The Early Tackle: Round 4 AFL and AFLW Grand Final talking points
The Bulldogs’ top-four hopes are slipping away fast – and there’s one big reason why. Sam Landsberger looks at the club’s issues and all the big Round 4 talking points.
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It’s been another huge week of early talking points in footy — from Adelaide’s AFLW Grand Final triumph to more umpire bashing and the unselfish Demons.
Sam Landsberger names his highs and lows of Round 4 in part one of The Tackle.
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Randall wrecks Harris
If that’s it for Daisy Pearce – who ran through the banner with her twins – then thank you for being the first face of AFLW.
If that’s it for Erin Phillips at Adelaide – she appears certain to join Port Adelaide – then the Crows will be forever indebted to you.
Their battle was a promoter’s dream, but ultimately it was the Tayla Harris-Chelsea Randall contest which proved critical.
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Anne Hatchard won the medal for best-on-ground and Danielle Ponter, cousin of Cyril Rioli, cracked in against hardnut Shelley Heath and then kicked the sealer.
But Randall once again rendered Harris ineffective and reeled in a ripping mark running back with the flight in the third quarter. It was a signature moment from a captain in a grand final.
Meanwhile, Crows coach Matthew Clarke called for premiership medallions for players who missed out on Saturday. It often gets a run, but surely it’s about those who do it on the day.
Beware the wounded Tiger
Richmond is 2-2 having played two poor quarters out of 16.
Take out the last quarter against Carlton, and the last 40 minutes against St Kilda, and it’s hard to fault the tenacious Tigers.
Those questioning hunger levels should probably ask premiership virgins Hugo Ralphsmith, Ben Miller, Josh Gibcus, Robbie Tarrant, Thomson Dow and Matthew Parker if they’re satisfied.
Or perhaps Liam Baker, with footage of him running off with blood gushing over his face after an act that enabled a critical goal far from the signs of a 24-year-old who is satisfied with two flags.
Match-winner Shai Bolton is easing the pain of an absent Dustin Martin, while former captain Trent Cotchin’s moments of inspiration are still feeding this team.
Bolton might add this year’s goal of the year to last year’s mark of the year gong and is scarily capable of filling Martin’s boots.
You only have to look at Jack Dyer Medal votes to know Dion Prestia is arguably the most important player. Prestia won it in 2019 and, on a pro-rata basis, would’ve pipped Dylan Grimes in last year’s count.
Nick Vlastuin will return against Adelaide next week and Kane Lambert’s expedited VFL return suggests he isn’t far away.
Victory there would set the stage for 90,000 against Melbourne in what would be the biggest Anzac eve yet when the Tigers – the hunted since 2018 – will embrace their status as the hunter again.
Shinboner spirit
Atu Bosenavulagi’s turnover in the final minute when he should’ve pumped it inside 50m will get replayed over and over. But before that there were countless reference points for what North Melbourne must stand for this season.
In the last quarter, Jaidyn Stephenson chased down Justin McInerney, Luke Davies-Uniacke chased down Errol Gulden, Bailey Scott executed a defensive spoil in a two-on-one and Cameron Zurhaar fearlessly crashed into Paddy McCartin.
Throw in Aiden Corr’s goalkeeper efforts to stop a Chad Warner snap, Ben McKay’s concentration to get a finger on Lance Franklin’s snap and Jason Horne-Francis’ first half – he had 16 disposals, five clearances, four tackles and almost a hanger – and there was plenty of Shinboner spirit.
Not since Chris Judd, and perhaps Matt Rowell, has a draftee arrived so ready and with a man’s body.
Jack Ziebell looked grumpy in an undersized Round 1 duel against Jack Gunston. On Saturday, he kicked five goals and gave away perhaps the assist of the year to Kayne Turner.
The Roos were desperate and did everything but bank the points. Importantly, they delivered the turnaround coach David Noble had demanded. Funny what happens when you’re switched on.
Pussy Cats Scott game
The narrative around Geelong’s dozen 30-year-olds needs a rethink.
The only way the Cats were going to improve from 2021 was on their kids and that’s exactly what is happening.
Brandon Parfitt, Jack Henry, Tom Atkins, Brad Close, Tyson Stengle, Max Holmes, Gryan Miers, Mark O’Connor, Zach Guthrie and Quinton Narkle have all played less than 100 games. No wonder coach Chris Scott agreed to a contract extension last October.
De Koning might be the pick of the litter. On Friday night Tom Stewart – “as pale as a ghost” after a bout of gastro – stepped out of the backline and De Koning stepped up. The 204cm athlete roped in four contested marks in defence and five intercept marks.
Last week, De Koning the forward set up three last-quarter goals, with his sweeping handballs showcasing super vision.
Talk about 200cm brothers and everybody thinks of the King twins.
Well, let’s not forget about Tom (Carlton) and Sam De Koning, who look like they could be anything and in any position. It’s a remarkable family. Dad Terry played 31 games for Footscray and had 10 kids, which includes these two AFL stars on the rise, a nurse, a doctor and a firefighter.
Unselfish Dees
Ask Michael Voss what stood out about Melbourne’s march to glory last year and he will point to the selfless language seeping out of the club.
That’s why James Jordon was mobbed after he sprinted 100m to get a finger on Sam Mayes’ snap following Mitch Georgiades fluffed an open goal as Port Adelaide remained goalless midway through the third quarter.
Flanking Jordan were Jayden Hunt and Angus Brayshaw, all desperate in defence. Kozzie Pickett playing like Cyril Rioli and Luke Jackson playing like no one before him attract attention, but it was that mindset makeover that morphed Melbourne into this mighty beast.
Steven May feared midfielders like Brayshaw, who were squeezed into the backline, would react angrily.
Instead, they studied vision and embraced the challenge. The undisciplined Dees received a wake-up call in pre-season against Carlton and then lost most of their backline, but a month in they are miles ahead of the pack.
Undefeated trickster Jake Bowey exemplifies the change – he is 11-0 with a premiership medal. After 11 games Christian Salem was 3-8, Tom McDonald 2-9 and Jack Viney 1-10.
If it was once the ‘Unsociable Hawks’ it is now the ‘Unselfish Dees’.
DISLIKES
Powerless plan
Port Adelaide’s irascible supporters sing Never Tear Us Apart – yet that is exactly what coach Ken Hinkley did to his own game plan.
On Thursday night, it was shredded and replaced by keepings-off tactics that would’ve been better served to treat insomnia than to conquer Melbourne. It was if Port conceded, ‘We can’t beat Melbourne, let’s just try to hang in there and kill the clock’ with the white flag tied to the pole before the match started.
Even more alarming is the midfield staleness. Last year, Port bullied the easy-beats and were belted by Geelong, Melbourne, Brisbane Lions and the Western Bulldogs twice.
So where is Connor Rozee? Kane Cornes regrets potting Carlton’s decision to pick Sam Walsh over him and 2019 Rising Star judge Luke Darcy probably regrets voting for Rozee over Walsh. Rozee is having an invisible season, beaten by Jake Bowey on Thursday, but he has not attended a single centre bounce in the past two weeks.
It’s a tough gig playing as the cream when the cake appears dry. Might be time to freshen up the ingredients?
Wasteful Dogs kick away top four hopes
Western Bulldogs have registered 16.43 from their past 59 scores.
Plenty others – like Josh Dunkley’s set-shot that floated out on the full – have failed to score.
There have been more behinds than a nudist beach and, at 1-3, the problem is they have almost kicked away their top-four hopes.
Coach Luke Beveridge might have bucked the trend by winning a premiership and making last year’s Grand Final without the double chance, but he knows that’s not going to cut it again this year.
On Saturday night against a slick and ferocious Richmond, they fluffed 2.10 from set-shots.
Is it contagious? This curse started with seven-straight behinds to sabotage hopes of comeback win against Carlton in Round 2.
Is it coaching?
Forwards coach Ash Hansen – who is so highly-respected he might soon be a senior coach – departed for Carlton last year, replaced by rookie Matt Spangher.
Spangher was a premiership defender at Hawthorn better known for his cult hero status than his forward craft.
Is it personnel?
Injured spearhead Josh Bruce (48.21 last year and 233.124 in his career) is a deadeye dick while Aaron Naughton (8.8 this year) cut his teeth as a defender and sidekick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is still a baby.
Or with a bottom six that includes Anthony Scott, Lachie McNeil, Louis Butler, Laithan Vandermeer and Mitch Wallis is this Dogs outfit just not good enough?
Gold Coast giveaways
Will Brodie joins Jack Martin (Carlton), Jarryd Lyons (Brisbane Lions) and Hugh Greenwood (North Melbourne) as players Gold Coast has gifted away for either nothing or next to nothing.
The circumstances vary for each of them, but the common denominator is that all four are thriving at their new homes.
The AFL wouldn’t like that, and the curious case of Will Brodie will command headlines this week.
The 23-year-old Shepparton boy was the No.9 draft pick in 2016 but managed just 25 games in five seasons at Gold Coast, none where he looked anywhere as damaging as Saturday night.
You wonder how Brodie could remain locked out of the Suns’ midfield yet gather 37 disposals (20 contested), five tackles, six clearances and probably three Brownlow Medal votes in just his fourth game at Fremantle.
The Suns – so desperate to improve player retention – contracted Brodie on around $500,000 for 2022 in a deal signed back in 2019, and then became so desperate to dump that cash off their books that they let him go for almost no return.
While the Suns were able to cleverly move a second-round selection into the 2022 draft, Fremantle secured an Adam Cerra replacement plus pick 19 (used on slider Mathew Johnson) for giving up their future second-round pick.
Pies taxing themselves
Forget the soft cap’s luxury tax, it is Collingwood’s taxing gameplan that is proving costly right now.
Fun to watch but fatiguing to play, the Magpies have been outscored 13.5 (83) to 2.7 (19) in final quarters over the past three weeks.
They hunt, harass, chase, tackle and place every opposition possession under more pressure than Aaron Sandilands’ thongs.
But as Geelong coach Chris Scott said on Friday night after last week’s 50-point turnaround: “Collingwood play a style that’s very, very hard to maintain”.
The Magpies recruited fitness boss Jarrod Wade from South Sydney Rabbitohs and in fairness they should’ve been 50 points clear of the Cats and five goals clear of West Coast.
Brody Mihocek channelling Tony Modra nearly got them out of jail on Saturday. But when they don’t land a knockout punch – which they should’ve done in both of those matches – they are vulnerable to counter-attacks.
That will only be magnified off a five-day break against Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Thursday night.
Perhaps they need to find a way to play tempo footy and conserve energy at stages within games. Mind you, that was easily Eagles coach Adam Simpson’s greatest victory since the 2018 premiership.
Umpire bashing
It was daylight robbery when Brisbane Lions visited GMHBA Stadium last year, whereas Friday night was barely a pickpocket.
Yes, Tom Hawkins got away with one when he shoved Harris Andrews in the back in last quarter.
Yes, Zach Guthrie could’ve been pinged for holding the ball rather than getting paid a free for holding the man later in the term.
But umpires are human and players make plenty more mistakes.
Just ask Cameron Rayner, who tried to pump the Sherrin over the construction site when he should’ve calmly snapped to put Brisbane within striking range.
We’ve all been guilty of bashing umpires, but Geelong – unlike last year — thoroughly deserved this victory. Champion Data’s expected scores read 89-61. Move on.
Girls need support
Clubs fear AFLW players will go unsupervised next season when they put in extra hours that can’t be resourced. That’s potentially a major problem.
Players currently put in 20-25 hours each week but are only paid for 15. Survey feedback detailed to clubs on Friday also revealed they feel undervalued and a burden to the industry.
It’s not right. Mother-of-three Erin Phillips slept in a caravan for three weeks before Saturday’s Grand Final to dodge Covid because this means the world to her.
The AFLPA will propose an hourly rate of $68.78, which is the base salary for men’s players on a primary list.
The Sunday Tackle can also reveal players are pushing for 12 home-and-away games and a four-week finals series next season, 14 home-and-away games in 2023 and a full home-and-away season and full-time professionalism in 2026.
This season was nine home-and-away games and three weeks of finals. But the AFL needs to find extra cash for players and extra cash for clubs to cater for them.
Men’s players pocket 28 per cent of AFL revenue and will fairly argue there’s 72 per cent of the pie leftover to find that money before they put their hands in their pockets.
Poor finals crowds won’t help the AFLW naysayers. Only 6403 attended the MCG for Melbourne’s preliminary final win, while 16,712 were at Adelaide Oval on Saturday for the big one – a steep drop on 53,034 three years ago.
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Originally published as The Early Tackle: Round 4 AFL and AFLW Grand Final talking points
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