Ken Hinkley will coach Port Adelaide next season – you can lock that in, writes MARK ROBINSON. But a certain AFL figure won’t be welcome, with the Power filthy at the league’s embarrassing overstep.
As Hawthorn eyes a spot in this year’s preliminary final, MARK ROBINSON examines what it takes to become a juggernaut and whether the Hawks have the traits to emulate Sydney and Geelong’s sustained success.
When asked in the pre-season who could challenge for the Hawks’ B&F, coach Sam Mitchell suggested some young guns – but also a 26-year-old swingman who’s now looking every bit a world-beater.
It’s difficult keeping up with Hok Ball because the moments seem to get bigger, louder and more outrageous, writes MARK ROBINSON. But behind the noise is a serious group of kids.
It was Port Adelaide’s biggest game of the year, and they choked, writes Mark Robinson. And with either the Bulldogs or Hawks waiting, it’s going to be a long week for Ken Hinkley.
Chris Scott has astonished even his closest admirers with another top-four finish. Insiders and opponents tell MARK ROBINSON what makes the Cats coach a modern great.
Finals football separates the good from the great. Mark Robinson writes, for Ken Hinkley to become a coaching great, his destiny lies in the hands of Port’s dynamic midfield superstars.
The shock announcement this week that Collingwood president Jeff Browne had already set up a succession plan had the industry talking. MARK ROBINSON reveals just what is being said.
The Christian Petracca situation is not only weird to the fans, MARK ROBINSON reports, it’s also weird for some of the players at the Demons, who recently discussed the star’s future.
There’s no right or wrong answer, but there are plenty of tough calls to be made about this year’s All-Australian side. Mark Robinson presents his team and the captain of footy’s best side.
The season doesn’t need to be extended, writes MARK ROBINSON in The Tackle. Can you imagine if we had another round this weekend following the shambolic results on Saturday?
Let’s not duck and dive, writes MARK ROBINSON, the Saints are a better performing team without Max King in their side. What does that mean for next year?
The Hawks still have a long way to go, but the similarities to the ‘93 Bombers are obvious. MARK ROBINSON looks at the making of Sam Mitchell’s Hawthorn – on and off the field.
Dustin Martin and Tom Hawkins, two country boys with contrasting backgrounds, did things differently at the top level. But, as MARK ROBINSON writes, they have both left big footprints on their clubs – and our game.
Dustin Martin once said he was born to play AFL. Rarely has a future draft prospect been so right. MARK ROBINSON charts Dusty’s journey from shy Castlemaine kid to modern-day superstar.
Hawthorn were cruising in the nation’s capital, then all of a sudden, the tsunami came quick and fast. Mark Robinson writes, we should have seen it coming in THE TACKLE.
When Sam Mitchell looked Lachie Bramble in the eye and told him he was no longer wanted, the former Hawk was lost. Enter Luke Beveridge and the Bulldogs. MARK ROBINSON uncovers the truth about the SSP success story.
Fans want to be proud of their teams, not ashamed of them. But, once again, Essendon fans are demanding answers to the same damning questions they have for years. MARK ROBINSON names his likes and dislikes in The Tackle.
Somehow, according to some media members, Dustin Martin’s future is a “circus,” yet the Tigers say he owes them nothing. Of course he doesn’t after turning them from a joke to a juggernaut, writes Mark Robinson.
Andrew Dillon’s Brave New World is here, and it’s not just about the heavy cloud of future litigation, it’s also about the pain of concussed former players and their families, writes Mark Robinson.
Adam Simpson became the latest in a long line of AFL coaches to be sacked. MARK ROBINSON takes you inside the ruthless boardroom calls, the stress on coaches under the blowtorch and what it’s like when the axe finally falls.
Early in the season, there were calls for Luke Beveridge to lose his job. Fast forward three months, and while the Dogs are no less erratic, to Bevo’s credit they somehow have themselves in front of the ledger and racing to finals.
The AFL’s new tackling crackdown continues to cause confusion with a pair of Cats premiership skippers disagreeing on an interpretation of a ‘chicken wing’ tackle on Sunday at the MCG.
It’s the time of year some coaches start making peace with their football mortality. Adam Simpson is already doing so, writes MARK ROBINSON, but who else is feeling the heat?
Demon Jacob Van Rooyen is playing like a young David ‘Ox’ Schwarz. The man himself doesn’t like the comparison but does like what he sees writes MARK ROBINSON.
Port Adelaide took a risk going into the semi-final, and it failed. And its not the only issue the Power has to confront. See Robbo’s likes and dislikes.
They choked again, the Demons, writes Mark Robinson. The game was there to be won but, instead, Melbourne achieved a club-first on Friday night – and not the positive kind.
Michael Voss’ first stint as a coach taught him plenty, which is how the Lions legend was able to weather an ugly storm that was circling in the middle of 2023. Voss chats to Mark Robinson.
Port Adelaide’s issues against Brisbane started well before injuries hit, and it’s time for players other than Rozee and Butters to step up, writes Mark Robinson.
As Brayden Maynard faces a nervous wait to learn whether he will be playing in Collingwood’s preliminary final, Mark Robinson says the match review officer only has one option.
Jordan De Goey starred in his first two finals and the Magpies’ fire starter is primed for another huge September. Robbo names the players who could own the finals.
Laura Kane was born across the road from the MCG, and her father wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to show her the home of footy. Mark Robinson sat down with the new AFL GM of footy.
Tom Liberatore or Jack Viney? What about Zach Merrett? Mark Robinson has made the call in his All Australian team for 2023 – one that has a few surprises. See it here.
Darcy Parish is being portrayed as the poster boy for everything that stinks at Essendon, and that’s unfair, writes Mark Robinson. There are real issues – problems that run much deeper.
Is a loss more valuable than a win this weekend? MARK ROBINSON argues that it is time to a have the dark conversation about tanking in the AFL.
It’s been a long time since Carlton was truly respected — and even feared. But this Blues outfit is writing its own history two months after it looked destined to finish in the bottom four. MARK ROBINSON analyses how.
Trent Cotchin is gone, Jack Riewoldt is gone, it’s time for the Tigers to consider whether or not they need Dustin Martin, or whether they need draft capital, writes Mark Robinson.
It’s not a simple science picking a coach, but one AFL great is mystified as to why the Suns are so keen on Damien Hardwick. Mark Robinson asks what really makes a great AFL coach.
The Gold Coast Suns will almost certainly announce Damien Hardwick as their new coach. They would love to have Dustin Martin go with him – but that won’t be happening.
Sam Mitchell played on the edge, and his young team won’t back down. And the Hawks could be the most dangerous 16th placed side ever at this stage of a season, writes Mark Robinson.
St Kilda is in sixth position on the ladder and hasn’t been out of eight all season. Yet, there is plenty of outside noise about the club. What’s real and what’s not? Ross Lyon went one-on-one with Mark Robinson.
Ben King hasn’t kicked a goal for four weeks. He is so out of sorts, it’s impossible not to believe rival clubs are inquiring about his future. Is it getting too much for him?
Port Adelaide has confirmed it will appeal Willie Rioli’s two-game ban – and rightly so after Dusty last week, writes Mark Robinson. The MRO is being laughed at again.
Essendon have plenty of cap space and a war chest they can take to the trade table. Mark Robinson identifies what they need and the player they should open the cheque book for.
A rat in the ranks on the Gold Coast was said to have left Stuart Dew ‘filthy’, and then soon later he was out the door. Go inside the sacking of the former Suns coach.
The Dees threw Christian Petracca forward against the Saints and took home the four points thanks to their star, but is the move sustainable? Check out Robbo’s likes and dislikes from round 17.
The rooms at Mount Pleasant footy club will once again pay tribute to Peter “Lippy” White on Saturday, 27 years after his shocking passing. Mark Robinson reflects on the tragedy.
There is no doubting Shai Bolton’s extraordinary talent, but the Richmond gun continues to go missing in enemy territory. See all of Robbo’s likes and dislikes here.
The Dees’ experiment with Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy appears to not be firing, but is there anything Melbourne can do to fix it? Check out Robbo’s likes and dislikes from round 15.
The impasses and differing accounts that surround the Hawthorn racism saga represent a cultural bomb for the AFL that appears headed to the Human Rights Commission, writes Mark Robinson.
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