AFL Finals highlights and lowlights: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from the weekend

The season is over for two teams while six more fight on. Mark Robinson looks at the highlights and lowlights from the weekend’s action. LIVE CHAT 11.45AM MONDAY

Majak Daw kicked four goals in the loss to Adelaide.

THE first week of the AFL Finals is done and dusted.

The season is over for two teams while six more fight on.

CHAT LIVE WITH ROBBO FROM 11.45AM MONDAY TO DISCUSS THE FINALS FALLOUT AND THIS WEEKEND’S SEMI-FINAL MATCH-UPS

Mark Robinson looks at the highlights and lowlights from the weekend’s action as North Melbourne farewell four greats, Brodie Smith steps up on the big stage, Jack Darling’s summer soul searching and Tom Hawkins’s leadership.

WHAT I LIKE

1. LACHIE WHITFIELD. He’s at the centre of an AFL probe about drugs and hiding and whatever else and played like a kid without a worry in the world. Finished with 27 possessions and was the perfect link man for the likes of Callan Ward, Stephen Coniglio and Ryan Griffen. The Giants set out to match the Swans on the inside and smash them on the outside. The Giants’ pressure was pivotal. Their pressure factor of 195 was their third highest of the season and the pressure forced turnovers and the Giants lapped it up. They scored 75 points to 37 off turnovers and the final margin was 36 points.

Lachie Whitfield celebrates GWS’s win over Sydney.

2. TOM HAWKINS. Teammate Corey Enright reckoned Hawkins was among the votes on Friday night, Hawkins and Cam Guthrie. Big Tommy had 14 disposals, 12 of them contested and had a game high 11 score involvements. You know what he looked like, he looked like a powerful full-forward who busted packs and wanted the ball and it just might’ve been his most influential game of the season.

3. BRODIE SMITH. Can be hot and cold and on Saturday night was white-hot. Season-high 29 disposals and a game-high eight inside 50s. The SuperCoachers out there will ask where that has been for most of the season, but there’s no fantasy about playing big in finals. Not sure the Swans will allow him as much room to move from the back half as the Kangaroos did.

Luke Dahlhaus celebrates a goal with Caleb Daniel. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

4. LUKE DAHLHAUS. Wanted to type in Caleb Daniel or Liam Picken but they had plenty of admirers over the weekend. Dahlhaus is the most underrated forward-mid in the competition. Looks like a choir boy and plays like a street urchin, getting himself into every nook and cranny to win the ball or lay a tackle. Laid nine on Friday night, kicked a goal and had 29 disposals. His first quarter - with Picken - set the tone.

5. MAJAK DAW. Not a lot to get excited about for the Kangaroos and they certainly need their three remaining “star’’ midfielders to win more of the ball - Ziebell had 22, Cunnington 21 and Swallow 19 on Saturday night. But Daw was the highlight. His time has come and he should play plenty of senior football next year.

JOIN MARK ROBINSON LIVE FROM 11.45AM MONDAY TO CHAT ABOUT THE FIRST WEEK OF THE FINALS AND SEMI-FINAL MATCH-UPS

WHAT I DON’T LIKE

1. ISAAC SMITH. It’s not so much a dislike, it’s depressing. Isaac Smith had the childhood-dream moment and it turned into a nightmare. He’s being lampooned by some on social media for smirking moments before he took his kick, but that’s unfair. The realisation of what was unfolding was not lost on him. He had the ball, siren had sounded, it was win or lose. He lost. Feel for him. Wonder how many times he has replayed the kick in his head.

2. JACK DARLING. He’s not the first and won’t be the last player to hesitate, but unfortunately for Darling everything is amplified in finals. It might be unfair, but compare Clay Smith’s contest with Will Schofield and Darling’s contest with fresh air. One was prepared to take the pain, the other was not. Darling expected contact simply because the Dogs all night had delivered contact so that moment came because of the Bulldogs pressure - real or perceived.

Jack Darling drops a mark under no pressure on Thursday night. Picture: courtesy Channel 7

3. MUMMY HUNTING. She’s a tough caper footy and few play for keeps as much as Shane Mumford. Plenty of people want him suspended for his supposed sling tackle, but I disagree. Part of football is tackling, part of tackling is bringing the opponent to the ground. Yes, it was heavy but finals footy is heavy duty. Kurt Tippett finished the game so concussion is not an issue, so what was the issue? It was too rough? It didn’t look good? Please.

4. BYE BASHERS. We want to see intense commitment from teams in finals and I reckon the bye helped deliver that. Expect the AFL to put out numbers this week, across a range of platforms, which shows the success of the bye. Fully expect it to remain next season and the Brownlow Medal to be brought forward to enhance the weekend even more.

North Melbourne greats Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo walk off after losing to Adelaide in the elimination final.

5. SO LONG, FAREWELL. Boomer Harvey and Nick Dal Santo will probably play on, but it’s over for Michael Firrito and Drew Petrie. It hasn’t been a great second half of the season for Petrie and his last two games were diabolical. He’s been a heart and soul player Drew, a wonderful ambassador for the Kangaroos and the AFL, but it would seem the news that it was over ripped his heart and soul to shreds. Let’s hope he’s not lost to football.

TWEETS

@HoskinsPhil: like pressure stepping up hugely over regular season. All games were hotly contested. Dislike interpretation of deliberate

@timmyjf: dislike: Cats/Swans forced to play away week 1 of finals, + cats play ‘away’ in prelim while GWS play at home #AFLHQGWSbias

@35magic42: Robbo when was the last time the 4 Preliminary finalists from the previous year didn’t make the next years - could happen

@1966Shylorocky: Like and Dislike - umpiring, letting it flow - where has it been all year ? Dislike - Nth recruitment ? Wells going too ?

@nicestrongcuppa: Like: the prospect of an all Sydney AFL Grand final is well and truly alive. Could put AFL on the map. #freeStevieJ

@brendydaboy: like - Eddie Betts. Dislike - Hawthorn continually shepherding the man on the mark without penalty.

@imthekman: bulldogs defence, keeping West Coast to 52 points at Domain after conceding the first 2 goals #finalsfooty

@jonathanmond: likes- gws having last laugh after buddy rejected their offer a few yrs ago

@spider1834: likes gws/ Haynes deserves big wraps, caleb daniel brilliant. Dislikes buddy caught holding ball 3 times but umpire let go

@brendydaboy: like - Dogs and Giants winning, hawthorn losing. Dislike - Burgoyne and Stevie J both bump high. Only one gets scrutinised

@RockieCarbone: Caleb Daniel. Must wear a helmet just to hold in his massive footy brain! Smartest player in the comp

@CaelumFerra: Like - Sam Menegola. From the rookie list at Hawthorn years ago to being crucial in beating them as a Cat

@pedrocmmns: Like: Dalhaus/Picken .. Dislike: S Johnson sniping ..

@Equality_Yeah: David Nicolous at Rio was one of many likes and left me in tears. Dislikes. ParaOlympics showing how it’s done.....

@mitchthomas87: my wife wants me to tell you she likes no Sunday footy ... but it’s my dislike!!

@alpattersongolf: Like: finals footy hard and tough great to watch. Dislike: Nth Melb from chocolates to boiled lollies

@JasonFairall: L: Great standard of finals footy. D: Umps not protecting players, S.Mitchell smashed legally & illegally - no frees paid!

@kookykaye: I am so angry this is the 2nd time Shane Mumford has laid out Tippett and no one is talking about it.

@HEELBancroft: Dislike: Cyril Rioli getting so much love for 9 disposals and a mark that was no better than Poppy’s’ & Menzel’s. Overrated

@KelsoAdam: Likes: Pre Finals Bye, Caleb Daniel, Bulldogs & Giants Red Hot play, Hawks losing. Dislikes: Kennedy non-concussion call

@akcassar: Love: everything about the Bulldogs. Dislike AFL favouritism in choosing GWS games’ venues both in week 1 & prelim

@TwelfthMann: likes; GWS’ toughness around the ball. Dislikes; GWS overstepping the mark i.e. Mumford sling tackle & Johnson sniping.

@phee_mull: like: Geelong/hawthorn always producing classics dislike: Adelaide’s lack of crowd behaviour education

@kerry_lambert: like (in fact LOVE) singing the GWS song. Dislike seeing the game’s greats in tears because their club called time.

@WazzaH46: like Tom Scully sticking it up all the detractors.

@liparota: Jeremy Cameron showing AFL and Swans that they don’t need Buddy.

@duggie68: likes : Tomlinson plays calmly and clean with disposals, like: Storm.

@AJ9427: Like: Lachie Whitfield putting a difficult fortnight behind him and playing the best game of his career.

Originally published as AFL Finals highlights and lowlights: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from the weekend