The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from Round 13
Mark Robinson concedes he may have erred in naming Geelong defender Tom Stewart on the bench for his mid-year All Australian team. See his likes and dislikes.
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What has gone wrong at St Kilda since they won a final last year?
How about the landmark decision to send Crow David Mackay to the AFL tribunal for his bump on Saint Hunter Clark, after not receiving a charge?
Meanwhile off the field, Essendon has been in talks about the futures of two out of contract Tigers.
See all chief football writer Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes below.
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DISLIKES
1. BROKEN JAWS
The fact that David Mackay’s contest bump has been sent straight to the tribunal is good for the game.
Was it unreasonable in the circumstance that he ploughed into Hunter Clark while contesting the ball?
Can the game ask players not to be as ballistic as Mackay was, because there needs to be a duty of care for opponents?
He could have slowed up then tackled Clark, and no one would be any the wiser. And Clark wouldn’t be in hospital.
He might not be suspended, but the temperature is changing on duty of care.
Ten years ago, there would have been no debate. Ten years from now, any action that produces a broken jaw is likely to earn a suspension.
Concussion can be a killer and to try to combat that, footy has to determine what is reasonable and unreasonable head contact. To be honest, this was unreasonable, but is the footy world ready to accept that? Now it’s up to the tribunal in what will be a landmark decision.
2. MUMMY RUNS RIOT AGAIN
Shane Mumford is the either the luckiest roughest player or the smartest roughest player after yet another bout of incidents which trod the line of decency.
One, he coat-hangered Tarryn Thomas after the umpire had blown his whistle and, two, his forearm was inches away from the back of Jy Simpkin’s head.
The second act was a near miss. The first was a reckless tackle.
Too many laugh at Mumford’s antics, but when does the MRO take a stand?
3. ST KILDA
Tormented Saints fans would probably agree: The Saints are the most disappointing team of 2021.
They’ve lost in many wondrous ways this season, but Saturday night was Exhibit A for total despondency.
The Saints won’t go full Chuck Norris and hold an external review similar to Carlton, but a deepish dive into what’s gone wrong is required through the bye break. It could be as simple as conversion in front of goals, but that would be too simplistic.
Leadership, talent and mentality have all laid claim to St Kilda’s woes this season.
Something drastically is wrong at the Saints and this is an organisation issue and not just a team issue.
Remember, they beat the Dogs in the first final last year and this year are 13th with four wins and a percentage of 78.3.
The Dogs, meanwhile, are second with 10 wins and a percentage of 150. Mentality anyone?
4. WHILE WE’RE ON THE SAINTS
This is a bug bear. Why do players run in and push an opponent after a teammate has taken a mark or won a free kick against said opponent?
Jack Lonie does it too often. He did it on Saturday night after (I think) Mason Wood marked the ball in the first quarter.
Why do it? Lonie should worry about doing his job, like kicking goals, and not attempting banana goals from 45 degree angles.
He had nine kicks on Saturday night, three shots at goal for 0.2 and only two score involvements.
Lonie is a crafty forward, but his career, like others at the Saints, is at a crossroads.
5. SORRY SUNS
They lost every important measure in their loss to Fremantle, pouring more pressure on a club trying to find an identity on the field.
They are the youngest and least experienced team this season, so there’s perspective, and talent is only part of the equation of being a successful team.
Nine players did not lay a tackle in the first half on Saturday – King, Burgess, Rowell, Ballard, Lukosius, Lemmens, Graham, Powell and Weller – and four players laid on tackle – Rankine, Smith, Anderson and Flanders. Why aren’t they playing flint hard football? Is it the game plan? The Suns are a high marks, high kicking, high possession type of football team and coach Stewart Dew is clearly frustrated his team does not have enough players with a blue-collar mentality. The “work in progress’’ sign has hung at the Suns’ front door for too long.
6. BLOODS FLAILING
The excited young group which started the season 4-0 is now 8-5 and were bullied at the SCG on Friday night by the Hawks.
Yep, the tough Swans were put to the sword. The damage was done around the contest and they couldn’t get any easy ball flow.
It meant the forwards had to work hard for their dinner and ultimately they went to bed hungry.
The inside 50 count was 59-50 to Hawthorn and even with 50 entries the likes of Franklin, Papley, Heeney and McDonald were nonentities.
The four of them had 10 or fewer possessions.
The blame can be levelled at players up the ground, and the Swans might even tip their hats to Hawthorn’s pressure and their back six, but let’s not let the forwards off. They were very poor.
7. IS SPP THE BAROMETER AT PORT ADELAIDE?
In victory, Sam Powell-Pepper averages 97 ranking points and seven tackles. In defeat, it’s 63 ranking points and two tackles.
It’s too big a trend to ignore.
His energy in the F50 was desperately missing against the Cats on Thursday night. He did have a fair opponent in Jake Kolodjashnij, who is one of Geelong’s big improvers in numbers this season.
Don’t know what to make of Port Adelaide. They are a good team, but hardly a strong premiership threat at the moment.
They are 3-3 over the past six weeks and their losses were to Brisbane, the Bulldogs and now Geelong which tells us they are not at the top echelon.
8. COME ON, UMPIRE
The free kick paid against Geelong’s Lachie Henderson was so wrong.
Henderson jumped to mark the ball, had eyes on the ball, and Todd Marshall did the same, yet Henderson was in the wrong.
Henderson didn’t know what was coming from behind and Marshall didn’t see what was coming from the left.
This was an accident and not unreasonable in any way whatsoever from Henderson.
The umpire called the free kick for blocking. Please. He was trying to mark the ball.
LIKES
1. INTEREST GROWS IN YOUNG TIGER
Manager Ralph Carr and Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro had talks last week about the futures of Shai Bolton and Mabior Chol, two players coached by current Dons coach Ben Rutten when Rutten was at Tigerland.
Both players are out of contract at the end of the season and Carr, as all good managers do, is keeping the options open.
That he has put off contract talks until the end of the season also adds a little intrigue.
Bolton is 22 and if Zac Williams and Brad Hill, for example, are earning north for $800,000, Carr is wondering why the brilliant Bolton can’t do the same.
Richmond can’t pay that sort of money and will press on Bolton’s loyalty to the yellow and black.
The Bombers are tantalised by the possibility of adding Bolton to a midfield of Zach Merrett, Darcy Parish, Andy McGrath, Jye Caldwell, Dylan Shiel and Sam Draper.
They have the money for both Bolton and Chol, who they see as a forward-ruck player. Bolton to Essendon is unlikely – and think of the trade possibilities – but while he remains unsigned, the Bombers will remain in play.
2. BACK IN TOWN
The ball could not have been in better hands for West Coast. Josh Kennedy from the pocket, curling a trademark right footer for the win. The Tigers had the match and lost it, eventually being overwhelmed in their D50. The Eagles out-surged the best surge team in the competition and won because of the braveness of youth (Edwards, Edwards and Foley), the poise of the veterans (Kennedy, Nic Nat and Hurn), the will of Yeo and a moment of magic from Ryan. It might be the win that sets the season rolling.
3. THRILLER IN TASSIE
What’s not to like about a draw, unless you’re Daniel Lloyd.
The Giant with the wonderful right foot kicked the two previous goals to square the contest in the final minutes, but then failed to score with seconds to play with a shot for goal from the pocket.
He hit the ball without the necessary curl and the ball travelled out of bounds on the full. Both teams would be disappointed. North Melbourne had the game, the Giants squared the game and the Giants lost the game.
Still, the Roos took another step forward in their progression. Cam Zurhaar is playing great footy, as is Simpkin and Thomas.
They desperately need another key forward and another elite midfielder.
If Josh Kelly departs the Giants, then the Kangaroos will be up to their ears with an offer. Watch this space on that one.
4. THE MASTER COACH
Don’t know why anyone would suggest the Hawks put in place a succession involving Alastair Clarkson and Sam Mitchell.
Only if Clarkson leaves – and he has claimed several times that’s not going to happen – should the Hawks look at Mitchell.
Put it this way, who would you prefer to be the coach, a four-time premiership winner or an untried wannabe coach?
If Mitchell is headhunted by a rival club, say by Collingwood, then so be it. Off he goes.
Succession plans lock people and clubs into decisions that might seem desirable at the time, but might not be desirable when the time comes.
Colleague Jon Ralph suggested on Fox Footy on Friday the Hawks will look to extend Clarkson at the end of this year.
It’s a no-brainer, they should.
5. SLIDING DOORS
Brilliant by Clarkson to set a game style based on pressure and accountability – why don’t teams “go back to fundamentals’’ every week? – and knock over the Swans.
Brilliant, too, by the players to hunt like wolves, led by ruckman Jon Ceglar.
Ceglar was a late replacement for Ned Reeves and I can’t recall a better “late replacement’’ performance.
He hasn’t played senior footy since round 4 and was listed with an ankle injury, and Friday night was the best game of his eight-year career.
He had a game-high 11 clearances and a game-high 19 contested possessions (he had 20 possessions overall) and was pivotal in a bruising exhibition from the Hawks.
6. TOM STEWART
To the irate emailer who wrote I had rocks in my head for naming Tom Stewart on the bench and Bailey Dale at halfback in my mid-year All Australian team, well, you might be right.
Dale has been a revelation this year at the Dogs, but Stewart has been a revelation since he arrived from the local league in 2017.
His consistent high standards might be too easily accepted as the norm.
It’s been noted before the comparison between Matt Scarlett and Stewart, and it seems to be even more pronounced the longer Stewart plays.
He was colossal last Thursday night as a stopper and a creator.
He had a game-high 723m gained, took four contested marks and had 23 disposals, all the while playing on Robbie Gray when Gray was forward. He is a mighty defender.
7. ROSS THE BOSS
Imagine being a coach – retired or not – and being asked to interview for the Collingwood job.
That’s what looms for veteran pair Ross Lyon and Mark Williams.
“Choco’’ will beat down the door to get the job, such as his desire to coach again, and only Lyon knows if he (Lyon) has the hunger and commitment to dedicate his life to another coaching stint.
He’s happy in his new life in media and real estate, but he’s also aware the Collingwood Football Club is the most famous of all sporting clubs in the country and that must interest him, if not lure him.
There are only 18 senior coaches, as Lyon likes to say, and there’s only one Collingwood job. It will be difficult to say no if they say yes.
8. THE UNHERALDED CROW
Ben Keays is the fabulous delisted free agent story to rival that of Jarryd Lyons.
Lyons was cut by the Suns at the end of 2018 and picked up by Lions and has forged a terrific second-club career.
Keays was delisted by the Lions at the end of 2019 and picked by the Crows via the rookie draft and is flourishing at his second club.
This year, Keays is averaging 28 disposals, six clearances and six tackles.
On Saturday night and wearing Brad Crouch’s former No. 2, he had 31 and 10 tackles in the strangest of victories.
The career comparison with Lyons also extends to on the field performance.
There’s no bells and whistles, just a strong work ethic and they win the ball.
9. THE BIG MAN IN THE WEST
Sean Darcy is the best young ruckman in the league and we say young – he turned 23 on Saturday – because ruckmen generally take several years to establish themselves in the role.
Darcy has arrived this year.
He had a game-high 140 ranking points against the Suns, and led his team in tackles and clearances, which is a Brodie Grundy-type performance.
He started the season playing forward with youngster Lloyd Meek in the ruck, and now has control of the No. 1 ruck role.
Let’s hope for Meek’s sake he can play forward because he might not see a lot of senior footy if Darcy’s prominence continues to grow.
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