AFL finals highlights and lowlights: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from the weekend

WILL the Bulldogs adventure continue all the way to a Grand Final, who plays on Buddy and what now for the Hawks? See MARK ROBINSON’s likes and dislikes + replay live chat

Liam Picken was a standout for the Bulldogs on Friday night. Picture: Getty Images.

THE second week of the AFL finals is done and dusted.

The season is over for two more teams while four fight for the ultimate prize.

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Mark Robinson looks at the highlights and lowlights from the weekend’s action.

WHAT I LIKE

1. NICK SMITH. Betcha John Longmire gives five votes to Josh Kennedy and four votes to Nick Smith in the coaches award. If he doesn’t then he’s got it wrong. To stop Adelaide, you had to stop Eddie Betts and Smith did it superbly. Could you imagine knowing where Betts is for 120 minutes? Smith kept him to one possession in the first quarter and eight for the match. Although Betts kicked three goals, the points went to Smith, who also won the footy. He had 25 disposals (equal career high), 18 uncontested possessions, gained 396m and had eight intercept possessions.

Nick Smith was a standout for the Swans on Saturday night. Picture: Getty Images

2. LIAM PICKEN. Boy oh boy, what an inspiring player. Loved at the kennel for many years, the rest of the football world has cottoned on as to why. His two finals have produced an average of 23.5 disposals, 11 contested disposals, 331m gained, six score involvements and he has kicked five goals. Don’t know about the saying that a player is born to play finals, the simple fact is Picken is playing terrific finals footy and that surprises no one at the Dogs.

3. JOSH DUNKLEY. In his 15th game, he had a game-high 12 score involvements and a game-high 512m gained. Repeat, in his 15th game against the might of Hawthorn on the MCG in a final. His goal at the 22nd minute of the third quarter kicked off the run of four goals from the Bulldogs, which ultimately was the game-winning 10 minutes.

4. ISAAC HEENEY. If Jarrad McVeigh doesn’t get up, perhaps Longmire will have to find a replacement. But it won’t be Isaac Heeney. In the two finals he has spent 79 per cent and 66 per cent of game-time on the wing, where he played his football as a junior. He had a career-high 32 disposals on Saturday night, 24 of which were uncontested. The result of Heeney versus either Motlop or Duncan will be crucial on Friday night.

Isaac Heeney dominated for the Swans against Adelaide. Picture: Getty Images

5. CLARKSON AND BEVERIDGE. The vanquished sought out the victor on Friday night in the post match and it was a terrific sight. Clarkson epitomised what is being gracious in defeat by visiting the Bulldogs rooms and congratulating Beveridge.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE

1. JOSH JENKINS. Ripper season dogged by three poor games at the end. Didn’t touch it against the Eagles in Round 23, was quiet in the victory over North Melbourne in the elimination final and was worse against the Swans on Saturday. Might’ve carried an injury into a couple of those games, but so do many players. Against the Swans, he had six disposals and zero goals while his opponent Heath Grundy had 10 disposals. Big win for Grundy.

2. WHAT WILL THE HAWKS DO? No coincidence contested ball freaks at Sydney, Geelong, Bulldogs and Giants are having a huge impact and the Hawks, by design or personnel, trail in that area. Who’s anyone to tell Alastair Clarkson how to coach, but you have to wonder if the off-season planning will be based around correcting that. O’Meara and Tom Mitchell, if they get them, will help fix an area of their game which seems to the pillar of the remaining four teams in the finals.

What will the Hawks do next? Picture: Getty Images

3. THE NUMBERS ARE INCREDIBLE. No Hawthorn player recorded double-figure contested possession numbers on Friday night, while the Bulldogs had five players. Those that thought the Hawks contested footy issues were irrelevant will need to rethink their stance. They do play a different brand, but they lost the contested footy by 52 in their first final and 50 in their second final, their second and third-worst differentials ever recorded.

Gary Rohan suffered a knee injury on Saturday night. Picture: Getty Images

4. THE PAIN OF GARY ROHAN. The setbacks continue for the Swans forward. His broken leg nearly ended his career and now a knee injury will mean he is sidelined for whatever remains of Sydney’s season. Poor bugger.

Bob Murphy hugs Luke Dahlhaus after the big win over Hawthorn. Picture: Getty

5. THE PAIN OF BOB MURPHY. We keep seeing his face, we keep seeing him smiling and hugging his teammates. He’ll never make the story about him, but somewhere deep down you’d think he’d be cursing the world. A knee injury robbed the skipper of his season, but that hasn’t stopped his Bulldogs. Knowing Bob, the joy of others will absolutely outweigh the pain of his own.

BEST TWEETS

@1966Shylorocky: likes Picken not fashionable but 1 for the trenches. Dislikes - Finals injuries, Crows fade in fade outers

@liveprimetime: dislikes: AFL doing their hardest to get GWS a flag i.e. ridiculous game scheduled at Spotless

@lzaffina: dislikes: Toby McLean continuously ducking but no one cares becoz Bulldogs are everyone’s 2nd fav team

@wollongongsimon: Dislike: injuries wreaking havoc on finals games Like: Tom Papley’s bag in big finals game, gem

@bkw_77: like: dogs grit and passion dislike: 24000 capacity for a prelim

@thatsadelaide: only like from Crows is Talia playing through pain to do the team thing

@Crooksy18: like Dunkley & Papley Sept 2015 playing @Gippsland_Power @TACCup / Sept 2016 tearing up the MCG & SCG in 2016.

@fleurbie80: I’m hoping your Nick Smith suggestion is in the like category. Like - Swans 1st years confidence

@flybes: likes- Bont, Dunkley, Bulldogs, Heeney, Smith, Dislikes- Betts, the gap between his best and worst is huge

@AlanHerrman: dislike: struggling to get a ticket to spotless - 26k capacity. Prelims meant to be the people’s round.

@ClassicCurtis: like Liam picken, dislike early draft picks leaving clubs, creating imbalance in comp

@CaelumFerra: dislike - Jordan Lewis. Went from 36 touches last week to a mere 10 this week

@MottersTCO: Dislike Clarko’s Jekyll & Hyde presser - couldn’t help himself with churlish comments. Like Beveridge = class

@livewire61073: like Kennedy’s thirst for finals, dislike swans 6 day break, dogs 8 day break. Should be 2 Saturday prelims.

@Scottland2007: dislike the ganging up by the media on Bartel. Stopped Lenny in 09gf = hero. Stops Gibbo last Friday = drop him

@thedoc14: like: the unique SCG crowd sound when the crows got close in the 3rd quarter and watch the players’ response.

@janagnostidis: like: don’t remember seeing a Caleb Daniel kick that didn’t hit a target #littleripper

@LachlanHosking: Like: the lack of negative noise from the Swans on their finals scheduling. Dislike: umpiring inconsistency

@Dezi_Ren: Liam Picken. Bont may be the Rolls Royce, Picken is the “kennelworth”.

@dingoderek: Likes;Bont knocking Hodge over when marking. Dislikes:Incorrect medical diagnosis from Dr BT/Dr Ling & Dr Darcy

@Lazlow: D: more noise about Dogs fans missing a seat than Cats not playing Simmonds. Want home finals or not?

@jasonflanagan33: likes Dogs/Bont! Dislike prelim at suburban ground.Will drive my car there, park on the fence and toot the horn

@mickeyemmerson: SANFL under 18’s woweeeeeeeee

‏@MicksDemons: Likes - Beveridge. Gun coach. Dislikes - holding the ball rule #istherearule?

@BrendanNunn: josh dunkley. Sydney let that one slip

@sam_mc88: dislike gws players sledging kieran jack about family situation as reported in the sun herald (nsw paper)

@GFargy17: Big like: Josh Dunkley’s 1st season of footy! Hardly been talked about.

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Originally published as AFL finals highlights and lowlights: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from the weekend