The Lowdown Round 14: The likes and dislikes from the Crows, Power’s games

He was a whipping boy at Geelong and again when he moved to the Power, but Esava Ratugolea is proving he has the chops to be a top-line defender.

The Power had a strong win over the Demons, but the Crows had a loss in Tassie in a topsy-turvy weekend for SA football. Simeon Thomas-Wilson and Matt Turner give their likes and dislikes.

LIKES

1. Esava Ratugolea

You could sense the pride in Ken Hinkley when he spoke about Ratugolea’s form after an indifferent first season at Alberton.

Ratugolea played 23 of the Power’s 26 AFL matches last year, after crossing from Geelong, but struggled for form for periods and ended the campaign as a makeshift forward.

Rather than put some heat on, Hinkley took the opposite approach ahead of this season, providing plenty of support for a player he says often has self-doubt.

Esava Ratugolea played the best game of his career on the weekend. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

It has certainly worked because Ratugolea is in stellar form and coming off perhaps the best game of the 108 in his career.

He had eight intercept marks, 13 in total and 18 disposals, providing a roadblock for so many Melbourne forward forays.

The Demons did a poor job of delivering the ball inside but Ratugolea often read the play beautifully.

2. Mani Liddy

They could be selling leg sleeves at the club shop at Alberton if Liddy continues to do what he did against Melbourne.

In his first game for the Power, Liddy had just the 10 disposals but he had a far better game than what those numbers might suggest.

His hands were clean, he made good decisions and importantly for him he got time straight in the midfield – showing the faith that Hinkley and the coaches have him.

Mani Liddy shone in his debut. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Just weeks after being picked up from Central District in the mid-season draft, it is a great story for the 23-year-old after he impressed Power coaches that much on the training track since arriving at Alberton.

Not only because he was an airconditioning mechanic on the tools five to six days a week, or he overcame the disappointment of not being drafted as South Australia’s Under 18 captain years ago.

But that last year he nearly lost his leg after contracting sepsis.

The Power have done quite well in previous mid-season drafts, and Liddy could continue this trend.

DISLIKES

1. Missed opportunity

The Crows will say the loss to Hawthorn in Launceston on Friday will be another learning curve for them.

But the Crows can’t let chances like this to put away one of the better sides of the competition slip through their fingers in the second half of their season.

Especially away from home.

Matthew Nicks’ side came out on top in nearly every stat but not the one that really counts – the scoreboard.

The chances were there through, and the Crows could not put them away.

It is going to be games like this that could prove vital come the end of the year and potentially be the difference between a top four spot and the safety net it provides and a cutthroat elimination final first up.

It continued a theme of the Crows being unable to get over the line in these sort of games.

Nicks’ side has made plenty of positive steps this year.

Getting the victory away from home against one of the league’s best teams looks to be the latest frontier the Crows need to cross.

Jordan Dawson leads the Crows out in Launceston. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images.

2. Mitch needs a running mate

It was a career-high day for Mitch Georgiades against the Demons in the Power’s impressive win, and he probably should have had more than the seven he ended up with.

But as dominant as he was can the Power continue to be so Georgiades-centric when going forward?

Part of this is out of necessity with the Power’s first choice plan for this year of having Georgiades, Todd Marshall and Jack Lukosius cruelled because of long-term injuries to the latter two.

So given how good Georgiades has been and how good is at leading up and marking the ball inside 50 it is unsurprising that the Power would target him so much going forward.

Mitch Georgiades needs a running mate. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

But he needs some help up there, because opponents will well and truly take notice of this and put a lot more attention on him.

Ollie Lord looked like he could provide this foil but has been out of the team since the Power’s mid-season bye.

Jeremy Finlayson continues to be inconsistent, while against Melbourne Hinkley went with a dual ruck set-up of Jordon Sweet and Dante Visentini.

The Power will be hoping that Lukosius can return from his back issue quickly, because Georgiades needs some help up forward.

Originally published as The Lowdown Round 14: The likes and dislikes from the Crows, Power’s games