Mark Robinson shares his likes and dislikes after the AFL preliminary finals
SYDNEY’S twin towers, Gus’s courage, the new Brad Sewell and that smother. All Robbo’s hits and misses from preliminary final weekend. REPLAY LIVE CHAT
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HAWTHORN V PORT ADELAIDE
LIKES
1. Courage
Angus Monfries has always been a reader of the play, a player who darts and leads and is third-man up, and it’s why he needs an overhead defender rather than one who can run. His courage has never been questioned, nor has it ever been really praised. No more. His third-quarter effort to run with the flight of the ball and into the unknown was hold-your-breath stuff. Few players would commit like that, preferring to stop and be front and square. Kudos to Gus, who kicked four goals, including two of the last four in the stunning fightback.
THE TACKLE: STAGE SET FOR BUDDY
2. Will Langford
And herein lies the reason why Brad Sewell is out of the team. Langford is the younger, marginally quicker version of Sewell and was close to best afield on Saturday night. Finished with a career-high 29 disposals, a career-high 19 contested disposals and a career-high 10 clearances. Went to Boak at half-time and every time Boak would gather the ball, there was Langford laying the tackle. Has played just 19 games, too.
3. Port Adelaide
Thank you Port, thanks for a magnificent exhibition of football, not just on Saturday but for the entire season. Their last 10 minutes was gripping. Goals to Monfries, Wingard, Polec and Monfries again gave undeniable credence to their slogan of never giving up. The charge of the half-back line at the centre bounces was like the charge in British Bulldogs and it almost paid the highest dividend. Let’s hope you’re back there next year.
4. The smother
Some weirdos out there reckon Luke Hodge’s smother was run-of-the-mill. Bloody weirdos. Don’t be frustrated with the umpire’s decision moments later, appreciate that Hodge was in the position, in the mindset to throw himself with the smother, and timed it so it stopped Brad Ebert sending the ball back inside the 50m arc. As always, one percenters win games of footy.
5. The Hawks
Said many times you’d be proud of this team if you barracked for them and this was no different. They have an ability to hang in games. Yes, Port missed goals, but the Hawks still had to wrestle back momentum and then kick clear with their own. They are an amazing club. They don’t know how to surrender. There were significant players everywhere, but the team got Hawthorn over the line.
Honourable mentions:
Roughie’s accurate left foot, Boak’s ticker, Robbie Gray’s first quarter, Polec was tough, Lewis in the clinches, Mitchell’s cool head, Hale on the deck, Duryea tackle on Boak, Boak tackle on Mitchell, White and Duryea heads over the ball, Hale goal out of the ruck, Neade around the corner.
DISLIKES
1. Bloody behinds
Port players will be haunted by this for the rest of the lives. They will have the opportunity to redeem themselves next year and the year after that and the year after that. But this can’t be undone. In the first quarter, it was Wines, Schulz, Polec, Ebert, Westhoff, Wingard, Schulz again and Polec again. The score was 3.9. In the final quarter, White missed on the run from 45m, Pittard missed, Lobbe missed and Moore from the boundary. Yep, nightmares for a long time.
2. The Chad
Save for the final quarter, Wingard was MIA. Ben Stratton had the job and Wingard had two touches in the first half. Champion Data stats shows Stratton had Wingard for 39 minutes of the game and Wingard did not touch the ball. He lifted in the final term, but it was too late. Five of Wingard’s touches came when playing on Isaac Smith for just nine minutes.
3. Trigger-happy umps
Unlike some others, thought the free kicks to Gunstan (downfield) and Duryea (50m) were there, but the decision to pay holding the ball against Tom Jonas was outrageously wrong. He gathered the ball and was immediately tackled by two players. Where was the prior? What chance did he have? It might not have changed the game, but give the kid a break. It was made worse when Monfries tackled Lake a minute later and Lake was given ample opportunity to avoid incorrect disposal.
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4. Josh Gibson
Didn’t have the same impact as he has in recent games, having only 13 touches. Kept Westhoff quiet when had the job, but two unfamiliar errors in the third quarter cost his team two goals. He jumped too early and mistimed his fist to the long ball which Monfries marked running back and then Westhoff got off the leash minutes later and marked on the chest. Both kicked goals. Still, I reckon Gibson pound-for-pound is the best defender in the competition and will have first dibs on Franklin.
5. Jon Ceglar
Rucked OK — finished with 18 hit outs — but looked out of sorts around the ground. Dropped a couple of marks he should have taken and in a game of such quality, these mistakes stood out. Wonder if Ben McEvoy will get the nod this week.
SYDNEY V NORTH MELBOURNE
LIKES
1. The two towers
Yes, it was supposed to be all about the midfield and yes, it ended up being about Franklin and Tippett. Between them they took 20 marks and kicked nine goals on the back of 69 inside 50s. Yes, the midfield won, in fact the Swans won everywhere, but how imposing were the two key forwards? God give strength to Lake, Gibson, Stratton and Spangher.
2. What about Goodes?
Kicked the first, finished with three, and was more involved in the game than he has been for a month. Isn’t it always when champs are written off that they find a way to influence the game? Thought he had more run, more agility than in recent games and 17 touches, three goals and six inside 50s is a damn good return. He still needs a good player to stand him, so who gets him? Stratton or Birchall?
3. Gary Rohan
The last game Rohan played against North Melbourne, he had three touches (Round 4). The second last time he played against North Melbourne, he had one touch and his leg broken (Round 4, 2012). This time it was 23 disposals and plenty of dash. When he took on the Roos from the wing and dished to Goodes for the goal, it was what Rohan was supposed to do: run, create, leave opponents behind. His football career was dead, and on Saturday night he produced a career-best game. He could be the story of the Grand Final.
4. Parker and Kennedy
Is there a better one-two contested ball-winning combination in the competition? Parker said FU to the All-Australian selectors, and Kennedy keeps doing what he does every week. Together, they had 53 disposals, 15 tackles, 14 clearances, three goals (to Parker) and 31 contested possessions. Surely, Langford goes to Parker, and Lewis has to be mindful of Kennedy. Could there be a left-field selection and Clarkson bring in Sewell and give him to Kennedy and Spangher goes (out) for midfield grunt? Can’t wait for selection.
5. Ben Cunnington
It was a mother of all hidings, but still some positives. Cunnington has been the find of the season for the Kangas and he holds his head high from Friday night. Finished the season with 289 contested possessions and 267 uncontested possessions and at just 23, he announced himself.
Honourable mentions: Shaw’s leadership in the third quarter, Smith on Thomas, Cunningham on Boomer, Lloyd on Gibson, Petrie tried hard, Firrito was tireless and the ground came up a treat.
DISLIKES
1. Wells and Thomas
Picked a bad night to go missing together. Nick Smith shut down Thomas and Wells had an array of opponents through the middle and half-forward and didn’t have an impact. These two have had a brilliant finals series, but it was not to be on preliminary final weekend.
2. Throw Boomer in as well
The champ just can’t get it done against the Swans. Averages 18.52 possessions against Sydney, his second-worst possession average of his career, the worst being 18.35 against St Kilda. Got the blanket named Cunningham and was kept to 19 possessions, without too many of them being threatening. He wasn’t alone, but in prelims you need your very best players playing their very best football.
3. Andrew Swallow
The skipper would be disappointed. He had head to heads with McGlynn (25 minutes), Kennedy (23 minutes), Parker (13 minutes) and Hannebery (13 minutes) and while none of them cleaned him up, Swallow was unable to be the ball-winner for which he is renowned. In the end, he had 18 possessions while his opponents collected just 20. Like many of his teammates, he was overwhelmed by the opposition’s class, quickness and precision.
4. No more dislikes
It was a ripper season from the Kangaroos, a stepping stone of significance, but they were beaten by an older, more-talented opposition. They won two finals and now know what it takes to win a preliminary final on the road.
BEST TWEETS
@mattbrown1982: Like: footy in September! Dislike: everyone whingeing about umpires! Bad kicking at goal costs games, not umpiring.
@GavinSmit3: AFL wasting money on Tom Jones & Ed Sheeran! Save a packet and give some young local bands the exposure! @violentsoho
@seanatkinson9: like: ports never give up attitude reminds me of the cats. Dislike: buddy centric commentary Friday night made me switch off
@saintsone: could Rioli replace Ceglar? Swans play Pyke majority of time in ruck and Spangher could ruck for a while
@hurler75: Like: Hodge / Boak true leaders Dislike: Footy season is almost over
@GavinMitchell26: likes: ports grit & determination. Dislike: the helicopter hover’g over the G all game y’day. Game day experience.....
@Skeens_83: Like: rooboys finishing top 4 dislike: 26 hour round trip on bus to see the prelim
@Scolsey22: Like:Ben McGlynn getting his chance for his premiership he should have had in ‘12. Dislike: Umps decisions, cost port badly
@GeorgiaLove71: Likes: PA for keeping their promise of never giving up & their supporters for providing an amazing atmosphere.
@Roverdg: likes watching the football when Essendon/ASADA is not the headline. Dislikes Umpiring affecting outcome of game
@aflswansyd: liked Gary rohan great breakout game. Disliked umpiring in the 2nd quarter of ports game. Very one sided
@nswpowerfan: boring without Port there an you all know it...not sour grapes, just the truth.
@MelPalling: L: Footscray chant at Etihad today was unbelievable! Well done to @westernbulldogs, @FootscrayVFL & Chris Maple on the flag
@temptherat: two big fat dislikes: Ebert’s play on in the last minute, Port’s shooting for goal in the first term, Power should’ve won
@_rekdog: like: Angus Monfries, courageous and accurate when the game was on the line. Dislike: nothing, great week of footy
@PaulyD_notaDJ: Like: Duryea grabbing his GF spot with both hands. Dislike: Boomer stinking it up after the tribunal reprieve
@droscher_reece: Like: Buddy being Buddy, Parker’s game. Dislike: Jonas decision, media overrating Hodge smother as a great finals moment.
@FTCheapSeats: Like / love monfries courage in the 3rd. Often maligned for being soft/stager. Wanted it more.
@BruceMundell: likes Luke Parker proving the AA selectors to be very very wrong...
@anthonygr1985: Robbie grey, no longer the poor man’s ablett a champion player in his own right
@MatFitz1975: like, no love, Footscray going back to back to back 1923,24,2014. Emotional scenes. Wake up call 4 AFL re: curtain raisers
@mlfarmer86: Like: watching the hawks win with my 3yo son. Dislike: my son swearing at the tv with me.
@foreveryoungDTD: like: port adelaides style of play, fast and exciting! Dislike: Clarko holding Cyril off in VFL gf
@smiffys4: like: Ken Hinkley’s post match presser. A champion & hero. And Port’s never give in promise made good. Dislike: scoreline
@adriansal: dislike, Brad Ebert doing his best Dean Wallis impersonation by playing on.
@cmanifis: the KGB were brilliant Kurt goodes buddy
@JohnnyClark83: Like Taylor Duryea. A lot. Have to trust him to win every one on one and make sensible decisions under pressure.
Originally published as Mark Robinson shares his likes and dislikes after the AFL preliminary finals
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