Mick Malthouse: The question marks over Tigers and Bulldogs and what Blues and Saints need to do to play finals in 2023

Richmond’s midfield isn’t quick, but will two additions add any of the speed they need to improve their ladder position? Or will rivals go past in the fast lane?

It seemed predictable that seventh and eighth-placed Richmond and Western Bulldogs would bow out in the first week of finals.

The cracks that appeared in both teams during the year were exposed again in their elimination finals.

For the Dogs to remain viable for a place in the eight next year, they will need to address the lack of a good tall defender, and an ally for Aaron Naughton in a dysfunctional forward line.

There’s a hint that Fremantle’s Rory Lobb could make his way to the Dogs, so that would certainly help Naughton. And if Liam Jones — who has been out of the AFL scene for 12-months — can recapture his excellent Carlton form, then the Bulldogs may very well have solved their inadequacies at both ends.

According to Luke Beveridge, the Dogs are still suffering mentally from their grand final loss last year. I doubt this. It certainly didn’t affect their first quarter form against Fremantle last week.

Aaron Naughton needs more support up forward. Picture: Michael Klein

But a club that has been so reliant on a dominant midfield to score the majority of its goals, cannot sustain that in a final.

Naughton, as good as he is, didn’t kick enough goals. Josh Bruce was out (not surprisingly, still finding confidence after knee surgery.) And predictably, the Dogs’ backline crumbled under enormous pressure from Fremantle’s forward line, and the sheer number of centre clearances (13 to 8) from Sean Darcy (61 to 25 hit outs) and his cohorts winning far too much of the ball in the midfield.

Tim English is a very good ruckman, but he still doesn’t match it with the top ruckman of the comp at the moment and Darcy is certainly one of them.

Richmond was brave and played some terrific football towards the end of the year and in the final, but none-the-less Brisbane found a way to score 26 times. In a final’s match in today’s football, that is a lack of defence. And I’m not talking backline defence, but all-over defence.

The Tigers’ midfield has not improved in the last two years. Question marks remain over Dustin Martin’s commitment to the club — but at 31, we may have already seen the best of him. Trent Cotchin won’t get any quicker unless he defies nature. He has been a wonderful leader and player for the club, but when you commit yourself to an older player you are committing to him playing senior football, and that is a major risk for both Cotchin and the Tigers.

Trent Cotchin is a risk, while Dustin Martin’s future is till up in the air. Picture: Michael Klein

It has been well documented that Richmond is chasing both Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto from GWS. Hopper hasn’t played a significant role for the Giants for 12 months through injury, but Taranto is a good footballer. They both have ball-getting power, but whether they have the pace to change the dynamics of the Richmond midfield will need to be seen. Will it be the panacea of a Tigers’ resurgence? It depends on how other top-eight clubs improve or stagnate.

Given that the eight always changes, a club that is hot on the heels of the Tigers and the Dogs is the very disappointed Carlton.

The Blues should have fire in the belly for next year, and quite frankly, doesn’t need to change a lot about the team. It’s quite extraordinary really that they didn’t make the eight, but the hunger and realisation of how close they were should be the catalyst to drive them ahead of Richmond and the Bulldogs.

Michael Voss will only need to tweak his young side marginally, because major improvement will come from more fight.

Things looked so bright for the Blues and Michael Voss — until they capitulated late in the season. Picture: Michael Klein

After a brilliant start to the season Carlton fell away disappointingly, so Voss needs to mix and match his team to remind them not to rely on how kind the media is to them, or how much they are adored by their supporters; it’s how aggressive they are on field and how much responsibility they want to take for their own actions, that will make the difference.

St Kilda is another club that promised the world and delivered an atlas.

The Saints, like many clubs, are lacking another good tall for their backline. Callum Wilkie has been outstanding, but he gives away centimetres and kilograms nearly every game.

St Kilda’s inability to recruit the right type of players is a big problem. It will need to replace Paddy Ryder who was one of its better recruits, but shouldn’t have too many qualms about losing Bradley Hill should he choose to go with Alastair Clarkson to North Melbourne. The Saints won’t miss Dan Hannebery, unlike Jarryn Geary who was an outstanding leader for them.

St Kilda needs to look at the mix required — speed through the middle and another tall to help the backline. To support Rowan Marshall, it needs a second ruck come forward which is not easy to obtain.

Big Saints Rowan Marshall and Max King could use some help. Picture: AAP

Clearly Lobb (who has indicated his wish to go to the Dogs) would be the perfect option to give Max King and Marshall a hand.

The Saints found their ideal tagger in Marcus Windhager, which should force them to look at the structure of the midfield and an injection of pace to help out Jack Steele, especially if they persist with Brad Crouch. They can only hope that Jade Gresham comes back fit and firing because he is the missing link.

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Gold Coast is a surprise club on the cusp of something big.

The Suns’ reserves are playing finals which is a first for the club, and a wonderful top-up for the senior team. I’m not suggesting it’s make or break for Stuart Dew, but, with Ben King back next season Gold Coast could potentially be equal to the Dogs and the Tigers, and that means finals within reach.

Of all these clubs, Carlton is the most logical one to displace a team from this year’s top eight. We believe they have the players and the leadership through Patrick Cripps and Sam Docherty, but can the Blues find the same killer instinct as their supporters? That will do it.

Originally published as Mick Malthouse: The question marks over Tigers and Bulldogs and what Blues and Saints need to do to play finals in 2023