The Moment on Monday: How Travis Boak relinquished the captaincy and found career-best form as life begins at 30
Travis Boak has chalked up a career-high 13 games with 30-plus disposals this season but it’s what you don’t see that is impressing his teammates the most. The born-again midfielder headlines The Moment on Monday column for Round 19.
- Crows’ test of faith as Pyke runs out of wriggle room
- Pizza at Pyke’s as Crows boss calls for calm
- The Phantom’s Round 19 review
- Match report: Crows so cold they’re turning Blue
- Match report: Port fails to close the gap in narrow loss
WHEN Ken Hinkley fronted the media on November 30 to announce Travis Boak was relinquishing the Port Adelaide captaincy he said it was “a good time to let him have some freedom”.
But surely even Hinkley — who appointed Boak as skipper in the first place in 2013 — wouldn’t have forecast that it would give him a second lease on life and lead to career-best form.
“I guess I’ll wait and see but certainly it does take a bit of a load off your shoulders, there’s no doubt about that,” Boak said at the presser at Alberton.
“When you are captain you try and control everything, now I’ll probably take a step back but certainly still try and help as much as I can in that leadership space.”
What better way to lead than to go and get the ball. And not just for a week here or there or even a month, but consistently all season.
Boak turns 31 on Thursday and has wound back the clock in the most stunning way possible this season.
On Saturday night against GWS he had 40 disposals for just the second time in his career and there was no cheap ball. His 13 contested possessions was a team-high and his seven clearances were an equal game-high as he relishes the responsibility of going back into the midfield.
Analysis of Boak’s 260-game career show just how dominant he has been this season and why going into Round 19 Champion Data rated him the fourth best chance for the Brownlow Medal.
Boak has now had 13, 30-plus disposal games in 2019. His previous best was nine in 2014, six in 2013 and 2015 and four in 2009.
But stats are only one part of the picture. Power vice-captain Hamish Hartlett says it’s his workrate which is so highly regarded internally.
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“Look, he’s obviously relinquished the captaincy this year but he’s playing like every bit the leader that we know he is,” Hartlett said on Saturday night.
“He is setting the standard, the way he runs form contest to contest is phenomenal and week after week he’s just doing the same thing and getting great results for himself and us as a team.
“It’s different from line to line but contest and outnumbering at contest is a big one for the midfielders and he leads the way in that every week. Not everyone is blessed with his running capacity but the boys are trying their guts out in there.
“He’s just a wonderful person and a wonderful footballer and the boys certainly look up to him.”
Two years ago it appeared as though Boak’s midfield days were over when he was moved to half-forward as the Power ushered in a new era led by Ollie Wines and Sam Powell-Pepper who lives with Boak.
But injuries over summer — mainly to Wines — prompted a rethink at Alberton and Boak was sent back into the middle and it has worked sensationally.
According to Champion Data in 2018 Boak spent 23 per cent of game time in the midfield and 76 per cent forward.
This year it has been switched to 79 per cent midfield and 20 per cent forward and the results show.
His disposal count is up by an average of 5.9 per game, contested possession by 10.5, goundball gets by 3.3, clearances by 4.7, tackles by 0.7 and metres gained by 129.
“He was obviously thrust into a different role, that high half-forward role for a couple of years, he’s always had great running ability so for him to be able to play midfield and use that strength to his advantage has only made him play better footy,” Hartlett said.
“He’s so professional throughout the week, his body is in great nick. He’ll get in the pool, make sure he gets plenty of sleep, have his compression on, do his saunas and he’s just the ultimate professional so it’s no wonder he’s in the form he’s in.
“He lives with Sammy Powell-Pepper who is still learning his craft in there and there is no better mentor than Boaky.”
There have been two constants at Hinkley’s post-game press conferences this season and he is almost running out of ways to answer.
1. How’s Travis Boak’s form, and 2. How good are the kids?
On Saturday night it was back to Boak.
“He’s had an amazing season hasn’t he? He will be rewarded by that individually but I’m sure he would much rather be rewarded as a team and that’s what Travis has always been about, he will want the team to do well more than the individual,” Hinkley said.
GAME NOTES
CROWS V BLUES
ADELAIDE tried everything in the middle on the weekend but to no avail against Patrick Cripps and even 19-year-old Sam Walsh. Matt Crouch, Brad Crouch, Brodie Smith, Patrick Wilson, Rory Sloane, Wayne Milera, Reilly O’Brien and Josh Jenkins all attended a centre bounce in the first quarter and the Crows trailed 14-8 in clearances and 6-3 centre clearances at quarter-time.
THE most damning footage that will do the rounds on the TV shows this week is Carlton’s 35-year-old Kade Simpson strolling out of defence under no pressure, kicking to Michael Gibbons who set up Harry McKay for the first goal of the second quarter.
IT WASN’T just a lack of forwardline pressure that hurt the Crows, they were smashed on the wing with Nic Newman and Dale Thomas dominating when the ball went wide.
HUGH Greenwood paid the price at the selection table last week and both Jimmy Bartel and Kane Cornes on Sunday said he was Adelaide’s only logical match-up for the big-bodied Cripps.
THAT said, the Crows are 7-3 with Cameron Ellis-Yolmen in the side this year and 1-4 without him and will be hoping his leg injury heals fast.
THE Crows’ tackling improved dramatically after quarter-time. The gang tackle from Patrick Wilson and Tyson Stengle on Walsh led to Stengle’s second goal in the third quarter, Adelaide just needed more of it.
STILL on Wilson, you’ve got to feel for him. His two AFL games have both been at the MCG and were Saturday’s loss to Carlton and last year’s 56-point loss to Hawthorn.
THE Crows just appeared to be so devoid of confidence, such as Riley Knight running out of defence with the ball and in space when he chose to handball in front of Josh Jenkins and it dribbled out of bounds when they needed to attack up the middle.
POWER V GIANTS
XAVIER Duursma’s teammates leapt to his defence last week when he was under fire for his bow-and-arrow goal celebration, saying he played selfless, team-first footy. That was no more evident than on Saturday night. Duursma’s two-way running is elite and it’s no wonder he’s covered the second most distance in the competition this season. In the last quarter he was taking marks at full back and having set shots deep forward while sprinting from end to end.
ALL the kids showed bits in the last quarter in particular. Connor Rozee’s hands were terrific as was his goal, and Zak Butters was as creative as ever.
PADDY Ryder didn’t hit the scoreboard in his return to Port’s forward line. He had a big chance in the last quarter with a set shot but missed and spent more time in the ruck in the second half. Ken Hinkley hasn’t decided whether he’ll stick with the Ryder/Howard combination next week. “That’s one of our issues, we haven’t found someone whose been able to give us a strong target consistently to go to and be effective for us. Hopefully some boys play well for the Maggies and they get a strong win and they put their hand up in that tall man bracket. Charlie, Todd, Pete Ladhams, people who are capable of coming up and giving us an opportunity.”
SAM Gray’s tackle on Shane Mumford alone should warrant a new contract at Alberton. He nailed a bloke 30cm taller and 30kg heavier on the wing to catch him holding the ball, and that was after his back-to-back tackles in the second quarter led to a goal.
HINKLEY barely let the reporter finish his question on Saturday night when asked if forward execution remained their number one problem. “Yeah absolutely, no doubt about it,” he said. Against the Giants, the Power had more of the ball, more contested possession, more tackles, more inside 50s, more scoring shots, and lost by one point after kicking 7.13 from 53 entries.
MR ONE PER CENTER
WHO are the unsung heroes of SA footy? The players who have an impact on their team without hitting the stats sheet? Champion Data records one per centers by tallying spoils, knock-ons, shepherds and smothers every game. Here’s the leaderboard at Port Adelaide and Adelaide after Round 19:
138: Daniel Talia (Crows)
133: Tom Clurey (Power)
117: Tom Jonas (Power)
107: Dougal Howard (Power)
89: Alex Keath (Crows)
88: Jake Kelly (Crows)
75: Scott Lycett (Power)
71: Kyle Hartigan (Crows)
62: Justin Westhoff (Power)
61: Dan Houston (Power)
58: Paddy Ryder (Power)
45: Reilly O’Brien (Crows)
43: Darcy Byrne-Jones (Power)
SUPERCOACH TOP 10
SUPERCOACHES might be slightly disappointed with Travis Boak’s score of 114 from 40 disposals but he still topped the SA leaderboard this week.
1. Travis Boak (Port) 114
2. Riley Bonner (Port) 113
3. Tom Rockliff (Port) 111
4. Scott Lycett (Port) 111
5. Hamish Hartlett (Port) 107
6. Reilly O’Brien (Adel) 110
7. Rory Sloane (Adel) 104
8. Rory Laird (Adel) 98
9. Brodie Smith (Adel) 91
10. Brad Crouch (Adel) 89
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Has score review now frightened the umpires to the point where they’re not prepared to make the call and back their call?
— Power coach Ken Hinkley on the umpiring decision to stop play and review whether Tom Clurey took the ball over the goal line in the second quarter.
TIPS
An early look at Round 20 tips:
HAWTHORN to beat North Melbourne, PORT ADELAIDE to surprise the Bombers, GWS in the Sydney derby, GEELONG over Fremantle, RICHMOND over Melbourne, ADELAIDE to rebound against St Kilda, COLLINGWOOD over Gold Coast, WEST COAST over Carlton and BRISBANE to beat the Bulldogs.
Last week: 7 Running total: 100
POWER RANKINGS
1. BRISBANE (13-5)
If you’re still waiting for the Lions to trip up then you might be waiting a while. Another game some thought was 50/50 and they put the Hawks away in Tassie. Six wins on the trot.
2. GEELONG (14-4)
Top four now secure and Brisbane in Round 22 is a mouth-watering prospect.
3. RICHMOND (12-6)
Here they come. Trent Cotchin or no Cotchin.
4. WEST COAST (13-5)
Seven goals was Josh Kennedy’s best return since Round 1, 2017.
5. COLLINGWOOD (11-7)
Were a real threat of copping a 10-goal hiding from Richmond on Friday night but salvaged some respect in the second half.
6. GWS (11-7)
An ugly win that oozed character without Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio.
7. ESSENDON (11-7)
He didn’t kick it, Cale Hooker did, but Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti should win goal of the week for his gut-busting run from the back flank and through the middle to get it to him in the dying stages on Sunday.
8. WESTERN BULLDOGS (9-9)
Finals still alive with big win over Fremantle but mood tempered by Dale Morris’ injury. A cruel blow.
9. PORT ADELAIDE (8-10)
Top eight is going begging but Port just can’t quite seem to take it. Liked Justin Westhoff’s game at full back.
10. HAWTHORN (8-10)
Couldn’t go with the Lions when it mattered.
11. ADELAIDE (9-9)
Holding on to eighth spot by their fingernail but a tough run home — St Kilda, West Coast, Collingwood and the Bulldogs.
12. ST KILDA (8-10)
Brett Ratten has the Saints up and about and they’ll come to Adelaide with a genuine sniff this weekend.
13. FREMANTLE (8-10)
Disappointing against the Dogs after a stirring win last weekend.
14. CARLTON (6-12)
What more does David Teague have to do to get the job? Hungry, hard, fast exciting footy.
15. NORTH MELBOURNE (7-11)
News of Rhyce Shaw getting the job didn’t translate to a win over West Coast but they’re going in the right direction.
16. SYDNEY (6-12)
Couldn’t contain Tom Hawkins who booted five and sealed the win for the Cats.
17. MELBOURNE (5-13)
This season keeps going from bad to worse for the Dees.
18. GOLD COAST (3-15)
Made a really good fight of it against Essendon but couldn’t quite snap a 14-game losing streak.