play.

In comes a list and style overview of Melbourne’s on-field prospects for this week’s Notebook.

Today’s post is going to be in the jump around format, bouncing from topic to topic.

As we head towards the final stretch of the home and away season, it’s a two-topic Notebook for Round 20.

We’re getting to that time of year where it all ramps up for the finals.

North Melbourne’s final losing margin of 101 points at Marvel Stadium was entirely dictated by Geelong.

North Melbourne’s chances largely hinged on how they’d be able to handle the absence of Tristan Xerri.

There’s a focus on three of the top teams in this week’s Notebook entry.

That title might take you to strange corners of the internet, but nevertheless…

The Notebook returns to normal service after every team’s mid-season health check.

On a night where North Melbourne celebrated 100 years in the V/AFL, there was an admirable effort.

Welcome to the fifth and final Notebook Health Check.

It’s a simple game sometimes.

Welcome to the fourth of the mid-season Notebook Health Checks.

Saturday was North Melbourne’s most important game of 2025 to date.

Welcome to the third of the mid-season Notebook Health Checks.

The sixth time in North Melbourne’s last seven games where the final margin was 10 points or less.

Welcome to the second of the mid-season Notebook Health Checks

They say these things even out, so…

Ancient proverb: Two and a half wins at the bye is much better than zero wins at the bye.

Welcome to the first of the mid-season Notebook Health Checks.

Sunday afternoon at the MCG saw two teams moving in opposite directions.

The story of the night was how a different North Melbourne plan unfolded while Collingwood searched to find answers…

49 disposals in a game off half back. All four quarters in double digits.

It was a brutally contested game on Sunday at the MCG.

A two-topic Notebook this week covers an in-game change up, and an individual player focus.

A nine-point loss. Arguably could have won. A three-point loss. Arguably should have won. A draw. Definitely should have won.

The original plan for this week’s Notebook was to write about a couple of different topics, as per usual.

Of course losing a game by three points isn’t something to celebrate. However…

A fun Notebook this week, if I do say so myself. It’s a two-topic post for Round 7.

North Melbourne rolled into Adelaide Oval with a new-look backline, changing four of their starting seven.

It’s a varied palate for Round 6’s Notebook.

Sometimes it’s hard figuring out where to start for good reasons.

There are two winless teams remaining in the league, with both taking slightly different routes to get here.

There are a lot of videos in today’s post.

It’s the 2025 season debut for one of my favourite features on The Shinboner.

The title sums today’s post up. It isn’t a game where plenty of positives can be found.

A fun weekend threw up intriguing tactical topics to discuss in this week’s Notebook.

A week after an impressive win at Marvel Stadium, there were more positive signs for North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval.

Normally this is a Round 1 post, but there were so many intriguing things from teams’ first games this topic got pushed back a week.

North Melbourne kicked six goals in the first 6:16 of final quarter game time on Sunday.

The first in-season Notebook of the year deserves an uplifting theme, and today’s will be all positive.

After several hours in a sweatbox, it was a sense of what could have been for North Melbourne.

With North Melbourne’s season opener only days away, it’s time for the 2025 checklist.

A quick hitter to round out the pre-season, exclusive to Patreon subscribers only.

Sometimes the Notebook is deliberately formatted to focus on one theme.

There was plenty in North Melbourne’s final pre-season game to suit whichever narrative you’d like to pursue.

Welcome to the fourth annual AFL continuity rankings, a regular pre-season feature on The Shinboner.

It’s always a little bit of a lottery for what Match Sim will provide.

It’s match sim, it’s a chance to overreact to everything, it’s February.

It’s time for the third and final part of this year’s Look Ahead.

It’s time for Part 2 of this year’s Look Ahead.

It’s time for Part 1 of this year’s Look Ahead.

It feels right to start 2025 on The Shinboner by examining every team’s win line for the season.

Welcome back for another year!

Surprise: It’s a bonus Shinboner post coming out of trade period.

The fourth of four Finals Dossiers looks at the fourth placed team: GWS.

Perhaps the ultimate ‘prove it in finals’ team are once again in a position to prove it in finals.

Welcome to the fifth edition of the Shinboner Finals Dossiers, continuing with Geelong’s 14th top four finish in 18 years.

Welcome to the fifth edition of the Shinboner Finals Dossiers, starting with a look at the minor premiers.

Today’s post has little to do with the Hawthorn game specifically and is more of an overarching look at 2024.

With 2:18 remaining, North Melbourne led by 13 points with a stoppage just outside their forward 50.

Late season games like Saturday at Marvel Stadium are always tricky to draw conclusions from.

Santino Marella once famously proclaimed, ‘put up the Honk-A-Meter!’.

The reaction to Saturday’s game was strange. To me, at least.

This week’s Notebook theme is all about team defence.

You dedicate an entire section in last week’s post to the benefits of a settled structure and then it changes at the next possible opportunity.

A lazy day on the couch watching two of the bottom three teams triggered a few thoughts about list management strategies.

After five promising weeks since returning from the bye, North Melbourne had their reality check at the SCG.

477 days: The amount of time between North Melbourne wins in Melbourne.

The balance between protecting a lead and killing the game off feels like it’s trending more towards the former than the latter.

The scoreboard flattered North Melbourne on Saturday, a 17-point margin far from a true reflection of general play.

This week’s Notebook features two topics I’ve been hanging out to write about for a while.

Three single figure games in a row; three games that couldn’t have played out any more different to each other.

After a fortnight’s break for the Notebook, thanks to mid-season draft updates and rest of season plans, we’re back for the Round 14 edition.