Early Tackle: Sam Landsberger’s Likes and Dislikes from round 1
It’s officially an alarming trend for the Bulldogs, who were shown up yet again in two important areas.
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The handy point gifted to the Blues by a moment of ill discipline, the peanuts who take booing too far and the junior soccer skills helping the AFL’s newest spoil king.
Meanwhile, could Tom Mitchell help a star teammate become a fellow Brownlow Medallist in 2023?
Sam Landsberger details his likes and dislikes.
LIKES
DEELIGHTFUL SYSTEM
Melbourne’s masterful defensive system showed it can stay online without four of its own stars and against an unprecedented test. For all the hype about the gigantic forward line of Aaron Naughton, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Sam Darcy and Rory Lobb, they managed just two goals against a backline missing Steven May. The Dees also had Christian Salem, Bayley Fritsch and Jack Viney absent from the season-opener. But Jake Lever’s first 10 minutes set the tone defensively. His positioning was perfect, continually getting his hands in the way of Bulldog thrusts. The 50-point win was the Demons’ best start to a season since 1994 – two years before Christian Petracca was born. Petracca, the 2021 Norm Smith winner, again purred against the Dogs, while Kozzie Pickett’s injection into the centre square, where he started the match, would’ve made opponent Tom Liberatore nervous. The Max Gawn-Brodie Grundy partnership was flawless and not that he was ever lost, because he’s been around for a while, but the Dees have found a nice little player in Kade Chandler. He can run like stormwater and has a nifty left-foot. The Demons can now seek revenge for their September defeats to Brisbane and Sydney in the next fortnight.
SHEEZEL SHINES
Harry Sheezel had never played in defence – or in the AFL – before, while 190cm midfielder Hugh Greenwood had surely never played in the ruck before. On Saturday, with coach Alastair Clarkson simply hoping to restore spirit to the struggling club, they played with the heart ‘Clarko’ had asked for. With lone ruckman Tristan Xerri injured, Greenwood, 31, supported Charlie Comben in the middle and put in efforts that saved the four points. The run-down tackle on Bailey Williams with the margin under a kick at the death was critical. Then, there’s Sheezel, who lined up behind the ball for the first time in his life, and in the first AFL game of his life. The 18-year-old became the youngest player this century to record 30 disposals on debut. Sheezel, shifted to a Nick Daicos-like halfback role in the last quarter of the practice match, is certain to score Monday’s Rising Star nomination and might already have Brownlow Medal votes. This kid started on Liam Ryan, marked the first entry of the match and played with class that plenty of seasoned footballers on Marvel Stadium could only wish for. The Roos ranked Sheezel No.1 in last year’s open draft and traded back to No.2 and No.3 knowing they would get him plus George Wardlaw. Where are the knockers now? Handy crowd on a hot day, too, with the Roos pulling more than 20,000 against a non-Victorian team. That didn’t happen last year.
FROM BOY TO MAN
Jason Horne-Francis often played and behaved like a child last year. On Saturday the maligned midfielder with long locks looked and moved like a man. Horne-Francis pulled his socks up, literally, and broke the game open with 11 disposals and five inside 50s in the third quarter. The last came after wrapping up Hugh McCluggage – the Lions’ vice-captain who did not touch the ball for the term – and hitting Charlie Dixon on the chest. It was Happy life, play like Nat Fyfe?
THE FEEDER AND THE FINISHER
Tom Mitchell won the 2018 Brownlow Medal and he might help Jordan De Goey win the 2023 Brownlow Medal. On Friday night they both attended 26 centre bounces – the equal-most for Collingwood – where Mitchell is the feeder and De Goey the flashy finisher. It’s a pulsating partnership and while some of the 86,595 fans at the MCG might’ve missed Mitchell’s lightning first possession out of stoppages, there was no missing De Goey. Three goals, 25 disposals and 11 score involvements for the man who St Kilda almost thought it had last year. This is De Goey’s formline: 26 and 2 in last year’s qualifying final, 24 and 1 in the semi-final, 31 and 0.2 in the practice match and 25 and 3 last night. Remember when De Goey would start games standing on the goal line as a genuine full-forward? Well, he’s now a full-time midfielder – and Brownlow chance.
PERKY PIES
Chris Scott said this last year: “Collingwood play a style that’s very, very hard to maintain and we had some confidence that if it did turn a little bit around the contest, we’d get some good looks ahead of it”. In round 3 the Cats kicked the last eight goals to convert a 37-point deficit into a 13-point win. On Friday night the must-watch Magpies kicked the last eight goals to convert a 22-point deficit into a 22-point win. High performance boss Jarrod Wade, a Horsham man recruited from South Sydney Rabbitohs, should hold his head high because these energised Magpies seemed to touch just about every blade of grass in their runaway rout. Captain Darcy Moore summed the spellbinding surge football up perfectly: “We’re not gonna die wondering. We play a lot of games at the MCG (14) and there’s a lot of space, and we’ve got a lot of guys with some great leg speed, so we want to use it. And I think the coach is pretty open about saying we want to be fun to watch.”
FROM SOCCER TO STOPPER FOR ‘SAV’
Esava Ratugolea tells his teammates that his junior days as a soccer player – where he would place himself between the goals and play – helps with his positioning in Geelong’s backline. Whatever it is, he just looks a natural defender. Ratugolea was probably the Cats’ highlight from Friday night and his propensity to fly for intercept marks was exciting. But the Cats face Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow’s Carlton next week without Jack Henry and most likely Tom Stewart (knee). Suspect Chris Scott isn’t overly alarmed at the 0-1 start and bandaged backline given the credits his players have in the bank. Plus, the Cats typically ease into season … Patrick Dangerfield’s 62 per cent game time on Friday night was less than everyone except Mason Cox (and the subs/injuries). Conversely, clubs like Brisbane – who must be sharp for its nightmare opening month – and Melbourne long plotted to hit round 1 at top speed.
DISLIKES
GROUND-DOG NIGHT
It’s been a problem for a while, and life is too short for Dogs supporters to watch Aaron Naughton kick for goal. So often his superb marks are followed by sprayed kicks. Naughton wasn’t alone. Marcus Bontempelli missed a sitter while Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Tom Liberatore also pushed set-shots wide, too. Even Caleb Daniel’s ball use became a burden. When the Demons led by 20 points during the third term they had converted 7.2 from set-shots compared to 2.5. Then, there were the goal run-ons again. Just like the 2021 grand final and 2022 elimination final, the Bulldogs were powerless to stop the rot. In one match-bursting stretch before halftime, the Demons added 5.0 to 0.0 and recorded 17 disposals to two. The Dogs had led by 11 points, and then trailed by 19 in a blink. It was triggered by undisciplined free kicks, Liberatore handed Kozzie Pickett the ball in front of goal, and then it became rinse and repeat out of the middle. The Dogs sent Bontempelli back to try and dull the deluge of entries. But it happened again at the end of the third quarter … and continued at the start of the fourth. The Dogs were outscored 9.5 (59) to 2.4 (16) in time-on. Poor accuracy and goal pile-ons are officially an alarming trend at Whitten Oval. One more reminiscent of an also-ran rather than a grand final chance.
PRESTIA HELPS PROVE CARLTON’S POINT
Dion Prestia – who was kept to one disposal in the fourth quarter by forgotten tagger Ed Curnow on Thursday night – mouthed off at a non-controlling umpire with 10 seconds left in the first half. Would love to know what was said, because the resulting 50m penalty advanced Mitch McGovern from fullback and, while the siren sounded when Adam Saad’s bomb from the wing sailed through the air, the ball somehow trickled through for a needless behind. Toby Nankervis spoiled Saad’s entry backwards and then Nathan Broad couldn’t stop the Sherrin crossing the line. Talk about a handy point. Hopefully for Blake Acres that highlights that most if not all players would’ve gone to bed that night reflecting on a moment they wished they could redo – not just him.
HENRY HATE
Loved the Ollie Henry theatre at the MCG. Hated the Instagram encore. Collingwood fans booed the “homesick” goalkicker with venom, and Henry was happy to inflame the emotions. No worries … and Darcy Moore’s lunging tackle on Henry in the goalsquare will serve as the signature moment of what was an instant classic. But the 60-plus peanuts who then jumped on Henry’s most recent Instagram post, a birthday shout-out in January, to kick him again was pathetic. Hope there weren’t countless direct messages fired off, too. This is a 20-year-old who changed footy teams, helping the Pies secure Tom Mitchell. On Henry, word from the Cats is expect him to push up to a wing or even halfback despite playing forward on Friday.
EAGLES KILLED AT THE COALFACE
Sense trouble brewing at West Coast. North Melbourne admitted its baby midfield was taught a lesson by the Western Bulldogs two weeks ago, and on Saturday those same Roos were the ones at the front of the classroom. No Eagle won more than four clearances while questions remain over the gameplan, which became outdated when chaos football overtook kick-and-control. Yes, they debuted three kids in a game for the first time since 2018 – Campbell Chesser, tackling machine Reuben Ginbey and Noah Long – but this was close to a full-strength line-up still stacked with 2018 premiership experience.
LIONS LET DOWN
Collingwood addressed its needs – securing clearance king Tom Mitchell and electric forward Bobby Hill. Brisbane added Josh Dunkley, Will Ashcroft, Jack Gunston and Conor McKenna … when perhaps the priority should’ve been on defending. From rounds 10-23 last year they ranked 15th for points against, 15th for opposition scores per inside 50 and 17th for opposition points from the defensive half – a similar profile to West Coast and North Melbourne. So it was no real surprise they were opened up again by Port Adelaide. However the lack of effort after halftime certainly was.
Originally published as Early Tackle: Sam Landsberger’s Likes and Dislikes from round 1
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