Jack Macrae is unassuming but undoubtedly one of AFL’s premier midfielders after masterclass in win over Brisbane Lions
HE’S an unassuming midfielder who isn’t as flashy as the likes of Dustin Martin and Patrick Dangerfield but Jack Macrae is a star of the competition and it’s about time we all took notice because he could be leading the Brownlow at Round 8.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
JACK Macrae just plays football.
There’s no controversy, no quirky backstory or even a strange off-field pursuit.
Whenever the name Jack Macrae is written or spoken, the word “unassuming” is never far away.
Indeed, former captain Bob Murphy calls him “the most confident shy person I’ve ever met”.
And there’s nothing wrong with any of that, particularly when you just might be the most in-form midfielder in the competition.
AS IT HAPPENED: MACRAE TORCHES LIONS AS DOGS SECURE FOURTH WIN
MATCH CENTRE: STATS AND SUPERCOACH SCORES FROM DOGS V LIONS
SUPER RANKINGS: IS MACRAE THE GAME’S BEST MIDFIELDER RIGHT NOW?
Macrae finished with a personal-best 47 disposals — 26 coming in the first half — in the Western Bulldogs’ 14-point win over the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night.
A week after having 40 touches against Gold Coast, the wiry left-footer torched the Lions with an equal game-high 18 contested possessions, a game-high 10 clearances and an equal game-high eight inside 50s. Macrae also had 10 score involvements — six more than the next-most.
He is a star, and a mighty consistent one too, averaging 33 touches a game this year. Only once has Macrae walked off a ground once this year having had less than 30 possessions when he gathered 26 in the big loss to Fremantle in Round 5.
“He’s one of the smartest footballers,” teammate Lachie Hunter said.
“He knows where to go to get the ball, but he’s been really good defensively too.”
With Marcus Bontempelli playing as an almost exclusive forward against the Lions, Macrae piloted the Dogs’ engine room in what was another masterclass.
BRENDON GODDARD: ESSENDON HANDED A REALITY CHECK
STUNNING: MOTLOP KICKS THE WINNER IN INSANE SHOWDOWN FINISH
Dustin Martin and Patrick Dangerfield haven’t been able to recapture last year’s form, Josh Kennedy has been patchy and Josh Kelly and Rory Sloane are injured.
The year is still young, but when does Macrae get talked-up as a Brownlow contender? If last week was a three-vote game, chalk up this one as another.
The 23-year-old shuffles towards stoppages head-bowed, but when the ball is alive he is a player in constant motion, buzzing around to receive, give off and break into space.
Macrae was the headline act in a Bulldogs side with an average age of just 22 who made the Lions their third straight scalp.
Yet while they could never rest easy against this fighting Brisbane side, this was a Dogs performance as efficient as we’ve seen for some time.
A side who notoriously struggles to turn entries into scores, the Dogs kicked 16.11 from 64 inside 50s. It was only the third time in eight games the Dogs have kicked more goals than behinds.
It was just as well, given their 24-point three-quarter time lead had shrunk to seven with nine minutes left. But the Lions’ charge had the stuffing knocked out of it when Lewis Taylor inexplicably handballed straight to Bailey Dale when the Lions were on the attack and Bontempelli kicked his fourth goal.
The Lions survived — and threatened — on the back of fierce tackling pressure, but their turnovers were mercilessly punished by the Dogs, who kicked 11 of their 15 goals off the back of Brisbane blunders.
Charlie Cameron (18 touches, three goals, nine tackles) was again excellent, Dayne Zorko (24 touches, nine clearances, four goals) has turned the corner, Tom Cutler shows promise and Zac Bailey shows something.
It would be no consolation to anyone at the Gabba, but the Lions show more than their 18th-place would suggest.
The Bulldogs’ only sour point was the nasty ankle injury suffered by Aaron Naughton, who went down in the first quarter and played no further part in the game.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.3 9.5 12.8 16.11 (107)
BRISBANE LIONS 4.1 6.5 8.8 14.9 (93)
EDMUND’S BEST
BULLDOGS: Macrae, Bontempelli, Suckling, Daniel, McLean, Hunter, Williams, Dale.
LIONS: Zorko, Cameron, Cutler, Martin, Andrews.
GOALS
BULLDOGS: Bontempelli 4, Gowers 2, Lipinski 2, McLean 2, Daniel, Boyd, Dale, Wallis, Dunkley, Suckling.
LIONS: Zorko 4, Cameron 3, McStay 2, McInerney 2, Rayner, McCluggage, Hipwood.
INJURIES
BULLDOGS: Naughton (ankle).
UMPIRES
Fisher, Margetts, Whetton
CROWD
20,865 at Etihad Stadium
LIVE stream every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on FOX SPORTS. Get your free 2-week trial & start watching in minutes. SIGN UP NOW >
Inside AFL’s draft combine: See the standouts, surprise packet
Draft hopefuls for both the AFL and AFLW were put to the test at this year’s combine, with one Victorian key forward producing a stunning 20m sprint. See the results and more here.
Cats, Dogs at loggerheads over Smith trade
Geelong has no qualms sending its first-round pick up the highway for Bailey Smith, but the Bulldogs are keen for more. Catch all of Monday’s trade news here.