Mark Robinson’s reveals his likes and dislikes from Round 5

THE good, the bad and the ugly from Round 5. Mark Robinson reveals his likes and dislikes. REPLAY ROBBO’S CHAT

Bryce Gibbs at Subiaco.

CARLTON making a stand against Fremantle and matchwinning performances from Ben Brown, Paul Puopolo and Ted Richards were among the highlights from the weekend.

As for the lowlights, Port Adelaide talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk and several Eagles went missing.

MARK ROBINSON looks back at the good, the bad and the ugly from Round 5.

LIKES

1. Carlton

Stunning, gutsy, inspiring win on the road against a team that is a shadow. Plenty of inspiring performances, not least captain Marc Murphy’s smother and goal with six minutes to play and Bryce Gibbs’ 55m drop punt to ice the game. They were the big moments.

RE-LIVE ROBBO’S CHAT BELOW

It was the smaller moments, the individual battles, which won this game for Carlton, such as Sam Rowe in defence, Patrick Cripps at stoppages, Kade Simpson at the back, Liam Jones’ goals in the final quarter, Matthew Wright and Sam Kerridge everywhere. It was horror match to watch until the final quarter and from then on, the Blues made a name for themselves. As for the Dockers, they are 0-5, Fyfe is hurt, Sandi is hurt and they’re in a world of pain.

2. Ben Brown

Five from five for the Kangaroos and all is ready for a, yes, Friday night blockbuster against the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium. Much has been written about their experience, about Boomer and Goldstein and Waite and Higgins, but there’s two players who have improved the Kangas from last year. One is Daniel Wells. The other is Ben Brown. In just his 38th game, and at 200cm, he kicked four goals and appears to have further improved his agility and his hands. He looms as a major player this campaign.

Roos forward Ben Brown is developing into a serious player. Picture: Getty Images

3. Dangerfield/Selwood

Yes, they are not a two-man team, but when these two get to work, the impact on Geelong is profound. The Cats won the quinella — contested ball (165-126) and clearances (46-34) — and together they supplied 32 contested numbers and 18 clearances. They were whopping numbers, but perhaps even more impressive was the 12 tackles to Mark Blicavs, a bloke standing 198cm.

4. Toby Greene

His difficult journey for the GWS forward hasn’t been fully documented and there was perhaps a time he was running out of front-office supporters. Yet, it’s games like Sunday’s why the club persevered. It was 32 disposals, nine marks, 10 inside 50s, four goals, as many behinds and five score assists. He can still butcher it (six clangers), but he combines competitiveness with footy smarts. Probably his best game for the club.

Ted Richards celebrates a goal against the Eagles. Picture: Getty Images

5. Ted Richards

Really, 130 ranking points? That would be a first and the strange thing is Teddy played like it was 160 points. Criticised the week before against Adelaide, as being too slow and old, as was Heath Grundy, the pair was outstanding against the Eagles.

In sometimes heavy conditions, Richards took 10 marks, six of which were contested, including a hangar. Maybe the conditions helped with their so-so pace, but Richards was also assured with ball. Opposed to Kennedy, Darling, sometimes Nic Nat, Richards had 22 disposals at 86 per cent efficiency. Clearly BOG and clearly had a licence to go for his marks.

6. Shaun Burgoyne

So much has been said about Cyril Rioli not fumbling and getting the ball to Sam Mitchell, who squeezed the kick to Paul Puopolo, who was fortunate to get a free kick for in the back because he went to ground and Brodie Smith did all he could not to fall on him. Anyway, it all started with Burgoyne’s crunching tackle which enabled Rioli to win the loose ball. It was perfect because if Burgoyne also took the ball out of bounds in the tackle, the Hawks would have lost. It was one of his 11 tackles for the night.

7. Poppy

Puopolo has to get the three Brownlow Medal votes — which would be his first votes. Twenty-three disposals, 17 contested, a sprint-off goal, the matchwinning goal and five goals all up didn’t even get a mention when he was interviewed by Richo post-match. This was all about Shaun Burgoyne which says plenty about Poppy and plenty about Hawthorn and their culture.

8. Pick a player

Go on, look at the Bulldogs on Saturday night and pick a player you like. You could name 15. Tom Campbell (five contested marks) and Jordan Roughead in the ruck, the bevy of midfielders led by Stevens (34 disposals), Wallis (33) and Hunter (32) and small forwards McLean and Dahlhaus. What about old man river Boyd at the back? “They hit the contest hard and they run forward hard and defensively,’’ Justin Leppitsch said. “They really are a complete team.”

Paul Puopolo charges to another goal. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

9. Nick Riewoldt

Against the flow for the much of the game and roaming from key forward, through the middle and to deep defence, the skipper was outstanding. Gathered a triple double with 15 kicks, 10 handballs and 11 marks and kicked four goals. It was a desperately poor final 30 minutes from the Saints, which is makes them as frustrating as any team in the competition.

DISLIKES

1. Port Adelaide

Talked tough in the build-up, played tough in the first quarter, and then it got all too hard. Mentally fragile when Dangerfield, Selwood and Guthrie put their heads over the ball and Corey Enright said not tonight boys. All this talk about the players being upset at what the president said is hogwash. It wasa disgrace last week. It smacks of players looking for excuses. No excuses on Saturday night, no excuses for Wingard, Gray, Westhoff, Hartlett and Dixon who, as leaders, were missing. What has happened to Hartlett?

2. Tom Jonas bashing

Jonas had committed to the contest and even if he knew Dangerfield would be collateral damage, so what. We ask forwards to hit backs every weekend and cause trouble and Jonas did just that. The brawl will reap as much as $30,000 and while there’s a reluctance to say it was good for football, no one was hurt, no one was flushed with a king hit, it was just bodies crashing in.

3. Chris Scott

Should have not got involved with an opposition player in such a heated confrontation. As said, there was flag flying and Port wanted to make a stand and Geelong stood strong, but that’s no place for officials. Scott said in the post-match he was indicating to Hamish Hartlett to settle down, and we have to take him on his word. The AFL, however, should investigate what occurred and the result could be a suspended fine for the Cats coach.

4. Brodie Smith

He didn’t lose the game, yet he supplied the momentum killer. Three goals up with five minutes to play, he missed a 30m pass to Paul Seedsman, who dived, couldn’t contain it and Ben Stratton picked it up and whistled dixie. The Hawks went bang, bang, bang with three goals and although teammates also made mistakes, it was Smith’s error which gave Hawks the game changing possession.

5. Jetta and friends

While Tom Papley buzzed around his forward 50m, putting the head over the ball, four Eagles didn’t near enough have the impact. This was a ground-ball day and Brad Hill, Lewis Jetta and Mark LeCras failed to contribute. Jamie Cripps worked hard, but one goal from the four of them was one area where the Eagles struggled. It was another poor effort on the road from the premiership fancy.

6. Brisbane

They are a bloody frustrating team. Smacked by 50 in the contested ball and lost the inside 50 count by 40 — what an annihilation against a team some people were wondering how they would handle the loss of Murphy, Johannisen and then Suckling on the day. Coach Justin Lepptisch spoke about the mental side of the game and the topsy turvy nature of youth. Yes, but what about Rockliff, Zorko, Martin, Hanley, Robinson, Bastinac, Bell and Rich? That’s the midfield and they got pumped.

Travis Cloke playing with Collingwood’s VFL team. Picture: Mark Dadswell

7. Travis Cloke

He hoped he “had tickets in the bank”, but positions in football teams are about current performance and not what happened last year or the year before, or in Trav’s case, four years ago. He is an $800,000 player who played VFL on Sunday and the way Collingwood was using him (not a target) combined with a lack ball-getting ability himself, meant coach Nathan Buckley made the right decision. Cloke is not going to be in Collingwood’s next flag team so if a new club is interested him, or Cloke fits, it might not be a bad idea. On a reduced contract, of course.

8. Ben Cunnington

Looked ordinary and only Cunnington knows if he intentionally dropped the knees into the back of Gary Ablett who was on the ground. Dermott Brereton called it untidy and in his heart believed it to be an illegal action. Tend to agree. Cunnington didn’t use his arms to protect himself from falling and simply fell knees first. For a player who might have the best hands in the game, to not use them in this case was indeed untidy. Expect the match review panel to give him a week.

9. Umpires

Understand and accept the reasoning about dumping players on their heads in tackles, but we still can’t take aggression out of the game. Alex Sexton was pinged for tackling Ben Jacobs over the boundary line in the second quarter on Saturday evening. It was a hard tackle, Jacobs’ head did not touch the ground, yet it was adjudicated as dangerous and the Kangas won the ball. There were about 1500 tackles laid at the weekend, many of them having the potential to hurt players as much as Sexton’s was thought to.

BEST TWEETS

@PlebRoryAFL: like North - top of the ladder dislike - another rule of the week, blocking in the marking contest #softfrees

@bennypeters17: like: everything about the Giants, dislike: Port Adelaide’s discipline

@aidanpauna: Like: Ted Richards. Written off and then responds with best on.Dislike: Swans fans. Did we not learn anything?

‏@jordanrhysallan: L: Attacking footy, Nathan Wilson run, Jezza returns; D: Ross Lyon footy, WC Josh Kennedy against good teams #flattrack

@mike_ballem: Like: Dangerfield/Selwood 2nd qtr Dislike: Robbie Gray.Spits the dummy when things get tough. 2 weeks in a row

@GrantlyAplin: @Adelaide_FC better with no Dangerfield. Are @GWSGIANTS better with no Trelour?

@SportingTruth_: You know how the game passes you by suddenly as a player? Obviously the same for coaching #rosslyon #malthouse #Pagan.

@nickydivision: dislike: Port Adelaide and their gutless win at no costs attitude.

‏@itchydot: L-Rory Atkins, knows how to get it and uses it well. D-port not living by their motto ‘never ever give up’

‏@Samm_Cantwell: dislike: umps handing hawthorn another win. Last few mins of Friday night was putrid

@Primmy8: Dear Ted making good his promise to 1yo son to kick a goal. Neg. Inappropriate umpiring favouring certain teams

@kjk0406: L: The game of the year so far #AFLHawksCrows. dislike driving of knees into opponents backs

@iburch_11: Freo docker skill level was poor. I have no words to describe today’s!!

@bradh35: Likes - potential. Dislikes - Reality. Re Saints performance today

@HaronSP: Dislike: Friday night footy ruined by umpires. Sent social media into meltdown. Those umps must be dropped.

@Twiggyflow: L: Cats youngsters jumping in the fray at quarter time. Cockatoo, Gregson and Ruggles first to respond to hit

@TimothyFegan: Don’t Like: Port, big talkers but are small walkers. They’re an average team from about 10th player down.

@LovelockHarry: dislike: St Kilda’s intensity, dare, pressure wasn’t there. Need to be consistent to continue to build

@djgolder: Well done what a win by the blues Singing the song there will be more 1st time winners in the middle of circle than outside

@Benny1277: for professional players paid plenty ive never seen a worse display of skill level absolutely disgracefull from both sides.

‏@matt_bamford: Brad Johnson is a genius...unfortunately!

@Keaysj11: are carton closer to a premiership than freo???

@henrymi58: and the media is dumping on The Power, they have won 2 games, Freo haven’t won one so far.

@bomberdi: How’s Matty Wright taking on 4 Dockers ... determination.

Originally published as Mark Robinson’s reveals his likes and dislikes from Round 5