Early Tackle: Josh Barnes’ likes and dislikes from AFL round 24
The Bombers fought hard in the last term for Dyson Heppell’s farewell game, but the end result was a loss compounded by some bizarre decisions, that’s 2-5 down the stretch yet again.
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The race to September will draw to a thrilling close this weekend and for 10 teams the season itself will be done.
Barring a minor miracle, the Melbourne and Collingwood result will have no affect on the final ladder – but there’s still plenty of Friday night fallout.
Josh Barnes names his round 24 likes and dislikes.
DISLIKES
ROO ROLLOVER
North Melbourne should not get a pass for Saturday’s putrid showing or a terrible 2024. The Roos rolled over in the final term and the 124-point margin was the biggest loss of Alastair Clarkson 426 games as an AFL coach. This is now five seasons running the Roos will finish in the bottom two. Clarkson said post-match on Saturday the season fizzed out and the club’s greatest player agreed. Wayne Carey posted on X that it was a “terrible way to finish a season ... just when you see some improvement”. The once-proud club won three games in 2020, as Hawthorn won five and began its rebuild. In the home-and-away seasons following, the Hawks won seven, eight, seven and now 14 games. North Melbourne has won just 12 games total in that time. On Saturday, the Hawks appeared five years ahead of their opponents.
Terrible way to finish a season NM .. just when you see some improvement ?? Horrible horrendous humiliation horrific.. They should start preseason in 3 weeks
— Wayne Carey (@waynecarey27) August 24, 2024
It was an embarrassing mauling. The combined margin from the final fortnight of the season sits at 220. It’s a humiliating end to the year and Carey added more words from the thesaurus in his post: “horrible horrendous humiliation horrific”. This club needs a huge summer. “A lot of those lads have been around their club for five or six years. Will Day, Jai Newcombe, Conor Nash, those guys pivotal to their engine room right now have got themselves up to 80 or 100 games of footy,” Clarkson said.
“We’re on that trajectory ourselves, we’re probably a couple of years behind that. As we have seen (with Hawthorn), when you get some belief (things can turn).
“We don’t want to dismiss what has transpired in the back half of the year for us. For 10 of the 12 games we were really strong and competitive, just the fizz went out of us at the end of the year.
“It just happens in footy, I wish it didn’t. We’ll hang our hat on the progress we made in the back half of the season.”
TIGER TUMBLE
Poor Adem Yze has become the guy in that meme who walks into a burning room with a pizza in hand thinking he was joining a party. The Tigers have been smashed by injury and hit even worse by form this year and Saturday’s loss to the Gold Coast consigned Richmond to the worst season in club history. Never before has Richmond lost more than 18 games - in fact no team has ever lost more games in a season than Richmond’s 21, which tied four other rock-bottom teams. Finishing the season with just eight premiership points was also a new low. And the percentage of 63.4 is also the smallest in the club’s 117 seasons. Somehow it could get worse. If this team was uncompetitive for so much of this season, how will Yze find improvement if Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli, Liam Baker and Jack Graham all leave? Draft picks are nice but the yellow and black are set for a long time near the bottom of the ladder. They must hit home runs on multiple picks in November. Rioli was again excellent on Saturday and may be favourite to win the club’s best-and-fairest, yet he might be playing with the Suns next year. Instead of Yze taking over a blue chip company, the Tigers are now a shell. At least he can only climb the ladder from here. Even in their dark early days, the Suns never won less than three games. Quietly, Damien Hardwick led Gold Coast to its best ever season and the team will enter 2025 with a two-game winning streak in Victoria. That’s something but little will matter to the Suns until they make the eight.
DONS DO IT AGAIN
The result was expected but the method was new for Essendon. Bizarre choices to bring the ball back into the corridor peppered a loss in Brisbane, with champion Don Jobe Watson at one point complaining on Channel 7 that Essendon’s “decision making has just lost it tonight”. Ben McKay was at it again with a strange kick into the corridor of his own back 50, straight to a two-on-one in Brisbane’s favour, resulting quickly in a goal. It was an option that left Luke Hodge perplexed for several minutes. The only excuse for some errors could be a jumper clash between the two dark strips. Jake Kelly’s impetuous flick of the foot at Eric Hipwood after a marking attempt in the third term was a rare moment the Dons hit a target by foot until the final term. Brad Scott’s side at least fought on in the last quarter, but the margin was only close thanks to Brisbane again missing chances in front of the sticks. The Lions have goal kicking and fourth quarter wobbles. The round 24 loss made it five years out of six the Dons have lost their final home-and-away game. The average margin from those losses is 20. The finish to last year was widely panned as a Dons disaster, when the club went 2-5 in its last seven. The record in the final seven games this year was identical. Another season ending in a whimper.
HOW MANY TIMES, KOZZIE?
Sure, Kysaiah Pickett has excuses. Yes, Darcy Moore went to ground late and yes Pickett didn’t smash him like we have seen with other bumps. But the facts remain – Pickett chose to bump, again, and he concussed the Collingwood captain. For that he deserved to be suspended. Pickett has been suspended four times in his career, he missed Opening Round this year and he likely will miss Melbourne’s first game next year. The Demon has said before he is working on changing his ways but any player that chooses to lay a bump in today’s game has to know they are risking a suspension. Virtually everything has gone wrong at Melbourne from the moment Pickett bumped Patrick Cripps last September. Now instead of starting 2025 with a clean slate, they will already miss their best player for the first three weeks of next season.
LET’S GET WILD
One last rebuke for the wildcard haters before we start the debate again in a month or so when the commission meets. Instead of asking ‘why’, let’s ask ‘why not’. Friday night’s game would have sent Collingwood into the play-in weekend and both Melbourne and Essendon’s dreams would have been alive, at least before the round began. Why not add more excitement in the game? While the top six sides would get a rest next week, two elimination games could have helped boost the AFLW opening round even higher – why not have a weekend that massive before finals? For those who decry devaluing the top eight system: the value of something changes automatically when a price is updated, it’s why we keep going back to supermarkets and cop the increases on loafs of bread. Instead of having 23 games each to decide who is in the best eight, we would just do the same for the best 10, and finishing sixth would have been a huge carrot this weekend. That isn’t hard to wrap a head around. The top eight system isn’t exactly a tradition steeped in the annals of the game, why not add something – remember we don’t lose anything by putting two games on a weekend without male AFL footy – that can only add excitement? I’ve seen enough of the detractors.
ALL ON SUNDAY
We all knew going into the round that Sunday was the main event and the pressure is on the final day of the home-and-away season to deliver. Because Saturday was a shocker. The AFL back-ended the fixture to create drama and it still might work but clearly some teams out of the running for finals had checked out by round 24. Anyone wanting to extend the home-and-away season take note - more games can mean more blowouts. Remember round 22, when we possibly had the best first six games of a round ever? The average margin in those games was 6.7. This round, the average for the first six matches was 57. Yikes. Pressure is on, Super Sunday.
NO ROOM UP FRONT
He was well farewelled by the Cats faithful on Saturday post-match and now it is clear – Tom Hawkins’ incredible career should be over. Barring injury, the champion doesn’t have a spot in Geelong’s forward line, even if he returns to fitness. There is no way he should be picked above Shannon Neale, and if both were selected, Jeremy Cameron would be pushed upfield. That would be a mistake. Since being stationed at full-forward in round 15, Cameron has averaged 6.2 shots at goal per game, which would easily lead the league if held over a whole season. Legendary goal kicker Jason Dunstall wouldn’t play Hawkins and Neale together. And even Hawkins philosophically told Fox Footy: “if I fall short, we have achieved enough”. A different favourite of Chris Scott’s that may be left outside the starting 22 in two weeks time. All year it has been clear the Cats don’t function as well when Gary Rohan and Ollie Henry both play together and with Patrick Dangerfield playing as a pseudo centre half-forward at times on Saturday, there is definitely not room for all three up forward. Rohan may be left in the sub’s vest come a qualifying final. Henry could have kicked five goals in the first quarter and probably should have booted seven after he was a whipping boy from the fanbase following last week’s loss. Credit to the Eagles – and Jake Waterman – for finding some fight after half-time in an old fashioned Kardinia Park drubbing. For the Cats, Jacks Bowes and Henry have found touch at the right time. Mark Blicavs was intriguingly put in defence at stages, perhaps as a cover if Sam De Koning’s knee doesn’t get up. Will the Cats regret taking the foot off the throat in the second half? It felt inevitable they would overtake Port Adelaide on percentage at half-time but didn’t quite finish off the kill. Either way, this is Chris Scott’s 10th top-four finish in 14 home-and-away seasons. He has to be the best modern day regular season coach.
LIKES
PIES STEP UP
It is definitely an ageing list, but Collingwood’s problems this year have been more at the other end. No young players have popped and helped the reigning premier as injuries struck – so much so that not one of the four players signed over summer was on the field on Friday against Melbourne. But last night we saw some signs. The Daicos brothers combined for 80 touches but the more important contribution may have been first-round pick Ed Allan having his best game with 21 touches and a goal. Joe Richards – who is being sought by opposition clubs – looked likely and the dash of Wil Parker showed why he was hunted when he gave up leg spinning googlies for drop punts. Outside of the ever-breathtaking Nick Daicos, not one Pie aged 24 or under can sit down in an exit meeting with Craig McRae and truly say they have had a good season – Bobby Hill will finish the year with 30 goals and has just been OK. That must change in 2025 if the Pies are to rise again, and Allan made a good start against the Dees.
WIZARD WARMING UP
Amid some kicking yips this year, Nick Watson never lost faith. He isn’t yet a deadeye dick but after one-on-one tutoring from Sam Mitchell he is better in front of the sticks and he is looming as a September threat for the Hawks. Watson was everywhere early when the game was alive on Saturday against North Melbourne after being excellent against Richmond. He only needs a couple of moments to impact a game and the ‘Wizard’ is already casting spells on defenders. At one stage, Roo Kallan Dawson appeared to pull out of a tackle on Watson out of fear he would give away a high free. And the Wiz just used that space to set up a goal for Connor Macdonald. As Jonathon Brown noted on Fox Footy, the cheeky Hawks forwards drawing frees may be a “polarising” September talking point. Keep an eye on Hawthorn’s start in their first final. They kicked nine of the first 10 goals against the Tigers and 12 of the first 14 against the Roos to make both games quick kills. Just six weeks ago, Hawthorn’s percentage was so far gone we thought it could cost the Hawks a top eight spot. By the end of their final home-and-away game, their percentage was the fourth-best in the league.
FINAL TERM LACH DOWN
Some computers have already spit out the result for the Brownlow Medal and reckon the final round will be too late for those chasing a certain Carlton captain. But Nick Daicos picked up three votes on Friday night and Lachie Neale’s final term should earn him the same. When his teammates were slipping around with ball in hand, the two time Charlie owner came up cleaner than a car wash. He just doesn’t fumble, even as Essendon made a late comeback attempt. In the final term, Neale had 13 disposals, seven contested possessions and four clearances. He ended the game with 40 disposals. Some have thumbed their nose at the idea of Neale winning a third Brownlow and taking a place among the greatest midfielders of all time, but he is possibly the most consistent player of his generation and just never fumbles when it matters.
HEROES FAREWELLED
One thing footy has always been good at is saying goodbye. Geelong fans roared every time Zach Tuohy touched the ball on Saturday before rising for Tom Hawkins one last time at GMHBA Stadium. Later, Dustin Martin, Dylan Grimes and Marlion Pickett all received worthy send-offs. Perhaps only baseball can match our game for the deep connection and melancholy when it comes to farewelling our favourites. Ben Brown was given a worthy reception on Friday and even ‘Razor’ Ray Chamberlain hung up his whistle after some reasonably warm feedback. Who knows when we will see Dusty again but even his stone face showed cracks at the MCG.
SWANS SPREAD
To win the flag, the Swans will have to do it by committee up forward. There will be no superstar coming out of the goalsquare dominating the finals, with Joel Amartey and Logan McDonald searching for form. McDonald was better against Adelaide, kicking three goals. He has four majors in his last four games and Amartey has also kicked four goals in his last four. The Swans had just one more inside-50 in the first half against the Crows and trailed in marks inside 50 3-11, but led by 37 points at the main break. Sydney has thrived in chaos all year and that can work — last year Collingwood won the flag without dominance from a key target (Bobby Hill’s eight goals were the most for the Pies in September). Amartey leads the club goal kicking on 39. Brody Mihocek won Collingwood’s last year with 48. Suddenly, Luke Parker looms as a huge player this finals series given he has kicked eight goals in his last three matches. The spread up front can work - the Swans will end the regular season as comfortably the best scoring team in the competition. We will just have to wait and see if it does.
APPRENTICE NO MORE
A note for coach of the year Sam Mitchell: he has won 29 of his first 68 games as Hawthorn coach. Alastair Clarkson won 27 of his first 66 at the Hawks and now both men have taken the brown and gold to the finals in their third season in charge. Clarkson won his elimination final in 2007 against Adelaide thanks to a famous Lance Franklin bomb and you would be foolish to bet against Mitchell winning his first final as coach. In fact, you’d be silly to bet against Mitchell topping his mentor and winning it all in his third season. Of course, Clarkson got there in his fourth. The Hawks are a genuine flag threat. One stat Mitchell will love in private: he is now four and zip coaching against Clarko. Mitchell is clearly no longer an apprentice to the master.
QUICK SWITCH
Hats off to the AFL for acting quickly on Friday afternoon and moving the Hawthorn-North Melbourne clash to the start of Saturday’s slate. So often the league is blamed for acting slowly but, with help from broadcaster Foxtel, moving earlier to avoid any electricity drama was the right decision, and so too was pushing back Richmond’s clash with Gold Coast to dodge a triple-clash. Some ticket holders may have been slightly inconvenienced but it was the right thing for the majority.
GO WELL, SAMMY
Forgive the indulgence but I had to pay tribute to my good mate Sam Landsberger, who was supposed to be writing this column this week. He loved doing the Tackle in these pages, where his sharp wit and eye for footy moments – big and small – shone through. I first met Sammy at the Gold Coast airport heading into the AFL’s Queensland Covid Hub in 2020. A fresh Geelong Addy reporter, I was anxious about making friends to get through the next eight weeks and before we got to the bottom of our first pint we were already mates. Just over 12 months ago I moved up to the Herald Sun and Sammy was one of the first people I told. He was only a few years older than me but, without either of us fully realising it, he was my mentor these past 14 months. I would go to him first with an idea, a question or ask for a contact and he would invariably help me out, pump me up and point me in the right direction. A few weeks ago, I was called up to go on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle for the first time and Sam was the first to see it on the roster. He was genuinely excited for me. He messaged me every day for two weeks counting down to when we would sit next to each other on that desk and I was grateful to be alongside him when the cameras turned on. I just wish I had told him this last week, before Tuesday’s tragic accident. If you’re wondering why this item is in the ‘likes’ section, that is because this is about love. Anyone who has read the tributes this week knows Sammy loved family, footy and his friends, at work or otherwise. And we all loved him. Go well, mate.
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