Mick McGuane: The midfield battles that will shape round 2 results
They were two of the biggest moves during the trade period. What are the early returns on Brodie Grundy and Tom Mitchell at their new clubs? This is what we know.
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Four of the competition’s best midfields are set to do battle in two huge round 2 games.
Brisbane faces Melbourne on Friday night, before a clash between Collingwood and Port Adelaide on Saturday.
In both matches, the onball brigades will play a huge role in the outcomes.
Here are the key factors to keep an eye on through the middle in both games – including some of the match-ups the coaches should make.
COLLINGWOOD v PORT ADELAIDE
MORE THAN JUST CLEARANCES
Looking at raw clearance numbers provides only part of the picture when it comes to assessing the impact of a midfield group.
It is more about what goes on the scoreboard – the differential between what one team scores versus what the opposition scores.
Winning clearances provides territory, but it does not necessarily convert to kicking big scores.
Port Adelaide’s third quarter against Brisbane in round 1 would have been heavily analysed by Collingwood this week.
After trailing at halftime, the Power changed their midfield mix.
Youngsters Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis were thrown in alongside ruckman Scott Lycett to battle the more experienced Lions’ group of Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley, Hugh McCluggage and ruckman Oscar McInerney.
What followed was the best 30 minutes of midfield play that you will see.
The Power not only won the clearance differential for the quarter by +9, but they scored 6.1 (37) from stoppages for the term, including 3.1 (19) from centre bounce.
Overall for the game, Port Adelaide scored 9.10 (64) from stoppages while Brisbane kicked just 2.3 (15).
They went on to win the match by a similar margin – 54 points.
Hinkley knows this return is unsustainable and he will be aware Collingwood will not allow scores from stoppages to resemble that in this game.
If they do, it’s a bonus and Port Adelaide will keep their perfect start to the season intact
MITCHELL MAGIC
Collingwood made a preliminary final last year, despite having two major deficiencies in its game.
They centred around clearances — including at centre bounce — and contested ball wins.
But a gun off-season recruit and a couple of positional tweaks later and the Magpies’ midfield beat up reigning premier Geelong last week.
The gun recruit, Tom Mitchell, has already proven his worth after a single game and looks to be the missing piece of the puzzle.
He greatly helped Collingwood’s clearance and first-possession wins, logging 10 clearances against the Cats including five centre clearances.
When he did win the ball, Mitchell was able to execute the handball correctly and find other players running into space.
While he had only 21 disposals for the night — low by his standards — the former Hawk also kicked two goals during his time rotating forward.
He was more impactful than ever.
Expect Mitchell to work in tandem with Taylor Adams this year, who consequently spent more time forward against Geelong.
Adams attended just 10 centre bounces in that match, well down on his average of 17.1 attendances last season.
However, a 60-40 split between forward and midfield this year looks like suiting Adams and more importantly the team.
In attack, he can pile on forward-50 pressure with his intent to get in the face of opposition players and lay tackles.
From 16 disposals last week, Adams also had a significant nine score involvements. That’s impact.
Between clearance king Mitchell, the powerful Jordan De Goey, the classy Scott Pendlebury and the energetic Jack Crisp, the core Magpies’ midfield is looking much better balanced this year.
BAPTISM OF FIRE
I had a strong feeling that Port Adelaide recruit Jason Horne-Francis was set for a super season and he certainly started off on the right foot last week.
The midfielder-forward didn’t look a happy soul at North Melbourne last year, but is clearly more content being back around family and friends in his home state in South Australia.
The No. 1 draft pick from 2021 was at his explosive and combative best against Brisbane as he racked up a career-high 25 disposals and seven clearances through the midfield.
If I were Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley, I’d be setting him a sizeable new challenge this week.
Horne-Francis should be sent to Mitchell and use the Collingwood midfielder as a competitive starting point in and around the stoppages.
Rather than being the hunted after the best game of your short career last week, go and hunt the opposition’s best clearance player instead.
Horne-Francis can match Mitchell for size and speed and therefore should look to take away his strengths, like clearances and first-possession gains.
In offensive transition, he can work off Mitchell and try to hurt him by hitting the scoreboard. Also, the lessons from where Mitchell runs to accumulate his possessions in general play will also serve him well into the future.
Playing on Lachie Neale and Josh Dunkley at centre bounce last week was an appetiser for Horne-Francis.
It’s now time for the main course.
Let’s hope Hinkley reads the menu …
“The potential future Brownlow Medal winner should go toe-to-toe with the 2018 Brownlow Medal winner.”
This will be a brutal game and this tantalising match up will be an intriguing battle within the war.
It will not only be a good learning experience for Horne-Francis, but possibly a matchwinning move for the Power.
BRISBANE v MELBOURNE
DEE-LICIOUS COMBO
The recruitment of ruckman Brodie Grundy already looks a winner – and not just because of his own impact against the Western Bulldogs in round 1.
The former Magpie split ruck duties with his new partner in crime, Max Gawn, last week.
Grundy attended 16 centre bounces and Gawn went to 13.
Less time in the ruck meant Gawn was freed up to spend some more time around the ground. He looked fresh and invigorated.
The Melbourne captain showed strong leadership, gave great effort and irrespective of what role he was playing he was always a threat and challenge for the “nice” Western Bulldogs.
He kicked two goals among his 21 disposals and six marks.
It was one of the best games I’ve seen a ruckman play. His impact was decisive.
Against a quality Bulldogs midfield, Grundy and Gawn’s tap work helped Melbourne get first hands on the ball and kick 4.4 (28) to 3.2 (20) from stoppages for the night.
Keeping the Bulldogs to such a score from stoppages — including 0.1 (1) from centre bounces – is no mean feat.
Let’s not forget the Bulldogs were the best scores from stoppage team in 2022.
To nullify the Demons “double-trouble,” big decisions need to be made at the selection table this week.
Lions ruckman Oscar McInerney must get the help of another specialist ruckman in Darcy Fort to go head to head against the formidable Demons’ duo this week.
Joe Daniher or Eric Hipwood are not the answer.
Brisbane must also find a way to both restrict Melbourne’s scores from stoppages but equally as important, generate a greater return than their paltry 2.3 (15) from stoppages like last week.
If they don’t, they won’t stand a chance.
LIONS’ ONBALL WOES
You only need one word to describe the performance of Brisbane’s midfield against Port Adelaide last week: insipid.
How can the Lions fix it?
Through a mix of method and personnel changes.
Too often against the Power, the Brisbane on-ballers were like bees to a honey pot.
When the ball was in dispute, the likes of Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage all gravitated towards it.
In principle, that is fine if you win first possession, but when Port Adelaide got first hands on the footy it left the Lions exposed.
They had defensive layers in place, especially no corridor-defensive cover for Horne-Francis or Rozee running forward into space.
Without pressure on the opposition ball carrier, Harris Andrews and the Brisbane defence had no hope of stopping the goals.
Port Adelaide kicked 13 of the last 16 of those, including eight majors in the third quarter.
Arresting momentum swings like that has been a key issue for the Lions over the past 12 months.
One occasion when they changed the momentum of a game was in last year’s semi-final against Melbourne, when Brisbane trailed by 22 points at halftime before going on to win by 13 points.
What did Chris Fagan do?
The big move was sending Jarrod Berry to play a run-with role on Clayton Oliver in the second half.
Berry kept clearance king Oliver quiet, while also gathering 22 disposals of his own after halftime to become one of the most influential players on the ground.
It was staggering that Berry remained on a wing last week and was not similarly deployed on a hot Horne-Francis or Rozee when the tide turned against Brisbane.
Berry did not attend one centre bounce for the match.
Lions coach Chris Fagan needs to put trust in Berry to do a job on Oliver again and take a scalp that is so important to the Demons’ game.
When you have a player like Berry who is prepared to sacrifice their own game and accept the challenge of running with the opposition’s best midfielder — use them.
Devon Robertson could also be deployed as a cooler for the Lions for periods on Friday night.
Brisbane simply can’t afford to have an undersized midfield group — including Neale, Will Ashcroft and Zac Bailey at times — go head-to-head against Oliver, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney.
Being loyal towards his players is one thing that has served Chris Fagan well over his coaching tenure at the Lions but for this week “blind faith“ simply cannot exist and personnel changes through the midfield must take place.
Fortune favours the brave.
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