The Tackle: Jay Clark’s likes and dislikes from round 17
He’s likely months away from being the game’s highest-paid player, but the form of Tom De Koning may not just be worrying one club’s fan base at the moment.
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We’re another week closer to finals, and while the Magpies have separated themselves from the pack, it’s clear who the next two teams are in the chasers.
Jay Clark gives his likes and dislikes from round 17.
LIKES
1. BRISBANE’S FIFTH BEATLE PRIMED FOR ANOTHER BIG SEPTEMBER
Zac Bailey would dearly love to step inside the Brisbane engine room.
Even according to his teammates, the brilliant ball-winner could become one of the top-10 players in the AFL and a genuine superstar of the competition with his mix of toughness and goal kicking skill.
He sucks the Sherrin up off the ground like a vacuum cleaner, Bailey, and torches teams at speed.
But at the Lions, the little tough nut has had to settle for a spot on the wing this season after years of swapping into the forward line.
At most clubs, he would see regular on-ball action.
However, as Brisbane aim for a remarkable eighth-straight finals appearance, and possibly a third-consecutive grand final, there is some extraordinary selflessness powering the weekly juggling act that goes on in the middle in Chris Fagan’s side.
On Saturday night, Bailey produced the best performance of his 156-game career kicking five goals from 26 touches to brush aside a brave Port Adelaide to re-establish their winning ways at the Gabba.
If Collingwood is the best team in it, then Brisbane Lions and Geelong are neck and neck on the next line.
The Lions have arguably the toughest run home in the caper as they prepare to take on five top-eight sides including Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Collingwood, Fremantle, an improved Sydney Swans and Hawthorn.
And if they can remain hot over the last two months the Lions will again hit September ready to make history.
But there are more than just four big guns in the middle.
While much of the focus has been on Hugh McCluggage, Cam Rayner, Norm Smith medallist Will Ashcroft and dual Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale this year, it’s the fifth Beatle up north who made the most powerful statement this weekend.
From a wing, Bailey has flown under the radar booting 25 goals from 15 games this season, to underline the extraordinary midfield depth fuelling one of the best ball movement and clearance machines in the competition.
They can slice and dice you in different ways the Lions, overwhelming Port Adelaide at the stoppage after carving up the Cats with their short kicks and change of direction at GMHBA Stadium a fortnight ago.
And that is without retired spearhead Joe Daniher, injured full back Jack Payne, and gun ruckman Oscar McInerney.
McInerney might play on Thursday night against Carlton after battling soreness throughout much of the season.
But they get you at ground level in 2025, the Lions.
And while Bailey, 25, would privately love a bigger lick of the on-ball ice cream, unless he can pip Neale, McCluggage and Rayner for more inside action, Bailey and his mate Jarrod Berry will continue to roll up their sleeves on the wing.
Even on the outside Bailey can provide the kind of exquisite finish the Blues lack and would dearly love to secure more of in this year’s exchange period.
The lad from Norwood is in line for a big pay rise when he comes out of contract next year as a free agent, and every club in the competition will have him circled on their whiteboard as someone who could step up with more on-ball opportunity.
No one in footy has forgotten his pair of blinding goals from the boundary line against Collingwood in the 2023 premiership decider including the shake-and-bake snap which will go down as one of the best grand final goals of recent times.
Neale said on Fox Footy on Saturday night, the man taken with pick 17 in the 2017 national draft could become a genuine top-liner.
“It was very obvious out there ‘Bails’ was dominating, he was everywhere,” Neale said.
“He was around stoppage, linking up and getting forward and hurting them.
“I have always thought he could be a top-five or 10 player in the comp if he knuckled down and gets to work and he did that in the off-season and in the pre-season.
“He has come back and we are starting to see what he can really do in this competition.”
2. SPARK RETURNS
It could be the biggest comeback in the game.
When Brodie Grundy was booted from Collingwood and then dumped to the Melbourne VFL team, his fall from grace was complete as he sought a fresh start at a third club in Sydney Swans.
For one of the best ruckmen in the game and an All-Australian and best-and-fairest winner, it was a humbling turn of events.
But after a slow start to this season, the 31-year-old is once again one of the best big men in the game after a superb two-month run including a thrilling win over Fremantle on Sunday.
Grundy racked up a career-high 12 clearances, 33 hit-outs, 20 possessions including 14 contested, one goal and five tackles as part of a monster performance in the 11-point victory over Fremantle on Sunday.
Luke Jackson had stolen the spotlight with his own purple patch over the middle part of the season in purple, but it was Grundy who helped the Swans take control in the middle as the big names fired.
James Jordan booted two goals and put the clamps on Caleb Serong, Errol Gulden continued to make a significant difference in the middle since his return, and Chad Warner and Isaac Heeney shared in 45 touches.
"I just feel reinvigorated since I've come here, I feel really supported and that means the world." â¤ï¸
— AFL (@AFL) July 6, 2025
Brodie Grundy discusses what's behind his brilliant form.#AFLSwansFreopic.twitter.com/LCYc7KstHo
Mathematically, the Swans’ tiny finals hopes are still alive but they will have to win every one of their last seven games to have a chance of sneaking in.
But significantly, Dean Cox’s men look like their dangerous old selves again now that the stars have returned from injury, even though Tom Papley went down again with a hamstring.
The start of the season was a disaster which led the Swans to complete a punishment session at the beach after a pounding from Adelaide at the SCG.
But they will be a hard team to beat on the run home and the Swans are clearly out to cause some damage.
3. DON’T MOVE MERRETT
This was a pretty clear reminder from Zach Merrett.
After playing on a back and forward flank for the past month, the inspirational Essendon skipper had his biggest game of the season to give Gold Coast an early scare at Marvel Stadium.
And while coach Brad Scott said he needed him in the back line recent weeks without Jordan Ridley, it is clear the Bombers need him in the middle to be at full power.
If Merrett is continued to be played out of position, he might start to wonder what he is doing at Tullamarine even as the leader of the side which is trying to claw back into finals.
But even in a heavy 41-point loss, this was some of the most encouraging footy we have seen from Essendon this year.
Nate Caddy had some sublime moments, Angus Clarke and Archer May combined nicely in the aerial fight, Isaac Kako had probably his best game and Archie Roberts continued to look completely comfortable at the level in defence.
May has a decent hoof on him and looks like a worthy investment in the mid-season draft, while Luamon Luol won some crucial balls and has broke away from congestion with speed.
On the development spreadsheet, the screen was full of green despite going down, which has largely been the story of the season in a year with no real expectations.
4. RANKINE THE KEY CROW
Jordan Dawson could win the Brownlow Medal, but Izak Rankine is the one who looms largest in September.
The man who destroyed Melbourne with five goals on Sunday remains the biggest wildcard for the Crows in finals.
The livewire will play his 100th game against Western Bulldogs on Saturday in red-hot form after snapping his mid-season slumber with a win which keeps the club in top-two contention.
It was one of Rankine’s best games, and a return to the scintillating touch which put him in top-five player conversations.
But for all the talk about the Crows’ forward line power, their defence produced one of the performances of the season to deny the Demons after Simon’s Goodwin’s men made a strong start.
But when your offence relies on Jake Melksham, who shone bagging four goals, you’ve got issues.
DISLIKES
1. BEVO’S BIG CALL
Luke Beveridge doesn’t mind a brave selection call.
But the one this week is his biggest of the year.
For the first time this season, the Dogs could opt for a three-pronged key defensive set-up to combat the triple threat of Adelaide’s Riley Thilthorpe, Darcy Fogarty and Taylor Walker on Saturday at Marvel Stadium.
If the Dogs are going to play three bigs down back, this is the week to do it.
The Dogs are one of the most potent teams in the league in the forward half.
But there remain some defensive headaches as North Melbourne’s Nick Larkey booted five goals against the Dogs in the 100-year anniversary game on Thursday night.
And while Buku Khamis and Jedd Busslinger are options, it is the possibility to bring back 34-year-old Liam Jones for his first game since round four that will be one of the most intriguing calls the coach has made.
If he is going to get back this year, Jones, the time is now after dealing with some back soreness in 2025.
He played in the VFL on Friday night and was solid with seven marks and 18 disposals.
But James O’Donnell and Rory Lobb have definitely gone past him, Khamis has often got the nod this year, and Busslinger (24 touches and eight marks) could seek a trade if there is not the opportunity.
Ryan Gardner got the call up against the Hawks.
It was a shock that Jones was dropped at the time in round four, but in truth the veteran was slowing up, had gone to ground at times early in the season, and does not provide the bounce on offence Beveridge loves.
They are a high-scoring team geared towards offence, in 2025, and have gone smaller at both ends of the ground.
But if the Dogs are going to win the flag they have to tighten up defensively this year, as they have conceded the most points of the top-eight teams.
Larkey showed on Thursday night the Dogs can sometimes get caught out the back.
According to Champion Data, the Dogs are ranked 12th for opposition score per inside 50m and that ranking drops to 14th against the top-nine sides.
But if they can iron that out in the run home, the Dogs could hit September as one of the most dangerous teams in it.
2. TDK MIA
Carlton has taken the ruck reins off Tom De Koning.
The Blues’ star big man is likely to head to St Kilda at season’s end and has been sent forward to help cover the absence of Harry McKay.
But after looking like one of the best players in the league in the early part of the season, De Koning’s form has dropped off a cliff.
In the loss to Collingwood on Friday night, Marc Pittonet spent more time in the centre bounces (17) than De Koning (11) as the Blues got more of a look at what their ruck set-up could like next season.
For overall ruck contests, Pittonet had 64 and De Koning 31.
Clearly, De Koning is a better ruckman than forward and earlier in the year Melbourne captain Max Gawn said De Koning would be one of the players of the generation.
But currently the club is not getting the performance it needs from the ace big man who is about to become the highest-paid player in the game.
But don’t expect the Blues to pressure him for an early call on his contract as that would create the kind of scene Carlton does not want considering the pressure already on the club and its coach, Michael Voss.
The Saints’ interest in De Koning has not dropped one bit as they see him as someone who can help the club enormously in the aerial war.
Hawthorn’s Lloyd Meek had 59 hit-outs to Rowan Marshall’s 29 in the Hawks’ win over the Saints on Saturday night, so Ross Lyon desperately needs some more strength in the air.
But to save his skin, Voss needs improvement from the Blues, and in particular a lift from his leaders.
Their efficiency and kicking skills in the forward half have been off all year but it got worse on Friday night as other holes appeared.
They fell away behind the ball and their effort in the contest and pressure stakes also worsened.
Jacob Weitering might have been one of the best key defenders in the league in recent years but he has also struggled and had a night to forget against Collingwood.
The stopper is ranked number 164 in the league according to Champion Data which is his lowest ranking since his second season in 2017.
3. CAREFUL, MATT
Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell can’t use field umpires as a shield.
The Suns’ star clearance-winner is on his last chance on umpire contact and on Saturday brazenly had several close shaves brushing past the whistle blowers on Saturday.
He said he won’t change his game, but that might not be the smartest approach.
And skipping from one side of the umpire to the other in a bid to create a break between his opponent is just asking for trouble.
The league doesn’t want to suspend players for umpire contact, but the penny has to drop to some degree on this.
Rowell can still be one of the best players in the competition, he just needs to be a little more careful of the officials.
The umpires deserve some space and safety.
Originally published as The Tackle: Jay Clark’s likes and dislikes from round 17
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