The Tackle: Jeremy Cameron, Andy McGrath and all of Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from round 7
Hugh McCluggage could command $1.3 million a season as a free agent. But what about the quiet achiever taken at pick 1 in the same draft? Mark Robinson has a message for Andy McGrath’s critics.
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A week is a long time in footy, and this round of AFL last nearly a full week – beginning five days ago on Anzac Day eve at the MCG.
Mark Robinson unpacks the talking points and the likes and dislikes from the round.
LIKES
1. You beauty
The Buddy Franklin Appreciation Weekend was welcomed, even if it was just an opportunity to watch highlights of his stellar career. The closest current player to Buddy is Jeremy Cameron. Cameron played his 237th game on Saturday and has kicked 603 goals. At 237 games, Franklin had kicked 759 goals. Franklin has Cameron in every statistical measure in the game, but it must be said we are talking about a future Hall of Fame legend. Cameron is a future Hall of Famer and right now is probably the best player in the league. Another Hall of Famer, Terry Wallace, agrees. “If every player in the AFL was lined up & I had first pick, I’m going Jeremy Cameron.” Wallace said on X. “Clearly, others will see it differently but he is my pick.” Cameron is a freakish athlete, just like Buddy, although he played close to goal on Saturday. He kicked four goals on Lewis Young and then a goal on Brodie Kemp. He was too slick for Young. One time, he took him to a stoppage and ran through it, gathered the ball and snapped a goal, just like how Buddy used to do it. Part of the arsenal of being No. 1 is nailing the big moments. Cameron kicked 5.1 from 17 disposals. At the start of the last quarter, when the game was alive, Charlie Curnow, Corey Durdin and Tom De Koning all kicked behinds, and Harry McKay kicked another just before the Blues kicked four goals in a row.
2. The professional Cats
If you were to describe Geelong’s profile you’d have the system at No. 1 and defence at No.2. Their skill level should be No.3. Their three highest-rated players on Saturday were Jeremy Cameron, Gryan Miers and Max Holmes, three players who can get the ball from Point A to Point B. Surely, at this point, Miers is the All Australian small forward, a position which doesn’t really describe him, if that makes sense. He’s a forward-half player and not a small forward. Against the Blues, Geelong’s transition from defence was, at times, immaculate. Don’t worry about them being too old and too slow, worry about them being too skilful, because ball movement is not always about leg speed. The Cats did the Blues on the rebound. And then they kicked goals which is not always easy. They kicked a phenomenal 18.10 from 45 entries. The Blues kicked 15.15 from 66, which was wasteful but at least they got it in there. Elsewhere, the Bulldogs kicked 10.11 from 50 entries and Brisbane 8.11 from 48 entries. That all said, the Cats have their issues. They were smashed early in clearances, 66 inside 50s is far too many and Patrick Dangerfield has another hamstring injury. Tom Hawkins was goalless for the third consecutive match, but you have to wonder if maybe his role was to try to take Jacob Weitering out of the action. The Blues defensive leader had 10 disposals and two intercept marks sin the first half and nine disposals and four intercept marks in the second half. It’s just a theory.
3. The professional Swans
Sundays are dead days in the AFL. The games are ho hum, especially when one team belts another like Sydney did to the Hawks at the MCG. The Swans had better runners and ball movement, were more classy, more capable arounds stoppages, were better organized in defence and had 11 goalkickers. It was the smooth movers versus the scrappers. Still, it wasn’t enough for coach John Longmire, who was animated in the box several times. He’s all about behaviours no matter the scoreboard. Hawks coach Sam Mitchell is demanding similar standards with a team far less equipped. Hawthorn’s second half was better than the first half in terms of competitiveness, so that’s one positive. The negatives are too many to list, not least that Sydney had 60 more disposals and 20 more tackles.
4. Big boys’ football
The rule change which has allowed ruckmen to take the ball and, if tackled, not get pinged because it’s not prior opportunity has provoked plenty of discussion. The negative is it often creates a secondary bounce because the ruckman is tackled straight away and screams of ‘ball’ by fans is ignored. The positive is ruckmen, when not tackled, are now becoming clearance kings. On Saturday, Carlton’s Marc Pittonet outmuscled Rhys Stanley in the first quarter and finished the match with a game-high 11 clearances. On Sunday, Jarrod Witts did the same to Bailey Williams, having 10 clearances, the second most behind teammate Noah Anderson’s 12. “He’s amazing, he’s so dominant and physical for us,” Anderson said of Witts. On Saturday, Kieren Briggs had eight clearances against Brisbane. Across the round, Tim English had six, and Max Gawn and Darcy Fort five each. Overall, seven ruckmen are in the top 30 for clearances, and they include Xerri, Grundy and Marshall. The positive far outweighs the negative because it’s energising when the big boys take control in the centre square.
5. Andy McGrath
The Bombers’ quiet achiever was taken No. 1 in the 2016 draft. Brisbane’s Hugh McCluggage was taken at No. 3. McCluggage, it is said, can command $1.3 million a season as a free agent from a rival cub – is it you St Kilda? The Lions, it is said, have tabled a six-year offer to keep him. McGrath, it is said, is about to sign a six-year deal at the Bombers, for a salary (guessing) at about $750,000. That’s a hell of a difference. McGrath was superb on Anzac Day and all those critics wondering why he’s vice-captain can jump in the lake. He and captain Zach Merrett are the pocket-dynamo leaders in a surging Essendon which suddenly has the respect of the competition. List boss Adrian Dodoro is a piñata when the Bombers struggle, but it has to be said the recruitment of Sam Durham and Nick Martin were genius moves. Durham was a mid-year draftee from Richmond VFL, while Martin was a supplementary-list player from Subiaco. So, it doesn’t matter if they are the cream of the crop (McGrath) or in the last-chance saloon (Durham, Martin), so long as you can play footy. Coach Brad Scott has got all of them humming, which is a stark difference to what the team produced against Port Adelaide three weeks ago.
6. The other Caleb
The headlines this season have been why Bulldog Caleb Daniel can’t get a game. The other headline should be why Docker Caleb Serong is not always considered among the best midfielders in the game. The coaches know. He finished in the top 10 of the coaches award in 2023. He’s not explosive like Petracca, Bontempelli, or Heeney, but instead is in the mould of Rowell and Liberatore, players who thrive in the trenches. He had 37 and 17 clearances against the Dogs, and partnered with Nathan Fyfe’s 37 and seven, that pair combined for 38 contested possessions. The review won’t be kind to the Bulldogs midfielders. Nor will it be kind to Caleb Daniel. He replaced the injured Cody Weightman in the first quarter and finished with 12 disposals and five score involvements. The latter number is impressive, but his 33 per cent efficiency by foot was not. He needs to be cleaner with the ball or he won’t get a game. It’s not a pile-on on Daniel, but all those querying coach Luke Beveridge’s decision to leave him out of season might now park their criticisms.
7. Pagan’s on the money
Denis Pagan’s suggestion that the Kangaroos appoint Harry Sheezel skipper is worth serious discussion. Maybe not sole skipper, but certainly co-captain. Luke McDonald is not the player he was, and nor is Jy Simpkin, the two current co-captains. Perhaps, Nick Larkey and Sheezel is a combo worth considering. Clearly, at 20-years-old, the argument will be Sheezel is too young and Melbourne’s appointment in 2012 of youngsters Jack Trengove and Tom Scully as co-captains is a cautionary tale.
8. Giants in the making
Finn Callaghan turned 21 on Friday. He was taken No. 3 behind Jason Horne-Francis and Sam Darcy in the 2021 draft. If you don’t follow footy closely, you won’t know of this smooth-moving left footer. Everyone will soon know. Fox Footy’s Brad Johnson said Callaghan was in the Marcus Bontempelli mould. He has size (193cm), power, skill, and his running gait is even similar to Bontempelli’s. The Giants got him because Collingwood traded its future first pick in 2020, thinking it would’ve been swallowed up by a bid for Nick Daicos anyway. But the Pies crashed to 17th in 2021, delivering the Giants the early pick. If they didn’t trade it away, the Pies would’ve had access to Callaghan as well as keeping Daicos.
DISLIKES
1. One-handed Charlie
One of Charlie Curnow’s signature moves worked again on Saturday. In the third quarter, he sat back as his opponent Jake Kolodjashnij flew third man up, the ball came over the back and Curnow ran in for the easy goal. It’s a smart move and it works because opponents don’t like Harry McKay going 1v1 in the air, meaning Curnow’s opponent often is the support person in the contest. It works so well that Curnow often prefers to stand deep with one hand in the air, rather than get on his bike and lead. But at times, he’s too stationary. He was targeted 18 times on Saturday, and in 15 of them he had the opportunity to compete. He retained six of them. It’s a modest return. Several times, he tried to work Kolodjashnij under the ball, yet the Cats defender was strong enough to keep his position. Curnow is the Coleman Medallist and a superstar of the competition, but if you asked Kolodjashnij if he would prefer to wrestle Curnow rather than chase him around the forward 50m, surely the answer would be to wrestle. Midfield ball movement and flooding numbers can dictate how and when key forwards move, but when you have the speed and athleticism of Curnow, it should be utilised more. Curnow kicked three goals on Saturday, and at the same time Kolodjashnij should be happy with his performance.
2. To the tribunal we go
St Kilda’s Jack Higgins will be suspended. It shouldn’t be for three weeks. Fair-minded people should accept that Higgins’ tackle on Port Adelaide’s Aliir Aliir was dangerous and part of the reason why it was dangerous was because of Aliir’s role. Aliir’s want to move the ball on meant his body was swinging in the same direction which Higgins was dragging. The confluence of energy made it inevitable that Allir would crash into the turf. Higgins has a duty of care, but the tribunal also has a duty to recognize this simply was not one player furiously dumping another. The Saints at least have an argument. A one-week suspension would suffice.
3. No Harley, no West Coast?
It’s a ridiculous question, but it’s fair at ask: No Harley, no Tim Kelly, no West Coast? Reid missed because he was rested and Kelly was missed because his influence was poor. The Suns smashed the Eagles in the middle with Jarrod Witts, Noah Anderson, Touk Miller and Matt Rowell the four highest-ranked players on the ground. That’s a quadrella no opposition wants to confront, not on the Gold Coast, not on the rebound from the Sydney loss, and not in customary Gold Coast condition. Kelly went head to head with Rowell. He had 18 disposals, but went at 36 per cent by foot. Could you imagine having Rowell as your opponent? He’s so furious with his aggression, you’d be bruised for three days. The six-goal loss should’ve been a walloping when you note the Eagles had 35 inside 50s and the Suns’ 67. The 35 count was the second lowest of the season behind North Melbourne’s 31 in Round 4.
4. None and done?
A sure sign that an era is over is when the coach talks about the past and has little to no idea about what’s wrong with the present. The Brisbane Lions are done. For this year anyhow. They are 2-5 and in 13th spot, nestled in the middle of Adelaide and St Kilda, two clubs idea who have battled their own fire fronts for much of the past month. Coach Chris Fagan couldn’t explain why his team folded in the second half against the Giants. “It sounds all doom and gloom but this group has been so good for the past five years, I admire and respect them for the efforts that they’ve put in over the past five seasons,” Fagan said. To collapse like they did shows a lack of care and spirit from the players. It’s not a comment associated with this group. Since 2019, they have gone 16-8, 15-4, 15-9, 17-8 and 19-7, which ended within a kick in the Grand Final. But that’s in the past. The questions the Lions have to answer is about the now and the future. 1) How to instil belief and speed into the team and 2) Has Fagan earnt the right to go coach post 2024? The answer to the second question is the most delicate. The answer is yes, but the next 15 weeks will decide that.
5. A small forward anyone?
Darcy Jones has made helmets popular again and also made recruiters ask themselves: Why can’t we find small forwards like him? What a jet Jones was against the Lions, playing his first game after injuring his ACL in 2023. He was fun to watch. They are important players, small forwards, for their pressure and their goalkicking. Other teams are not as fortunate as the Giants. Charlie Cameron has kicked 10.12 in seven games and is struggling. The Bulldogs lost Cody Weightman in the first quarter on Saturday night and was badly missed and even recruit James Harmes found himself deep forward. And North Melbourne needs plenty of players, not least key defenders and small forwards.
6. Basic mistakes
North Melbourne is trying to fight a war with cap guns. They’re trying, but are outgunned. Simple mistakes were punished by Adelaide. Take Cam Zurhaar. He kicked 3.3 and as always he bounced in and out of contests with bravado. But that doesn’t give him an automatic pass mark. In the third quarter, he dropped a chest mark near the goalsquare, Adelaide won the ground ball and went coast-to-coast and finished with a goal to Izak Rankine. That might be picky, but the Kangaroos leaders can’t be making simple mistakes like that. Where were their leaders on Saturday? In the third quarter, with the Crows leading 107-48, half the Kangaroos team needed to be subbed. At that point, Lazzaro, Phillips and Powell had nine disposals and McDonald and Scott seven. Only Phillips could be subbed. Recruit Dylan Stephens is also a worry. It’s got to be tough playing in a team which is being belted weekly, but a wingman on a reported four-year deal has got to be going better than averaging 12 disposals across his seven games. Clearly, the Swans saw deficiencies in his game because they traded him out. The Suns last week debuted a small forward. Jake Rogers is an academy kid and against the Eagles he had 22 disposals, kicked a goal and had eight score involvements, second only to Noah Anderson’s nine. The Suns academy shines again.
7. Where’s the media?
The three journos at Ross Lyon’s press conference on Friday night – Matt Turner, Jason Phelan and Steve Barrett – had a torrid time but they handled themselves accordingly. They asked questions, and when Lyon threw the questions back at them, they stood their ground, even though Lyon clearly thought some of the questions were bonkers. But why was there only print journalists there? Where were the radio and TV journos asking the curly questions? For sure, footy misses Channel 7’s Mark Stevens and Mick Malthouse squaring off.
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