The Tackle: Mark Robinson Round 14 likes, dislikes and mid-year All-Australian side for 2024
Taylor Adams goaded Mitch Hinge into sacking him after celebrating a Joel Amartey goal. MARK ROBINSON thinks Adams shouldn’t have been rewarded for ‘being a punk’.
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As we hit the midpoint of the 2024 season, Mark Robinson sits down to name his best 22 for the season to date, as well as unpacking his likes and dislikes from the six games in Round 14.
DISLIKES
1. WHERE’S THE 50M?
North Melbourne will ask themselves what happened and they should also be asking the AFL about the match-defining non-decision to pay a 50m penalty to Bailey Scott with 40 seconds to play. As much as the Kangas froze after leading by 54 points, the umpire also appeared to freeze in a critical moment. It unfolded when Nick Daicos’ soccer off the ground was marked by Scott between the wing and half-forward. Both Steele Sidebottom and Beau McCreery clearly ran over the mark, believing Scott was going to play on, a belief they were not entitled to act on.
It was a clear 50m penalty which would’ve taken Scott to roughly 25m from goal. The umpire eventually called play on – after Sidebottom and McCreary backed away from the Scott – and Scott’s kick went inside 50m, where 30 players had congregated. North can blame themselves for losing the game, but the umpires are also at fault for missing an obvious penalty. It was one of two decisions on Sunday which could decide if Collingwood finishes top four or not. The other was North Melbourne’s decision to sub out Will Phillips who tagged Nick Daicos for the first three quarters. In the last quarter, Daicos had 10 disposals and four score involvements. Unless Phillips was hurt, it was a decision they’d like again.
2. TERRIBLE TIGERS
The Dusty Show was memorable for a historic first-quarter goal and a reassuring post-match interview. In between, the Tigers weren’t up for the occasion. While the Hawks hunted and moved the ball with quick intent, the Tigers were pedestrian with pressure (a lowly 162 in a low stoppage game) and were too stop-start with their ball movement. It was a terrible let down in front of 92,000 fans. It wasn’t so much the Tigers disrespected Martin, who had a quiet afternoon himself, it was simply they let themselves down in the club’s most hyped games outside of a final. Especially so after they had beaten Adelaide the week before, pushed Geelong for three quarters at Geelong and almost tipped over the Bombers in the Dreamtime. Saturday’s performance was rubbish. They didn’t win a quarter, they had 42 entries for six goals, and after Martin’s goal in the first quarter, never looked threatening. We have been disappointed with the Tigers several times this season and Saturday wasn’t supposed to be one of those occasions. Not for Dusty.
3. BLOOD IN THE WATER
The shimmering waters in Adelaide boiled in the second half on Saturday night. The words from the head office is that the club is disappointed, reviews are and will be done and right now everyone is safe. With the season crashing into the wall – the Crows are 15th with four wins and a draw from 14 games – it’s impossible to think changes won’t be made if this season can’t be righted somewhat from now. Finals are well gone. But it’s about being competitive. It’s about being able to wrestle back momentum when the opposition has it. It’s about having a consistent identity. Make no mistake, change will come. It just depends who. Coaches? List management? Coach Matty Nicks has the backing of key people in Adelaide, but for how long? Because footy clubs have a habit of saying we’ll back you until we can’t back you anymore. We’re not saying it’s at that level yet, but, gee, the next nine games suddenly feel critical.
4. BAN TAUNTING
When Sydney’s Taylor Adams sledged Adelaide’s Mitch Hinge in the third quarter, pre and post a Joel Amartey a goal, the pesky Adams deserved what he got. What Hinge did – run and knock Adams to the ground – was an idiotic move. And what the umpire did in response, which was to pay a free kick to Adams, was the correct decision. Hinge lost it in a highly-charged moment, the umpire saw it and paid the free, and Adams was the beneficiary even though Adams was the instigator. It started when Adams sledged Adelaide’s defenders before the goal, and the umpire called him away, and it continued after the goal when Adams ran at Adelaide’s defenders flashing seven fingers, in reference to Amartey’s seven goals. In American basketball, that would be called taunting and a foul called. In the AFL, taunting is allowed. It’s not right. OK, the free kick was there, so from now on, let’s pay every free kick in a melee or scuffle, when a player is swung or wrestled to the ground or grabbed by the jumper. This time, Adams was being a punk and Hinge was sucked in. It’s time for the AFL to punish the instigator. A free kick against for flagrant taunting should be considered.
5. LOVE THEM AND HATE THEM
Obliterate Melbourne one week and be obliterated by the Western Bulldogs the next. The Dockers are a disappointment. James Aish had eight touches and Jaeger O’Meara 10 touches. They are experienced players and were helpless against the Dogs. Andrew Brayshaw is another who lacked impact. He’s been shuffled out of his permanent midfield role for Serong and Young, and is in the rotation with Nathan Fyfe (15 touches) for the other spot. Fyfe can’t play anywhere else which also presents an issue. Brayshaw had 21 and eight score involvements but his day, and in particular a moment with Tom Liberatore, mirrored Fremantle’s day. In a 50-50 contest, Liberatore beat out Brayshaw to win the ball, purely because Libba wanted it more. The Dogs won contested ball, won tackles and took 42 more marks. It was a dirty day for the Dockers when we thought those sort of dirty days were behind them.
6. DANGEROUS OR NOT?
What drives everyone mad is when adjudication differs from game to game. Everyone is on board the dangerous tackle situation. You slam a player’s head into the ground and you sit for at least a week. The players understand that, and so do the fans. On Friday night, twice a St Kilda player was tackled to the ground, their heads didn’t make contact with the ground, yet the Lions were penalised for dangerous tackles. On Saturday, Hawthorn’s Dylan Moore tackled/swung a Tigers player into the ground, the head hit the turf, and yet it was a ball-up call from the umpire.
The two calls on Friday night, we suspect, were because they looked dangerous. And the Saturday call was a mistake. In tight games, calls like all three of them dictate momentum. While we’re whinging, please AFL, stop allowing players to run 30m with the ball after a behind is scored. Bulldog Bailey Dale did it in the second quarter on Saturday. If Izak Rankine can get pinged on the wing, then the designated full-back deserves similar policing.
LIKES
1. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM
Gold Coast’s Sam Collins didn’t get a lot of love from the All Australian selectors in their mid-season get together, not what we saw in the selection show on Fox Footy anyhow. Maybe Collins was in the director’s cut. He’s in my team at about the halfway mark of the season.
He’s rated the No. 1 key defender and specifically is the No. 1 interceptor at nine per game, which is what you want from your big guys. He also had only 19 goals kicked against him in 13 matches and clearly doesn’t get enough recognition from the greater football public, either. In the defensive group Collins, Harris Andrews and Jacob Weitering get the nod as the key defenders, Luke Ryan is the mop up guy, and Nic Newman and Nick Blakey are the ball getters on the back flanks.
Newman has had a terrific season. The midfield is mostly everyone’s picks, while four mid-forwards make up the bulk for the forward line. Chad Warner has kicked 22 goals, Isaac Heeney 21, Izak Rankine 22 and Hawthorn’s Dylan Moore 22. They are the modern-day weapons: They play centre bounces and can kick goals. Bulldog Adam Treloar can’t do much more and deserves a bench spot. He’s averaging 32 and six clearances, and if his form continues, his first All Australian jacket beckons.
2. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
Great coaching can often stem from great desperation. And Collingwood coach Craig McRae was desperate at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. Down by nine goals at one stage, McRae flipped the magnets. McCreery went to Davies-Uniacke at stoppages. Howe went forward. Sidebottom was deployed to the middle and was critical.
Josh Daicos played more centre bounce. Nick Daicos played more mid-forward. And Hoskin-Elliott went to a wing. Versatility is king at Collingwood and that’s been exposed and enhanced through this period of high injury. The result was another Collingwood epic win. There’s momentum, and then there’s Collingwood’s momentum. It’s a belief gained from experience knowing that any deficit is not beyond them. It had to start with their pressure. North won the pressure game in the first half 202-183. Collingwood flipped it in the second half 212-173. It meant Collingwood gained control of the ground ball which in turn gave their forwards a sight. The Pies went inside 30 times in the second half for 12.9. It is a phenomenal return. Bobby Hill had nine kicks and kicked five goals. He was brilliant in the moments, as was his team in the second half.
3. HARDLY A CLASSIC
The Giants-Power combined for 15.34 on Sunday evening. Yes, it was a game of missed opportunities from both sides which meant the game lacked fizz and highlights. The win propelled the Giants to fifth on the ladder, and although the Giants aren’t the frightening commodity of two months ago, they are heading north. They won possessions by 74, contested ball by 18 and tackles by 10. They are good numbers. Fix the scoring and frightening they can be again. Port Adelaide has lost two in a row against Carlton and GWS and once again their game did not stand up against a top-rated team. It’s Brisbane at home this week and if it’s another loss, you can put a line through them for this year. They weren’t able to make the Grand Final after finishing top four in 2023 and 2021, so it looks a tough ask to do it from outside of the four this year. That’s if they even make it. Their game is pedestrian. They kicked the first three goals of the game on Sunday and five for the rest of the match. They would kick themselves for missing set shots in the final quarter, but it wasn’t as though the Giants were deadeye dicks either. We knew Kenny Hinkley had some problems, and they are growing and not subsiding.
4. SUNDAY REFLECTIONS
Dustin Martin was physically and emotionally exhausted after Saturday’s game. Clearly, he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love in the build up and by the reception from 92,000 fans. Let’s not jump to conclusions, but after Martin spoke of his affection for Richmond and the Tigers fans in a captivating interview with former teammate Jack Riewoldt, it’s improbable to think that Martin could play his footy anywhere else other than at Richmond. That’s only a guess. And there’s been a lot of guessing about Dusty. He was supposed to have walked away from the game six weeks ago. And he was supposed to have retired after Saturday’s game. Wrong and wrong.
The Tigers have told Martin’s manager Ralph Carr there’s a contract there for the next two years. Carr has previously said a decision would be made at the end of the season. Carr and Dusty were together for a time on Saturday night back at Punt Rd and were planning to catch up again on Sunday. It would be the perfect time to ask Dusty about next year. Surely, after the events of Saturday, Dusty would find it difficult to leave. Mind you, the dwindling output from the champ might scare off potential suitors anyhow.
5. THE UNBEATABLES?
At 12-1, people already want to present Sydney with the premiership cup. It’s foolish commentary. Their best footy is the best footy in the competition, but it’s only June. And if Richmond can beat them at the MCG, as they did in Round 4, then they are gettable. In the meantime, the Swans juggernaut continues. On Saturday night, they withstood a spirited Adelaide before putting the foot to the throat in the second half. Great teams do that. In the second half, they were +30 contested ball, +16 clearance, including +9 out of the centre, +18 inside 50s and they scored 10.7 to 3.3.
Joel Amartey was astonishing with nine goals in a team which generally shares its goal kicking. So, it continues to fall into place for the Swans. Of interest is what they will do with Luke Parker and Callum Mills when they are available. Parker appears doomed because the midfield is dominating and the mid-sized forward roles are filled. Mills will play but for who? Matty Roberts has been the sub and can tag, and Brayden Campbell is on a wing, and maybe Mills could replace them. The defensive group also looks solid and doesn’t need change. Again, it’s only June and injuries could play a role, but as we sit here, the Swans are clearly the team to beat.
6. MABIOR CHOL
His four-deal was met with some bewildering smiles. Four years for a bloke who couldn’t get a game for Gold Coast and who had a habit of playing footy on his terms and without, it seemed, wasting too much effort. Last year, he kicked 10 goals in eight games. This year, he’s kicked 20.10 from 12 games. He’s held up his end of the bargain. He’s also presented coach Sam Mitchell with a problem, which likely makes it Jack Gunston’s problem.
With Mitch Lewis set to return, someone has to make way. It won’t be Chol. He’s still laconic, he still makes mistakes, but he’s added a pressuring element to his game. He’s also a funky element to these funky Hawks. No, it won’t be Chol. It will be between Calsher Dear and Gunston, and Dear is emerging. Gunston was subbed on Saturday so his spot looks shaky.
7. THE EXCITING ED RICHARDS
He’s not your modern-day clearance-winning midfielder. Moved from half back into the middle in Round 6, he has added a breakaway element to the Bulldogs midfield. On Saturday, he won the ball 21 times and 12 of them involved scores. He is quick, a lovely kick and has maximum impact. That makes him incredibly dangerous. He only had two clearances against the Dockers, and averages only four clearances per game, but he’s not there for that. He’s a Jack Crisp type, the midfield link man.
The Bulldogs midfield group now comprises Bontempelli, Liberatore, Treloar, Richards and Sanders. It’s got a good balance. They did lose the clearance count by four against Fremantle, but the damage they created when they won the clearance was the difference. They scored 11.3 from that scoring source which was a season-high. Add 60 disposals and 1200m gained from half-backs, Lachie Bramble and Bailey Dale, and the Dogs were simply brilliant. The Dockers will ask themselves many questions, not least being who were the lazy buggers playing half-forward who allowed Bramble to play like he was Guy McKenna?
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