The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from round 21 of the 2022 AFL season
The old adage that bad kicking is bad football has never been more true with the flag chances of Melbourne at risk of going up in smoke, writes Mark Robinson.
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Jordan De Goey is making a mockery of his contract standoff with Collingwood, powering the Pies to win after win.
Mark Robinson gives his take on what Collingwood must do next, applauds impressive Roo Nick Larkey’s special performance and analyses why a pair of great Saints lament the loss of a man who became a Hawks’ giant.
SEE ALL ROBBO’S LIKES AND DISLIKES BELOW
The toothless Bulldogs, limp Saints and woeful Dons get a clip, as does Jake Stringer — who many often compare to De Goey.
All that and more in a bumper round 21 edition of the Tackle.
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DISLIKES
1. Gallantry is not accepted at Round 21
The story from the Gabba was not Carlton kicking six consecutive goals to get within 22 points in the final quarter because that tells us the Blues were 58 points down during the third. No, the story was Carlton didn’t turn up for the first three quarters when the fight was to be had. It was disheartening for the Blues’ believers. The frustrating aspect of Sunday’s performance was that the eight goals to four in the final quarter came when the heat was gone from the game. Yes, it got a touch hairy at the end, but let’s not hand out ribbons to the Blues for trying. Carlton’s forwards looked like they wore concrete boots and had concrete hands in the first three quarters. In that time, they had four goals from 30 entries. In the final quarter, they kicked eight goals from 16 entries. Try to explain that when all other markers in the final quarter were relatively even.
2. Poor goal kicking
Someone said over the weekend that all you have to do to beat Melbourne is kick straight — because Melbourne can’t. This was the night which history might tell us was the Demons dropped the 2022 premiership cup. Because a top-four spot is still to be won and, if they miss that coveted group, their goal kicking will be one of the reasons why. They should’ve beaten Collingwood and they didn’t. Despite it being a magnificent occasion for the Carringbush, it was a totally frustrating occasion for the Demons. Simply, they didn’t take care of business in front of goals. It has plagued them all season. Fritsch, Brown and Pickett are consistent, but then it drops away. Petracca has 58 shots at goal for 16 goals and that’s deplorable. Max Gawn has 34 shots at goal for 11 goals, Neal-Bullen has 25 shots for six goals and Spargo has 22 shots for nine goals. At halftime on Friday, they led by 17 points when they should’ve led by six goals. Their goal kicking has to improve or they will throw away any chance they have of winning the flag.
3. Bulldogs lack bite
In a must-win game, the Bulldogs’ pressure was 169, their fourth-lowest pressure number this season. Pressure isn’t everything in football, but you’re not winning games with 169. Gee the Bulldogs are a difficult team to get a handle on. Two weeks ago they beat up on Melbourne and, on Saturday, they allowed the Dockers to take 140 marks. Maybe it was a plan to let them do that, who knows. Anyway, they will miss the eight after playing in last year’s Grand Final and, while every season is different and there’s good teams aplenty, that is a disappointing result. They are just too inconsistent, which makes them an average team. The critics will murmur about the idiosyncrasies of Luke Beveridge but, the fact is, he has a premiership and a Grand Final in his past six seasons. The problem is not the coaching. The problem is the Bulldogs lack key players at each end of the ground, and Rory Lobb will help fix that issue next year.
4. What can you say about the Saints?
They are in the same boat as the Bulldogs, they’re a good, average team and need players to improve, because this team, as we know it, won’t win a flag any time soon. And, when you’re an average team, often the narrative is the same from the coach. Like, we made too many mistakes, we turned the ball over, we didn’t take our chances and it was poor skill execution. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance just to be in the contest or stay close to them … at times it was hard to watch a little bit,’’ Saints coach Brett Ratten said. Losing to Geelong at Geelong is not the defining match of your season, the Saints have had those matches post-bye and lost too many of them to be a threat. Their strategy beyond this season will be intriguing. Do they go to the draft and get kids or trade players or chase free agents to fill holes in the team, and reload again. It will be the latter — although they will keep their first-round draft selection because they need to bring young talent on to the list — but not sure whether the bulk of this list is the makings of a premiership team. That’s why they’re into De Goey, to get a player who can break lines with his skill and decision-making. On Saturday night, the Saints went inside 50m from only six per cent of their defensive chains. That’s a horrendously low number — but that’s your lot at Geelong if you’re an average team.
5. Spike puts Dons in a spin
Nothing to lose in this game except for your dignity and the flaky Bombers did just that. Giants coach Mark McVeigh did a number in the coaches box, plotting the downfall of Jake Stringer (Harry Himmelberg was his opponent), Zach Merrett (Harry Perryman), curtailing the run of Redman (Lloyd) and Hind (Ash) and then slowly marching through Essendon’s defence. The Giants had 16 inside 50 tackles to Essendon’s one inside 50 tackle and, when you play Stringer, Wright, Stewart and Jones in the one forward line, you’d want to hope they mark the ball. They didn’t. What a horrible stat that is, just the one tackle inside 50m, and, combined with a pressure reading of 166 — which was their second lowest pressure game this year — it’s fair to ask why the Bombers flew north in the first place?
6. The audacity of Jake Stringer
He is Essendon’s most dynamic game changer but that shouldn’t give him the licence to play swashbuckling football every time he thinks he can kick a goal. It’s an issue for every team because supremely-talented and supremely-confident players believe nothing is beyond them, especially kicking for goal. When Stringer does kick the goal, it’s all bells and whistles about how great he is. But, when he doesn’t, just look next time at how many teammates have their arms in the air wanting Stringer to pass or centre the ball. Stringer’s not alone in this regard. Richmond’s Shai Bolton often acknowledges a teammate with a sheepish wave when he ignores them. Mind you, Bolton is delivering more than Stringer. He kicked 4.5 against Port Adelaide and has kicked 6.10 in his past two matches. Stringer, meanwhile, kicked five goals the previous week, but only kicked three behinds from 12 touches against the Giants.
7. Josh Kennedy’s hammy
We are only armchair doctors but when you injure a hammy and can’t get up from the ground, the diagnosis is likely to be a huge negative. When Josh Kennedy went down at Arden St on Sunday, it may have ended one of Sydney’s great playing careers. Let’s hope he can get back for a finals tilt, and if not, the 34-year-old will have a big decision to make. He has been a mighty player.
LIKES
1. Sign him up
Jordan De Goey is in contract limbo at Collingwood and clubs, namely St Kilda, are coming hard. The Pies should end the standoff by a new contract extension for their prized playmaker putting back on the table — and do it now, not at the end of the season. Coach Craig McRae clearly wants De Goey at the club and his comments post-match on Friday night were incredibly warm and not too subtle to the decision makers at the club. “I speak authentically; I’d love Jordy to stay, I would,’’ he said. That makes it all very interesting, because there can’t be too many times a club board/executive would oppose the coach when he wants a player. McRae clearly likes the man and likes how he plays the game. In his past two weeks, De Goey has had 23 disposals, two goals and seven score involvements, and 25 disposals, nine clearances and six score involvements. That’s top-line football. You can understand why it’s a decision above the coach, because the board knows how angry some women at Collingwood were after the Bali situation, and it wants to be better in a lot of areas of the club. For what it’s worth, De Goey is playing like a man invested in the team, and the coach is completely invested in him. So, why not get it done now and not let it become a distraction through September, when McRae will be asked the question at his every press conference.
2. Nice Nick
The noise about Alastair Clarkson favouring North Melbourne over the Giants grows by the day, or at least people apparently in the know say Clarkson is privately talking more about the Kangaroos than he is the Giants. If that’s the case, Nick Larkey would likely further sway Clarkson towards the Roos. In Larkey, he has a key forward that is surging towards being an A grader. He kicked seven goals against the tightwads at Sydney, five coming on Tom McCartin, which would be the gun defenders worst match-up of the season, and two goals on Dane Rampe. What a difference it must be for Larkey to have the ball coming inside 50m quick and long and often, which hasn’t always been the case in recent years. The Roos have several potential A graders and they might need a Clarkson to take them to that next level. At the same time, Clarkson might be thinking he has plenty to work with here. Watch this space.
3. It’s Lachie’s medal again
On Sunday at the Gabba, Lachie Neale had 32 disposals, 20 contested possession, nine clearances, 10 score involvements and kicked a goal. That’s near the perfect game as a midfielder. His season averages are 31 disposals, 16 contested possessions, seven clearances and seven score involvements. That’s near the perfect season for a midfielder. How can this bloke not win the Brownlow Medal for a second time? Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver is his only threat. Neale is having the equal of his 2020 season, when he won the medal, and some close observers say this season is even better. He’s just so polished in so many aspects of his game. He’s clean around contests and stoppage, he keeps his feet, he is not worn down by body contact, and he brings in teammates with short handballs out of congestion. He is a bloody star.
4. The curtain falls
Could you enjoy your last game of footy any more than by having your teammates try to kick it to you on every occasion? Josh Kennedy kicked eight goals in his swan song and although he had almost every lead honoured, he also had to work hard for the pill. Some careers end limping to the lines, others in a gloriousness, fitting of a king. “I’m a bit emotional, but it’s good,” Kennedy told Fox Footy, post match. “I will probably have a few beers tonight and reflect on it over the next couple of weeks.” Both teams presented a guard of honour, as Eagles coach Adam Simpson declared: “We love you.” Dermott Brereton doesn’t get emotional too often in the commentary box, but he added: “There’s a beauty in our sport in these moments.” Kennedy’s final day compared to what potentially was the final day of Sydney’s Josh Kennedy were poles apart. That’s the luck of footy.
5. Big Ben
It’s little wonder Nick Riewoldt and Joey Montagna, on Saturday, lamented the trade of Ben McEvoy from the Saints to Hawthorn at the end of 2013. History shows the Saints took a punt and the Hawks won. The Saints picked up Shane Savage (trade) and Luke Dunstan (draft pick), but it’s too simplistic to just say McEvoy ended up having a better playing career than both of those players. What’s difficult to assess in a young player is what impact he will have spiritually and in setting a tone on the field. The Saints not only gave away a good, young ruckman, they gave away someone who would grow to be a heart and soul player and a person of tremendous decency. He played his 250th game on Saturday and the Hawks won for him. A workhorse type of player — and that’s a compliment — McEvoy was a safe pack mark and was arguably the best short kick for a ruckman since Dean Cox. It wasn’t the long, penetrating kick on the 45 degree angle to a teammate who didn’t have to break stride, but he rarely missed his target.
6. Mick should retire more players
Don’t ever tell us a) players don’t read the newspapers and b) they are not stung by criticism. Trent Cotchin is an iconic Tiger and for him to be told that he should retire by Mick Malthouse was a slap to the face that probably/maybe jolted the former skipper ahead of Saturday night. This line from Malthouse was most pointed: “He has slowed up considerably, and is easily frustrated and undisciplined.’’ Cotchin responded with his best game of the season, turning back the clock to gather 29 disposals. He was in the thick of everything against Port and proved, if he even had to, that season No.16 and 300 games will welcome him with open arms. The Tigers have to stagger their retirements and father time hasn’t got Cotchin just yet.
7. More Riolis at Richmond?
Maurice is becoming the spark specialist and the energy he brings is hard to ignore, while Dan Rioli continues to make claims for a position in the All Australian team. The back six in the AA team can’t take all attacking and creative defenders because every team needs its lockdown defenders, but Rioli is well in the mix after yet another commanding display. He had 25 and kicked two goals. Another Rioli joining Maurice and Dan is not out of the question. West Coast’s Willie Rioli is reportedly weighing up a decision to leave the Eagles and you’d think Maurice and Dan would be in his ear to join the Tigers. With Kane Lambert retired and probably the wonderful Shane Edwards to follow, the Tigers could use a small, skilful forward.
8. Is Nick Daicos over the line for the rising star?
Maybe, but Sam De Koning added another scalp, or should we say his second scalp of Max King on Saturday night. De Koning, last week, beat Aaron Naughton for the second time this season and, on Saturday, it was King for the second time. In those four match-ups, King/Naughton have kicked four goals between them. They are the two best young key forwards in the comp, but age is not an issue for De Koning. Daicos is an unbelievable player. He plays across halfback and his team likes to get him the ball and Daicos puts himself in positions to get the ball. Arguably, the more difficult position for a young man is to play the No.1 key defensive role against the No.1 key forward, like King, Naughton, Harry McKay, Tom Lynch, Mitch Lewis, Charlie Dixon, Josh Kennedy, Nick Larkey and Todd Marshall, all of whom have been De Koning’s opponents this season. He’s had 24 goals kicked on him in 18 games, which is phenomenal for a first-year defender. If all the judges have five votes for Daicos then what’s the bet they have De Koning at four.
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