Mark Robinson’s highlights and lowlights from a big AFL Round 4

KANGAS on top, May’s brain snap and dirty days for Port Adelaide, Richmond and Collingwood. Replay Robbo’s live chat.

Jack Watts celebrates a goal against Collingwood.

MARK Robinson looks back at the good, the bad and the ugly from Round 4 in The Tackle.

What were your highlights and lowlights from the weekend?

LIKES

1. JACK WATTS

Will live forever, the day of Jack’s debut against Collingwood and Sunday will live for sometime as the day Jack exorcised all demons. Kicked four goals, including two in the second quarter when Collingwood mustered a challenge. The goals were one thing, the second and third efforts were another. He will fight with Jack Viney for the most influential player on the ground and that’s not the first time we’ve said that this season about Viney. He is a gun.

SCROLL DOWN TO REPLAY ROBBO’S LIVE CHAT

2 NORTH MELBOURNE

That’s Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Fremantle in the first month and that form stacks up strongly considering the performances over the weekend. They are largely going with the same squad as last year, but there is notable adjustments. Jamie Macmillan has improved again in the back half and unquestionably Daniel Wells has made the Kangas a better team. The under-siege Dockers came at them on Sunday, and headed them in the third quarter, but the Kangas were able to respond. Good signs.

Jarrad Waite has been in career-best form in the opening four rounds.

3. THE THIRD QUARTER

Epic game between the victorious Swans and Crows and if you get the chance, have a look at the third quarter. Isaac Heeney kicked two goals, Buddy two, Tex Walker nailed one from 55m, Mitch McGovern kicked two including turning an opponent inside out near the boundary, Sam Jacobs hurt his knee, Kieren Jack had a sore head, the Swans were under siege at the back, Rory Sloane was killing himself inside, Dan Hannebery was tireless, Kurt Tippett was booed, Callum Mills was courageous, Rory Atkins ran himself into the ground and all the time, all players were fully committed to the contest. How good? Dermott Brereton said the players were throwing themselves at every contest as if that contest itself would decide the result of the game. The Swans kicked 7.2 to 6.5 which included five goals in six minutes. Game of the season.

4. RORY SLOANE

Tweeted during the third quarter: “Rory Sloane is a beast ... phenomenal appetite for the contest.” Talk about enhancing your reputation in big games. He finished with 24 disposals, 19 of which were contested in a fiercely contested match, 10 tackles, six clearances and six inside 50s. He had help from Scott Thompson, Richard Douglas and Matt Crouch, but for Sloane to lead the way in the hardball gets against Kennedy, Parker, Hannebery and Mitchell makes you think if it was best game for the Crows.

5. PEARCE HANLEY

Taken a couple of weeks, but Hanley has reclaimed his mantle of Brisbane’s best player. A spanking win, where they controlled most facets of the game, including their anger, Hanley added the class to the grunt. His run-and-bounce goal in the third quarter was electric and his snap from congestion in the fourth quarter was pivotal. Had 28 disposals, six clearances and seven inside 50s. So, Brisbane, we’ve seen your best, now let’s see it more often.

Alan Richardson and Nick Riewoldt after the loss to Hawthorn.

6. ST KILDA

Gallantry is not something to hang your hat on, but that kind of effort against Hawthorn at Launceston can’t be forgotten as just another loss. Once were warriors who lacked run and maturity, the Saints have kept the warrior attitude and now a dangerous teams offensively. Montagna, Billings, Armitage, Steven, Newnes, Ross, a revitalised Gilbert and an inspiring Mav Weller are playing top-shelf team football. They missed this one, but that will change soon enough.

7. ESSENDON

Geelong won and they will be happy to bank the four points and work on clearances (beaten 38-27) and contested ball (beaten 132-123) and move on. At the Bombers, they will keep looking at the positives. Zach Merrett has been a standout, David Zaharakis is leading the best and fairest and a 20-year-old named Orazio Fantasia, after just 11 games, has announced himself as a player. Twenty-nine disposals against the might of the Cats was a super performance.

8. RORY LOBB

Headache for Leon Cameron to fit in Patton, Lobb and Cameron into the forward line, but one thing is for certain, Lobb’s not going anywhere. In the Rhys Stanley mould, but a far better mark, Lobb is the size of a ruckman (206cm) and agile and talented enough to play key forward. This was his 15th game and arguably his best. Kicked four goals, took several contested marks, and is a match-up nightmare for the opposition.

Rory Lobb celebrates a goal with Steve Johnson.

9. SAM MITCHELL

Beating the head against the brick wall wanting this bloke to be tagged, so going the other way. A career-high 44 disposals in his 289th game is testament to his greatness. So, why don’t they tag? Perhaps clubs think they work off him the other way. But if, say, he only had 30 and was under greater pressure for the majority of them would the Saints have won?

10. LUKE SHUEY

Has started the season with 20, 25, 31 and only 22 on Friday night, yet that game was his best for the season. Had nine tackles, eight clearances and two goals and seems to be playing with more authority this season. He’s 25 and that was game 115 so he’s entering his prime.

DISLIKES

1. COLLINGWOOD

First quarter zapped them — it was five goals at quarter-time — and poor decisions after that seemed to stop whatever momentum they were building, such as Tom Langdon’s kick cut-off in the third quarter which resulted in a goal. Effort wasn’t missing which was a plus for coach Nathan Buckley, but nine goals from 55 inside 50s was a poor return, as was giving up yet another 100 points - their third in four games. Better from Collingwood but that won’t ease the pressure on Buckley or his players.

2. STEVEN MAY

Spin it, blame Gazza, talk about balance and body mechanics, and even discuss where May’s eyes were looking from five metres way, the culpability is all May’s. The fury leading up to the split second decision by May doesn’t excuse the fact May and Martin were going to collide, Martin decided to keep his feet, May ignored the ball and decided to jump, and Martin was KO’d. If May kept his feet as Martin did, we would be talking about how courageous both players were. But, no, May went old school and has to pay the penalty.

Look out! Steven May lines up Stef Martin.

3. GAZZA BASHING

OK, Gary Ablett pushed Martin moments before May crunched Martin and it was an illegal act, according to the rules of the game. But to blame Ablett for what transpired moments later, is a stretch. Would argue May didn’t even know what Gazza did and that May’s intent was already planted in his brain. Perhaps the logical result is to give May five weeks and a week’s reduction for Ablett’s involvement and let’s be blessed Martin did not suffer an injury which would put him out for an extended period.

4. MATTHEW LOBBE

The game is about momentum — so the coaches say — and Lobbe would’ve been lucky to get on the flight back home after a stupid decision which turned Sunday’s game on its head. With five minutes to play in the first quarter, with Port five points behind after rescuing a poor start, Lobbe knocked the ball out of Shane Mumford’s hands after Mumford took a mark. The 50m penalty resulted in goal. Then Johnson kicked another and then Patton another, and the Giants killed the contest with an eight-goal second quarter. The footage of coach Ken Hinkley in the box said it all.

5. PORT ADELAIDE

This was a massacre, as insipid and embarrassing as Port’s loss to Adelaide in the Showdown in Round 2. At half-time, the inside 50 count was 44-15. They lacked system, want and discipline. Charlie Dixon is low-hanging fruit, but he had three touches to the half and five clangers, two coming off the ball because he wasn’t thinking. But you can’t blame a key forward for what happened in the middle. If the Tigers have taken two steps back, Port has taken 10. Ebert, Polac, Toumpas, Hartlett, Sam Gray, Young, Amon, Hombsch were unsighted when it mattered and Port’s season, to date, hasn’t mattered at all.

Charlie Dixon flies for a mark against GWS.

6. IN THE BACK

If a defender puts a finger on the back of a forward, he is pinged for hands in the back. On Saturday night, with the margin just two points with four minutes to play, Betts kicked the first of two goals to close out the game. The first came after Betts put two hands in the back of Nick Smith and pushed Smith under the bouncing ball. It was a blatant push and the umpire should’ve called the free kick, because by not, it had a direct effect on the result.

7. THE 15m KICK

Mind-boggling. As if defenders didn’t get it hard enough, now umpires are pinging them for not kicking 15m when the eye would suggest otherwise. It was pandemonium at Launceston when Montagna kicked to Dempster (play on) and Dempster kicked to Savage (play on). The Montagna decision was right, Savage’s was not, and the Hawks kicked a goal because of it. It happened in every game and clearly it was the rule of the week. One question: Why doesn’t it happen to forwards?

8. JJ’S HAMMY

Ironic one of the most dynamic players in the competition was executing such a dynamic play when the hammy went twang. It hurts the Bulldogs, but it also hurts the rest of us football lovers because Jason Johannisen plays football like very few can. It’s perhaps 10-12 weeks and on top of Murphy’s knee — and another knee to Josh Prudden in the VFL — the Dogs have been presented with hurdles it didn’t anticipate. As Bob, said the week before, this game can be cruel.

Jason Johannisen injures his hamstring against Carlton.

9. RICHMOND

Yes, they were poor, but they won’t be the only team West Coast humiliates over there. Tried to handball in the first quarter to move the ball and coughed it up and then couldn’t move the ball at all after that. Confidence is shot, skill level is down and the coach is under siege for blaming the past. The fact is Hardwick couldn’t go again with the same group which has lost three eliminations in a row and had to play the kids. It contributes to a lack of surety with the ball.

10. GOLD COAST

Frustrated more than disappointed with the Suns. Could’ve been unbeaten, but found this one too tough. Miller, Rosa, Lonergan, Martin, Harbrow and Lemmens didn’t have involvement and neither did Gazza (24 disposals) who had Mitch Robinson annoying him a for a period. The worry is, when it got tough in the third quarter, the Suns were, as Rodney Eade said, abysmal.

BEST TWEETS

@AzzaG1989: Like: consistent North Melb good for footy. Dislike: bulldog injuries blamed on Etihad surface.just bad luck.

@mcmahonm_91: dislike - the bump off/past the ball. Dangerous and a disgusting look for our game.

@cantkickpies: dislike Collingwood. Biggest club in the land, want for nothing & dish that up week after week, Bucks trouble

@StephenRobert12: Agreed, after years of both fair and unfair criticism Jack Watts deserves all the praise that’s coming to him

@johlyp: dislikes/ 3 of the 4 leading goal kickers were once carlton player now blues cant kick a score!!!!!!

@lwrncwds: Like: McDonald-Tipungwuti stepping up with Gibson out (Supercoach) Dislike: Inconsistent umpiring..

@emmadapark: The decisions by the umpires in the last quarter of the #AFLCrowsSwans game was utterly atrocious. Decided the final score

@mawso: likes. Callan Ward has to be in the AA team. Invaluable skipper and an inspiration. Dislike. Whole Port team.

@LovelockHarry: Dislike: St Kilda. I’m a saints supporter and we should have won. Absolutely spewing. Like: McCartins mark!

@joshthorp23: dislike Port continually talking up there fitness yet they are simply down hill skiers

@Twiggyflow: Dislike: Rushed behind rule. Tighten it up. Can’t miss kick over boundry, but go nuts at goal line. Illogical

@RileyG_94: dislike - port not living up to the “we will never give up” like - q clash finally becoming more a derby

@cookay: how about the Rory’s? Laird/Sloane/Atkins dominated the Swannies

@GFargy17: Like: Dees getting pumped up, ensures hilarity will follow next week (haven’t won twice in a row since 2011)

@aarondubya_dee: like: north 4-zip and can still improve soooo much. Dislike: another week of hearing about tiges, pies and freo

@Latham231: dislikes - pies form. Likes - Paul Roos to coach Collingwood next year????

@AdamTurner31: like: lions win on sat arvo, hard at the ball & won contested. Dislike: pies/rich sign coach before rd1 crazy!

@leigheustace: Like: Toby Greene, massive personal turnaround, a key part of a midfield that could now challenge top four

‏@Lazlow: D: Vickery’s poor effort. Pick 8, 104 games, still not AFL standard.

@DoubleDs810: Big fan of Ross Lyon for what he did at @stkildafc but has he been found out ?

@mickobrien83: Like: Josh Walker when he went into the ruck after Martin went down in the #QClash ..Typified the lions courage

@Dekka4040: Jack Zeibell standing tall and really showing what he is capable of. #bornleader

@Tonks105: likes Adelaide, dislikes Port Adelaide (actually I kinda like that too)

‏@SeanA6: Like: Isaac Heeney

@kerry_lambert: LIKE: The running MFC. Finally look like they’re in it together. DISLIKE: Pressure on coaches. Players at fault too.