The Tackle: Mark Robinson reveals his likes and dislikes from Round 3

PART II: Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson runs the rule over Round 3 and reveals his likes and dislikes.

Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs

PART II: Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson runs the rule over Round 3 and reveals his likes and dislikes.

PART ONE: WHY AREN’T HODGE, WATSON COPPING THIS?

LIKES

1. Luke Hodge: He’s Mr Untouchable now he’s back in the midfield. Had 25, seven clearances and kicked two goals by half-time and seemingly does it without a direct opponent. Maybe get in his face one day, opposition?

2. Trent Cotchin: What a player he is when he’s damaging forward of centre. Kicked two, had a game-high seven inside 50s, 12 score involvements and 18 contested possessions from 37 overall. That was the Cotchin at his best: Hard, adventurous, inspiring.

3. Carlton: Made it a contest and that’s all you ask. Won contested ball 159-116 but that is distorted because the Bombers play keepings off. Still, after a week where the president effectively put every player on the trade table, the Blues played with spirit.

4. Geelong: Injuries to Bartel, Stokes and Lonergan gets knocked out in the drizzle and the Cats still hold off the Gold Coast Suns. Plenty of leaders, in particular Joel Selwood with 12 clearances, yet it will be others who coach Chris Scott puts up on the whiteboard. Mark Blicavs was prominent and had a ripper final term, Josh Walker kicked four, Darcy Lang and Cory Gregson should be automatic selections every week and Rhys Stanley was solid against Zac Smith in the ruck.

5. Travis Varcoe: Had been wary of the Varcoe trade and after two games was feeling justified. The third game, against the Saints on Friday, Varcoe justified his spot. Haven’t seen such confidence in the body-on-body stuff for several seasons. His nine tackles was one off his career high and his five marks doubled his career average. Outside of Dane Swan, it was Varcoe and Brodie Grundy who impressed most.

6. Tom McDonald: Would be in the All Australian team if it was picked after three rounds and on the weekend it was Tex Walker who became a notch. Walker had four kicks and kicked three goals. McDonald had 16 possessions and was Melbourne’s best player. Quick question: Would you recognise McDonald if he sat opposite you on a tram? Just asking.

7. Lachie Neale: He was the second-least experienced player for the Dockers on Sunday with just 49 games to his name behind Matt Taberner on 21 games, yet Neale, 21, has the heart of David Mundy. Had a career-high 42 disposals and on available evidence has grabbed a bunch of Michael Barlow’s minutes in the middle. A starting centre-bounce crew of Nat Fyfe, Mundy, Neale and Aaron Sandilands has to be the best in the competition.

Lance Franklin fends off Greater Western Sydney defender Joel Patfull. Picture: Phil Hillyard

8. Buddy: So much wanted to highlight Dan Hannebery or Devon Smith or Lachie Whitfield, but this game was dominated by one man — Buddy Franklin. He kicked 5.5 and it felt like 8.8 and GWS might even say Joel Patfull stopped him kicking 10.10. He kicked them from the centre square and the boundary line and missed from 20m, such was his erratic brilliance.

9. Jarryd Roughead: Kicked seven, collected 28 disposals and had an incredible 21 score involvements. It’s like a midfielder having 55 possessions. Many will say Luke Hodge was the best player on the ground, but will mark down this round as one to watch in the Brownlow voting. You may laugh, but Greg Williams missed a Brownlow Medal after collecting 18 kicks and 26 handballs against Melbourne in 1983. He didn’t even get a vote.

10. Jake Melksham: Might’ve replaced Heath Hocking as Essendon’s hard-grunt midfielder/tagger. Took Chris Judd at the weekend and the champ had 20 and 12 clearances so that’s probably a loss. Still, Melksham was in and out of the side under Mark Thompson, but seems to have more confidence playing under James Hird. Will get either Scott Pendlebury or Swan this week.

Aaron Young celebrates his late goal. Picture: Getty

11. Great games: Port Adelaide v North Melbourne was a brilliant game, loaded with great goals, courage, urgency and heroics throughout. North were stiff and Port was gallant and they better sign Aaron Young to a longer deal because clubs will be chasing him. He has class, ball nous and was telling at the end.

CARLTON, ESSENDON, GEELONG, PORT AND THIS WEEK’S SYD-FREO CLASH ALL COVERED IN DEPTH IN THIS WEEK’S SUPERFOOTY PODCAST. LISTEN BELOW:

DISLIKES

1. Bartel injury: Am confused about the rule relating to front-on contact to the knee area. On Sunday, Michael Rischitelli bent over with momentum and cannoned into Bartel’s knee, which buckled. The result: Rischitelli wins the ball and Bartel might be out for six weeks with a medial injury. Some called it accidental, I reckon it was a borderline free kick against Rischitelli.

2. Chris Yarran: Don’t worry about the clip to Paul Chapman’s head, be more worried about his lousy 10 possessions while the rest of his teammates busted a gut. It was poor by Yarran on several fronts and at least he’ll get a week or two to think about his footy.

3. Jack Watts: From likes to dislikes in three weeks. Not his sort of day in the wet, rough and tumble, but he still has to keep his eye on the ball in marking contests. Dropped two marks in the first quarter and Demons lost huge momentum.

Jack Watts in the thick of the action. Picture: Sarah Reed

4. Jarrad Waite: Carlton fans watching on Saturday knew exactly how North fans would’ve been thinking when Waite had his legendary brain explosions. First he tried to banana a goal 15m out in front and kicked it out of bounds on the full. Then he played-on on the wing, got confused and was caught by the man on the mark. And then proceeded to act for a free kick. He is a good footballer, but he is a flawed good footballer.

5. Head rush: The AFL already has a problem: There are players, when in possession of the ball, who thrust their heads into oncoming players to try to draw the free kick. Players ducking their heads was also prominent at the weekend, although the umpires have not been sucked in as much as you would expect. Thrusting rather than ducking, however, is difficult for the umpires to adjudicate. It’s like a basketballer throwing themselves at the opposition to draw the foul, as Roughead did on Sunday. It’s frustrating to watch, as is watching Steve Johnson diving to get a free kick in the final quarter.

Kangaroo Jack Ziebell spitting blood on the field. Picture: George Salpigtidis

6. Jack Ziebell: It’s a mind issue, as much as a technique issue. He’s so willing to go after an opponent with the ball, just so desperate to do whatever it takes, Ziebell throws his body into the contest. Last time he copped a shoulder to the head, this time he has a bruised lung after charging into Ollie Wines to make the spoil. He reminds me of Glenn Archer in that regard, although Archer didn’t get as many serious injuries.

7. Marley Williams: Like him as player, with his run out of the back half and aggression at the ball, but him wanting to pick fights with every player that comes across his path or bumps him, or tackles him hard, is a little grating.

8. Cue in the rack: Clubs have phases of football, where the game changes from blitz run and gun to playing safe, conserving-the-body chip-around. The Dockers did it on Sunday. The Crows did it last week. The game is so difficult to recover from that coaches, when well ahead, flick the off switch to help prepare the team for next week. At least it gives the opposition some positives by kicking goals in junk time.

9. More injuries: Are we going to continue to say bad luck, or are we going to accept that the game has become too challenging on the bodies. Who was it this weekend? Mitch Wallis and Dale Morris, Bartel, Stokes and Lonergan, Ziebell, Cooney, Jeremy McGovern, Wines and the desperately unlucky Chris Knights.

10. Five games on Anzac Day: More about that later in the week.

Tom McDonald fends off Eddie Betts at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Sarah Reed

BEST TWEETS

@Chris_Jones31: like: Luke parkers drop goal dislike: Bernie vince holding danger down after tackles and contests

@MickfrmAlberton: Like; Nathan Krakouer after walking away from the Power for GC then playing WA country football got a 2nd chance.

@tigsysage: dislike ordinary sides playing Friday nights, went to the races instead & blew $200

@jim_petrop32: Like — Cotchin’s best game in 2 years Dislike Lingy saying to pay Elliott’s mark just for effort — losing cred

@sheldondev: dislike — lions players talking the talk during the week but not walking the walk when it mattered on Saturday.

@grilla35: Like, no actually love Dane Swan back to his best. Dislike — brisbane lions got ahead of themselves

@davidsffs: like: Tom McDonalds form, port v North. Dislike: Dangerfield acting, walsh’s whine to the press. Late outs.

@croweyrocks: Like- Jasper Pittard turning into the next Grant Birchall

@kerry_lambert: Likes: Jeremy Howe’s marking. Dislikes: Jeremy Howe’s kicking.

@jim_petrop32: early dislike Hawks playing for freekicks. Worse players drive there heads into tackles. Can see it ending up in injury

@GarryCarton: dislike norths inability to make a tackle stick! Like norths effort w/o NDS, Wells and Ziebell.

@FreoPope: Like: @LachieNeale27 you loved a 23 y.o. last week, a 21 year old is pretty good too. Dislike: we let NikNat take a mark.

@nmurf27: likes the 2 maligned @Richmond_FC boys from Bulldogs game get the metres gained happening — Bacchar and Cotch

@peteismaximus: Like knowing Paul Chapman has to play out rest of his career knowing he was knocked on his arse by Yarran

@8Granty: North and Port displaying everything great about modern footy. Dislike: Too many serious injuries already

@GlennAsmus: will Brendon Bolton be the next coach at Carlton, just putting it out there. Getting in early.

@Thebus_17: like =first quarter port v roos. Dislike = dangerfield theatrics. Good players get tagged.

@shnewm: mark Blicavs fourth quarter-some great saves, 1%ers. Selwood did his usual superhuman effort of course.

@n_talerico: who on earth fixtures @HawthornFC v @PAFC and @Fremantle_FC v @sydneyswans at the same time next sat night..?

@LeftRightBack: L: seeing a class midfield like Freo’s live. D: I’m embarrassed by WCE’s slogan this year (among other things)

@barturner: I didn’t see Dangers teammates come to his aid where as Watsons and Hodges will. Has Danger already left?

@pwnolan: watching Vince v Danger reminded me of Wahab v Watson in #CWC15 Aggressive play makes for compelling sport.

‏@herberthodgson: as a Dees fan, but also a footy lover I absolutely loved what Vince did. To be honest I didn’t know he had it in him.

@MisterMadSkillz: like Shane Edwards, cleanest hands in the game. Dislike dangerfield getting smashed

@65GK: L:that the rumours of D Swan’s demise have been greatly exaggerated D: my supercoach guns withdrawing on game day

Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Robinson reveals his likes and dislikes from Round 3