The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from the first week of the 2020 AFL Finals
Richmond plays bullying football and when the Lions stood up to the bullies, the Tigers didn’t handle it. They need to address their attitude problem before Friday night’s semi-final, writes Mark Robinson. REPLAY Q&A
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Footy needed this.
We, the fans, needed this.
SCROLL DOWN: THE FINALS SERIES SAVING FOOTY
We needed our faith in the game to be restored after a wavering season of doubt, frustration and lingering concern about where it was headed as a spectacle.
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Remember the Hawthorn-North Melbourne match in Round 4? The absolute, mind-numbing boringness brought about by the lack of adventure from the coaches?
Compare that game to this weekend’s first round of finals.
It was a different sport.
ROBBO’S LIKES AND DISLIKES FROM THE FIRST WEEK OF THE AFL FINALS
LIKES
1. BRODY MIHOCEK
He remains uncontracted for next season as clubs continue to wait for the AFL to announce the TPP, and it’s performances like what Mihocek produced on Saturday night which will have rival clubs ready to swoop if he and Collingwood don’t agree on what he’s worth. Gee, he’s a lion-hearted key forward. His three goals – one in the third quarter and two in the final quarter, at the 10th and 16th minutes – were enormous. Mason Cox was huge early, Mihocek was huge late and Collingwood was huge all night. Mihocek deserves a healthy contract, somewhere in the $500,000 per-season range. If the Pies don’t pay it, other clubs will, especially now bullocking key forwards appear to be more valuable than traditional lead-and-mark forwards. Put it this way, Pies fans, who would you rather have: Ben Brown or Brody Mihocek? I’m in Mihocek’s corner.
2. MAYNARD V RYAN
It was match-up central at Perth Stadium and the No. 1 contest – from the couch anyway – was between Brayden Maynard and Liam Ryan. Ryan is a spellbinding footballer and Maynard is the blue-chip, blue-collar back flanker. Their contest was riveting. Ryan won. He has overtaken Charlie Cameron as the most watchable player in the game and, similar to Cameron, has the capacity to have you fixated on him and him alone whenever he is close to the ball — be it when it’s on the ground or in the air. What’s Flyin’ Ryan worth? If Jordan De Goey is in the $700,000 bracket, then Ryan is nearing $800,000.
3. DANIEL RICH
He’s a stalwart, Rich, and joyous Lions officials had him as best afield in their win over Richmond on Friday night. How he was able to get free to take the handball and kick the first goal from 50m was vintage Rich and, at the same time, alarming for Richmond. Rich had 20 disposals, a game-high 605m gained and a game-high 16 uncontested possessions. He also had seven intercept possessions behind only teammate Harris Andrews (nine). Rich did the same to Carlton before, so it was surprising to see Richmond give him so much freedom. Surely he can’t get the same space and time in the preliminary final? If he does, Rich is looming as Brisbane’s most destructive player.
4. DAN HANNEBERY
He recorded an equal team-high 20 disposals as well as the equal second-most uncontested possessions (14) for St Kilda against the Bulldogs. They were the numbers and they stacked up well. Hannebery’s importance was far beyond the numbers. Like when he went at the Bulldogs’ spirit animal Tom Liberatore. It was only a minor scuffle, but Hannebery, once a finals warrior for Sydney, didn’t allow Libba to mess with his head at that moment. Like when he got nailed by Bailey Smith in a marking contest. Hannebery left the field in pain in the third quarter and, for a moment, he looked cooked. He returned and helped deny the Dogs in the final quarter. They were symbolic moments, more than anything else, but it’s why the Saints wanted Hannebery in the first place. He’s tough and he’s a finals player and, while he was delighted with the result, it was head down pretty quickly. “It’s on to the Tigers in six days’ time,’’ he told 3AW yesterday.
DISLIKES
1. MY KINGDOM FOR A FORWARD (STRUCTURE)
Gallant Dogs yes, loser Dogs also yes. Gallantry doesn’t really mean much in an elimination final and, for the Dogs, the years-long problem, which is their forward 50m, failed again. The Bulldogs scored from 37 per cent of their inside 50 entries, which was their fourth-lowest percentage recorded in a match this season. They recorded a shot at goal accuracy of 39 per cent, its fifth-lowest percentage this season. They allowed St Kilda to take nine intercept marks in their forward 50m, their equal most conceded this season. Josh Bruce continued his nightmare season and he needs to find answers in the off-season as to why his marking and ball handling has deserted him. Feel like I’ve bullied Bruce this year but, with three years to run on a contract worth about $500,00 per season, he simply has to get better. Tim English will grow again with another pre-season, but was a poor contributor at the weekend. The Dogs desperately need a second ruckman to help the young tall.
2. COME ON UMPIRE
Who knows what happens with umpiring in finals. Some commentators say they let the game flow, while others say they don’t pay enough free kicks. I like the former, which means the lineball decisions are not paid, which leads fans to scream for consistency. They can’t win, umpires. Interesting, though, that two losing coaches at the weekend, Chris Scott and Damien Hardwick, both had issues with the umpires over different matters. Why bother? Interesting, also, that the winning coaches didn’t seem to have a problem.
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3. THE END DRAWS NEAR FOR GAZZA
If Geelong loses to Collingwood on Saturday, it will announce the end of one of the all-time great careers. Ablett is 36 and has played 355 games over 19 seasons. He would leave the game probably regarded as the best onballer-forward since the legendary Leigh Matthews. The Hawks great was carried from the MCG in tears after the 1985 Grand Final loss to Essendon, having kicked 56 goals in his final season, a number which would have won him this year’s Coleman Medal. Ablett was found wanting against Port Adelaide on Thursday night. The little master looked like the little battler and he needs to – and hopefully will – find his genius for the Pies match. If not, and the Cats go out in straight sets, the football world will certainly find the time to acknowledge the all-time career of Gazza before dissecting what would be another Geelong finals failure.
4. TIM KELLY
Match-deciding decision by coach Nathan Buckley to activate Levi Greenwood as a midfield stopper, a defensive ploy Buckley used rarely this season. In his fifth game of the season, Greenwood went to West Coast’s Tim Kelly and nullified him. It prompts two questions: 1) Why do coaches not use a tagger in their robotic team defence strategy when shut-out jobs can be instrumental? 2) How does Tim Kelly feel about his performance? The big-name and big-money recruit went missing in his first final for the Eagles. He had a season-low 12 disposals, two clearances and most importantly, only five uncontested disposals, which was also a season-low. You could easily argue Greenwood was the most effective player on the ground.
THE FINALS SERIES SAVING FOOTY
Don’t know about anyone else, but the fervent application from the players, combined with so many breathtaking individual moments and underpinned by the coaches wanting to actually win finals and not save games had me roaring at the TV in exhilaration
This was footy.
This is why we love footy.
Everywhere you look in the finals, there are rich storylines.
Geelong is under a fierce spotlight.
Another loss and it’s out in straight sets and, while coach Chris Scott will probably double-down on their recent finals results being “lazy’’ reporting, the facts can’t be denied.
They can’t get it done when it matters most.
Port Adelaide was mighty last Thursday night and the Cats marginally less so, seeing as though they were on the road against the ladder leaders. If the Cats kicked straight the result might have been different.
It’s an excuse, but excuses are always the domain of the loser.
They play Collingwood this week and there can be no excuse. They’ve lost their past two games against the Pies — Round 7 this year and the qualifying final in 2019 — so clearly their risk-averse football isn’t so risk proof against Nathan Buckley’s team.
Will Collingwood be as daring with the ball movement as they were against West Coast on Saturday night or will Buckley try to outcoach Scott from the box, employing a chess-like strategy throughout?
They are two fine tacticians.
Buckley had to like how his team performed against the Eagles.
He had speed in the game and he delivered an old-style product of backing his player against his opponent. Each player was responsible for another and, after they won the ball, it was whooshka.
The decision to play Darcy Cameron was a necessity to combat the Eagles’ key forwards and it was brave coaching to put him in the ruck at the death.
Generally, the Cats will want to take the speed out of the game, a manner which has served them well in home and away games for many seasons now. But that tactic is now under pressure again.
They have issues, but none of them are insurmountable.
Scott’s coaching will ultimately be tactical, but it has to start with mindfulness.
Is there a finals frailty amid the group? We all think so, but do the players think so?
Any sportsman/woman would understandably have doubts after losing so many big matches – as a team also – so Scott surely will go heavy on mentality — exorcising the demons if you will — before dissecting Collingwood.
From his own team’s standpoint, let’s start with producing a more productive small forward group – and better kicking for goal – and we’ll see what happens from there.
Unquestionably, football is a blood sport off the ground and many are poised to go after Geelong if they lose. That’s the sort of environment which galvanises teams. We’ll see.
Richmond has an attitude problem and, when this season is done and dusted, might even admit it hampered its season.
It certainly did against Brisbane on Friday night.
The Tigers were undisciplined and petulant.
From afar, the Tigers, this year, seem to have felt affronted, as if the world is against them.
Coach Damien Hardwick whining about the umpires is a case in point. You’d expect that from the head of the cheer squad, not from the senior coach.
Most of the competition would agree the Tigers play bullying football and the Lions were so proud their team stood up to the bullies and bullied them back. For one game at least, the baton changed hands.
The Tigers have to stop giving away 50m penalties, stop their whining, stop trying to take on tacklers, stop believing they are invisible when they have the ball.
The Tigers have set the benchmark for pressure but, suddenly, there is a group of teams matching them.
The Saints are through but also have issues. Paddy Ryder was best afield on Saturday and he’s injured and Jake Carlisle’s wife is having a baby and he is heading home to Melbourne.
It’s completely understandable.
As it would be if Mrs Carlisle, who is about to have their third child, says; “Hey champ, I’ve got this. Suit up for the Saints.’’
What a weekend for the winners.
Port Adelaide is the real deal – surely that is not in dispute – and will play the winner of Richmond v St Kilda.
Real because they play menacing football with the ball and without it.
Xavier Duursma being KO’d, Todd Marshall wrecking a shoulder and returning to kick a goal, and Zac Butters winning that crunch contest in the final quarter are Exhibits A, B and C for how Port plays the game.
The Lions, too. They are confident and exciting and, at the Gabba, they are extra exhilarating. Cam Rayner giving it to Trent Cotchin was symbolic on the bully front
And the footy world couldn’t be happier for Ken Hinkley and Chris Fagan.
It truly was a magnificent weekend of football, with not an asterisk in sight.