The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from AFL preliminary final week
The Riolis have a fine Norm Smith Medal tradition with Maurice and Cyril already claiming the award for best on ground in a Grand Final. And Tiger Daniel has the tools to add to the collection, writes Mark Robinson.
Mark Robinson
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Greg Williams, one of the all-time greats, won a Norm Smith Medal aged 32.
In fact, when Carlton defeated Geelong in the Grand Final on September 30, 1995, it was Williams’ birthday.
Age shall weary every footballer, eventually, but not on that day for “Diesel”.
Nor will it, he said, for Geelong on Saturday.
“I don’t think age is going to have anything to do with it,’’ Williams said of the Cats.
“I think they’re good enough to do it.”
SCROLL DOWN FOR ROBBO’S PRELIM LIKES AND DISLIKES
Probably, the result next Saturday will determine if Geelong will be accused of being the “Golden Oldies” or celebrated for being at the height of their “Golden Age”.
A loss and it will be too old, too slow — and the Cats best opportunity to win a premiership since their 2011 flag will have arrived and quickly disappeared on a balmy night in Brisbane.
A win and it will be because of their age and experience and how they successfully delivered in the pressure-cooker at the Gabba.
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And, of course, it will be A1 list management.
Let’s not lie, the Cats are old.
If they go in with an unchanged line-up this Saturday, they will be the oldest team to ever suit up in a Grand Final.
The next oldest? Essendon in 1923.
Against the Lions on Saturday night, Geelong’s average age was 28.3 compared to Brisbane’s 26.2 and their games’ experience was 161 to 113.
The Tigers on Friday night were 27 (average age) and 131 (games average).
The next oldest team after the 1923 Essendon (28.2) outfit was Hawthorn in 2015.
Their average age when they won the last of their three consecutive premierships was 27.8. Their golden era was then over.
Williams likened the Blues of ’95 to Geelong of 2020.
“Our side had a few oldies in it,” he told the Herald Sun.
“When you compare … Kernahan, Bradley, SOS, Madden, Peter Dean, McKay, Spalding, Sexton — we were a very experienced team.
“It’s similar when you look at the Geelong side, they have plenty of blokes who are 30 and so did we.’’
But age does not shield anyone from nerves.
“I remember my first kick in the Grand Final,” Williams said.
“I had a shot from 45m out, or 50m out, and I shanked it and it dribbled out of bounds near the goals.
“I was nervous as anything. I was 32-years-old and, you know, a pretty good player, and I was nervous as buggery, I really was.”
So, butterflies even swamp the greats?
“Shit yeah, I shanked that first kick and I said to myself, ‘Pull yourself together’. After that I was fine.”
Williams cannot separate Geelong and Richmond.
“It is a great Grand Final coming up,’’ he said.
“I think Geelong has done amazing things these past two weeks.
“To be able to stop Brisbane playing like they want to, and they’re a pretty serious side … they had them covered all night. They should’ve won by 10 goals, I thought.
“Richmond is a special team as well. They’re amazing.
“It’s going to be a great game and I think it’s going to go down to who kicks the goals and who misses.
“It could come to one shot, that’s how tight it is.
“But the way Geelong is playing they are a serious chance.’’
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It’s not so much now or never for Geelong, but it’s certainly now or it gets harder again.
Gary Ablett and Harry Taylor will retire for sure, and everyone else will be six months older before next season.
If you take March 20 or thereabouts as the estimated season start, Geelong’s team will probably include Tom Hawkins, 32, Joel Selwood, 32, Shaun Higgins 33, Josh Jenkins, 32, Lachie Henderson, 31, Zach Tuohy, 31, Jack Steven, 30, Patrick Dangerfield, 30, Mark Blicavs, 29, Mitch Duncan, 29, Gary Rohan, 29, Sam Menegola, 29, and Cameron Guthrie, 28.
It’s not ancient and obviously will be a younger team in terms of age and experience than this week’s Grand Final team.
That’s next year, of course.
This week, and for one day only, the golden age shines upon them.
LIKES
1. MITCH DUNCAN
He’s the not-so quiet achiever amid the superstar names at Geelong and is enhancing his already considerable reputation this finals series.
Once a pure wingman, he has almost become a pure midfielder.
His positional breakdown this season is two per cent in defence, 29 per cent on a wing, 51 per cent in the midfield and 18 per cent as a forward.
Across the two finals, he is averaging 40 ranking points, 26 disposals, 21 uncontested possessions, 347m gained and 9.5 score involvements — all team highs besides metres gained.
His rotation though the wing position makes the wing match-ups crucial this Saturday.
The Cats largely use Sam Menegola, Mark Blicavs and Duncan opposed to Richmond’s Kamdyn McIntosh, Marlion Pickett and in the past two matches, Jayden Short.
Duncan is pivotal to Geelong winning the flag.
2. THE HENDERSON KID
The resurgence by Lachie Henderson has been remarkable.
He played seven games in 2018 and six games in 2019 because of injury and form, and didn’t play senior football this season until Round 8.
Before then, his story was seemingly told: Recruited from Carlton, serviceable defender, lost his spot, retires at the end of this season. That story is in the bin.
He has played every match since Round 8, and with Mark Blicavs in the midfield, Henderson is the crucial second tall in the defensive 50.
He hasn’t conceded a goal in the two finals played. It’s likely he will play on Jack Riewoldt in the Grand Final.
In Round 17, Riewoldt kicked three goals, the most goals Henderson has conceded in a match this season. That match-up looms large again.
3. DAN RIOLI
Don’t know what others think, but my Richmond votes on Friday night would have been: 3. Toby Nankervis, 2. Daniel Rioli and, probably, 1. Dustin Martin.
Rioli was superb. He recorded 95 ranking points against Port Adelaide, his third-most in a match since the 2017 preliminary final.
He also had 39 pressure points, 20 forward-half pressure points and six tackles, which is exactly why Rioli is in the team, and is ranked in the top-six at the club for each measure.
At stages this season, Rioli lost his spot in the team, but he has now delivered two superb finals performances and a Norm Smith medal is not beyond him.
4. NOAH BALTA
The rambunctious Tigers defender is not daunted by the size or reputation of his opponents and even became a pinch-hitting forward against Port Adelaide on Friday night.
Loved that Damien Hardwick pulled that trigger from the coach’s box when the game was in the balance in the second quarter, and not as a desperate last-quarter move to win the game.
If Hardwick did it in a preliminary final, why wouldn’t he do it in a Grand Final?
Still, Balta will be needed for Tommy Hawkins.
Balta subdued Charlie Dixon on Friday night and in Round 17 against Geelong he kept Hawkins to one goal — with a little help from his friends.
He has a signature move, Balta. He defends with his chest which allows him to push opponents under the ball. The question: Will it work on Hawkins?
DISLIKES
1. MIDDLE GROUND
Brisbane has the best midfielder in the game in Lachie Neale and a good support cast, but it has to get better.
And it will have to get better by natural development rather than by a trade or a free agent. The Lions need a bigger body in the midfield — Cam Ellis-Yolmen didn’t work this year. But because Joe Daniher has chosen Brisbane, the Lions won’t have the cash in the salary cap to poach a mature midfielder.
Finals footy exposes weaknesses and against the Cats the Lions weakness was contested ball (minus 16), ground ball (minus 17) and loose ball (9-24). Little wonder coach Chris Fagan said his team was headed for the gym over summer.
The Lions won the contested possession count in only three of their past 13 games coming into the preliminary final and were exposed again by the Cats.
2. CHARLIE DIXON
It wasn’t the finals series Port Adelaide was hoping for from what many perceive to the best contested mark in the game.
He kicked two goals and took four marks across the two finals and while Port would be satisfied with how Dixon competed in the air, they would be frustrated he wasn’t able to impose himself like he did in several matches through the home-and-away season.
He didn’t take a mark in the first final against Geelong’s Harry Taylor, albeit Port won and the game was played in the wet.
On Friday night, Noah Balta contained Dixon to one mark inside 50, a clear win for the Tigers.
Port’s problems were compounded by Peter Ladhams and Todd Marshall failing to threaten Richmond’s defence.
That said, Dixon is the money-man and didn’t have one of his dominant days in two finals.
3. THE OTHER CHARLIE
That would be Brisbane’s Charlie Cameron.
Chris Scott gave Jake Kolodjashnij the job of containing Cameron, and the Cats defender tailed Cameron wherever he roamed. He ended up taking him to the cleaners.
Cameron kicked two goals in the opening term but Scott stuck fat with his man, just as he did when he gave Kolodjashnij the match-up against Jordan De Goey in the semi-final after the Magpie had ripped him apart in Round 7.
After quarter-time, Cameron had six ranking points, two disposals and zero score involvements. For the game he had 47 ranking points, three disposals, two score involvements and two goals.
Cameron didn’t lose the game for Brisbane, but he would be disappointed with his output.
4. HAUNTING 4TH QUARTER
How does Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley review the preliminary final loss?
Make the players watch the entire match or make the players watch the final quarter?
The last quarter would suffice.
Richmond was tougher for longer on Friday night which meant it won the big plays when it counted.
Port lost the clearance count by 12 in the fourth quarter, its worst differential recorded in any quarter this season.
Overall, Port lost the clearance count against Richmond by 12 for the match, which was an equal season-low return from all their games this year.
Then again, Hinkley might not need to show the final quarter to the players at all, for the players know how it played it out.
When it came to the crunch, they failed.
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Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from AFL preliminary final week