The Tackle: Alan Richardson, St Kilda in the line of fire as Robbo lists his likes, dislikes from Round 12
UMPIRE Ray Chamberlain is copping it again after conversations with Richmond players were picked up by TV microphones — but Robbo says he did nothing wrong. Plus which Demons were missing in action on Queen’s Birthday? LIKES AND DISLIKES
Mark Robinson
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mark Robinson. Followed categories will be added to My News.
ST KILDA has now gone 11 rounds since its last win and the heat on coach Alan Richardson is becoming unbearable.
The Saints’ terrible display against Sydney tops Mark Robinson’s dislikes for Round 12 so far, with Gold Coast, Richmond’s misfiring midfield and the GMHBA Stadium also fence in the gun.
QUIRKY: 10 THINGS YOU MISSED THIS WEEKEND
AFL DAILY: ALL TODAY’S BREAKING FOOTY NEWS
ROBBO: WHY NOT COLLINGWOOD?
On the positive side of the ledger are Gary Ablett, Adam Saad and Heath Shaw.
See all Robbo’s likes and dislikes below, plus why we should lay off Alex Rance and ‘Razor’ Ray Chamberlain.
WHAT I DISLIKE
1. DEMONS MIA
Big name, big non-attendance from a bevy of Melbourne players who have dominated in the past six weeks. Christian Petracca’s trajectory has stagnated, Jesse Hogan couldn’t find it, neither could Jake Melksham, and the coach Simon Goodwin might have to make a decision between Jordan Lewis and Bernie Vince, two players exposed at least yesterday by their pace. Queen’s Birthday was a reality check for Melbourne and there are now strong doubts about the Dees’ legitimacy for a top-four finish.
2. ST KILDA
There’s always a game when the worries become serious questions and if it wasn’t on Saturday night for St Kilda, it will be if it loses to Gold Coast Suns in the twilight on Saturday. Saints coach Alan Richardson said on 3AW: “We’re all on notice.’’ One win, a draw and 10 losses is a diabolical predicament for Richardson, his players and the administration, which enthusiastically reappointed him at the end of last year until the end of 2020. The first quarter against Sydney was a coach-killing 27 minutes of football. If not for the response after quarter-time, the noise from St Kilda fans would be even more pointed and desperate. It might be anyway. The Saints, led by president Peter Summers and chief executive Matthew Finnis, have thus far supported Richardson to the hilt, but football is a fickle business. It’s also a reality business. A loss to the Suns leading into the Saints’ bye should also lead to a brutal review of the first half of the season, if it hasn’t already started, by new football boss Simon Lethlean.
3 YES, IT’S THAT SERIOUS
Richardson knows the drill because he’s seen it before. Football is a winning business and if you can’t get your team to win or be competitive or have a game style which is not a conduit to both, questions come and decisions are made by the club or by the coach. The Saints want Richo, but Richo and his team are not living up to his end of the deal. Could he be sacked? Despite the support from Summers and Finnis, there’s always a tipping point, so the answer is yes. A win against the Suns is a must. A couple of wins after that against Carlton (Round 17), Western Bulldogs (Round 20) and Essendon (Round 21), would make it a five-win season. He’d probably keep his job if that happened. Probably.
4. SO, WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY?
It was repetitive capitulation in the first quarter: Clearance, inside-50m, goal. Do it again. The Swans scored 10 times from 13 entries against lacklustre pressure from the Saints. St Kilda was thought to be a high-pressure team but is ranked 17th this season. How Buddy Franklin was allowed so much space and one-on-one activity was mind-boggling when plans would have put in place defensively. The review of that first quarter will be brutal.
5. LET’S NOT IGNORE THE SUNS
That was pitiful against GWS Giants, but let’s not be stupid and suggest the AFL shut down the club at the end of the season and shuffle the license to Tasmania. It won’t happen. The AFL won’t ever admit it was wrong, or it didn’t properly facilitate the introduction of the team in the first place, but they can concede it is failing miserably and the Suns need help, most likely with draft picks. Expect an uproar from rival clubs if that happens, but what is the alternative? Watch them wither. Watch them lose their captain. Watch those same rival clubs raid their young talent. This is an almighty mess.
6. SO, WHAT HAPPENED?
The Suns played bruise-free footy against a team not exactly known for its bruising footy. It was horrible in every way. Had just six scoring shots — they had just five scoring shots against Port Adelaide in Round 23 last year — and no other team has had fewer than six scoring shots in a game since 2011. Lost contested footy by 51 (it looked like 101) and lost the ground ball by 47. Both these differentials were the worst in their history and adds to the belief the Suns have never been at a lower ebb since their inception.
7. RICHMOND’S CONTEST WORK
No Dusty, no Richmond is extreme commentary. But when your best player is not playing, clearly there is an impact. The Tigers got smashed around the contest on Friday night, losing the contested footy by 34, which was their second-worst result for the year. (Their worst was against Adelaide in Round 2). They lost the ground ball by 15, which was only the second time they have lost this category this year. (also against Adelaide). Best they finish top two and avoid Adelaide Oval methinks.
8. FENCES THAT ATTACK
Ridiculous situation at Geelong on Saturday when North Melbourne skipper Jack Ziebell was forced from the ground with cut knees after running into the LED lights. You’d think the AFL grounds operation people would ensure all grounds were safe for the players after the debacle at Perth’s new stadium. What is the Players Association doing about this?
9. RANCE BASHING
Even the official AFL twitter stream was encouraging commentary of an incident when Rance was bumped by Charlie Dixon and was flung forward, which prompted more claims he dived. What a joke of an accusation. Life’s comfortable at home on the couch, or at the bar at the pub, or behind a keyboard. It wasn’t a dive. Get over the Rance bashing.
10. SAME SAME ON THE EXCLUSION ZONE
Said it last week and the confidence is still shaken about the policing of the exclusion zone. It would appear hit and miss across all games, particularly when pinging players who are not impeding the player with the ball. It is a minor complaint, and suspect it will be nothing compared to the critics of the goal review. The decision not to award Essendon’s Jake Stringer a goal at the Gabba was gobsmacking after the umpire called touched and the reviewer overruled.
WHAT I LIKE
1. ADAM TRELOAR
Continues to be the most consistent of the Magpie midfielders after having 32 disposals yesterday, his eighth 30-plus game of the season (including two over 40). Surely in the All-Australian conversation. Against the lamentable Dees, Treloar played a step off the contest and burnt them with his spread. He is in the best form of his career.
2 OLLIE WINES
Gotta love Ken Hinkley’s confidence in Wines. He is 100 per cent certain Wines will re-sign with Port Adelaide and, for Hinkley’s sake, let’s hope he’s right. He will be. Reputation is enhanced depending on the opposition and Wines was in the middle of everything against the might of Richmond’s pressure on Friday night. He was best afield ahead of Jared Polec with a game-high ranking points (145) contested possessions (16), metres gained (687) and inside-50s (10). The key stat there was metres gained. He’s not a run and carry player, he’s a bull at the contest and he willed his way to be the game leader in ground taken.
3 MARK BLICAVS
Geelong coach Chris Scott has looming selection headaches in the back half. Blicavs kept Ben Brown scoreless on Saturday — with a little help from his defensive teammates — and Brown didn’t take a mark inside 50m. Fair effort, that. The problem for Scott will be determining how to best use Harry Taylor and Lachie Henderson when they return from injury. Blicavs stays at full-back, Taylor gets a gig, so Henderson is the quandary. Maybe he automatically replaces Jack Henry and we move on, or maybe Henderson is moved forward now that Aaron Black will miss with a knee injury. Whatever happens around him, Blicavs is staying at full-back.
4. GAZZA EMBARRASSED MOSTLY EVERYONE
It was Gary Ablett’s best game of the season after his worst game four weeks ago, and he was one of the main reasons why the Cats beat North Melbourne on Saturday. The other reason was Geelong’s pressure and defence. The Kangas were the No. 1 pressure team in the competition and the Cats belted them (191-178) and beat North at ground balls by 19. But, again, it was their ability to restrict the opposition scoring. The Cats are conceding 66.7 points per game and since Round 4, it has been 54.8 points per game. As for Gazza, he equalled Sam Mitchell on 121 for most 30-plus disposals in a game. They are followed be Robert Harvey (118), Dane Swan (108), and Greg Williams and Scott Pendlebury both on 96
5. DOES CHRIS SCOTT GET ENOUGH CREDIT?
Seems to be a love-hate relationship between Scott and some Cats fans. Geelong loses and it’s Scott’s fault. Cats win and the players did it. They started the season 1-2 and lost Gazza in Round 3 to a hamstring injury. Have missed Harry Taylor, Lachie Henderson and Nakia Cockatoo and have virtually played 10 players with fewer than 50 games every week and don’t get excuses like other clubs do for playing so much youth. The result: Since Round 3 Geelong is 7-2 and in contention for a top-four finish. Pretty good effort.
6. BOMBERS KIDS AND ADAM SAAD
Hardly a spectacle at the Gabba — the goalkicking might have been the worst between two teams this season — but the positives were the four points and the new faces for the Bombers. Saad had his best game since joining the club, underpinned by some blistering and bewildering gallops from half-back, while a clean Mason Redman (24 disposals) and Matt Guelfi (17 disposals, one goal) won’t be out of this team anytime soon. By the way, the clash between Dyson Heppell and Luke Hodge, which concussed Heppell, shouldn’t be a concern for Hodge.
7 HEATH SHAW
Could take your pick from a bunch of Giants, led by Jeremy Cameron’s six goals and 26 disposals and any one of six midfielders who filled their boots against the Suns. But opted for Shaw. Many people will remember his so-so game against Geelong in Round 7 and most likely thought the game had passed him. It hasn’t. He has lost only four of 25 one-on-one contests this season, which may surprise as he is largely known for his rebounding. Had 31 disposals (28 kicks, three handballs) and a game-high 15 intercepts against the Suns and might even sneak a coaches’ vote.
8. GEORGE HEWETT
That’s three major scalps for Hewett in three of his past five matches. In Round 8, it was Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell. In Round 10, it was a banged-up Patrick Cripps. And on Saturday night, it was Jack Steven when the gun Saints onballer was in the middle. Sydney has a great balance. Hewett tags, Callum Sinclair is a ruckman in form, Ollie Florent is an emerging star, Isaac Heeney runs everywhere, Luke Parker and Josh Kennedy win the hardballs and play forward, Jake Lloyd is a running machine and Jarrad McVeigh shouldn’t retire at season’s end. It was only the Saints, but the Swans are 9-3 with the Eagles at home on Friday. What a game that will be.
9. RAZOR RAY
Never understand the angst against Ray Chamberlain. On Friday night, all he said to Richmond’s Shaun Grigg was to stop the abuse and suddenly Chamberlain is the villain. In mostly every other sport umpires are treated with respect but for some reason in the AFL, we want our umpires to be seen and not heard when emotions are running high. Maybe stop the abuse and we’ll see less of Razor.
10. BRENNAN WHO?
His name is Brennan Cox, he played his 16th game for Fremantle and was the most influential player on the ground against Adelaide. That’s three losses from their past four matches for the Crows and their season is freefalling. No such lament for Cox. The 19-year-old will solve the key forward woes for the Dockers if he continues to kick four goals a match. No Fyfe, no Sandilands, yet it was Cox, Cerra, Blakely, Langdon, Ryan, Nyhuis, Sheridan and Brayshaw who stood up to the Grand Finalists.
Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. SIGN UP NOW >
Robbo: Port fury justified as Kenny locked in for 2025
Ken Hinkley will coach Port Adelaide next season – you can lock that in, writes MARK ROBINSON. But a certain AFL figure won’t be welcome, with the Power filthy at the league’s embarrassing overstep.
Dynasty 2.0: Do Mitchell’s Hawks have hallmarks of the greats?
As Hawthorn eyes a spot in this year’s preliminary final, MARK ROBINSON examines what it takes to become a juggernaut and whether the Hawks have the traits to emulate Sydney and Geelong’s sustained success.