The Tackle: Western Bulldogs and Melbourne provide moments that illustrate all that is great about our game
THE TACKLE: THE Western Bulldogs and Melbourne provided two iconic moments while Buddy and Nic Nat proved their worth. REPLAY ROBBO’S LIVE CHAT.
Mark Robinson
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TO WATCH Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs was to watch absorbing sporting contests.
Two underdog teams giving mind and body to countless contests, where victory by a thousand tackles, smothers and pressure acts underpinned the ultimate reward.
At Etihad Stadium, the efforts of Marcus Bontempelli and Liam Jones, the desperation of Luke Dahlhaus and Libba, the clinical finish from Jason Tutt, and the leadership of Will Minson and Ryan Griffin, they should be the lasting memories of a victory from a team which climbed off the canvas and climbed out from under the rock of media scrutiny?
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At the MCG, where Melbourne played a type of rope-a-dope with Essendon and breath-takingly won the match when a young man - part of a heavily scrutinised trade - kicked the winner with under a minute to play.
REPLAY ROBBO’S LIVE CHAT BELOW
Will Christian Salem’s goal define the match? Or was it Lynden Dunn’s resilience at the back, or Dean Kent’s incredible run and goal, or Daniel Cross’ will power to respond after his opponent, David Zaharakis, kicked two goals in a minute?
There were moments to endure in frustration and moments to savour in admiration as Melbourne’s incredible season of, perhaps not retribution, but season of salvation continued to amaze.
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Football is about moments: A tap on here. A mark. A single exasperated tackle. And even the bounce of the ball.
And there are moments which capture everything: The joy, the celebration, the relief and the love.
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It’s rare that a sports photograph makes you stare and keep staring, and as you do, you keep finding stories amid the single image.
Bontempelli is 18. He already is the future of the Bulldogs after just seven games.
On Sunday, his third quarter was of utmost quality and one of the reasons why the Bulldogs kept Collingwood at bay. He is a young man in a man’s game and is being asked to play like a five-year veteran. He had 22 disposals, eight inside 50s, four tackles, three clearances and a goal.
In his short career, nothing compares to what happened at Etihad Stadium.
And as he left the ground, Bontempelli sunk into the arms of his father who hung over the fence.
The photograph by the Herald Sun’s Michael Klein is powerful in its simplicity. Just a dad and his boy. They hold each other so tight, they are one. Dad stares into the after-space. You can’t tell if he’s crying or smiling. What it does tell is a moment of immense pride.
The people about them smile, too. One videos the moment. The bloke immediately behind them - a brother? a friend? a stranger? - is caught up in the moment.
It is a photograph of silence when all about them is the noise of singing and cheering to hum of the Bulldogs theme song.
It is a photograph which captures all that is wonderful about footy. The challenge. The victory. And then the celebration.
At the MCG, the Demons played catch-up footy from last Thursday. That was the day the Bombers got the dreaded call from the ASADA. That was the day the Bombers circled the wagon and said it was against the world.
They steeled themselves for the Demons and the Demons took a battering.
The dominated early, Essendon, but as every minute ticked by in the second half, you believed Melbourne was half a chance. Then half a chance became realistic hope which became a winning margin. The Bombers, via Zaharakis, wrestled back the lead, before the Demons set upon a match-winning move which began when Heath Hocking missed a tackle in the Essendon forward pocket.
The Demons began the passage towards victory. They hit targets. They dished handballs. And they ran on exhausted legs. Cross found it in the middle, then he found young Salem.
In the deathly final seconds, defending a one-point margin, the Demons had an army around the ball.
And then the siren sounded.
The Herald Sun’s Wayne Ludbey caught the moment. On the right, Dom Tyson, the other half of the Salem deal, has arms raised and Mark Jamar gallops towards him a rhino on heat
Jack Watts’ fists pump the air. Beside him, Bernie Vince looks like Sgt. Elias in the final death scene in the movie Platoon. And beside Vince is Jordie McKenzie.
He’s has just swamped Brent Stanton over four quarters and even at the siren, he can be found beside Stanton. That’s Stanton behind a pained Mark Baguley, while teammate Dyson Heppell has collapsed on the ground.
It a moment of exhilaration and desolation. In sport, it is known as victory and defeat.
It was a rare day in football yesterday. And a rare weekend, it must said.
Underdogs toppled the favourites and, thankfully, the precious moments will live forever.
APOLOGIES PLEASE, STARS PROVE THEIR WORTH
THE line starts at Werribee.
Get on the end to apologise, all those people who believed Nic Naitanui was worth half his money and who believed Lance Franklin was worth half his contract, in money and in length, and who would destroy the fabled Bloods culture.
Franklin brings a culture all right. It’s the best kind of culture. It’s the winning culture. It’s Buddy culture. It’s filling the SCG with 41,000 fans on a Saturday afternoon.
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It’s kicking glorious goals when the game is scrounging for matchwinners. It’s being so arrogant to attempt the ridiculous and so blessed when it achieves it.
Franklin won Saturday’s game for Sydney. He kicked Sydney’s final five goals. Two of them were breathtaking, so much so that even Jason Dunstall, one of the game’s greatest footballers and one of the most critical of modern-day commentators, was virtually lost for words.
Dunstall did what everyone else did. He smiled when trying to describe the breadth of Franklin’s genius.
No one can kick a drop punt 75m and land it on the goal line. Very few have the capacity, with heavy legs and the game on edge, to gather the ball at half-forward, assess the situation, see the space between two Port Adelaide players, take the space, and basically stab a 55m drop punt goal. It made Port Adelaide wince and the rest of us rejoice.
Yes, Franklin crashed his car into four cars — and who does that? — and once again the commentary was all about how difficult Franklin was for the club and his teammates. Franklin can make headlines like none other, but the Swans are ecstatic with the most recent crop.
His skipper Jarrad McVeigh said yesterday he has marvelled at Franklin’s ability to overcome the mental hurdles put in front him. In a way, he was talking about Franklin’s leadership.
Naitanui is growing in the same way. The criticism of him this season has been way, way over the top.
He receives his estimated $800,000 a season because the club probably makes half of that in Nic Nat merchandise.
On the field, no player affects the Eagles output like him. He hasn’t been able to have the same influence for a season and a half because an injury robbed him of his power to explode at ground level.
Naitanui has taken 18 marks for the season. Because the game has changed remarkably in terms of ruckmen actually marking the ball, the average marks for a ruckman this year is just 2.4 per game. The average for ruckmen having one-on-ones in a game is just four.
People miss the point about Naitanui. He’s never been a great mark, although he did take three huge contested marks against Hawthorn in Round 12. No, Naitanui’s influence is his ability to win the ground ball, offer second and third efforts and apply pressure which, again, is remarkable for a bloke 107kg and 201cm.
On Saturday, he had 22 disposals, 16 of which were contested, six tackles, six clearances and 34 hit outs. Wow.
Speaking of apologies, let’s not make any for North Melbourne.
They remain an infuriating and inconsistent team and at the halfway mark of the season, you have to argue they are not a threat.
The draw is favourable, but there’s too great a divide between their best and worst.
Indeed, the line for frustrated North supporters starts at Bordertown.
LIKES
1. LIAM JONES. Finally, the Dogs got a functional forward line out of Jones, Grant, Tutt, Crameri, Gia, Stevens and Hrovat, and while the Bulldogs expanded their ability to move the ball, and had midfield winners in Libba, Minson, Dahlhaus and Macrae, it was Jones who kicked goals and set the example. Two chase down tackles from the key forward were inspiring, he had six tackles for the match, and kicked four goals. You know what he looked like? A key forward with real presence and that’s rarely been said of Jones.
2. BRENDAN McCARTNEY. Stuck fat with his coaching principles, was supporting of his coaching staff and shook the hand of every player as they left the field on Sunday. For the first time in his career, McCartney was under heat, and knocking off Collingwood offers some relief in that regard. He’s a stick fat sort of coach, McCartney. They lose Boyd, lose Cooney, Griffin is on one leg, but he throws the kids in the deep end. He’s not a song and dance man and has been accused of being unemotional, but in-house he has the ruthless edge like all coaches.
3. LYNDEN DUNN. Is he the most improved player in the competition? Last three weeks have returned 80 possessions and 28 marks playing full-back and on Sunday a stunning 16 defensive rebounds, which has to be record. Although Dons fans claimed he manhandled Joe Daniher in parts of the game, I’d prefer to reason that Dunn has learnt to use his body and arms effectively. He is present proof the coach can work wonders with players whose careers looked doomed.
4. BRODIE SMITH. Left him off the back-flank in the mid-season All Australian - preferred Kade Simpson and Nick Macleski - and my twitter goes crazy with demented Crows fans telling me I’m demented for overlooking Smith. OK, Smith is an emerging star, with exquisite foot skills and seven times has accumulated 25 or more disposals this year. Against, North Melbourne he was probably best afield. Maybe the Crows, who put Smith to the back flank in 2012, are trying to turn him into a modern-day Corey Enright.
5. JEREMY McGOVERN. Every time I hear his name, I think of McLuvin in Superbad, but clearly McGovern is the better sportsman. What an impact after three games. Has gone back-to-back 10-mark games and kicked five goals in two weeks. Taken pick No.44 in the 2011 rookie draft, McGovern kicked the single Eagles goal in the final quarter and took two crucial marks in defence. As they say, the Eagles have found one here.
6. RECOVERED MINDSET. Talking about GWS. Talking about recovering from the humiliations against West Coast and Richmond, pushing Hawthorn and Essendon, and then dumping Brisbane away on Saturday night. The feared midfield of Whitfield, Ward, Smith, Shiel, Mumford, Treloar, Scully and a revitalised Palmer have the Giants smoking. They won the contested ball (132-122), clearances (52-30) and tackles (73-47), and that’s despite having 80 more disposals. Imagine if they knock over the Blues this week.
7. GEELONG. Complete performance at the Cattery and take your pick: Stokes, Bartel, Duncan, Mackie, Kelly, Enright, Simpson, Hawkins. Will go for Steve Motlop. Career-high 29 touches, career-high 10 marks, season-best footy, and hope there’s more to come. If the Cats are going to seriously contend this season, they need Motlop to play serious footy. Anyway, Motlop in form is not only great for Geelong, it’s great for football.
8. BRAD EBERT. To measure yourself, you have to play against the best. Brad Ebert’s 40 disposals against the might of the Swans midfield is a splendid return. Nine clearances, 18 contested possessions, eight inside 50s cataloged his game. Will be interested to see how the coaches voted on this one. Thinkng Buddy, then Ebert, probably Lobbe (40 hit-outs, eight tackles, seven clearances), maybe Shaw and Kieran Jack.
9. LEVI CASBOULT. Could that have been the game for Levi? Four goals (which is a miracle of modern kicking), pack marks and a fierce determination to get to the contest made Levi a standout on Friday night. For the Blues, it’s about finding their next group of dominant players and Blues fans would be thrilled. He’s 24 and played 26 games, so he’s a late developer. But later is better than never.
Honourable mentions: Scott Thompson (Crows), Eddie Betts the master goalkicker, Pav on the run, 15 contested possessions for Gibbs, Brad Sewell, big Jonny Ceglar, Rhyce Shaw, Ballantyne’s six goals, Anthony Miles, all of Melbourne, all of the Western Bulldogs, all of GWS.
DISLIKES
1. ST KILDA. Stink. Terrible performance. Verbally bashed by the coach. Statistically OK against the Cats (did have 100 or so fewer possessions), but made to look dysfunctional. That’s losses this season of 86 points, 145 points, 86 points, 70 points and now 96 points. The club is in crisis. The debt is more than $6 million, the list is non-competitive, the list lacks class and the coach is at his wit’s end after 12 games. And it was said the Dogs were irrelevant.
2. BRISBANE LIONS. Bloody teases. Beat Carlton and the Bulldogs and gave a whimper against the Giants who beat them up. And at home. Worse, the lion king, Jonathan Brown, might have played his last game of footy. Hate seeing the big bloke go down again and the lure of retirement and resting his broken body must be powerful.
3. COLLINGWOOD. Big heads or couldn’t get their heads around a pretty fierce playing and hard-running Bulldogs on Sunday. The coach blamed lack of defence and turnovers in the forward 50m, and he’s right. In layman’s terms, the Bulldogs wanted it more which put the defence under pressure, which badly missed Nick Maxwell. It was terrible loss. They drop a game back from the top four and play the Hawks on Saturday at the MCG. Another loss and they’re back in the pack.
4. ESSENDON. No leaders other than Goddard and Zaharakis and butchered the ball under pressure and under self examination. It was a putrid loss and shows the Bombers are not equipped to play finals. Don’t bother blaming the ASADA stuff, this was lost because Melbourne was more composed when the game was on the line.
5. NORTH MELBOURNE. Continuing the team theme, North simply frustrates all and sundry. Brad Scott said too many players go missing from week to week. He never names names so we will: Black, Ziebell, Nahas, Petrie (been missing too many times this year), Thomas, Anthony, Adams, Bastinac ... there’s too many names under the umbrella of inconsistency to make this team a legitimate contender.
6. ST KILDA AGAIN. Can’t let this team go. Have been smashed in games so clearly their defensive mechanisms are out of whack. They were pitiful on Sunday. Too many names haven’t stamped themselves. Tom Lee was subbed early and there’s Longer, Bruce, Delaney, who, as four recent recruits, are not having impact. The champs were down on Sunday, the middle run was poor, Seb Ross fired shots, and most of the rest of them should be embarrassed. The coach certainly was.
7. OK, NOW THE TIGERS. Now that the season is officially a car crash, it’s all about the future. Anthony Miles, in his second game, again led contested ball with 15 and had a game-high 10 clearances. He’s the good news. The bad news is Richmond once again turned on and off their brains, this time during the third quarter, and you had to see some of the field kicking to believe how poor the Tigers were. They play Sydney next week, and then the Saints, which, if we follow crowd trends, should have about 25,000 in attendance.
8. RACISM. Still there is dumb-arses online attacking the indigenous players. This time Andrew Lovett exposed the bum on twitter, who attacked Lance Franklin. #nameandshame.
BEST TWEETS
@lavruban: Like: Marcus Bontempelli!
@Dylan_Mcilroy97: absolutely showed what AFL meant today, proud to be a Doggies supporter!!
@timrosen35: Good: Lynden Dunn. Was a whisker away from being delisted, and now is one of the most improved footballers of all time!
@B1ZK3Z: Like: Robbie Gray smokey for the Brownlow Dislike: The Richmond Football Club.
@TimSalathiel: Flooding all 18 players into back 50m all day doesn’t require a PhD in rocket science but it was disappointingly effective.
@BeccaHayne: L: Dogs and Dees, what footy is all about, guts and heart D: My team being bottom and lacking any hope - always fun
@TheFamilyMan77: likes: seeing clarko back up on his feet & at the footy. Dislikes: Bolton always smiling. Get angry we were crap
@b0ycee: Like Brodie Smith’s kicking style and his 2014 form. Dislike @Robbo_heraldsun not having him in his mid year AA team.
@DanJarvis1980: Few years ago @melbournefc fans were over the race abusing the team, tonight they cant high5 enough players
@CruttonHutton: Brad Sewell on Friday night. He was sensational, turned back the clock.
@KevinMillar3: L: Salem and Bontempelli - young guns standing up D: Taylor Adams, a young spud mucking up
@Daltstodd: Swans record crowd at the SCG, Buddy had it rocking like the Plugger days.
@bennyblanco1624: who would’ve thought after 12 rounds Port, game clear on top and Melbourne ahead of Richmond???? Good for footy
@kjk0406: L liam jones tackling and ground / defensive pressure D: another sickening head clash for King Brownie.
@xavierbirds: dislike (again) Brad Scott, Everything (again) Norths effort or lack thereof (again) Did I mention Brad Scott?
@andrew_wood73: likes-bombers losing by 1 point,Levi casboult growth in the last 2weeks.Dislikes-Carlton losing to Hawks again
@OO_17: Like: Marcus Bontempelli’s performance. Dislike: Carlton winning the free-kick count & Mick still complains about umpires.
@LeanneRayner72: Likes my doggies!!!!!! & MARCUS BONTEMPELLIIIIIIIIIIIIIII dislikes - Essendons poor bugger me attitude. Get over it!
@killamanilla87: dislike: disharmony amongst the Carlton board members AGAIN. Egos in the way of good decision making.
@KevnotKiev: I’ve slept on memory foam pillows harder than the Pies on Sunday @Beasa71: his name is Marcus Bontempelli
@dockergirl53: Like Ballaz 6 goals after facing MRP, Pav run down the wing and goal Dislike Bombers derailing the season #again!
@AaronKirk1: Dislike: Courtenay Dempsey - horrible match, butchered the ball and was ill-disciplined. Won’t be on the list next year.
@jordanrhysallan: likes: Zaharakis, Goddard. dislikes: pretty much the rest. Passengers. And Bomber Thompson. Supercoach? Spare me.
@Louisbon: Like: knowing the kangas will win every second week. Dislike: knowing the kangas will lose every second week.
@paul_tarrant: like - Dutch 5 Goals....dislike - Saints 5 Goals...
@geofftorney: As a 36 year tigers fan... I can’t do it anymore . I’m out
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