It’s time for Geelong to walk the September talk, Mark Robinson says
THERE’S plenty of tough talk in September. And MARK ROBINSON says there’ll be plenty more this week. But the heat will be particularly fierce on two top-four teams.
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THERE’S a time to talk, and there will plenty of that this week, and there’s a time to be classy.
Ken Hinkley was classy on Saturday night.
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His Port Adelaide team was booted from the finals, partly because of a decision to pay a free kick to Luke Shuey for high contact.
Shuey kicked the goal from 40m. It sounds simple enough, but the pressure was absolute. Kick it and they win. Miss it and they lose. And Shuey was the Ice Man.
The AFL gave the decision a tick of approval, but they would wouldn’t they?
They said the decision should be judged in normal time, not by watching slow-motion replays, which is a cop out.
The AFL introduced a rule early this year which said umpires wouldn’t pay a free kick if the player basically brought on the contact, or lifted the arm, or ducked the head, or collapsed the legs.
Shuey didn’t duck, but he did help elevate Jared Polac’s arm.
According to the rules it should have been play on.
Going by the rules, Port Adelaide should be playing GWS this weekend.
Hinkley knows that. Yet, instead of launching at the umpires, he was composed amid the devastation.
“It’s such a small margin game, a shrug of a free kick that results in them kicking a great goal,’’ he said. ‘‘What do you do other than be disappointed and congratulate the winners.’’
Pushed on the subject, Hinkley said: ‘‘Small moment, small incident.’’
That’s Exhibit A for being gracious in defeat.
He could have gone bananas, but what’s the point. The umpire’s decision went against them, but there are many reasons why Port lost on Saturday night.
Their start was abysmal, they were 13 points ahead in extra-time and, dare we say it, Charlie Dixon kicked 3.6
“I couldn’t be more proud of Charlie Dixon, couldn’t more proud of the entire team,’’ Hinkley said.
What’s the point of whacking Dixon’s points tally? The big fella had a terrific game. He took four marks inside 50, won three of five one-on-one contests, had 16 contested possessions and a game-high 11 score involvements.
But as dominant as he was, he kicked 3.6.
Port chairman David Koch was quick to talk. “We played a young side tonight, jury’s out whether we should have, but let me tell you, they learnt a bloody lot from tonight,” he said.
Really, what’s the point having a crack at selection after defeat?
Selection, however, will dominate the headlines this week.
Can’t recall such criticism over a non-selection, such as what was directed at Geelong coach Chris Scott for leaving out Daniel Menzel. Will he play this week? Probably.
The Cats will talk the talk in the build up to Sydney.
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It’s already started. Scott did in his press conference after the match, as did Joel and Scotty Selwood on Saturday and Patrick Dangerfield in his column in the Sunday Herald Sun.
They can talk all they like about redemption, sticking fat and how they want to play, and lot of players will be asked questions about it in various media platforms this week. But it only will be fodder for the news cycle.
Actions speak louder than words. On Friday night, the Cats will have the eyes of the football world upon them. They win and the doubters will shut up. They lose and they are September chumps again. No amount of talk will change that.
At GWS, the talk will be about the selection or not of Steve Johnson, but that’s not the major issue. Coach Leon Cameron and his team are under siege. They, like Geelong, can talk until the cows come home, but if the Giants midfield is obliterated again, the Giants won’t see past this weekend.
Brett Deledio and Shane Mumford are real worries. Deledio had no impact in the first three quarters — eight disposals, one kick, -3m gained — and Mumford, who is carrying an injury it was revealed, had just three disposals, his second fewest disposals in a game ever, only eight hit outs-to-advantage, one clearance, and not one score involvement.
At least the debate about playing three talls in the forward line is over. Jeremy Cameron injured his hamstring and won’t play which means Johnson and/or Devon Smith will be the discussion.
The Eagles will bask in the momentum, not least Drew Petrie. The veteran Kangaroo-cum-Eagle was enormous in game 331. He did the heavy lifting forward, while Eric McKenzie did the heavy bash and crash in defence.
His decision to take on the behind post instead of allowing a behind in the final minute of proper time was equally as significant and heroic as Shuey’s matchwinner.
In an epic game, that was certainly something to talk about.
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