The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from Round 1 of the 2021 AFL season
It’s clearly not alarm bells just yet, but Collingwood needs extra clout up forward, so where does Jordan de Goey end up? We know where he’s best, writes Mark Robinson.
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Crowds were back and there was no shortage of entertainment for the masses in an action-packed Round 1 of AFL footy.
Some huge upsets, an outrageous comeback, genuine mark of the year contenders and a Dusty masterclass generated plenty of the highlights reels.
But a massive bump involving superstar Patrick Dangerfield will dominate discussion this week.
Here are Herald Sun chief footy writer Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes.
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DISLIKES
1. FOOTY’S CRUEL
Matt Rowell wrecked his shoulder in game five last year and on Sunday night, in game six, he blew out his knee when he was tackled to the ground. What a horrible blow for the No.1 draft selection. All players want is a crack at playing and the talented Sun is not getting his opportunity. Social media bandits saying the tackle on Rowell was to blame for the injury are allowing emotion to rule them. Those sorts of tackles in the back happen many times a game and this was unfortunate accident. Fingers crossed it’s not the biggie.
2. PATTY WHACKED
Patrick Dangerfield will be suspended for his bump on Jake Kelly. He has been sent to the tribunal so it will most likely be three weeks. The outcome of Dangerfield’s bump was an “accidental head clash which KO’d Kelly”. Key word in that sentence was “accident’’. In the season opener, Richmond’s David Astbury blindly threw his elbow back into the head of Carlton’s Lachie Plowman. By luck, the fleshy part of Astbury’s arm made contact.
Astbury’s action had deliberate menace and because there was no serious injury, he was fined. Dangerfield’s act — he didn’t leave the ground, he didn’t lift an arm — was an accidental “football act’’, yet because Kelly was injured, Dangerfield has to be whacked. This whole of duty care about protecting players’ heads is a dog’s breakfast because accidents are a criminal act depending on the outcome and criminal acts are downplayed if a player is not hurt. Astbury was the luckiest player from Round 1 and Dangerfield the unluckiest.
3. THE INJURY SUB
What an awful concoction it is. After Nick Vlastuin was subbed out on Thursday night, the result was as assassination of his character and Richmond’s integrity over whether the injury was real or a ploy. Is this sort of discussion going to play out every week when a player is subbed out because of an injury?
The rule was introduced because the coaches wanted to keep it 22 v 22 and the AFL could pat itself on the back because it would be seen to be doing its “duty of care’’ with concussed players. Football is about attrition and survival and that’s why Adelaide’s win over Geelong was one for the ages. The Crows were brilliant and also beaten up and by the end only had 20 fit players. Yet, they still won the game. If it’s about duty of care, why have only one sub?
4. OH, HARRY
Not for the first time at the weekend, poor kicking at goal by individuals probably cost their team victories. After halftime Essendon after went at 33 per cent for set shots and Cale Hooker won’t forget his first-quarter howler from 15m. On Sunday, Harry Himmelberg kicked three goals, yet it was his kick for his fourth quarter which will hound him. At the 11th minute, he hit the post from 15m. If he had kicked it, the Giants would’ve had four goals in a row and a 16-point lead, which in the conditions, would’ve been almost insurmountable for St Kilda. Always in football it’s about the moments, and Himmelberg couldn’t nail his.
5. NORTH’S STRUGGLE IS THE SCOREBOARD
The Roos had 20 inside-50s in the first quarter for just two goals and consistently kicking goals shapes as a huge issue for coach David Noble. At this time, their three main targets are Nick Larkey, Josh Walker and Cameron Zurhaar, and time and again they were thwarted in the air by Port’s defence. Larkey is young, Walker will compete undersized and Zurhaar needs to play the footy he delivered at the end of 2019. He’s tough and competes hard, but he doesn’t get enough ball. On Sunday, he had 10 possessions and no scores. There are other issues, such as delivery out of the back half, but kicking a winning score is a serious headache.
6. THE PROPHECY PLAYS OUT FOR THE LIONS
Fox Footy commentator Dermott Brereton didn’t mince his words about Brisbane’s performance on Saturday night. The Lions weren’t tough enough against the young Swans, Derm said. The more pointed criticism from Brereton was for Lions small forward Charlie Cameron. Cameron’s mantle as the best small forward in the AFL is yesterday’s headline. He was average in 2020 and finished the game on the bench on Saturday night. In fact, he spent 13 minutes of the final quarter sitting beside coach Chris Fagan and overall spent 30 minutes of the match camped next to the coach — the most minutes by any Lions player. Just 10 disposals, one tackle, and zero goals might explain Fagan’s decision to bench him. Or was it Cameron’s attitude? “I’d hate to say it, but I’m wondering If he’s got a touch of the sooks,’’ Brereton said.
7. AND AS FOR THE CATS
Demolished by speed and pressure in the first half, which enabled Taylor Walker to find space and run at the ball. The Cats have some early-season decisions to make. One is where to play Mark Blicavs. In recent times, he’s been used as midfielder-ruck, but with Harry Taylor retired, a return to defence has to be contemplated by Chris Scott and his coaching staff. Blicavs’ split against the Crows was defence (40 per cent), wing (28 per cent) and ruck (32 per cent). The one area where the Cats have depth is in the middle and the one area that was glaringly exposed on Saturday was in defence.
8. DE GOEY DE FORWARD?
It’s already on the agenda — where best to play Jordan de Goey — and it will be central to discussions leading into Thursday’s night clash between Collingwood and Carlton. De Goey is an OK midfielder, but he is a dynamic forward and among a host of issues for the Pies, the debate about where he best serves the side will continue.
Against the Western Bulldogs his midfield-forward split was 55-45 and he finished with 16 disposals, four clearances and no goals. With Will Hoskin-Elliott and Josh Thomas going up and down on the one spot forward of centre, the Pies need greater weapons full-time in the forward 50m. It will be intriguing to watch.
9. TAGGERS, PLEASE
Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell dominated Essendon in the second half on Saturday night. He had 26 disposals and 20 of them were uncontested. Yep, 26 in a half of football. He might not be as damaging as other mids with every touch, but the fact is, when he has the ball the opposition does not. We know it’s system v system, but when your system breaks down as Essendon’s did after halftime, surely it requires coaching on the run.
Does the question — ‘Should we have sent, say, Jye Caldwell to Mitchell?’ — get asked in the review? If it is, why can’t the question be asked when Mitchell is slicing the Bombers apart during the third quarter? Ben Rutten could argue his team almost won the game despite Mitchell’s performance. It could also be argued his side lost because Rutten’s midfielders were not nearly accountable enough.
10. DOCKERS WOES
Injuries to Alex Pearce and Joel Hamling add to a hectic injury list, but that’s an aside at the moment. The leg injury to Pearce once again curtails one of the unluckiest AFL careers. He would be desolate after returning from long-term injury and his mindset would be all over the place. From a possible 145 matches, he has played only 54 senior AFL games. This latest injury will sideline him for several months.
LIKES
1. PORT ADELAIDE
They are a better team than in 2020 with the additions of Aliir Aliir and Orazio Fantasia, and although we’re cooling our jets on outrageous predictions after one round, their offensive game looks ominous. Fast teams will only get faster with the new rule and Port is furiously offensive.
Fantasia kicked four goals and Aliir was mountainous in defence. He had four intercept marks and nine intercept possessions, five coming in the first quarter when the game was its hottest. It makes you wonder why he was put on the trade table last year by the Swans. They had their reason — maybe it was salary cap issues — but it’s difficult to comprehend how he wouldn’t be an asset for John Longmire. As it is, he is for Ken Hinkley, who has found his replacement for Dougal Howard who departed for St Kilda at the end of the 2019 season.
2. SPEED THRILLS
Port was devastating from stoppages and in the flow of the game on Sunday, and so was Sydney, and so was Adelaide, and so was Essendon for a half, and so were the Bulldogs, and so was Melbourne. And whatever you think of the man-on-the mark rule, you have to admit footy was more pleasing on the eye. Clearly, speed of ball movement will be king in 2021 which means less congestion. So, after Round 1, big tick to the new rule.
3. BEST IN THE WEST
The Eagles eventually put Gold Coast to bed on Sunday night and it took every amount of experience and gut-running to do it. The Suns lead by seven points early in the last quarter before the Eagles kicked the last four goals of the quarter. That reads easy, but it was far from it. The Suns were mighty in defeat, with their run and spread and sharing of the ball challenging the Eagles. They were like Sydney and Adelaide in their wins over Brisbane and Geelong, but didn’t have enough weapons in the forward line to capitalise. The Eagles had Oscar Allen, Jack Darling and Josh Kennedy and, of course, the win. The Suns are a dangerous unit this year.
4. GUTSY SAINTS
On the road, in the wet, a horrible injury list and for the first half of the final quarter, they were camped in their back 50. The Giants had nine of first 11 inside-50s in the final term and the Saints were resolute, typified by the tackle/bump by Dan Butler on Callan Ward at the siren. The most pleasing aspect of Sunday’s narrow win for Brett Ratten was there was no one player who won the game. It was team effort. Clark, Long, Coffield, Billings, Gresham, Membrey, Lonie, Steele, Ross … they all played a hand. Good sides have ticker and the Saints had plenty.
5 THE SWANS
Clearly the Round 1 winners. Remember when Sydney was a trench team and every team hated playing them? Now, they are trench team with speed and youth and excitement and everyone is absolutely going to hate playing them.
The Swans kicked nine goals in the third quarter at the Gabba against a team that made the preliminary final last season — which was remarkable. The last time a team kicked nine goals in a quarter was Richmond against Gold Coast in 2019.
Even more remarkable is that they did it with six players having played under 10 games — Errol Gulden, Logan McDonald, Sam Wicks, Chad Warner, Braeden Campbell and Hayden McLean. Another four players — Tom McCartin, Jordan Dawson, Nick Blakey and James Rowbottom — have played fewer than 50 games. It was ballsy coaching from John Longmire to take such a young team on the road and I’m not sure he’s had a better win in the past five years. Oh, and Buddy is back soon.
6. TAYLOR WALKER
Tex loves the new rules. He’s a space and lead forward and for years was asked to compete for long balls kicked into congested forward lines. It wasn’t his go. Now the ball is moving and players are running, Walker is revitalised — or at least he was against Geelong on Saturday.
He was spectacular to the point where I’m not sure there was a more inspirational player across Round 1. Radio commentator Stephen Rowe might disagree. Rowe was calling the game and his son James was vital to the victory. When Rowe kicked his first goal it was a toss-up who was more excited — dad or son. Rowe was one of 10 young Adelaide players who combined for 49 games between. What a win.
7. JAKE LEVER
Steven May will probably pip him for the coaches’ votes, which will be released on Monday, but not sure Lever has played a better game for the Demons. He conceded only one goal and led the Demons in SuperCoach points, intercept marks and intercept possessions. It was Lever circa 2017 when he was at Adelaide. Whereas May is powerful and marauding in his role, Lever is more of a “thinking” defender. He reads the ball in air and has safe hands. Melbourne might be presented with issues this season, but they won’t be in the two key back positions. At one stage on Saturday Lever and May and had taken more intercept marks than Fremantle had taken marks, such was their dominance.
8. CJ
Is he the most improved player in the AFL? The next chapter in Changkuoth Jiath’s remarkable story — he was born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia and arrived in Australia in 2007 with his family — is being explored playing across half-back for Hawthorn. In only his eighth game, CJ was among the best players on Saturday night.
His poise, decision making and kicking skills are a treat. For some reason, he’s been called a “cult figure’’ by commentators but he deserves much more than that moniker. Against the Dons he had 22 disposals and went at 86 per cent and for sure will get coaches’ votes. At 21 he shapes as a 10-year player for the Hawks.
9. DUSTY
Already, after just one game of the season, the question is being asked: Could Dustin Martin be the best player ever? What if he wins the Brownlow Medal again, and another premiership, and another Norm Smith? I’m not sure the question can ever be answered or just who would be in the position to even try to answer it. That said, there’s only three players alive whose opinions could help shape the discussion. If Leigh Matthews, Wayne Carey or Gary Ablett Sr, three of the all-time greats, were to ever to concede Martin was a better player than themselves, then that would raise the stakes.
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