Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead turn back clock, Geelong and Collingwood fail the test
LIKES AND DISLIKES: Was North Melbourne’s 10.4 to 0.0 opening term against Adelaide the best ever? Plus Pies in the gun and Buddy’s back. REPLAY ROBBO’S LIVE BLOG
ROUND 7 is done and dusted and Mark Robinson looks at the weekend’s highs and lows.
There were plenty of highlights, from Blake Acres and Seb Ross to Friday night to Hawthorn’s return to form on Sunday.
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But also a fair share of lowlights after Collingwood, Adelaide and Geelong’s losses.
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WHAT I LIKE
1. THE CAPTAIN AND THE KID: Marc Murphy is looking like the Marc Murphy of yesteryear and Sam Petrevski-Seton is looking like a young Chris Lewis. In six games this season Murphy has reminded the football world he is a player of huge work ethic and talent, while the kid has a purity about him. Similar to the West Coast star of the 1990s, Petrevski-Seton has balance, vision, decision-making and seemingly has time amid the madness. Petrevski-Seton had a team-high 12 forward-half disposals, a game-high 81 ranking points in the forward half, a game-high seven score involvements and a team-high 15 forward half pressure acts. He is a treasure. As was Dale Thomas. His baulk, goal and celebration is in contention for moment of the weekend.
2. BRENDON BOLTON: Earlier this season one media grump wrote Bolton will bore everyone to death if he doesn’t change his message. There’s message and there’s performance and they will grow together at Carlton. Bolton has the Blues 3-4 and on Saturday oversaw an organised and committed team that wanted the ball and the contest more than the opposition.
3. BUDDY: These games come along and you simply sit back and enjoy. He kicked 8.4 and got involved in a coupe of skirmishes, one with Brisbane’s 21-year-old Nick Robertson who stood up to the game’s most audacious talent, which is a positive for the Lions. The Swans broke their duck on the back of Franklin, Dan Hannebery, Isaac Heeney, Luke Parker and one of the most improved player in the game, Zak Jones. As Leigh Matthews says, when your best players play well it’s amazing how well your team plays.
4. JARRYD ROUGHEAD: Played his best game of the season in a game where his best mate, Jordan Lewis, was playing for the opposition. Kicked four in a cracking game of resilience from the Hawks, who looked like they were ready for the taking at three-quarter time. But the Hawks said no. Isaac Smith and Shaun Burgoyne were terrific, Tom Mitchell continued to win a huge share of the ball, and young Ryan Burton is playing what should be the start of a long career.
5. BULLDOGS AND TIGERS: Cracking game decided by a kick and it shows the Richmond game plan - other than when used at Adelaide Oval - stands up against the best. The Dogs returned to playing their brand of footy and have their territory game back. In the past three weeks they have averaged +15 inside 50s per game and +19:25 minutes time in forward-half differential. And still the Tigers almost got them. They urgently need a second key forward to aid Jack Riewoldt.
6. ACRES AND ROSS: Sounds like a market gardening partnership and it’s on the turf where this pair thrive. Seb Ross is St Kilda’s second best midfielder and took it up to the Giants on Friday night. His breakout season was last year and he’s improved again this year. He is averaging career highs in disposals (29), contested possessions (11), score assists (two) and clearances (six). Blake Acres has a bundle of talent and is also producing career-best numbers across the board. His was dropped twice in the first eight rounds last year, returned in Round 12 and hasn’t missed since. They helped the Saints belt the Giants at stoppages. They were +11 at clearances and outscored the Giants by 27 points from stoppages.
7. GIBSON ON SLOANE: The trend of not employing taggers might be over as we’ve had two huge scalps in two weeks. Last week it was Levi Greenwood on Joel Selwood and on Saturday it was Sam Gibson on Rory Sloane. Accept the game has adopted an 18-man defence routine, but also accept this game adopts trends pretty quickly. Sloane has returned a bruising 31, 34, 30 and 33 possessions in his past four matches. Against Gibson, who had him for 86 minutes, he had just 14 disposals.
8. AND WHAT ABOUT THE ROOS? Stunning football and if you want to see a complete demolition of an opposition team in a 30 minutes, watch the replay on Fox Footy. Given the circumstances, a youthful team sitting at 1-5 versus a 6-0 premiership favourite, the 10.4 to 0.0 opening term might be the greatest quarter of football ever played. There will be larger scores in a quarter - such as South Melbourne’s 17.4 to St Kilda’s 0.0 in 1919 at the Lake Oval - but in context Saturday’s game is the winner. Who knows where Brad Scott will be next year, but he deserves credit.
9. ENIGMATIC FOOTBALLERS: They can frustrate, but also titillate, and those two words could one day be written on Jarrad Waite’s tombstone. Three goals in the first quarter, six for the match, plus 22 disposals, eight marks and a game-high 13 score involvements was his return on Saturday. When firing, he is as entertaining as Franklin and Tex Walker just for sheer talent. A twitter question on Saturday asked who joins Waite as the most enigmatic players of recent times. The answers, in no particular order, were Daryl White, Jake Stringer, Leon Davis, Alex Fasolo, Steve Motlop, Daniel Rich, Jack Darling, Daniel Wells, Justin Westhoff and Kurt Tippett.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE
1. COLLINGWOOD: Back to reality, but after yet another match producing inconsistent effort, you have to wonder what reality is? Was it last week against Geelong or this week against Carlton, or against Essendon on Anzac Day or Richmond in Round 2? Saturday’s loss brought even more doubters out of the woodwork and once again Nathan Buckley is the headline act. Is tiredness an excuse? It was the first time Buckley has offered any excuse and while it does have merit, his team has looked tired several times this year. Emotionally, the Pies didn’t cut it on Saturday and mechanically, it was Jamie Elliott or bust in the forward line.
2. WHAT SAY THE CONSPIRACISTS? Buckley is under pressure. His possible replacement Paul Roos says Buckley coached badly by not running Levi Greenwood with Marc Murphy. That equals Roos undermining Buckley does it? Let’s chill. Buckley employed Greenwood on Carlton’s prolific half-back Sam Docherty - Champion Data registered a 29-minute match up and Docherty was kept to seven disposals in that time - which left Murphy free. “It’s staggering,’’ Roos said, which was pretty pointed commentary. Buckley took a punt and it didn’t work. What were the Magpie midfielders doing to keep Murphy in check? It’s called team defence.
3. LETHARGIC GEELONG: “The results suggest that the AFL is close to where their stated aim is, where people go to the footy and they’re not sure who’ll win,’’ Cats coach Chris Scott said. Not a truer word spoken in footy after the weekend’s results. This was a setback for the Cats. There’s some defensive work in progress at the Cats. They defended horribly, conceded 10 goals from chains starting in the back half. Champion Data says Geelong created the second most turnovers in the forward half last season, but this year is ranked 17th. They are defending so deep they rank 14th for time in forward-half differential compared to No.1 in 2016.
4. COCKY CROWS: It always happens so it shouldn’t be a surprise. The unbeaten, premiership favourite meets the downtrodden opponent and the unbeaten premiership favourite doesn’t like the pesky downtrodden being in its face. That’s what North Melbourne did to Adelaide on Saturday and the Crows didn’t like it. In response they gave away “I don’t care’’ free kicks. First, Charlie Cameron belted Kayne Turner in the guts behind the ball - and he should be suspended for a week - then Daniel Talia applied a coat-hangar to Turner who blocked for Jarrad Waite on the lead. Just rubbish free kicks in a blistering first quarter from North Melbourne.
5. PICKING AND CHOOSING: Buddy Franklin kicks one of his trademark 80m bouncing goals in the first quarter. It was fun to watch. What wasn’t fun was the lead-up. Think of Jarryn Geary bringing Jon Patton to the ground on Friday night and think the opposite when Daniel Rich and Callum Sinclair were in a similar situation. Rich is a ball player, but when it’s your time to go you have to go. Rich pulled out of a 50-50 contest with Sinclair, made it a 100-0 contest and Buddy kicked the resulting goal. “That is the worst piece of play I’ve ever seen him to commit to,’’ commentator Dermott Brereton said. “He can’t stay out there for that.’’ He did and at quarter-time it was 47-12 and the Lions were in the middle of a belting.
6. BODY SLAMS: Jarrad Waite’s forcefulness on Tommy Lynch was accompanied by a media line that it would be unfortunate to see Waite suspended. Unfortunate? What about Lynch’s head which was slammed into the ground? The same with Koby Stevens on Nathan Wilson on Friday night. Fans appreciate the enthusiasm of the tackler but enthusiasm becomes reckless real quick when a player wants to hurt the opposition. They should both be suspended for what is becoming a nasty relic of the game. If not, the MRP is letting down the sport.
7. DARE WE MENTION DELIBERATE? AFL footy boss Simon Lethlean is under siege and he’s remaining pretty stoic in the face of some stinging commentary from coaches and the media. The spirit of the game is being tested and mistakes are being made by umpires, but there’s no point whinging. “Insufficient intent’’ is here to stay. Let’s hope in three to five years there are less stoppages, fewer mistakes and more game time. The AFL wants entertainment, not stoppages.
8. STEVIE J: Consecutive weeks under the microscope, but that happens when the fall from the mountain is so stark. He’s trying to play wily footy but it’s coming a cropper more than ever before. He averages 56 ranking points which is career low. His 16 disposals average is his lowest since 2006. His kicking efficiency is 54 per cent, which is the second lowest of his career. His one-goal average is his lowest as a permanent forward. Johnson has been a mercurial footballer but he’s in a hole and the faith that he climb out of it is being tested.
9. TOBY GREENE PUNCH: Didn’t like his left jab last week and didn’t like Callum Mills effort on Sunday to try to spoil Brisbane’s Jarrod Berry. Mills has to be suspended if the MRP is consistent. Mills was on the run, was late, missed the ball by half a foot and his flailing fist collected Berry in the face. If Mills is not suspended, GWS Giants officials would rightfully feel that a witch-hunt went after Greene.
ROBBO’S TOP TWEETS
@SeanPeterBudge: can a nominate an early like? Daisy Thomas selling Goldsack some candy, and Tyson buying the whole damn bag.
@jprenno: I’ll get in early for the tackle. Dislikes: Melbourne, yet again they let you down. Likes: Tim O’Brien. Full credit to him.
@D_lunn: Worsfold has been out coached a few times now this season. Surely some heat coming his way
@Michael_EJones: Like: The doggies, always finding a way to win through grit and determination. Dislike: the dees for breaking my heart!
@BradZarins: Likes - Matt Taberner, left in WAFL for first 6 games and bags four in first AFL game for the year
@Hazey_07: Forty Thousand Members @melbournefc How about 40 mins of footy?? #getstuffed #gutless #putthisinthetackle
@theodinho22: Like: First time I can remember feeling like every game could go either way. Equalisation working.
@Arrono37: Like doesn’t provide enough appreciation for Jack Steven, but I’ll go with that. Plus time for Scully to be recognised properly
@jsc1476: Likes: Luke shueys last quarter. Charlie Dixons 4 quarters
@aidanpauna: Like: Zak Jones. On his way to stardom. Has added an element to the Sydney midfield not seen in years...pace.
@danbrewerradio: Like... Re-emergence of GC, Freo amd Carlton. Dislike the performance of Geelong since coach was resigned (yes I’m a cats fan).
@christoc77: dislike: Motlop not putting his body on the line for the second week in a row
@TheChrisNemeth: Like - The coaching of Brendan Bolton. Has his players believing in and adhering to his game plan and each other. Fun for players & fans.
@joshthorp23: Like: Shaun Burgoyne’s last quarter. Still top 3 big moment players in the league.
@aussie_05: Like Samo Petrevski-seton, will be a gun and dislike the thought of playing the saints next week. They look awesome.
@boweesrant: Dislike - the dogs continuing to get away with throwing the ball
@WhippingBoySEN: Like - Dustin Martin’s desperation in the last few minutes - the lunge, the bump, the collection, the handball
@BAndersonSEN: Like: Tom Lonergan’s blind courage. One kidney, yet still goes where angels fear to tread when the game is shot.
@MattTurfie: Like: Mason Wood and North’s talented Joeys. Jarrad Waite’s stunning return. Dislike: James Sicily abusing teammates and umpires
@timrosen35: Like: Seb Ross. Is a contested beast who feeds out all the hard ball for other mids. He has also cleaned up his kicking. Elite player now.
@FreoPope: Like: Brad Hill. extreme heat, no brother, under the pump. Ran like a Kenyan #breaking2 ! Huge metres gained for the game.
@The_GameSC: Essendon’s BnF count 2017 so far Goddard Daniher Merrett Baguley. All played in 2016. What does that tell ya @Robbo_heraldsun?
@mitchthomas87: Like: Bradley Hill getting out of that shambles of a Victorian club to make sure he got some wins this year.
@lhg86: Brad Sheppard. Didn’t give Robbie gray a sniff
@Lazlow: Dislike: Media pretending Vic teams don’t have a “noise of affirmation” at home. St Kilda +12 free kicks. GWS burned by calls & non-calls.
@siobhan_roe: Like: The North Melbourne football club and their bright future on display against the crows. Jarrad Waite’s return also spectacular.
@danranson_ : Likes: North giving the rest of the comp hope. Dislikes: Steve Motlop playing like he forgot to renew his health insurance
@paul_plenaghan: Likes: BUDDY. Dislike: free kick Bulldogs continues unabated
Originally published as Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead turn back clock, Geelong and Collingwood fail the test