The Tackle: Mark Robinson names his likes and dislikes from the festival of footy
What was that, North Melbourne? The Kangaroos are in a world of pain and major cuts will be made to the playing list at season’s end. Plus, Robbo’s likes and dislikes in The Tackle as he praises an underrated Magpie.
Mark Robinson
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Jimmy Bartel is a three-time premiership player, Brownlow medallist and Norm Smith medallist.
So when Mark Robinson compares one of footy’s modern-day rising stars to the Geelong champion, it’s seriously praise.
Check out who Robbo can see similar traits to Bartel in, plus all his latest likes and dislikes from the festival of footy.
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LIKES
1. Tim Taranto
The emerging Giants star is similar in stature to Geelong great Jimmy Bartel and the similarities extend to their football prowess. Yes, Bartel won everything in football and Taranto is a pup in comparison. But, gee, he has Jimmy’s traits. He can play inside and outside, he’s not super quick, he can find the ball and a goal, he’s brave, doesn’t shy from body contact, is deceptively tall and is as good a mark as what Bartel was and will get better at it. And he is 187cm and 87kg, which was Bartel’s measurements and carries the same calm persona. And like Bartel, 22-year-old Taranto is not overawed by the big occasion. He was easily the Giants’ best in last year’s Grand Final. He’s some sort of player and, at this stage, the pick of the 2016 national draft which included Andy McGrath and Hugh McCluggage.
2. Best midfield in the comp?
Dom Sheed notched up 74 ranking points in the last quarter against Carlton, which is enormous. Mind you, Anthony Koutoufides had 125 points in the final quarter of the ’99 preliminary final, which will always be the benchmark. It was a huge quarter for West Coast because the Blues were up for the fight, and if not for Sheed, the result could’ve been different.
He had nine disposals, four contested possessions and three score involvements from the midfield. He finished with 26 touches overall. West Coast is blessed. If it’s not Nic Nat dominating in the ruck, it’s Luke Shuey on the ground; if not Shuey, it’s Tim Kelly; if it’s not Kelly, it’s Elliot Yeo, and if it’s not Yeo it’s Sheed. There’s no more rounded midfield in the competition.
3. Little Kosi
There were two reasons to continue to watch Sunday night. One was Christian Petracca, who was so far best afield, and Kosi Pickett. He’s going to be something else. He had 12 disposals, which was his season-high, and was involved in six scores and, as has become his trait, never stopped applying the pressure. He had 49 pressure points, the second most behind Tom McDonald, which was enormous for a key forward/ruck. The Demons can beat Collingwood this week. They have a six-day break and Collingwood a four-day break and the Pies have a host of injuries. Melbourne fans don’t want to be let down again.
4. Hunter Clark
His final 10 minutes in the Saints-Suns clash was high-level football in a high-pressure environment. It’s difficult to pick his special quality among many qualities, but if you had one choice, you’d probably choose composed. “He’s a fabulous young footballer,’’ Daniel Harford told 3AW. Clark does everything well and has quickly become one of the generals in St Kilda’s defence. This year he is averaging 84 ranking points, 17.5 disposals, 10.5 uncontested possessions, 5.3 intercept possessions and 2.5 tackles. And he currently rates elite for pressure points, averaging 29.8 per game, which is No. 5 of all general defenders. And to think he’s only 21 and played 40 games.
5. Taylor Adams
If the game is a slog, you’d want Adams in the trenches. The Collingwood-Swans match wasn’t attractive, but winning ugly still gets you the four points. Adams is not an ugly footballer, mind you, but he just might be one of the most underrated mids in the competition. Pies fans know he’s elite, opposition fans say, yeah, he’s not a bad footballer. This year he has 111 ranking points, 21 disposals, 10 contested possessions and almost six tackles. He is a centre square powerhouse. He has won 27 centre-bounce clearances this season which is ranked third in the AFL behind Patrick Cripps and Lachie Neale.
6. Ollie Wines
It’s always written that he is gettable by opposition clubs and his interest in Carlton and Essendon last year has never really been disproved. And when he plays a game like he did against Richmond on Saturday, the Wines discussion will once again raise its head. Port coach Ken Hinkley has no doubt Wines has a long future at his club and, better still, he is contracted until the end of 2022. He was huge against the Tigers in his 150th game. He had 28 disposals, 22 contested possessions and 10 clearances and was one of three players in 2020 to record +25 disposals, +20 contested possessions and +10 clearances in a single match.
8. A beauty in Adelaide
It’s been described as the best game of the year, but what does that really mean? For starters, it’s testament to both coaches about how they want their teams to play. It was high-pressure, continuous, attacking, there were moments of individual class and it seemed the umpires treated the game like it was a final, that is players have to earn their possessions and not given to them via free kicks for inconsequential contact. Hinkley gave an insight into how his team goes about it yesterday on 3AW. He said they trained offence more than they do defence which seems to be rare in this defence-first environment.
9. Alex Witherden
The 21-year-old defender lost his spot after the Round 1 loss to Hawthorn and was not seen again until Round 9. Across the Lions’ past three matches, Witherden has averaged 119 ranking points, 23 disposals, 15 uncontested possessions, 383m gained, seven marks and four intercept possessions. During this period of time, he ranks No. 1 for marks, No. 2 for uncontested possessions and No. 3 for ranking points. The Lions’ back group has had several changes this year. Zac Bailey is now wing/forward, Tom Berry is out of the team and Ryan Lester injured a hamstring, which gave Witherden the opportunity. It looks like he’s not giving it up too soon.
10. Umpires
It is a nightmare job and fans are trying to understand what they’re trying to do. We really are. But the sport has lost its handle on what is prior opportunity and what constitutes “making a genuine attempt” when the arms are clearly pinned and a second, sometimes third tackler piles on top. The game is better for players trying to knock out the ball when tackled, because it makes the game flow and avoids stoppages, but let’s give the ball winner a little benefit of the doubt. Because right now, it seems the benefit of the doubt is going to the tackler.
DISLIKES
1. Carlton at crossroads
When do the Blues look to the future? They were good on Sunday night but they are 4-6 after 10 rounds, and face Fremantle then Gold Coast.
Finals, although attainable, are a distant destination. The Blues are the second-oldest team this round so far.
That’s not a profile of a 13th-placed team. On average this year, they have fielded the fourth-oldest team.
Everyone admires Kade Simpson. But he is 36 and has played 335 games.
If finals are out, why play the veteran for another seven games when those same seven games would give opportunities to the likes of Liam Stocker, Lachie O’Brien, Paddy Dow or Sam Philp?
This isn’t about shooting Bambi — Bambi has had a superb career — but at some stage the Blues have to look to the future while playing in the present.
2. Death of the tagger
Can only imagine what impact Greg Williams, Robert Harvey, Chris Judd and Gary Ablett would have running around in today’s football without being menaced by a tagger. Their numbers and influence would be frightening in this age of team defence. Greater Western Sydney do not activate Matt de Boer as much as they used to, while Adelaide’s Ben Keays, Carlton’s Ed Curnow, Hawk Liam Shiels and North’s Jed Anderson are part-time taggers. It’s why, if you’re fit and smart like Brisbane Lion Lachie Neale and Bulldog Jackson Macrae, the midfield is your oyster. Neale this year has had 26, 29, 32, 31, 29, 26, 30, 33 and 33 possessions. On Saturday night he had 36 touches and can only lose the Brownlow Medal if he gets injured. Coaches say tagging loses team defence, but is that worse than losing the game? What about making adjustments within the game when your team is losing.
3. What’s happened to Bailey Dale?
The Bulldogs should adopt a new theme song — Forever Young by Youth Group — because they remain one of the youngest lists in the competition and seem to be living mid-table. One week they impress, the next they disappoint, which are traits of growing up. Symbolic of that rollercoaster ride is Bailey Dale. He’s just turned 24 and played 58 games. His finish to the 2019 season was impressive. His goal return in the last seven games of 2019 was 5, 4, 1, 3, 2, 5 and 0 in the elimination final against the Giants. This season it has been 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1 and 1 goal before suffering a foot injury. He returned against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night and added another goal. He has good forward craft in a battling forward line and has the ability to be the club’s best forward but we need to see it more often. Perhaps he needs to play more as the deepest forward.
4. Essendon’s front half
Former assistant coach Rob Harding ripped the Bombers in an interview with colleague Sam Landsberger on Saturday. For sure, the Bombers would be disappointed with the exposure, but Harding’s point can’t be ignored. Essendon’s forward line is a trampoline. The ball goes in and bounces straight out. The Bombers have applied a pressure factor of 1.70 in their forward half this season – ranked 16th in the AFL. Essendon can’t keep the ball inside 50 and when it does, it doesn’t have the personnel to kick big scores. The Bombers are ranked 14th for scoring this season. And, by the way, hopes of landing Jeremy Cameron at the Bombers next year are next to none. Word is the deal is almost done between Jezza and the Giants.
5. The bashing of Max
Adelaide’s Ned McHenry is 20 and has played seven games. It’s unlikely he thought of the plan to do over Melbourne captain Max Gawn’s shoulder with every drive-by possible. The treatment of Swan Dane Rampe’s broken hand by Saint Jake Carlilse was heavily scrutinised. The treatment of Max less so, despite coach Simon Goodwin’s protestations after the match. Umpires have to step in, mainly the non-officiating umpires who are empowered to clamp down on the off-the-ball shenanigans. Either that, or the players take the situation into their own hands, as former Blue and Saint Matty Lappin suggested during the match. “#25 (McHenry) is a massive tool. He deserves to get pounded by big Maxy Gawn. Ask him out to the car park after the siren Maxy, old school,’’ he tweeted.
6. Dumb football
Playing for free-kicks is not new in football but the fact is Callan Ward’s head made contact with Bomber Shaun McKernan’s body, so a free-kick was warranted. The Giant making it happen is another discussion point. Still, the death threats to Ward make you shake your head in disbelief. But this was not an umpiring mistake. You want to talk about mistakes in that game? Try Don Conor McKenna’s 50m penalty to Heath Shaw, which gave up a goal. Essendon fans have been angry with the umpires over past two week, but make no mistake, the players are making more errors than the umpires.
7. North Melbourne
Seriously, what was that? No Gawn, no Viney for Melbourne and yes, the Kangas suffered injuries as well during the match, but this was a Sunday night horror show. The mini break isn’t ideal for any team and the Kangas made it look like a death sentence. There are holes everywhere. Luke McDonald had his second consecutive week of 30-plus disposals. They need those disposals from a player playing midfield-forward and not in the back half. He had 33 and two score involvements, while Melbourne’s Christian Petracca had 29 and 12 score involvements. North is in a galaxy of pain and major list changes are coming, we know that. It’s just a matter of how savage they are.
8. Why wasn’t Sydney fined for the studs debacle?
Because, we are led to believe, plenty of players are wearing this super-duper, dry/wet, metal studs version of a football boot. No worries. But why were all these players wearing them in the first place? The AFL sent a memo to all clubs after Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor suffered a gruesome 20cm gash to his shin, banning said boots, but that’s a little late isn’t it? Football is about doing the small things well, like maintaining a safe playing field. The AFL and its clubs dropped the ball here.
9. And what of Triple M?
Humour is a remedy for most occasions and the Triple M boys can never be accused of being gun shy when the opportunity arises. They penned a song in response to the Mabior Chol situation, which was loaded with puns about bums and penises, and was posted on social media. The AFL didn’t laugh, mind you. In fact, it was extremely disappointed. The AFL was made aware of it on Saturday night and spoke to the station on Sunday morning. The offensive post has since been deleted.
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