The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from Round 7

Geelong lost the game to Sydney long before the Jeremy Cameron decision. And they only have themselves to blame, says Mark Robinson.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley talks to his players.

Another week, another Collingwood loss and more pressure on Nathan Buckley.

Where does the coach stand after seven rounds?

Meanwhile, the Crows and Hawks have huge problems of their own, the Teague Train is rolling again (sort of), Melbourne has unearthed a new weapon, and why is AFL ruining one of the game’s great institutions, footy tipping?

See all chief footy writer Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from a massive Round 7 below.

Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

DISLIKES

1. Where to for Collingwood?

Nathan Buckley is correct: What’s left to ask about the freefalling Pies and his future? Everyone’s had a crack at the trade period and the PR bungle, who should be traded and whether Buckley should get another contract. The timeline, Buckley said on Saturday after the loss to the Suns, remains in place: He and the club will discuss what’s best for Collingwood after the bye break. But timelines change. If the Pies were to be beaten by North Melbourne next week — and there’s always that one game that fatally hurts a coach — then the Pies would have to consider bringing that timeline forward. The longer the Pies don’t reappoint Buckley, the more believable it is he won’t be there next year. Buckley is 1-6 in a contract year, the club is rebuilding and his youngsters are not capable yet of playing four quarters of offensive, defensive and transition footy. It’s the perfect storm and Buckley is holding a broken umbrella.

Where does Nathan Buckley go now?

2. Mistakes kill the Bombers

You’re not going to win a game of football if you give up 84 points on turnovers. It was the sixth-most by any team this year. It provides a double-edged discussion. A) the Bombers couldn’t sufficiently hold on to the ball. Some of their turnovers led to simple goals for Carlton — Dyson Heppell’s miskick in the third quarter, for example — and Andy McGrath going at 47 per cent is not near good enough. And B) Carlton too easily punished the Bombers on turnover. Like, how does Eddie Betts get 35m clear at half-forward, which led to Blues goal?

3. Adam Tomlinson’s knee

It’s shattering for him and a massive loss for the Demons. As the second tall defender — a role which releases Jake Lever — Tomlinson has stood Taberner, Hawkins and Riewoldt this season and given up four goals combined against that trio. The reaction from Tomlinson was devastation and the reaction from coach Simon Goodwin going forward will be interesting. He pushed Tom McDonald to defence in the second quarter on Sunday, and that’s a possible full-time role for him. The other option is to keep McDonald as a wing/forward and elevate Harrison Petty from the VFL. Petty came in when Steve May busted his eye and he looks the likely option.

Adam Tomlinson with teammates Trent Rivers, Michael Hibberd and Ed Langdon.

4. Don’t blame the umpires

Geelong lost the game long before Jeremy Cameron wasn’t paid the mark and long before the free kick was not paid for (maybe) holding the ball. The Cats lost a game they were in control of because of the one aspect that has decided games since Essendon’s Albert Thurgood was the Champion of the Colony in 1893: Goalkicking. The inside-50 count was 65-39 and shots at goal were 35-22, yet the Cats couldn’t get it done. The set-shot accuracy was 63 per cent for Sydney and 34 per cent for Geelong, so while all the pandemonium surrounds the Cameron mark, the reality is Geelong killed itself.

5. The wheels are off at Adelaide

This was a shellacking of the highest order. Spotfires were everywhere. Simply, the Crows were too soft against the Giants. There’s work ethic in your running and also your ball-winning, and alarmingly the Crows lost contested ball by 21. By far the most alarming aspect of the game was at stoppage. They lost clearances 41-17. Their 17 count was the lowest recorded by any side in a match this season and it was Adelaide’s fewest recorded in a match since Round 3, 2010 against Melbourne. Skipper Rory Sloane is a possible for the Showdown this week and he is desperately needed.

Ben Keays under siege from the Giants.

6. Where to for Jason Johannisen?

The Norm Smith medallist has lost his halfback flank and is trying to forge a forward-wing career. It is with mixed results. He’s kicked one goal this season and against the rampaging Tigers on Friday night, recorded just 20 SuperCoach points from five disposals, 102m gained and two score involvements. Overall this season, Johannisen has spent just 31 per cent of game time in defence, 19 per cent as a wingman and 50 per cent forward. Just 11 possessions in the game previous would suggest a) his new roles are a work in progress, or b) his position in the team is shaky at this point.

7. Hawks plucked

Had to double check I got that word right. If there were spotfires at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, there was a bushfire at Marvel Stadium. Beaten on the inside and outside, it was Hawthorn’s limpest performance of the season. That’s the nice way of putting it. Can’t recall a contest where the Hawks were so easy to play against. The players were lame and the coaching box didn’t have the answers. Not since Round 4, 2017, have the Hawks suffered a worse loss on the scoreboard. When their midfield is ripped open because of injuries, it’s really not a surprise.

Liam Shiels takes on Paddy Ryder and Jack Bytel.

8. Which leads us to tipping

Plenty of tipsters opted for the Hawks, myself included, after watching them perform admirably throughout the first six games. And with the Saints a quagmire, it could’ve been a Clarkson special. Tips are completed Thursdays and Fridays, yet the change in policy by the AFL which now allows teams to be named the night before the game meant no one knew O’Meara, Wingard and Burgoyne weren’t playing. The AFL policy change came about because clubs wanted the change and in agreeing, the AFL has helped ruin one of the game’s great traditions: Tipping. It’s not good enough. As Leigh Matthews told 3AW on Saturday, clubs generally know on Wednesday the makeup of the team and there’s room to make late changes anyhow. The AFL wanted normality this season, yet allowed every tipping competition in the country to be compromised and took from newspapers especially and news outlets — and ultimately the tipsters — a Friday staple. You got this horribly wrong, AFL.

Bit of debate on this one, when do you prefer to get the teams? 🤔

— AFL (@AFL) May 3, 2021

9. Woeful in the west

We’ve all bullish about the Dockers, but they lost friends on Sunday. Yes, they were weak after halftime. They lost contested ball by 17, allowed West Coast to score 17 times from 33 entries and their pressure was a lowly 162. The league average is 180. It was a brutal contrast to how the Dockers have been playing and in one game, there are now doubts about their finals legitimacy. They’ve never had a better chance in recent times to beat the Eagles who were missing Barrass, McGovern, Hurn, Shuey, Yeo and Flying’ Ryan. The Eagles were also forced to move their most dangerous forward this year, Oscar Allen, to play as a key defender. Still, the Dockers were nonthreatening. A horrible loss.

LIKES

1. Teague train is finally rolling

Carlton president Mark LoGiudice said on Sunday he was amazed there was the suggestion coach David Teague was under pressure. By the end of the day, LoGiudice’s confidence would be absolute. Not sure everyone else has the same confidence, but win the Blues did. And they won it on the back of punishing Essendon’s mistakes and on the back of Sam Walsh, Harry McKay and their reigning best-and-fairest Jacob Weitering. The issue was they allowed Essendon 63 inside-50s and if not for Weitering, the W could’ve been an L. He took 11 marks, five of them intercepts, and time and again was a Goliath in the D50. With those bookends, and Walsh’s astonishing work rate and smarts in the middle, the Blues have the pillars. They just need to work on improving their overall defence.

Sam Walsh’s work rate is phenomenal.

2. Melbourne ruckman

No, not Max Gawn, it’s Luke Jackson. He’s going to be a hell of a player. Melbourne trailed North Melbourne at halftime on Sunday and coach Simon Goodwin opted to use Jackson more in the ruck in the third quarter. It was a 50-50 split with Gawn and the most time Jackson has rucked in a quarter with Gawn in the team. In the third quarter, Jackson had 11 disposals (most for the quarter), four contested (most for the quarter) and four score involvements. What another weapon the Demons have at their disposal. If it wasn’t for Jackson, Kossie Pickett would’ve been the ‘like’. No one is more exciting in the competition than this young man.

Luke Jackson finished with 22 disposals.

3. Tim Kelly without the tag

Amassed 42 and 14 clearances in a masterful display in the midfield and even he was surprised he didn’t cop a tag. “I’ve been getting a fair bit of attention, copping a tag the past few weeks, so I felt a bit freer today, which was good,’’’ he told Fox Footy in the post-match. The Freo boys went head to head with us today.’’ His head to head opponents were Nathan Fyfe and Andrew Brayshaw and it won’t be pretty reading for those two. Certainly, the Eagles weren’t weak this week. That accusation sits at the feet of the Dockers.

4. Frank Costa

Eight weeks ago, the Herald Sun asked the Costa family if I could talk to Frank about his family, his footy and his long list of achievements, the reason being people like Frank, who was ailing, deserved to be celebrated in life and not only in death. He wasn’t up to it. Tributes will pour in for Frank and will centre on his wonderful values, his generosity and, despite his wealth, his regular-guy character. He was one of those rare people who preached and lived life’s values. It goes without saying he’s a giant of the Geelong Football Club, but he was much more than that. He helped people and he saved people and that’s more important than footy. Vale Frank Costa.

5. Tom Hickey

The mental toughness to play AFL football is often taken for granted. Hickey was supposed to miss six weeks with a knee injury, missed just the one week, and returned and put the sword through Rhys Stanley, who last week put the sword through Nic Naitanui. Hickey had 20 disposals, a game-high 16 contested possessions, a game-high 10 clearances and six centre-bounce clearances. He and Richmond’s Toby Nankervis would be loved by their teammates. They are old-fashioned, lumbering ruckmen who are brave and who fight for the ball on the deck. When the list of influential ruckmen are named, it’s always Nic Nat, Gawn and Grundy, and then daylight. That margin is way off.

The Tigers love Toby Nankervis’s intensity.

6. That’s more like it, Charlie

Charlie Cameron had eight shots at goal against Port Adelaide – his most recorded in a match since Round 22, 2019 — and finished with 4.4. Seemingly lost in the new structure or perhaps carrying an injury to start the season, Cameron was frightfully dangerous in a new-ish set up that has Daniel McStay deep and Eric Hipwood and Joe Daniher ranging high. He recorded 112 SuperCoach points, 13 disposals, four inside-50 marks, which was a game high, and nine score involvements. Daniher’s progression as a high forward rather than a deep forward may have unlocked the magic of Charlie, or at least given him space to create.

7. Zak Jones

A career-best game for Jones: 159 SuperCoach points, 37 disposals, 16 contested possessions and 13 score involvements against Hawthorn on Saturday. He deserves all the plaudits he can get. The challenge for him now is to remain close to that standard. He played as a ball hunting midfielder which hasn’t always been his position. He’s been at halfback, sometimes a wing and last week he played as a high half-forward. Against the Hawks it was inside the centre square and it was such a dominant performance, it should demand he propel his career from that position. It’s up to him. Earlier this season he was called a “B grade midfielder’’ by a commentator. It was a spot-on description. But what we saw of Jones on Saturday suggests there’s an A grade ranking within his reach.

Zak Jones is rewarded for his best-on-ground performance.

8. The quiet Giant

Harry Perryman is the type of player highly rated by his club, but who is not as highly rated externally. Every club has that player. Think Hickey, Nankervis, Dougal Howard, for example. Perryman finished second (96 votes) behind joint winners Lachie Whitfield and Nick Haynes (98 votes) in last year’s best-and-fairest. He missed three games with injury this year and has returned largely to halfback. He hasn’t a standout trait but is good in every aspect of the game. On Saturday, he had 26 disposals and a game-high 490m gained and seven score involvements opposed mainly to Paul Seedsman.

9. Another Charlie is making his mark

Gold Coast’s Charlie Ballard is 21 and played 54 games and is tracking in the Harris Andrews direction. Ballard is 91kg and 195cm and Andrews is 100kg and 200cm, so he’s not quite the monster that Harris is. But as hybrid key defender, Ballard will be a mainstay at the Suns for a decade. He kept Darcy Moore to five disposals on Saturday, while helping himself to 18 and seven marks. He is among the young guns at the Suns without the media hype.