Mick Malthouse assesses the premiership credentials of Brisbane and Port Adelaide
Brisbane opened up the premiership race and Port Adelaide is on the charge. But Mick Malthouse says there are question marks about both home preliminary final teams that Geelong and Richmond can exploit.
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So much can be said about Brisbane’s qualifying win over Richmond.
The Lions looked OK, then Richmond came at them hard, then they were terrific late in the second term into the third, and then they held their nerve at the end for what looked like a relatively easy 15-point win.
But I don’t think it was that comfortable.
Richmond had more disposals, more contested possessions, more inside-50s and hit the post three times, and twice as many centre clearances — that spells danger and tells us that the win wasn’t quite as convincing as the final scoreline revealed.
Efficiency with the football is paramount in finals because the pressure on the ball carrier is immense, without as much time or space to use the footy. When it mattered most against the Tigers, Brisbane found a target that gave them further opportunities.
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The Lions are well structured defensively all over the ground. The backline is very well led by All-Australian Harris Andrews who is cool, quick, and every so reliable and can handle any key forward.
I am not sold on Grant Birchall, who has a calm under pressure approach but can be led to the ball. Brandon Starcevich has played some good football, as has Darcy Gardiner, so the backline has held up, but of the top four sides at the end of the home-and-away season Brisbane gave up the most points against and had the lowest percentage.
It does tell you a little bit about the Lions’ mindset. They can be a very attacking side, that leaves the corridor bare.
Jarryd Lyons, Lachie Neale, and Dayne Zorko are high possession players, along with Hugh McCluggage and Jarrod Berry, but I’m not sure they are overly attentive to the defence required for four quarters in a highly volatile finals match.
This will need to be addressed in the preliminary final. Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin were the main reasons the Tigers led early in the qualifying final but faded in the second half. Whatever instructions were given behind closed doors at halftime to get Brisbane back in the game, have to be repeated for the whole game to hold off a rampant Geelong and book a spot in “home” Grand Final.
Charlie Cameron’s early season form was nothing short of breathtaking. But then he injured his knee and went off the boil for a number of weeks. Fortunately for the Lions he appears to have regained enough confidence in his body to get that form back, with three goals against Richmond.
Cam Rayner’s work ethic is questionable. He can take the big marks and lay the big tackles, but his inability to stay in the game for the full game leaves the Lions’ forward line vulnerable.
He had five disposals and a goal against the Tigers and that is nowhere near enough support for Oscar McInerney out of the pocket, and Eric Hipwood.
McInerney, Hipwood and Daniel McStay are dangerous talls, but if they are not marking the ball their opponents can clean up at ground level, as they are subdued in their ability to hold the ball in their forward line.
Cameron, Rayner, McCarthy and the resting mids must be better at this part of their game to put pressure back on to the opposition backline.
Brisbane has been blessed to play so many games in Queensland due to the hub scenario, but as other clubs have also played more games at the Gabba and Metricon Stadium they have adjusted to the grounds’ characteristics.
The smaller size and dewy surface would have once been an advantage to the Lions, but not as other clubs have become familiar with them. The crowd noise will help the Lions, but it won’t win the final for them.
The game will be won by who is on the ground. Brisbane’s enthusiasm across the oval is contagious.
It is a reasonably young, reasonably aggressive team. Stefan Martin in the side gives it stability and lets McInerney go forward.
To win, there needs to be a connect between the three lines. Neale will most likely be tagged so it will be up to the others, and they will need all things going well for them. They should be fresh which will help.
In the end it may come down to whether the medium to small forwards hunt the ball and the opposition as much as they must in a final.
PORT ADELAIDE’S BIG CHALLENGE
The preliminary final is uncommon ground for Port Adelaide. Its last one was in 2014 when it narrowly lost to Hawthorn. Its last winning prelim was in 2007 against North Melbourne.
In their win over Geelong in the qualifying final, Port dominated the third term to set up the win, but in reality there wasn’t a great deal of difference between the teams.
What is impressive however, is what Port learnt from its heavy defeat to the Cats just six weeks earlier.
The personnel hasn’t changed greatly, but defensively they’ve tightened the screws and latches and become highly effective, which was previously a vulnerability.
Hamish Hartlett took seven marks and virtually roamed across the half backline when Geelong peppered its forward 50 in the last quarter trying to penetrate the defences.
Port still lacks one big defender like Brisbane’s Harris Andrews at 201cm and 100kg, or Collingwood’s Darcy Moore, 203cm and 101kg.
Tom Jonas, who has been magnificent, is only 188cm tall. Darcy Byrne-Jones 181cm, Ryan Burton 191cm, Tom Clurey 193cm, Hartlett 185cm, Dan Houston 186cm, and Trent McKenzie 191cm.
And the danger with not having a tall back to take on an opposing giant forward like Tom Lynch is that the opposition can isolate Port’s back six and leave them exposed with a lack of height and muscle power.
This is why Port’s defence around its forward line and midfield has been so important, and so impressive, in not allowing easy access into their opponent’s forward line. This has freed up Hartlett to give aerial support to the other backs.
premiership ruckman Scott Lycett has held his own this season, but back-up ruck, Peter Ladhams has been a wildcard for Port. Not a massively big player at 202cm and 95kg, at just 22 years of age he is the youngest ruckman in the finals series.
He has done a marvellous job of slipping under the radar while playing his role against more fancied opponents.
Next week he will take on Toby Nankervis who has more experience than him, but Ladhams more than makes up for it in grunt.
Remarkably, Geelong’s midfield full of big names was humbled by Ollie Wines, Travis Boak, Tom Rockliff, Sam Powell-Pepper and a cameo by Robbie Gray. Ports’ minds are not quick, but they are big bodied, and outside support for them has been terrific. Xavier Duursma, Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Karl Amon act on instinct, speed and excitement. In reality, they were also probably the difference between a qualifying win and a qualifying loss.
Port Adelaide’s forward line really revolves around big Charlie Dixon’s contests. He is a massive man and generally attracts more than one opponent in the air.
So this is where young Todd Marshall becomes instrumental in kicking enough Port goals to put pressure on the opposition.
Port can’t plan on Steven Motlop kicking three goals from his first four kicks again because he is simply not that reliable, but Marshall can come into his own as a slide-in player in the vicinity of Dixon, and let the smaller forwards go to town.
There is no question Ken Hinkley would have been surprised, but delighted, that Motlop and Brad Ebert kicked five goals between them against the Cats. That score of 9.4 seems like an eternity ago, and I don’t think a similar score will hold up next weekend against Richmond/St Kilda.
I predicted earlier this year that Port would win the premiership based entirely on the fact that it is a very good team with some exceptional individual players.
It has team defence, team offence, and team midfield, and the link between the three is essential, because aside from individual performances it is also about chemistry.
When Port is up and about the whole team lifts and works magnificently for one another.
If there are flaws, and all teams have them, there is a question over whether Port has a genuine lockdown mid.
Also, where do enough goals come from if Dixon is held? And if the backs are isolated can the relatively small key backs stand up against bigger bodied forwards?
Richmond will test all of these things.
The Saints were in Friday night’s game until midway through the last quarter and clearly had their chances, but sloppy goalkicking cost them.
The Tigers’ class won out in the end. Shai Bolton and Daniel Rioli’s goals, a steady backline, and the ability to handle St Kilda’s pace. They can expect similar speed from Port.
The midfield battle in the preliminary final in itself will be worth watching. Richmond will test any teams’ strengths, but Port is accomplished and rested and won’t back down. It will in turn test the Tigers’ discipline (Trent Cotchin didn’t do himself any favours with his fling tackle of Zak Jones, it was not a good look) and ball getting power. It is going to be an almighty battle.
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Originally published as Mick Malthouse assesses the premiership credentials of Brisbane and Port Adelaide
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