The Early Tackle: All the likes and dislikes from Round 10 of the 2022 AFL season
St Kilda banned Max King from receiving goalkicking lessons from Matthew Lloyd. Would the Bulldogs oppose such divine intervention?
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Sam Landsberger runs through his likes and dislikes of Round 10 of the AFL season so far.
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DISLIKES
DREAMTIME A DIFFERENT NIGHTMARE
WHAT’S worse – playing without effort or without system? In the past eight days Essendon has experienced both.
Against Sydney the Bombers laid just 30 tackles and lost by 58 points, their meekness highlighted by Luke Parker. Against Richmond the Bombers laid 19 tackles in the first quarter alone. They averaged just 43 per game before last night, ranked last, but piled on 63 in Dreamtime.
The spike in intensity was significant – Andy McGrath was eager to remonstrate while Darcy Parish played with passion – but the difference on the scoreboard was still 32 points, largely due to method.
Rival assistant coaches Ash Hansen (Carlton) and Adem Yze (Melbourne) are among the smartest brains in the game. Essendon’s senior coach Ben Rutten turns 39 next week – younger and with fewer seasons’ experience in the box than both of those men.
EXHIBITS A & B
RICHMOND’S transition was as easy as voting above the line.
In the second quarter Jack Ross won a simple ground ball in traffic and had numbers waiting in the corridor. It was a structural breakdown by the Bombers and it led to a straightforward Ivan Soldo goal.
Then, Jack Riewoldt – a 300-game champion with more than 700 career goals – marked the Sherrin while standing all alone in the forward pocket. There wasn’t a single touch on him – instead Essendon defenders stood around guarding space instead of Riewoldt and finger pointing.
The Tigers scored more off intercepts than Essendon did for the night. Is that coaching or is that talent?
WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE ROO?
NORTH Melbourne hasn’t shown up this year. So why should its supporters? That might sound harsh, but the crowd against premier Melbourne looked horrendous. Less than 24 hours after Carlton had Marvel Stadium rocking with a sell-out crowd of 44,769, the place looked like it was hosting a practice match. The shame was the Roos brought their effort, at least defensively. Not sure why coach David Noble – clearly in charge of one of the AFL’s worst teams – instructs his men to go through the corridor while the best clubs bounce along the boundary. Once again, it had the Roos vulnerable to be cut to shreds. Thankfully, the backline showed some bite. The Roos hosted West Coast in front of less than 15,000 and have played two games in Hobart in front of fewer than 10,000. Where do they sit on the relevance meter?
LESS BARK THAN YIP
IN 2019 lifelong defender Aaron Naughton developed a goalkicking routine – five walking steps, five running steps. Is it working? Naughton has 25.18 for the season. Compare that to fluent Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch’s 31.14 (before Dreamtime). On Saturday in Ballarat Naughton (3.2) was unstoppable in the first half … until the ball hit his boot. The fearless forward crashed packs and stuck marks. It should’ve been game over, but the Dogs kicked poorly and then couldn’t shake the Suns until the very end. Perhaps it was partly due to blustery conditions. At halftime Adam Treloar, Josh Dunkley, Marcus Bontempelli and Rhylee West had 0.6 between them. Last year St Kilda banned Max King from receiving goalkicking lessons from his Haileybury coach in Matthew Lloyd. Wonder whether anyone at Whitten Oval would oppose such divine intervention.
SUNS STARS ECLIPSED
HARD to remember Matthew Rowell (six disposals) and Touk Miller (19 disposals) playing so poorly. Yet Gold Coast remained gallant despite two of its bulls getting beaten. The Suns never say die and play a hard brand of football. They lost by 52 points to Brisbane but the Lions quietly concede that margin flattered them. They’ve been in every other match and Melbourne’s stars reckon their fiercest test for the season came at Metricon Stadium in round 2. Surely they pick off Hawthorn and North Melbourne in Darwin to turn 6-6, killing off the disrespectful talk about coach Stuart Dew’s future for good. If Rowell and Miller rediscover their best that will be a certainty.
LUMBERING LADHAMS
NOT sure Peter Ladhams is in Sydney’s best 22. The big man looked clumsy and flustered on Friday night. Some of that was due to Carlton swarming and some was self-inflicted, like when at 202cm he thought he was Willy Wonka and started selling candy. The Swans gave up roughly pick 35 to get Ladhams from Port Adelaide last year. It’s far from a high price, but they have arguably the AFL’s best recruiter in Simon Dalrymple, a man who has spotted All-Australians Bailey Dale and Caleb Daniel with picks in the 40s.
SWANS STUMBLE
WHERE is Sydney at? The perennial finalist has lost three out of its past four matches with games against premiership sides Richmond and Melbourne before the bye. Thought the Swans could win the premiership when Lance Franklin kicked his 1000th goal in a mauling of Geelong. But the scoreboard probably flattered Sydney that night and since the only wins have come against stragglers North Melbourne, West Coast, Hawthorn and Essendon. Logan McDonald’s contested marking was a highlight and Nick Blakey, Justin McInerney, Errol Gulden are nice kids. But they might not make the eight from here.
LIKES
MOVE OVER, ROOEY
INCOMING chief executive Simon Lethlean pushed hard for St Kilda to secure Max King in the 2018 “Super Draft”. Thank goodness the Saints did.
King’s six goals at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night included sealer from 45m.
When the 202cm target extends the arms defenders may as well get on their knees and pray, because there is little else they can do to stop that sort of reach. King’s five contested marks inside 50m was the equal-second most in the past two seasons, ranking behind the eight he took against Jeremy McGovern in Perth last year.
St Kilda has now beaten Fremantle, GWS Giants and Adelaide in hostile conditions. That’s a team dripping in maturity.
’MJ’ MANIA
DEFENDERS Nick Vlastuin, Dylan Grimes and Liam Baker play with vigour. At the other end Maurice Rioli Jr hunts with hunger.
‘MJ’ is a joy to watch, and the defensive pressure he piles on is a throwback to the 2017 premiership Tigers when his nephew Daniel, now at half-back, patrolled the attack. Rioli harasses, closes space and creates scores through forcing turnovers. It’s a unique skillset.
Recruiters doubted Rioli would make it many years ago. His body shape was a worry although he would still do Rioli-type things – the step-through to boot miraculous goals and all-round pizzazz. Since then Rioli’s raw talent has been matched by improved running and professionalism. The result is a 19-year-old who is six games into an AFL career set to thrill for a very long time.
BAGGERS CAN BE FLAGGERS
MELBOURNE is the team to beat for the premiership. Carlton might not be the second-best team, but its midfield muscle means it might be the best candidate for that mission. When Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney eyeball Patrick Cripps, Matthew Kennedy and George Hewett in the centre square, who wins the Sherrin? In March it was the Blues, leading clearances 29-17 and the scoreboard 98-93. Yes, it was a pre-season game. But Carlton players say that victory turbocharged their belief and 10 games later they sit 8-2. What a shame we have to wait another three months – round 22 – for those clubs to meet again. The past seven seasons have seen a non-finalist from the previous year soar into the top four. The Blues, and perhaps Fremantle, are on track to make it eight from eight.
ARE THEY THE LIKE TIGERS OF OLD?
In 2016, Richmond reviewed its football department and almost sacked its coach. In 2021, Carlton called in Matthew Pavlich, Graham Lowe and Geoff Walsh to review its football department and did sack its coach. Nobody gave the Tigers a chance the next year. But they had four superstars in Jack Riewoldt, Alex Rance, Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin. Well, the Blues have Charlie Curnow, Jacob Weitering, Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh. The Tigers had Jason Castanga, Dan Butler and Daniel Rioli at Riewoldt’s feet. The Blues have Corey Durdin, Matthew Owies and Jesse Motlop at Curnow’s feet, and – as Curnow said – they fight to the death for the footy.
Both the 2017 Tigers and 2021 Blues apply pressure like an overbearing tennis parent. The tingling atmospheres the Tiger Army generated back then will live forever. On Friday night, a Blues tragic joked their energy was at its peak this century – the best since the 1999 preliminary final. The players enjoyed a few post-game beers, given they play just once in the next 20 days. But MCG blockbusters against Collingwood and Essendon to come are going to mimic September in May and June, much to the relief of the AFL in a year in which crowds are down. Oh, and like Damien Hardwick, there is a twinkle in Michael Voss’ eye.
THE KINGS OF CARLTON
Patrick Cripps is the best player in the AFL. Charlie Curnow could become the best player in the AFL, according to Jonathan Brown on Friday night and Dermott Brereton five years ago. Right now he is the leading goalkicker in the AFL and last year’s leading goalkicker, Harry McKay, is five weeks from returning from injury. Super stopper Jacob Weitering might be the AFL’s most reliable player. Too strong for Lance Franklin, Weitering spoiled the ball to teammates eight times and didn’t visit the bench. The second half must’ve felt like the Brendon Bolton or David Teague years as the Swans generated 37 inside 50s. But in the last quarter the Bloods took just one mark from 15 entries. These Blues absorb like a sponge and play absorbing footy.
Just ask Sam Docherty – arguably the story of the season – who absorbed Josh Kennedy’s thump to the head and then had two tampons absorb blood in his nostrils before running back on and chalking up 693m gained.
THE KIDS OF CARLTON
It is mind-boggling to think these Blues are far younger than Bolton’s team many years ago. In 2018 they lost to a so-so Melbourne by 109 points with an average of 86 games per player. On Friday night they beat up Sydney with an average of 70 games per player, almost a full season less experienced than that Bolton team and two seasons less than Sydney’s. There are moments where you sit back and realise kids will make it and for Lochie O’Brien it’s been a slow burn, but suddenly those moments are materialising.
Like that ferocious tackle on Bulldog Ed Richards in round 2, or that 50m raking goal against the Giants last week, or that smother on Luke Parker to force a throw-in on Friday night, or that chase of Sam Wicks. Matthew Cottrell ran 15.9km but his manic first 15 minutes were most infectious while Tom De Koning looked like Brad Ottens when he clunked four critical marks in the last quarter. Corey Durdin, like O’Brien, smothered a kick out of bounds. No Jack Martin, Harry McKay, Zac Williams or Mitch McGovern due to injuries ... no worries. Because those baby Blues are buzzing.
PUPPY SCHOOL PLAUDITS
Coach Luke Beveridge bemoaned after last month’s visit to Ballarat the next tier of players wasn’t quite ready. In April he revealed ruckman Tim English had evolved so rapidly only one ruckman was needed. You wonder whether Jordan Sweet’s eight quarters of footy have commanded a rethink on both those statements, with English set to return next week. Sweet’s precise palms have added extra potency to Beveridge’s midfield. Alongside him are a bunch of kids not many supporters thought were ready – Rhylee West, Luke Cleary, Buku Khamis and Robbie McComb as well as 2021 debutants Lachie McNeil and Anthony Scott. West plays with power and while Ed Richards is hardly a puppy, his aerial work has been wonderful redeployed at halfback. Similarly, Bailey Williams’ push up to the wing has produced two eye-catching performances.
DUNCAN THE DEFENDER
The temptation would be to deepen the midfield by deploying Mitch Duncan back where he dazzled for a decade, particularly if Patrick Dangerfield is doused by a fresh calf complaint.
But Duncan the floating halfback appears to be working.
On Saturday the West Australian had 10 disposals in the first quarter, every one of them hitting the target. Geelong’s engine room has looked thin, despite Joel Selwood winding back the clock this season.
So does Duncan stay in defence or roll back into the guts?
It was a similar story to last week for the Cats, scoreboard aside.
They controlled about 80 per cent of the match but Port Adelaide lacked polish and its purple patch in the seven quarter didn’t produce seven goals, unlike the Saints.
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