The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from Round 10, 2016

BRENDON Bolton might already be coach of 2016. But head-high free kicks and John Worsfold are in the gun. ROBBO’S BEST AND WORST OF R10 + REPLAY LIVE CHAT

A happy Blues coach Brendon Bolton.

BRENDON Bolton is the the early Tackle nomination for coach of the year, Dustin Martin steps up and Eddie Betts wasn’t the real hero for the Crows on Saturday night.

But the Cats, Dockers and head-high free kicks are in the firing line. And will John Worsfold ever say something critical about his old team?

Herald Sun chief footy writer Mark Robinson names his likes and dislikes of the weekend.

Scroll down to replay Robbo’s live chat.

LIKES

1. Dennis Armfield

The chances of Dennis being No.1 in the likes and Dennis returning as a popular boys name are/were equally impossible. Go figure. Armfield was majestic in yet another majestic performance from the Blues. Kicked three goals and looked like the Dominator running through half-forward. Carlton won with two players down, Sam Rowe stopping Tom Hawkins, Sam Docherty enhancing his AA calculations and Bryce Gibbs being calm in the storm.

Dennis Armfield celebrates a goal.

2. Brendon Bolton

A nomination record in The Tackle for a coach in his first season, but what he has done with this group is astonishing. If it’s about expectations, then as we stand Bolton is the coach of the year. The Blues are 5-5 and have clipped the Cats, Collingwood, Port Adelaide, Essendon and Fremantle. And to think there was a group of businessmen prepared to challenge the Carlton board. Here’s some advice: Lay down your guns, gentlemen.

3. Martin and Morris

One’s all class, the other is all effort. How’s Dusty’s past five weeks — 31, 28, 28, 30 and a career-high 38 touches against Essendon. And in the same period his contested possessions have rocketed, so it’s clear he’s changed the way he plays. No questions about Steven Morris’ attitude, though. People talk about the return of Brett Deledio and Dylan Grimes but Morris has been critical in wins against Sydney, Fremantle and now Essendon.

4. St Kilda

Stood up in a fierce contest and that was the most pleasing aspect of the win. That was character. Their ability to run in the final quarter from the back half stomped all over the Dockers. Key forwards Riewoldt, Membrey and Bruce kicked two goals each in the final quarter in the rout, yet it was David Armitage and Jack Steven who refused to yield when the Dockers turned up the heat. They shared 70 disposals, 28 contested possessions, 26 tackles, 13 clearances and two goals. Armitage is a warrior, Steven is a dynamic warrior and should be in discussion for All-Australian.

5. Chad Wingard

Mixed bag this season because of injury and so-so individual and team form, but past three weeks he has returned; three, two, three and on Saturday 2.4 from 26 disposals playing forward/mid. When Chad plays well, so do Port. And you have to agree with coach Ken Hinkley about Darcy Byrne-Jones. Has played eight games, one poor one (Round 8), was injured (Round 9) in one and solid in the other six, including among the best on Saturday. Surely Rising Star nom this week.

Josh Kennedy gets in Andrew Swallow’s face.

6. Josh Kennedy

Seem to wax with the Sydney midfielders on a Monday morning. Hannebery, Mitchell and Parker have figured prominently and now Kennedy completes the quadrella. Had 35, seven clearances and 12 tackles and together, Kennedy, Mitchell and Hannebery all had 11-plus contested possessions, while the Kangaroos only had one player in that category and that was Ben Cunnington with 16. At this rate, Hannebery and Kennedy are AA, which doesn’t leave a lot of midfield spots for the other 17 clubs.

7. Kyle Cheney

Sorry, Eddie, the goal was mind-boggling, but crucial to Adelaide’s victory over GWS was Adelaide’s defensive work on key Giants forwards. Lobb, Cameron and Patton kicked one goal between them before Patton went back, and Steve Johnson had limited impact. His opponent for much of the game was Cheney. Head to head, Cheney had five disposals and Johnson four disposals, but that doesn’t count the spoils or bodywork by Cheney. And let’s not forget Tex. His first quarter — seven disposals, five marks and three goals — led from the front.

8. Jordan Lewis

May be biased. Doubly determined to play well, Jordan Lewis was extraordinary against the Lions. It was his 250th match, but that didn’t propel him. He was poor the week before in what was the Jarryd Roughead acknowledgment match and it cut him deep. He responded with 42 disposals, the second-most of career, a game-high 18 contested possessions, nine clearances and 12 score involvements.

9. Luke Dahlhaus

There are prettier footballers to watch play, but few with a better work rate than the Bulldogs’ high half-forward. It was a trench game and Dahlhaus scrounged as good as any player. Finished with 37 disposals, 11 contested, six tackles and one clearance. He’s not a breakaway player, more a buzzing around the contest kind of player and in the past five weeks has gone 28, 31, 29, 28 and on Sunday 37. His goal just before three-quarter time was critical.

10. Jeremy Howe

Hasn’t the heart of, say, former Essendon player Mark Harvey — well, who did? — but Harvey was able to shift from half-forward to key back and become a key plank in Essendon’s 1993 premiership team. Howe has the same ability to read the game and yesterday once again was among the best with 11 marks and 28 touches. It leaves Frost to be the stopper and Howe to be a release big man.

DISLIKES

1. Geelong

Poor against Collingwood and followed it up with yet another poor performance against Carlton. Couldn’t play their way against the Pies and the same against the Blues. Just maybe they’re not as good as many of us have thought. Too many mistakes under the Carlton heat — and yes, it was fierce heat — and not enough from Selwood, Motlop, Lang, Blicavs and Smedts. All told, they lacked polish and work rate. The Giants at home next week will be a must-watch.

2. Demons defence

The press takes time to solidify and it will be front and square at training this week. That was one problem as Port kicked goal after goal over the back and was able to find loose men forward for centre. The other area was stoppages. The Demons broke even in clearances but were outscored by 45 points from that source, which ended up being the final margin. Just 46 tackles for the Demons and that wasn’t about lack of effort, they couldn’t catch their opponents. Paul Roos keeps blaming the coaches for selection issues, but at some stage, he has to point the finger at the players. Bernie Vince, Jack Viney, Dom Tyson and Dean Kent were well down.

Matthew Pavlich fights for the ball with Sean Dempster. Picture: Colleen Petch

3. Matthew Pavlich

Hate seeing the champ going through this and if he pulled the pin, there would be no shame in that. The future Hall of Famer played in 2016 because the Dockers were giving it another shot, but that’s not happening. You’re allowed to retire. It’s not abandoning the team. It was a plan which didn’t work. The ball delivery is not great — we’ve said that for a long time — and while the mind is willing, the body is not. Can’t get separation and tries to mark the ball too many times on his chest, which makes the task easy for defenders. A midyear retirement would be a sensational celebration of a career in what his otherwise a very disappointing season.

4. So, Fremantle

Mentally weak which hast been far from the norm for Ross Lyon’s teams. The score at quarter-time, 5-4 to 3.0, wasn’t indicative of Fremantle’s lack of fight. Lyon spoke about character at the break and the Dockers responded, only to raise the white flag in the final quarter. Observers suggest Lyon has coached this team into the ground, I say that’s rubbish. If they can find for two quarters, they can find for four quarters. Key players are out or missing, and that hurts, but it was a case of picking and choosing effort on Saturday.

5. GWS

Final quarter fight is the positive, the lack of zest and polish in the first and third quarters were disappointing. Midfield battle went to the Crows. Adelaide recorded its best clearance differential of the season (+11) and the Giants recorded their worst differential and Adelaide scored 6.6 to 1.1 against a team that was No.1 for scoring from stoppages. They are the numbers that will anger coach Leon Cameron, but this game, like many over the weekend, was won on the back of effort and attitude. Just eight tackles from the Giants in the first quarter was despairing.

6. North Melbourne

Came for the street fight and limped home wounded and although they can find positives from quarter two, they never looked like threatening after the first five minutes of the third term. Lost structure and had several players down including Brent Harvey and Drew Petrie. They won’t care about outside observations, but they played the first of the big boys and got beat. Doubts exist but, hey, beating Sydney in Sydney is one of the tougher assignments in football.

7. Drawing head-high tackles

It’s an issue the Laws of the Game committee must investigate at the end of the season. What to do about it is the problem. Scott Lucas had a fine idea: if the initial tackle by a player is around the arms — and then the player with the ball slides those arms up around the neck — a free kick should not be played. Even coaches are in favour of AFL intervention. Selwood, Puopolo, Thomas, Christensen and second-gamer Rhys Mathieson, among others, are all guilty to some extent. Thomas made it front of mind on Friday night because he stopped and backed back into an oncoming opponent. Some people call it cheating and a blight. I think it’s not in the spirit of the contest. We see players throw themselves to win the ball and then we see players drop or collapse the knees to win the ball. One’s fearless attack, the other is a con.

Lindsay Thomas wins a free kick for a high tackle against Sydney.

8. Bombers

Yes, they are missing players, we know that. But I wonder if John Worsfold will ever get to the stage where he is critical of his team, or more demanding of his team, and not loaded with positives after every loss. Maybe it’s an art of coaching. But Essendon had its chances to really challenge Richmond, but coughed up any chance because of too many mistakes. And not just from young players. Endeavour is there, no doubt, but a sense of gallantry every week does wear thin.

9. Unlucky Pies

Seemed to be the winner for three quarters, but with injuries killing them, ran out of impetus in the final quarter. The Pies didn’t have a rotation, while the Bulldogs had 16 during a period of the final 30 minutes. Tough to win in that situation. Problem was, the Pies didn’t kick enough goals when they had control of the game. Macrae, Daniel, Hunter, Biggs, Libba and Wood were fresher at the end and Pies will rue one which got away. It was 5.3 to 1.3 in the final term.

10. Gaz bashing

Mark Maclure wanted him traded, his manager Liam Pickering said that wouldn’t be happening. So, it looks like we’re back to watching him play football for the Suns. He was back on Sunday night, not so much to his scintillating best in the first half, but enough to suggest he still has some damn good football ahead of him. The Suns’ effort again was OK, but effort without experience at Subiaco is nowhere near enough.

BEST TWEETS

@jamespssmith: dislike Melbourne - this year has been about their new found attack, but where has their defense gone

@chrstianguerra: 1) Blues effort and pressure amazing 2) Bolton and what’s he’s done to CFC 3) Docherty, Kreuz, Gibba, Cripps

‏@BoatwrightTim: Kreuzer’s remarkable comeback, but not only to comeback but dominate. 15disp 17HO 12tackles 8 clearances.

@mickobrien83: L: Lewis Taylor Robbo, I thought he was terrific at the Gabba. Sam Mayes too..Answered a few critics those lads

@aperebus: like: That @stkildafc actually stopped the rot mid-game and won, rather than the next week.

@PoppyPenny1: Carlton, Eddie and Buddy. Enough said.

@timcul81: Like: Blues endeavour; Dislike: My Demons lack of defensive structure nor a plan B. Roos a again admitting selection error.

@razorsharp1983: like the indigenous guernseys, dislike freo, it took a spray for them to be competitive #professionals?

@gus_f_: like: Jack Steven. Dislike: any commentator going with Jack Stevens

@Johnnycee94: dislike: Media bullying Lindsay Thomas.

@blackiemoustafa: Like: Blues. Every bit of it. All Heart! Bolts statue coming soon. Dislike: Docherty still no credit for his performances

@holloway_zach: like : Anthony McDonald tipungwuti. Best first year player this year

@s_atkinson: Like: Leon Cameron’s cheat sheet. Evidence of a good culture behind the scenes at GWS.

@VaughanRyan17: has to be Lindsay Thomas and players like him ducking and playing for frees. Play the ball and fine these guys

@Chippa117 : L: Douglas Nicholls round. Had actually never heard of him, have read up now. Footy has amazing stories.

@Bomberbuzz1: Likes: Gibbs, has to be in the top 10 players now. Dislikes: Collingwod’s never ending injury list.

@1870Port: loved. Even as a @PAFC man, Eddies goal was one for the ages, wearing a special guernsey in a special round

@PeterPeterra: don’t like stringer.

‏@gavin241085: dis: arrogant football played by the cats. Stop trying to break the tackles. #basics Like: closeness of the comp.

@Tonks105: likes Taylor Walker back in form and proving the doubters wrong. Dislikes tipping premiers in April #Geelong!!

@joegarretto: like - pies guts and determination, Crocker can play dislike - injuries are cruel in football

@dcookis: Like - Malthouse left Bolton a mini-dynasty! (yes, that is a joke :)

‏@grantmac12: what about elite level players who cant kick with either foot? Eg: Fasolo today Costs goals and may one day cost a game.

@davidsffs: dislike: no plan B at Dees, no leadership by players or coaches when against the tide.

@dylgolf: Like - Tom Lynch GC, the bloke shows effort and gives 100%. Dislike - Sore loser Pies fans, Dogs were way better

‏@MarchyTweets: like: upsets and openness of season, think anyone can win it all from anywhere in the 8

@endthdegree: dislike: double standards. If you want change, call a every spade a spade, LT ain’t alone.

Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from Round 10, 2016