Chris McDermott’s Round 8 Team of the Week: Robbie Gray show parts clouds for forwards
IF the floodgates didn't open last weekend they most certainly did in Round 8 with forwards — including the Showdown Medallist — dominating Chris McDermott’s Team of the Week. Blog live with Bone now
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IF the floodgates didn’t open last weekend they most certainly did in Round 8 with forwards dominating the Team of the Week.
None was more impressive than 20-year-old Swans small forward Ben Ronke.
In just his third game of AFL, the youngster kicked seven goals and laid 10 tackles in a competition first as the Swans snuck home against Hawthorn.
Not to be denied, Port Adelaide superstar Robbie Gray bagged six of his own in Showdown 44 to get the Power home by just five points.
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Gray’s third term had to be seen to be believed as he kicked five goals to turn a 21-point halftime deficit into a two-goal lead at the final change.
As good as Gray was in attack, team mate Tom Jonas was a standout in defence and continued his All Australian form repelling countless Crows attacking moves and gathering an impressive 21 disposals and 10 marks.
Not to be completely outdone, Crows key defender Daniel Talia produced one of his best efforts of the season, all but shutting down Power forward Charlie Dixon.
Talia only gathered eight disposals but he held Dixon scoreless and without much impact on this contest at all.
Talia’s teammate Rory Atkins makes the team for the first time with a standout four-quarter effort off the wing.
Atkins’ hard running and impressive ball use was a feature of one of the best games of the season.
Around the grounds, West Coast forward Jack Darling continued his strong season kicking four goals in the Eagles’ away win over GWS while Dayne Zorko backed up his four goals and 30-possession game last week with an almost complete replica in Round 8, kicking another four goals and grabbing 24 disposals in the Lions’ loss to the Bulldogs.
The Dogs were again well served by in-form midfielder Jack Macrae, who accumulated a career-high 47 disposals at 78 per cent efficiency. That’s three votes for sure.
But the best was still to come.
We might have had to wait until the second last game of the round but Kangaroos midfielder Ben Cunnington produced arguably the best game of his career with an amazing 32 contested possessions in his 38-disposal, 14-clearance game in the Roos’ loss to ladder leaders Richmond.
Not to be outdone Tigers skipper Trent Cotchin gathered 37 of his own to steer the Tigers to a narrow 10-point victory as Dustin Martin had a rare quiet one.
Freo’s Nat Fyfe was at his best again in what many considered another three-vote game in Fremantle’s five-goal win over St Kilda.
Second chances rarely pay off for AFL coaches
History suggests strongly that if you miss out on a premiership at your first try as a coach, you should not get another chance — unless you’re Mick Malthouse or Malcolm Blight, writes Chris McDermott.
When two tribes go to war
It was the game that stopped a state — the first Showdown between the Crows and Power on April 20, 1997. Chris McDermott shares his memories for Part 1 of The Greatest Showdowns series.