The Tackle: Mark Robinson rates his likes and dislikes from AFL Round 14
Josh Bruce has a terrific work ethic, but for some reason his career has hit the wall. Where does that leave the prized recruit in his first year at the Dogs? See Robbo’s likes and dislikes in this week’s Tackle.
Mark Robinson
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Carlton faced its biggest test of the season on Sunday against Collingwood – but when the whips starting cracking, the Blues went to water.
Their goalless second half was not the performance of a team pushing for finals, writes Mark Robinson.
Plus which club will Zac Williams play for next year, will the Saints wobbly all the way out of the eight, Toby Greene, Rhys Stanley and the rock-bottom Roos feature in the Tackle as Robbo names his likes and dislikes from Round 14.
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DISLIKES
1. Drought strikes Blues
Four behinds after half-time is not the profile of a finals-bound team and, at Round 14, Carlton’s season has ground to a halt. In a game where Carlton’s forwards needed to impose themselves, they were sloppy and unthreatening. Didn’t get a goal out of Tom De Koning or Levi Casboult, and Harry McKay kicked one early, the trio beaten by the irrepressible Darcy Moore, Jordan Roughead and All Australian prospect Brayden Maynard. Gee, the Blues were sloppy. Had 43 inside 50s for 13 scores, compared to Collingwood’s 40 for 22 scores. That second half was a mess. Carlton’s ball use by foot in the second half was 55 per cent. In the first half it was 70 per cent. Not good enough to play finals – again.
2. The asking price on Zac Williams
The rebounding defender will not be at GWS Giants next year and clubs inquiring about his contract terms are being told the figure lies in the $800,000-$900,000 range. That’s a top-end salary when you consider the AFL and the AFLPA are about to sit down to discuss next year’s salary cap. It will be reduced, meaning Williams might not have as many suitors as he’d like because the money won’t be there. Reckon he’s more in the $700,000 range. Some clubs, mindful of his performance in the middle against Collingwood in last year’s preliminary final, are keen to switch him from halfback to the midfield full-time. Williams is loved at the Giants, but they are resigned to losing him. The more money the better for them because a compo pick is coming their way.
3. The Saints are … wobbling
Three losses in their past four matches and their only win coming against Essendon in Round 12 when the Bombers were confused and cautious about what to do with the ball. Part of the Saints’ problem is goalkicking, which wouldn’t have been lost on former St Kilda coach and Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin’s right-hand man Alan Richardson on Saturday night. When at the Saints, Richardson’s team was besieged by woeful kicking at goal. In Alice Springs on Saturday night the Saints once again lost a winnable game. This season St Kilda has recorded a shot at goal accuracy of 60 per cent in wins and 39 per cent in losses. Against the Demons they also won the inside-50 count 46-30. A disappointing night overall.
4. And so is Dan Butler
There’s a correlation, perhaps, between the Saints and Butler over the past month. The Saints aren’t winning and Butler’s output has fallen. An All-Australian at the halfway mark of the season, Butler remains the best scoring small forward in the competition. But he, too, has hit the wall. In Rounds 1-10, Butler averaged 90 ranking points, 12 disposals, five score involvements, two goals and 4.6 tackles. In Rounds 11-14, Butler’s ranking points, score involvements, goals and tackles have halved. He needs to be better.
5. Let’s not pile on Toby Greene
The Giants are back to being a scary opposition, yet the headlines were all about Toby Greene. “I spoke to Toby and he said he just brushed him aside,’’ was coach Leon Cameron’s portrayal of what happened between Greene and Fremantle’s Reece Conca. It was more than a brush, but it wasn’t a punch, and the media does love a Toby controversy. He shouldn’t have done it, but arguing he should be suspended is ridiculous. Richmond captain Trent Cotchin reminded everyone what football is about when he recently defended teammate Tom Lynch. “We play footy, we’re grown men,’’ he said on AFL360. “You come to battles and it’s a bit of a fierce one anyway.”
6. What to do with Josh Bruce?
The prized recruit has a terrific work ethic, but for some reason his career has hit the wall at the Western Bulldogs. Bruce has averaged 49 ranking points this season which is a career-low. He has also averaged a normalised 10 disposals and three marks — also career-low returns. Coach Luke Beveridge has been patient with Bruce, but after the loss to Geelong, where Bruce had just six touches and kicked two behinds, Beveridge’s patience would be wavering. He’s not keen on Bruce in the ruck, either. Against the Cats, Bruce spent 99 per cent of the game forward this season the split is 91 per cent forward and nine per cent in the ruck. Maybe more ruck time is the go because at least Bruce will compete.
7. The For Sale sign is up on Jared Polec
Polec would be hating the hub. His coach has lost faith in him, he can’t get a game despite multiple injuries and on Saturday Polec played for Collingwood in a scratch match. The Pies posted footage of the hit out to its Twitter page, with the message: “Yes, that is Jared Polec from @NMFCOfficial who filled in for the day.’’ What must he be thinking? Last year he was the hard-running recruit on big coin and now he’s running around for the Pies in a muckaround game to keep fit. It’s best Polec moves to a fourth club and, if it happens, the Roos must pay part of his salary for the next three years. What a bust for both Polec and the Kangas
Yes, that is Jared Polec from @NMFCOfficial who filled in for the day. 💪ðŸ¼
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) August 29, 2020
8. Rock-bottom Roos
Jared Polec can’t get a game for what arguably is the worst Kangaroos team this century. The belief is he can’t defend and plays selfish footy, well, he’s not alone. The Kangas are 3-11 win-loss and should’ve lost by 12 goals to the Gold Coast Suns on Sunday. Coach Rhyce Shaw continues push to the spirit barrow, but his team is running on near empty. Their pressure rating was 170, their worst of the season. The loss follows two 35-point scores in three of their past four games and Sunday night was no better. It was 31 scores to eight and a train wreck. Season can’t end quick enough for the clean out to start and new list manager Glenn Luff to get to work.
LIKES
1. Captain sacrifice
Ever the team man, Scott Pendlebury did the job on Patrick Cripps at the stoppages on Sunday, sacrificing his want for the ball to curb the Carlton captain. Cripps had three clearances, his third worst return for the year, and only the one centre-square clearance, helping Collingwood to win the clearances 30-23. Pendlebury led all Pies with the most pressure points (57) as well, ahead of Jamie Elliott (53) and Tyler Brown (48). Kudos to the small and mid-sized forwards who were the difference on the scoreboard, but Pendlebury’s effort deserves recognition.
2. Ben Ainsworth
The onslaught of recent young elite talent at Gold Coast has swamped some of the kids who were already there and one of them is Ainsworth. Taken with pick No. 4 in the 2016 national draft, he has had to slave away as a small forward. He’s suffered injuries before this year and on Sunday night played arguably the best game of his career. He had 23 disposals and 15 score involvements, which was the most of any player in a game this season. He was dominant. The Suns were dominant. The Kangaroos far, far less so.
3. Going back to go forward
That’s two successive weeks GWS Giants have deployed Lachie Whitfield at halfback – the position Fox Footy’s David King has argued is the best for Whitfield and the Giants. The Orange Tsunami had become a trickle for too long this season and Whitfield to halfback had a simple coaching instruction to go with it: Get the ball and move it. No more stopping, propping, pointing and then kicking down the line. Whitfield played halfback in Round 1 and Rounds 13-14 after having played mainly wing throughout the season. On Saturday, he had season-high disposals (31), metres gained (537) and ranking points (167).
4. Then there’s Jake Riccardi
If you believe the Giants, they traded up to pick No. 51 to select the St Bernard’s boy in the 2019 national draft. With an eye on Riccardi, they traded a future Round 3 pick to Collingwood for pick No. 51 and a future fourth-round pick, just to put themselves in the game. What a plus Riccardi has been. He’s kicked six goals in two weeks, but it’s the manner in which he plays that has delighted the Giants. He has forward craft and his running patterns and ability to get space and the ball is a highlight. Everyone’s loving Riccardi, everyone except Jeremy Finlayson who has lost his spot to the 20-year-old. As for the other Jeremy (Cameron), relax Giants fans, he will be at Giants next season.
5. Oliver’s final-quarter twist
Steven May was the match-saver and Christian Petracca the matchwinner on Saturday night. In between was Clayton Oliver. He was poor for three quarters. Let’s be frank, when St Kilda held sway in the midfield through the middle two quarters, you were demanding Oliver to impose himself on the game. He was OK without being massively influential. In fact, he had 63 ranking points in the first three quarters and then, in a defining final quarter, he had 70 ranking points. While St Kilda’s Brad Hill was being complimented for his gut-busting running in the final 20 minutes, Oliver’s contested ball wins were equally as damaging.
6. Robbie Gray
Sam Powell-Pepper’s gradual return to the Port Adelaide midfield was noted last week and it appears coach Ken Hinkley is doing the same with veteran Robbie Gray. Maybe the plan is to increase rotations through the middle, maybe the plan was to release Gray from a small forward role, where life can be chore. Gray spent half his game time against Sydney in the middle, which was the third-highest percentage of game time spent in the midfield this season. His return? Twenty-seven disposals, 13 contested possessions, five clearances and six tackles.
7. Houli and Saad
Every year we celebrate the indigenous players in the AFL – and rightly so – but we should also celebrate the game’s ability to include all races and religions. The contributions from Adam Saad and Bachar Houli cannot be under played. The pair, who are Muslims, are among the best, most exciting and attacking halfbacks in the competition. Houli is an All-Australian and Saad will be in contention this year. They play with flair and an urgency which is crucial to Richmond and Essendon, and crucial in helping welcome more Muslims to the game. Houli and Saad are treasures of the game.
8. Rhys Stanley
Anyone else not heard the usual and, in the past, the weekly discussion about Geelong’s ruck set up? The reason is Rhys Stanley’s contribution as the No. 1 ruckman. There’s been a change at the Cats. Esava Ratugolea has lost his position, meaning Mark Blicavs plays as the relief ruckman – as well as wing, forward and in defence – to Stanley and it’s working. Stanley, though, deserves plaudits for his season. He is the sixth highest-ranked ruckman behind, in order, Max Gawn, Brodie Grundy, Todd Goldstein, Nic Naitanui and Rowan Marshall.
MORE AFL NEWS:
GWS forward Jake Riccardi named Round 14 Rising Star after being 44th-ranked player on the ground
Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Robinson rates his likes and dislikes from AFL Round 14