Chris McDermott’s Team of the Week: Lions, Hawks on the attack
IT’S a fresh, Hip-looking Team of the Week after Round 16, with Brisbane and Hawthorn players dominating the forward line after impressive wins, with a young Crow and couple of Power recruits also getting a nod. Blog live with Bone about all things AFL now.
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IT may have taken until round 16 of the 2018 AFL season but this week’s Team Of The Week does not have a player from the top-four clubs in the forward line.
In fact there is only one player from the top-seven clubs in the forward half of the ground.
Swans star Luke Parker earns a place on the half forward flank after a standout performance in their loss to Geelong, kicking two goals and amassing 23 possessions.
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It was not enough to earn a win for the Sydneysiders as the Cats dominated everywhere but on the scoreboard kicking 8.23 to get home by just 12 points.
The forward line features three Hawthorn players after their demolition of the Western Bulldogs and two Brisbane players after their destruction of Carlton.
Luke Breust kicked a career-best equalling six goals, Jack Gunston four and Jarryd Roughead also nabbed four as the Hawks ran rampant over the Bulldogs in a second half blitz while Brisbane Lions’ beanpole Hipwood finally played the game he had been threatening to play kicking six goals and giving another two away while Dayne Zorko turned provider with five goal assists in a great day out for Brisbane.
On the home front the Crows’ disappointing loss to Richmond saw them with just one player in this week’s team.
Youngster Tom Doedee flew the flag in defence against all the odds with his customary courage and clean hands a feature of what was otherwise a very disappointing night for the Crows.
Doedee grabbed three contested marks to go with his 28 disposals and seven one percenters in another game to put him closer to the Rising Star from 2018.
The Tigers had Dustin Martin take centre stage with 30 possessions, 9 inside 50s and two goals in a great return to form, while unheralded defender David Astbury gets his first jumper of the season after a strong display in defence with 18 disposals at just under 89 per cent effective disposal and 10 one per centers.
It was a different story for the Power with Stevie Motlop earning a place on the wing with a strong 28-possession game against St Kilda.
Motlop covered more ground than most matching his seven rebounds from defensive 50 with another seven inside 50s and seven running bounces.
The new recruit was joined in this week’s team by the revitalised Tom Rockliff.
Rockliff gathered 30 strong possessions and is building a very handy game as September and finals draw near.
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.