The Tackle: Mark Robinson gives his likes and dislikes after two massive semi-finals
SINCE Dylan Shiel’s name erupted in headlines about Melbourne clubs chasing him, a figure of a $1 million a year was pinned to him. But, after two lacklustre finals performances, should clubs think twice about splashing the cash? THE TACKLE
THE preliminary final between Collingwood and Richmond is going to be a belter and there is one match-up that could decide the entire game.
Meanwhile, where are the Hawks and the Giants at after their finals exits?
Plus, why are Melbourne fans now allowed to say, ‘We told you so’?
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Mark Robinson looks at all the big talking points in this week’s Tackle.
Check out his likes and dislikes below.
COLLINGWOOD V GWS
WHAT I LIKE
1. Hello Jordan, my name’s Dylan
It could, and should, be the match-up of preliminary final weekend — Jordan De Goey versus Dylan Grimes. The dynamo forward with speed and smarts versus the dependable backman with speed and smarts. Grimes has never played on the Collingwood youngster, but four days out, he looms as the perfect match-up. His main opponent in the two matches against the Magpies this year was Will Hoskin-Elliott, but after De Goey’s performance on Saturday night, where he skittled Matt Buntine and Nick Haynes on the back of some brave and open ball movement, Tigers coach Damien Hardwick might have to break the emergency glass and send Grimes to De Goey. He has played on similar types this year — Mitch McGovern, Jack Ziebell, Mark LeCras, Robbie Gray (all no goals) and Toby Greene (one goal) — and curtailed them. Might work to their advantage to announce it early in the week, just as Brayden Maynard did with Greene. Mental games play their role in September.
2. The backmen
While Tom Langdon’s final quarter was critical in repelling the Giants, the games of Jeremy Howe and Maynard were outstanding. Maynard the magician made Greene disappear. Greene had just seven disposals and only one score involvement, while Maynard had 16 disposals, five intercept possessions and four score involvements from half-back. Howe was the other major winner. His opponent, Harry Himmelberg, needed to be a target as teammate Jeremy Cameron often roamed high, but the 22-year couldn’t get into the game. He was huge against Sydney the week before, with 23 disposals, nine marks and two goals, but could muster only six touches and zero goals against Howe.
3. The midfield
To beat Greater Western Sydney you have to contain its midfield and Collingwood did exactly that. Brodie Grundy, Steele Sidebottom, Scott Pendlebury, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams, Tom Phillips and Brayden Sier overwhelmed what looked like a two-man Giants midfield of Stephen Coniglio and Lachie Whitfield, although Magpies coach Nathan Buckley said on Sunday Whitfield also played forward. The Giants were the No. 1 groundball team for the season, Collingwood was 13th, and the Pies won the groundball by 11. They also won contested ball by 22. Without arguably the most damaging midfielder in the AFL, Josh Kelly, the Giants did not have enough ball-winners or ball carriers.
WHAT I DISLIKE
1. Buyer beware
Since Dylan Shiel’s name erupted in headlines about Melbourne clubs chasing him, a figure of a $1 million a year was pinned to him. It meant Shiel’s game was scrutinised much more deeply and the opinion of several observers was that Shiel wasn’t worth the money. That’s not to say he isn’t a fabulous player, but most million-dollar midfielders have to do better than his 23 and 22 possessions in his two finals. His 22 touches against Collingwood was the second fewest he has gathered this season. For such a gifted kick, Shiel’s 44 per cent efficiency by foot was not good enough, nor was his ability to win groundballs (only five). No score involvements and few damaging runs through the middle pointed to a lacklustre night for the Giants onballer.
2. What to do with Rory Lobb?
The GWS Giant is a hit or miss big man who was forced into the ruck when Dawson Simpson was injured. He was OK against Brodie Grundy, yet it was the dropped mark moments before halftime that prompted the strongest discussion. Ideally, the Giants need him to play forward beside Jeremy Cameron, but it remains to be seen if in fact he’s at the Giants next year. It’s been reported Lobb has Fremantle as a suitor to bolster its key forwards and Lobb has spoken in the past about the temptation of returning home to Western Australia to play. Despite the gap between his best and worst being too great for a 25-year-old, he is being played in the ruck when he is a forward. Simply, the Giants can’t afford to lose him, even when they are said to have a bulging salary cap.
3. Questioning the coach
It was suggested that if the Giants lost at the weekend, it was a miserable and failed season for coach Leon Cameron. It can’t be so cold-blooded. Agreed, if you are bumped in the second week of the finals, it’s a missed opportunity, but Cameron had to deal with a raft of injury issues this year. The hardest runner in the AFL, Tom Scully, didn’t play at all; Dawson Simpson salvaged his career in the ruck and then hurt his ankle, which messed up the team structure; Brett Deledio played 11 games, Toby Greene nine games and Ryan Griffen 16; and Jeremy Cameron lost his mojo after young Brisbane Lion Harris Andrews lost his teeth. Then of course Josh Kelly didn’t play against the Pies and his run and carry and ball use are central to any GWS performance. The Giants should be contenders again next year.
MELBOURNE V HAWTHORN
WHAT I LIKE
1. The Told You So’s
The Neville Jetta Fan Club is bursting with new members, and it’s the old members telling the new ones he should have been in the All-Australian team. After two finals, it’s a fair argument, but a useless one. More to the point is Jetta’s two finals games. What we like about him is he keeps his feet, fights in the contest and doesn’t let his opponent get dangerous balls. On Friday night, he eclipsed Hawthorn’s Luke Breust. In their time one-on-one, which was about two quarters, he kept Breust to six disposals. The week before he had Geelong’s Gary Ablett and Dan Menzel for 50-odd minutes and kept them to a combined tally of six disposals. In the same game he beat Patrick Dangerfield several times one-on-one. His match-up in Round 22 against the Eagles was the modern-day version of the Krakouers — Willie Rioli and Liam ‘‘Flyin’’ Ryan. He kept them to a combined six disposals and a goal. Outside of Jack Viney and James Harmes, arguably there hasn’t been a more valuable player for the Demons in the finals series.
2. Bayley Fritsch
Simon Goodwin is a coach not afraid to swing the magnets, namely using James Harmes as a stopper, moving Nathan Jones to the wing and playing Aaron vandenBerg from Round 20. Another has been the switch of Fritsch from forward to defence in the past month. He has played 90 per cent game time down back since the West Coast game in Round 22. There’s nothing scintillating about the 21-year-old’s qualities, but the benefit is his ability to use the ball. He doesn’t panic, is strong overhead and can play on an array of players. Against the Hawks it was largely Paul Puopolo and he kept him to eight disposals in about two quarters. He has fitted into the back six alongside Jetta, Jordan Lewis, Christian Salem, Oscar McDonald and Sam Frost with ease.
3. Win without the normal punch
Said on Saturday they won ugly because the Demons didn’t — or weren’t allowed to — play their regular brand. Coughed up too many clanger kicks in the first half as they tried to kick the ball short and quickly. Overall, they lost the inside-50 count by four, the second time they have lost that stat since Round 12. Their pressure index was 178 across four quarters. In the first half it was 169. Their first half against Geelong the previous week was 203. They still won, mainly because of their ball use. Melbourne scored 11 goals from 35 forward-half chains and the Hawks three goals from 33 forward-half chains. Herald Sun columnist David King said on SEN radio on Saturday that if the Demons repeated this type of game against the Eagles on Saturday, they’d lose by 10 goals. They can’t be so meek against the Eagles.
WHAT I DISLIKE
1. Second-term blues
Missed opportunities and lack of polish in play and in depth, said coach Alastair Clarkson. He wasn’t wrong. The Hawks did so much right against the No. 1 contested possession and territory team, but couldn’t nail goals when they dominated the second quarter, kicking five points. They won the inside-50 count by 11 and had 63 per cent of the game played in their half that term. They created 11 forward-half turnovers, but scored only three points, as opposed to Melbourne’s four forward-half turnovers and 13 points. The Demons won the quarter by 13 points. While Jack Gunston might be haunted by his screw kick on the run in the final quarter which hit the post, his teammates should be haunted by what happened in the second quarter.
2. Talk about being haunted
Luke Breust was a walk-up All-Australian and a walk-out disappointment in both of Hawthorn’s finals. He had Dylan Grimes in the first final and Neville Jetta on Friday and couldn’t find the space or the ball to ignite his team. That Grimes and Jetta got the role — both are outstanding players — says plenty about the potential damage Breust could inflict. Still, it was a poor finals campaign. His home-and-away numbers compared to his September numbers were stark. Ranking points 95-54. Disposals 16.1-12. Marks inside-50 2.1-1.5. Ground balls inside-50 2.7-1. Goals 2.4-0.5 and score assists 1.5-0.
3. Shaun Burgoyne
He’s delivered so many times in finals, you tend to expect him simply to roll out another of his vintage game-changers from across half-back or after a move to the midfield. It didn’t happen. The 36-year-old had 17 disposals against Richmond and 13 against Melbourne. It’s not all about possessions, for Burgoyne is a player hugely decorated for his clutch moments, but they didn’t come this September. The Hawks were solid in defeat when you consider key players were down on form, the kids were only OK and Jaeger O’Meara didn’t play against the Dees. It’s far from doom and gloom at the Hawks.
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Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Robinson gives his likes and dislikes after two massive semi-finals