The Tackle: Mark Robinson gives his likes and dislikes after a massive Round 16
A COUPLE of big names just aren’t themselves at the moment. MARK ROBINSON names his likes and dislikes from Round 16, and while Carlton is in his sights, he also has a bone to pick with Jono Brown.
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CARLTON may be playing kids, have injuries and be in the middle of a rebuild. But even with all those excuses, what happened on Saturday against the Brisbane Lions was diabolically bad.
Where do the Blues go from here?
Also, are Gary Ablett and Marcus Bontempelli playing safe football?
And, we need to talk about Richmond’s big four, which is now a big 10.
Check out all Robbo’s likes and dislikes after a massive Round 16.
LOOKING AHEAD: CAN PIES GO ALL THE WAY?
BIG CALL: WHO CAN CHALLENGE RICHMOND FOR FLAG?
UNWANTED: SUNS V BLUES — WHO TAKES OUT SPOON?
DISLIKES
1 WHAT’S HAPPENED, GAZ?
For more than a decade he was an insatiable ball hunter but at the SCG, last Thursday night, Gary Ablett was a bystander, waiting for his teammates to get him the ball on the outside.
That’s OK if you get plenty of the ball and are damaging when you get it, but if it’s neither then it’s a poor game.
His former Cats teammate Cameron Mooney said after the match that Ablett wasn’t playing for the team. It was a damning assessment, but you can’t disagree. For the second consecutive week, Ablett played safe football, seemingly content to avoid as much contact as he could and avoid his defensive responsibilities.
Maybe looking for inspiration, Ablett tweeted on Saturday:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
— Gary Ablett Jnr (@GaryAblettJnr) July 7, 2018
2 YOU COULD ASK THE SAME ABOUT THE BONT
The emerging champ at the Bulldogs has had an average year, as has his team.
Suspect he has carried an injury for some time — perhaps a groin or hip — because the smooth mover hasn’t found his groove often enough this year.
He was solid in the final quarter against the Hawks, but the game was shot by then. He is averaging his fewest disposals (22) and contested possessions (10.5) since 2015 and his fewest metres gained (332), pressure points (43.6) and time spent in the midfield (62 per cent) since 2014.
The boy wonder has stagnated for some reason.
3 WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH …
The tough guys at Collingwood got going in the final quarter, leaving Essendon in their wake. The Bombers’ six clearances in the final quarter were matched by Scott Pendlebury alone. Coach Nathan Buckley would be thrilled. The Magpies were +15 contested possessions, +7 ground ball gets, +7 clearances and they kicked three goals from stoppages to Essendon’s zip. Crucially, Collingwood’s pressure factor was 190 to Essendon’s 157. Tougher for longer is the summation and it all played out in the midfield.
4 CARLTON
Bad attitude leads to bad numbers and Carlton at the Gabba on Saturday was diabolically bad.
There’s an understanding of what Carlton began two and a half years ago and where the side is today. But what is unacceptable is the lack of fight in a match between the worst team we’ve seen for some time and the best 17th-ranked team we’ve possibly seen. Still, no excuses. The club should be ashamed of that performance. We know the pain because we see it in our Carlton-supporting friends. They can only hope “The Process’’, led by the club board, coach Brendon Bolton and list manager Stephen Silvagni, works — and by work, that’s winning a premiership in the next decade. If it doesn’t, they will be known as the darkest years at Carlton. The Blues have won two of their past 25 games and Saturday’s defeat was one of the worst.
5 WHERE DID IT GO WRONG?
The Blues’ pressure, which had been admirable, didn’t board the plane at Tullamarine.
They couldn’t get the ball off the Lions and couldn’t keep it when they had it. They conceded 147 marks, the highest under Bolton and the third highest by a Carlton side since 1999. They conceded 74 points from turnovers. They conceded a goal from 37 per cent of inside-50s, which was their second worst result for the year.
Their pressure factor was 165, their third lowest of the season.
This was an avalanche of ineptitude.
Despite losing Kade Simpson before the game, Andrew Phillips in the first half and Caleb Marchbank after halftime, all with injury, sometimes you have to go down fighting, not go down with a white flag blowing in the Brisbane wind.
6 SYDNEY CAN’T WIN THE FLAG
Not if the Swans can’t generate scores and not if they don’t fix their territory game.
The scoreboard flattered them against Geelong. The Swans conceded 33 shots at goal, their most of the season, and in the past two weeks they have managed 12 and 13 scoring shots against good opposition.
They were minus 20 minutes for time-in-forward- half against the Cats and, if that continues, their flag hopes are shot.
Add injuries, add out-of- form players and add the predictability of almost always going to Lance Franklin and the Swans are in a hole.
7 TOM JONAS
His knee injury was described as “significant’’ and we will know more in due time.
If it’s the worst case scenario it will be a massive blow because Jonas is the captain of Port Adelaide’s “no-name’’ defence.
If you ask Port people they’d argue his football was All-Australian calibre.
Jonas, Dan Houston, Dougal Howard, Tom Clurey and Darcy Byrne-Jones have been splendid as a group and rank fourth for points conceded. They are also ranked second for not conceding a score once the opposition goes inside-50 and ranked second for points conceded from turnovers.
Huge responsibility falls on 22-year-old Howard in the run home.
8 IS IT HUNTING SEASON ON SHAUN HIGGINS?
First Alex Sexton threw a minor punch and then captain Steven May threw a major punch, both of them into the midriff of the North Melbourne midfielder. It was the second time this season the Suns have tried to manhandle Higgins, with the Roo remembering the treatment he received in the Round 1 loss to the Suns at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns.
“That’s the way they go about it, that’s OK,’’ Higgins said after the game. Sexton might escape punishment because of insufficient force, but May is likely to face suspension.
9 THEY’VE STUFFED UP THE 30-SECOND RULE
Don’t blame the umpires for calling play-on when a player is shooting for goal, ala Essendon’s Shaun McKernan on Sunday, because the AFL is instructing umpires to do it. Players waste time when they’re 65m from goal and gesture they are shooting for goal, only to pass the ball off just before their 30 seconds evaporate. It’s ridiculous to call play-on when a player is about 50m from goal, which happened over the weekend. If the player is in range of goal, you can’t take away his 30 seconds, because why have the rule in the first place?
10 UMPIRE BASHING
Why do some former players hate on umpires?
The AFL would be annoyed with Fox Footy’s Jonathan Brown, who was critical of Matty Nicholls at the weekend. Nicholls warned Brisbane’s Dayne Zorko to stop swearing, which was a fair and mature suggestion, yet Browny didn’t like it. “Get on with it,’’ the big fella said. “Pay the free kick or let it go.’’
All he did was ask Zorko to stop swearing, which is hardly a crime.
LIKES
1 MR MAGNIFICENT SCOTT PENDLEBURY
Two huge centre clearances and another clearance in the defensive 50m inside the last six minutes is why the Collingwood skipper remains one of the most influential midfielders in the competition. The Bombers kicked a goal through Andy McGrath to give them a small chance, but that was snuffed out when Pendlebury won the next centre clearance for Jordan De Goey to kick his third goal. Pendlebury had six clearances in the final quarter, 11 for the match, as well as 34 disposals and eight tackles. Fourteen disposals came in the final term.
2 THE KINGS IN THE MIDDLE
There was Pendlebury, there was Steele Sidebottom and there was Brodie Grundy. Pendlebury had 67 ranking points, Sidebottom 57 ranking points and 12 disposals and Grundy 52 ranking points, four disposals and six hitouts- to-advantage. What was Essendon doing to combat them? Devon Smith had six disposals, Zach Merrett seven and Dyson Heppell five and, although the margin was only 16 points at the end, the Bombers couldn’t stop their opponents or score themselves. It was an incredibly disappointing final 30 minutes for the Dons.
3 THAT’S MORE LIKE THE GEELONG WE KNOW
The competition’s most intriguing team was beaten by the Western Bulldogs in a free-flowing game the previous week and responded by strangling one of the Grand Final fancies the next.
It was Geelong’s most complete performance of the season, led by Joel Selwood and Mitch Duncan after halftime and a bunch of kids in the forward line. If the Cats are to win the flag, they have to beat Richmond, and to beat Richmond they must kicks goals and pressure the bejesus out of them.
The Swans game must always be their reference point. The forward half pressure points delivered by Jamaine Jones (49 and he laid 11 tackles) Tim Kelly (44), Lachie Fogarty (25) and Brandan Parfitt (34) are elite.
To have all of them deliver in the one game was critical to Geelong’s win.
4 KEY PILLARS
Fair effort from an embattled Gold Coast on Sunday, but it’s tough to kick goals when the opposition’s two key defenders are among the leading ball-winners on the ground.
Scott Thompson played possibly his best game, with 31 disposals and nine marks. His partner, Robbie Tarrant, had 26 disposals and 10 marks.
The Suns kicked 8.10 from a meagre 37 entries as they tried to combat Thompson and Tarrant who set up wonderfully across half-back.
5 BRISBANE
Carlton hasn’t kicked 100 points or more since Round 11, 2016 and the Lions have done it four times in their past nine games.
It says plenty about the way they play. Chris Fagan accepts 1) they are in the entertainment business and 2) they have to kick goals to win matches and he coaches accordingly.
Footy fans who don’t have Foxtel wouldn’t know the exciting brand which the Lions play as they have only been on free-to-air TV once this year. That will increase soon enough, though, because these Lions are coming, led by Eric Hipwood, who kicked six goals and took a career-high six marks inside 50m.
6 NOT ALL GOING SWIMMINGLY AT THE LIONS, HOWEVER
Asked yesterday on 3AW whether he would play out his career at Brisbane, Dayne Beams said: “Yes … at this stage.’’ The three key words being the last three.
It was reported a month ago Beams would look for a trade back to Victoria at the end of the season, which was dismissed by the Lions. They wouldn’t be so sure after Sunday’s interview. For sure, he’s playing as well as any time of his career.
Since Round 9, Beams is averaging 111 ranking points, 30.3 disposals, 12.4 contested possessions and six clearances and should get all 10 coaches’ votes against Carlton.
7 CLINICAL FROM THE HAWKS AFTER HALFTIME
Although it has to be asked, why did coach Alastair Clarkson wait until halftime before sending Harry Morrison to quell Jason Johannisen, who had 22 possessions by the long break.
Morrison did the job defensively. Offensively, it was Luke Breust, Jack Gunston and Jarryd Roughead who did the job. Breust kicked four goals in the first quarter and cemented his spot in the All-Australian team. He has career-high averages in goals (2.4), disposals (16.3), contested possessions (8.5) and marks (4.3) this season.
Surely, he is one of the Hawks locks in the All-Australian team barring injury, the other two being James Sicily and Tom Mitchell.
8 BIG FOUR HAS BECOME THE BIG 10 AT RICHMOND
There was Alex Rance, Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin and Jack Riewoldt.
It’s time to add Dylan Grimes, Shane Edwards, Dion Prestia, Toby Nankervis, Kane Lambert and Daniel Rioli who would be all ranked elite in their positions. Add an 11th, Jayden Short, if you’re fair dinkum about ranking the best small defenders. He is the player who has made the Tigers a better team this year.
He had 25 disposals and 599m gained against Adelaide and is averaging 510m gained across the season, which ranks him fourth in the competition.
9 THAT WAS GARBAGE FROM FREMANTLE
They are terrible games in Darwin because of the conditions — “It’s like a bar of soap,’’ Max Gawn said of the ball — and when Fremantle does not turn up to play it’s a visual nightmare.
Anyhow, the Demons got the four points and some confidence, but clearly their test is still to come. They had 50 more inside-50s than Fremantle, which was the third biggest differential ever, were +48 for contested possessions, +30 for ground balls and +14 for clearances. Their transition was awesome, their team performance the same, and if they bring the same against the Bulldogs next week at the MCG, then finals look probable.
10 IN THE NAME OF RIOLI
First Daniel Rioli lit up the MCG on Friday night and on Sunday West Coast forward Willie Rioli lit up Perth Stadium with a goal under pressure with five minutes to play against Greater Western Sydney. It gave the Eagles a seven-point lead over the Giants and when Jeremy McGovern kicked another a minute later, the game was decided. But it was Rioli who broke a 10-minute deadlock, where the ball swept up and down the ground, and his calmness under pressure from 40m was telling. Huge win by the Eagles.
ROBBO’S FAVOURITE TWEETS
@mediawatcher83: any chance whatsoever a journalist might actually state the fact biased umpiring was the key factor in Collingwood’s victory today?
@midoffcricket: Scott Pendlebury’s final quarter, helping make sure his team got over the line. Great effort from the skipper.
@LittleJeff87: Dislike - dislodged in the tackle is not a legal disposable, it’s dropping the ball and the tackler should be rewarded for it
@royslions: Likes Dayne Beams 40 possessions after the week he has had. Dislikes- Protected area rule
@tromper99: Dislike -Footy journos refusing to criticise the @afl about the standard of umpiring. Never a question asked. Too scared. It’s at the point now where it’s blatant. Not even trying to pretend. Fans walking away in droves. Attendance and TV numbers down. Enough is enough.
@12thManInOz: Hate - seeing Hipwood dominate while Harry MacKay sits in the stands Like - barrack for Carlton so there’s bugger all to like let’s be honest
@carnthenmfc: Likes: Nic Nat’s mark! @NMFCOfficial win and @SM_Higgins playing great footy. Dislikes: umpire abuse.
@Jonesracing82: Dislike - ppl whingeing about the state of the game, if more teams took the game on like the Tigers do there would be no need for starting positions etc.
@davidsffs: Like: Oliver’s first 50 games. Capped it with another BoG. Dislike: the rule interpretation forced upon the umps by their bosses and the AFL, impossible to implement and just causes such ferocious anger within the stands.
@mickobrien83: Like - The Lions 2013 draft crop that replaced the go home 5. No Question Docherty, Yeo, and Polec are terrific players, but Lewis Taylor, Tom Cutler, Dan McStay, Darcy Gardiner and Nick Robertson are all well and truly holding their own up at the Gabba .....
@Rhys66278090: Dislike: the inconsistency in the umpiring within games and from game to game. Don’t adjust rules midway through the season. Just shows they have no idea they’re doing. Like: Battle for rising star. Forward vs Back. Doedee has him by the stats. Close. A lot of great debutants
@dingoderek: Likes.Masterclass from Dayne Beams after a huge week. Dislikes Media types who doubt Hodge is a success at Lions
@Nicholas04G: Like- Nic Nata mark Like- Sidebottom#200 Like Jordan De Goey last qtr Dislike Stephen May punch
@JoshElliott1985: Like : Luke Breust. Dislike : Collingwood playing with 3 extra men
@mytemp17: Dislike vehemently! That the free kick count must be equal for both teams! Surely if you tackle and play within rules you get rewarded with a free kick. Instead of a team that hardly tackled and moaned for not getting a free kick!
@PowerPigDT: Dislike - the advantage rule. The whistle is creating the advantage. Umpires need to not blow the whistle unless they want play to stop. Key decision in the dying stages of #AFLEaglesGiants that cost GWS. Umpire blew whistle GWS stopped and the Eagles got free to score.
@pikeonaplate : Like: Port not playing amazing footy, yet have won 7 of their last 8, including beating Richmond. When they start playing better - look out. Flying under the radar nicely.
Dislike: 10m exclusion zone. Farcical rule.
@vodsnsods: Like - Tom Doedee. Dislike - lack of food & bev outlets open in the Olympic Stand today. Surely they knew 70,000 were coming.
@Neil_Elvis: Dislikes - StKilda’s selections. Again Gilbert and Wright chosen make no impact. Surely the coaching staff realise playing kids now is more important?
@AFLmusic: Like - Dayne Beams’ transparency with his struggles but maintained form (esp with new Bub and wife in hospital this week). Dislike - media who judge Hodge purely on on-field output. He adds so much more with his onfield coaching and experience off field
@mickobrien83: Hey @Robbo_heraldsun the amount of people directing their dislike at the umpiring this week in the tackle is staggering ... something needs to be done.... #broken #AFLUmpiring
@craigo1974: Like... Harry Morrison on JJ after half time, overdue for Rising ⭐nomination...
@AFLPaparazzi: Dislike.. Gutless Journos that camp outside homes and clubs for nothing stories but won’t go after the @afl to fix the real issues that are killing our game!!
@ brendan_acfield: Like: Simon Goodwin understanding the need for speed. Dislike: wasted weeks that Goodwin picked teams that were slow and too tall
@85Westcoast: Like: Oscar Allens first game, never expect a great deal from a debutant but multiple 1%’s smothers/tackles/marks and never gave up. 9th debutant this year get around him!
@dionalessi: Like: Pendles carrying Collingwood home in the last quarter. Stood up when we needed a leader. Dislike: Umpires not looking after key forwards when being blocked before the contest as promised a couple of weeks back
@stevenpaul23: Next week’s Fri night football, what an enthralling game it will be.
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