The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from Round 2 of the AFL season
MARK Robinson runs the rule over a thrilling Round 2. North Melbourne is back in Robbo’s good books, but which champ of the game has run foul?
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MARK Robinson runs the rule over a thrilling Round 2. North Melbourne is back in Robbo’s good books, but which champ of the game has run foul?
SCROLL DOWN TO RECAP ROBBO’S CHAT
LIKES
1. Mitch Wallis
Can remember him being omitted from the Bulldogs team, then he returned and became a tagger and now he’s mature, hard and both a creator and coalface player. Every time there was frantic scrimmage for the ball against Richmond, Wallis seemed to be in everything. He had 26 disposals, 15 of which were contested, five tackles and eight clearances. He’s 22 and without Libba he’s become the general of the Bulldogs midfield, with Macrae, Bontempelli, Jong and Dahlhaus his young lieutenants.
2. Nathan Fyfe
Could talk about his clearance work, his marking or his general ability to find the ball, but we’ll go with something else. In the second term, when the game was alive, Fyfe gathered the ball 30m from goal and slipped through four Geelong tacklers — Kelly, Guthrie, Taylor and Enright — and kicked the goal around his body. That’s three Brownlow Medal votes in successive games.
3. Josh Bruce
They call him Bruce. The one-time defender has become a key forward under Alan Richardson and his six goals against the Suns were pleasing. Pleasing because the last key forward to kick six goals and not be named Nick Riewoldt was probably Plugger. Bruce is a natural. He can mark, kick straight and takes the heat off the skipper.
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4. Brent Stanton
The most maligned Essendon player of the past 10 years stood up strongly yesterday. Critical smother deep in the final quarter and a follow-up fight for the pill thwarted a potential Hawthorn score and probable victory. Used in the back half against Sydney, he failed miserably. Yesterday, he roamed far and wide and his 24 disposals went at 83 per cent. Sometimes his 24 disposals go at 25 per cent.
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5. Carlton’s former forwards
Ten to Josh Kennedy. Seven to Jarrad Waite. One to Eddie Betts. One to Jeff Garlett. It’s not odd for a player to leave a club and shine at his new club. But four players? OK, Kennedy was for Chris Judd and the other three left for differing reasons. But four? And Waite’s seven goals equalled his career-best. Seven goals for his new club in his second game. He played 184 games for Carlton. Will leave you with that.
6. Rory Sloane
Didn’t get votes by some media and I thought he was second to Brodie Smith, who I kicked him out of my Supercoach team in the last hour on the final day. Anyway, Sloane is a favourite. Thirty disposals, a game-high nine clearances and 37 lumps on the head. He needs a run-with player because he’s very good on the inside and outside.
7. Play of the weekend
It’s in the Bulldogs back pocket and Wood wins the ball. He handballs to Honeychurch, who gives to Murphy, then to Bontempelli, who gives to Jong, who goes by hand back Honeychurch, who goes back to Murphy, who kicks long to half-forward, where Stringer takes the ball on the bounce, turns inside and kicks to Jarrad Grant who runs into the open goal and kicks it deep into Ponsford Stand. And it happened about as quickly as you read that passage. And the Tigers chased win all the way. And that’s the moment when footy fans said these men can play.
8. Dylan Shiel
If David Mundy does it by pure heart, Shiel does by pure skill. He’s a rising star this bloke. Enormous numbers _ 26 touches, eight tackles, nine clearances and three goals — and he does it in style. While most footballers would go to the movies, Shiel would go to the theatre, I reckon. He makes football be an art form, the way he is so compact and confident as he skims across the ground. They’re building GWS and it’s great to see.
9. North Melbourne
That’s what we like. Ruthless footy. Now let’s repeat it against Port Adelaide next week.
10. Alex Rance
Don’t know what he’s worth on the open market — 700k or thereabouts — and Richmond would want to cough up close to that. He is an incredible player. He can butcher the ball, but you can never question his endeavour. The Tigers would’ve lost by 10 goals without him.
Honourable mentions: Rosa on Judd, Nic Nat’s tap outs, Melksham’s work, Jacobs, Mumford and Goldstein, Captain Bob, Newnes chase on Harbrow, Rohan chase on Broadbent, Buddy’s physicality, in fact all of Sydney led by Kennedy and Jack, and Rischitelli who’s flying the flag at Gold Coast.
DISLIKES
1. Broken records
Richmond coach Damian Hardwick laboured through is post-match press conference and “mistakes” was his favourite word. Mistakes should not be in his vocabulary as much as they are after five years. The Tiger were murdered by the Bulldogs’ outside run, their defence team work. No Deledio. No Edward. Jong curbed Ellis’ run. It meant the Tigers played too much sideways and short footy against a Bulldogs team who pressure first, win the ball and run like the wind.
2. Carlton
Consecutive weeks of failure and the coach laments the talent at his disposal, the lack of leadership and says ‘’no-one wants to come to Carlton’’. Mick Malthouse has lifted mediocre teams before so much of what he said on Friday sounded like a coach lamenting his own situation. Where’s the spirit of last year? The want to fight? Yes, it is the responsibility of the players, but the coach also has to put up his hand.
3. Jackson Trengove
It’s a feisty game, we know, but punching people in the head remains a no-go. Third quarter, Port beaten and frustrated, Trengove lost it. He had the choice of three players to clock for they were within a metre of him. They were Tippet, Franklin or first-year player Isaac Heeney. Trengove chose Heeney, who was wasn’t even looking. Not your finest moment, big man.
4. Gazza
Sacrilege to criticise the two-time Brownlow Medallist, but one tackle in two games isn’t good enough. If he can play through the pain, which he says he can, then he can tackle through the pain. Difficult to urge your teammates to pressure and tackle when you’re not doing it yourself.
5. The Suns overall
Really want to write they’ve been drinking their own bath water, but said that last week about the Kangaroos. Didn’t want the hard ball through three quarters and didn’t want to be accountable because there’s no other way of quantifying the Saints kicking eight goals in the second quarter _ at Metricon Stadium. What a disappointment. Poor goalkicking could be an excuse, but excuses are always the domain of the loser.
6. Port Adelaide
Fremantle didn’t let them run and Sydney didn’t let them breathe. Weight can stop a train and pressure can stop any AFL team. Port have been seriously analysed in the off-season and it’s why coach Ken Hinkley said the jump from the preliminary final to a premiership would be harder than anything they accomplished under him in two seasons. Westhoff and Hartlett need to lift, Neade needs to find more strength in his right leg, six clearances in two weeks from the skipper is below par, Trengove’s getting a holiday, and Wingard’s efficiency has been 65 and 55 per cent across the first two matches. Now they face North away and suddenly a victory is getting desperate.
7. Brisbane Bears
That’s what they looked like. Uncompetitive and a massive loss of respect. One hundred less possessions, lost the tackle count (55-53) and we didn’t see much of Green, Bewick, Mayes, Clarke, Zorko, Beams and Beams, while Leuenberger should get own dislike. By jingoes — thanks, KB, for unleashing that old saying — but that was disappointing.
8. Gallant quarters
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has to find a positive and six goals in the final term gives him impetus for the week ahead. The first three quarters, however, would give insomnia. So, to follow Buckley’s lead, I think they’ve found one in Adam Oxley. I think they haven’t in Travis Varcoe. The Saints on Friday night will be defining.
9. Gallant halves
Yep, looking at you, Melbourne. It was deja vu for tormented Demons fans. It was 13.5 t0 1.5 after the main break so, as a team, they capitulated, not-so much around the ball but around the ground. Difficult for Roos to find a positive out that wreckage.
10. Homophobia and racism
Can we have one season without dickheads screaming vile from over the fence? It took just two rounds this year. Hope it isn’t the year of the dickhead fan.
BEST TWEETS
@dylz16LIKE: Josh Kennedy 10 goals done it three times in his career, only player this millennium fair effort.
@jbarresi1: like: hating Essendon due to on field performance, not off field issue. Hate: blues still badly relying on Judd
@mattbalmer7: L: People proven wrong “STK wont win a game, Hawks will be undefeated” DL: Tiges still losing the must win games
@rodneyheron: Like: Hooker, Alcatraz in defence & kicked winning goal. Dislike: Being told off by wife for yelling at TV
@nathanebush: dislike Tom Hawkins body language, arguing after each contest- even after a clear shove! He’s a gun, just play!
@james_howe: like geelong on the bottom of ladder and GWS in top 4. Variety makes the game interesting
@ZCanavan: like how @adamroy37 showed players and fans its OK to report fans who verbally vilify, takes courage
@john_capsali: Like- essendon all heart win dislike- richmond supporters the way they treated lin jong of the bulldogs
@morteinmooie: L: swans hunger, GWS comeback and Dogs bite D: cheap shots from Ballantyne and Trengove and the Suns #soft
@sb1193: Likes: Bulldogs gameplan and discipline to stick with it. Dislikes: Tigers kicks inside 50. Turnover city.
@Sujeesus: like: Fyfe Mundy Barlow, Zach merret, gregson, Dislike: Mitch Clarke tough antics late in the 4th
@terryowen4: like: Swans super in all areas...Rampe & N.Smith under rated. Dislike: the lack of application from Suns.
@Matthew_Dower: If Fyfe wasn’t something to like from the weekend then footy may as well be non-existent.
@AusSports84: Todd Goldstein is an A grader every single week #thetackle #elite
@Matthemps: dislike Eade talking as if the Suns are going to be in a rebuilding period after 5 years of ‘building’
@hesawizardharry: the puppies growing into snarling beasts!
@LycraJedi: If Ballas is suspended for that shoulder I’ll eat my hat !!!! Cats were poor and whiners all day
@matthewsmith510: watching Daniel rich at ES. Doesn’t man up, guards space, doesn’t chase. Not much of a team man.
@ace_cameron: like: that my boys can go to school and be proud to be Bombers.
@stvgreen23: L: listening to final mins of DonsHawks before boarding plane — D: being told by airport security to calm down
@EvoVandelay: 35 sec left. Stanton two efforts. 1) smother 2) head over ball to win contest. Get journos to highlight it!
@The_D_All: like: jarred waite and what he offers North melbourne. Dislike: how the media attacks teams after rd 1
@stkildamatt: Like StKildas effort&pressure! So much for 0-22 Dislike Ablett sulking like a baby when things dont go his way
@b0ycee: like Brodie Smith giving the ‘thumbs up
@dannyblaine: Josh Kennedy is continually overlooked in favour of Hawkins, Roughead, Walker, Tippet. When will people take notice?
@markhamiltonj: likes: fyfe brushing off grown men like they were U12s dislikes: basil referring to wce midfield as “fab four“
Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from Round 2 of the AFL season
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