AFL Round 12 Melbourne v Brisbane: Dayne Zorko handed one-game suspension
Brisbane skipper Dayne Zorko has been handed a one-game suspension for his off-the-ball hit on Demon Tom McDonald. But will the Lions appeal?
Brisbane Lions captain Dayne Zorko won’t play in his team’s Round 14 clash with North Melbourne after accepting a one-match ban for striking Melbourne forward Tom McDonald last Friday night.
Zorko was placed on report for the behind-the-play hit in the third quarter at Giants Stadium, when his team was up by 13-points, striking McDonald with an elbow to the chin
The Lions opted against fighting the charge and Zorko, who has conceded more free kicks than any player in the AFL this season, will miss the one match.
Match review officer Michael Christian assessed the third-quarter incident at Sydney’s Giants Stadium as intentional conduct, with low impact and high contact.
The Lions have a bye this week, meaning Zorko – one of the AFL’s in-form players – won’t return until their Round 15 showdown with Geelong at the Gabba.
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Zorko was trying to escape McDonald to be a target for a teammate on the wing when he confronted the Melbourne forward and appeared to collect him high with an elbow.
The umpire reported the 32-year-old on the spot and McDonald angrily shoved him then delivered a verbal barrage before helping his rival up from the ground.
Former Demons skipper Garry Lyon was critical of Zorko’s actions at half-time of Fox Footy’s coverage on Friday night.
“The Lions were (13 points) up, they had control of the game. And then he does this – and it’s not the first time he’s (given) away free kicks,” Lyon said.
“They’ve got possession of the ball, (he) throws a little punch, whether or not it connects I don’t know. Then he dives (and) turns the footy over.”
Does Dayne Zorko deserve a week for striking Tom McDonald? #FirstCrack
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) June 4, 2021
Moons âŒ
Dal ✅
âœï¸ https://t.co/Z3SDUyM2GE@Ben_Cotton15pic.twitter.com/wmOU6iaAih
Zorko has twice missed matches previously on striking charges, in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Melbourne’s Tom Sparrow can accept a $2000 fine on a rough conduct charge against Brisbane’s Daniel Rich in the second quarter of the same match.
It was assessed as careless conduct, low impact and high contact.
Deep dive: How the durable Dees are torching their rivals
- Chris Cavanagh
The old Melbourne would have spectacularly crashed like a first-time skier on a busy Mount Buller slope.
Down by 20 points at halftime against a Brisbane side coming off seven-straight wins, the Demons were being soundly beaten at the contest, were being slaughtered in the air and were enjoying little flow in their ball movement from the back half.
At the main break, commentators were predicting a blowout win for the Lions, who had the game on their terms and could do no wrong.
But this is not the old Melbourne.
This is a new Melbourne that has an air of confidence, an impressive group of on-field leaders and is the fittest team in the competition.
This is a team that is now 11-1 and has all the trademarks of a successful premiership side.
If you weren’t convinced before Friday night, you should be now.
The 20-point halftime deficit was the biggest Melbourne had overcome since it recovered from a 23-point deficit against Collingwood in Round 17, 2017, to win by four points.
Between 2018 and 2020, the Demons managed to overcome halftime deficits on just five occasions from 29 attempts.
This year, they have trailed at halftime in four matches – including by 19 points against North Melbourne in Round 7 – and have not lost one.
Melbourne is also by far the best second-half team in the competition, having lost just two of 12 second halves for the year.
“I think the group’s been terrific at being able to reset in games right throughout the season but that’s as impressive as we’ve had,” Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said after Friday night’s 22-point win over the Lions.
“Under the pump at halftime 20 points down, our ability to respond and get the game back looking like a Melbourne game and feeling that way, I’m incredibly proud of them and also rapt for our supporters. It was as good as we’ve played.
“Our fitness staff and strength guys have put an enormous amount of work into our players and they’re in really good shape. There’s no doubt our ability to run games out has been a hallmark of our year so far and that’s our ability to do it week after week and in games where we’ve been in trouble.”
Melbourne adopted the streamlined leadership group model last year – piloted by Richmond – and this season the group officially consists of only two players in captain Max Gawn and vice-captain Jack Viney.
But there’s no doubt that the Demons have a long list of leaders that are as good as any in the competition.
Goodwin did not tweak much structurally at halftime against the Lions.
He simply put it on his leaders to lift – and they did.
Key forward Tom McDonald had three touches in the first half before kicking three goals among nine score involvements in the second half.
Prolific midfielder Clayton Oliver finished with 25 disposals after gathering just eight to the main break.
Defensively Steven May and Jake Lever tightened up to help end the aerial dominance the Lions had enjoyed in the first half through Eric Hipwood and Joe Daniher.
Brisbane took eight marks inside-50 in the first half, but just two thereafter.
“All our leaders through the middle of the ground – Gawn, (Christian) Petracca, (Angus) Brayshaw, Oliver – and then behind the ball – May, Lever, Salem – I thought those were the guys that really started to turn the game for us,” Goodwin said.
“Our real focus was just getting the game back on our terms in terms of the way that we wanted to play. I think as a group of coaches and leaders we challenged our group around what that would look like and I thought our leader’s response was outstanding. Their ability to win contest through the middle of the ground, behind the ball and really start to generate some run with our ball movement and play the game in our half. It really was a tale of two halves.”
Melbourne wants for nothing – and still has Viney to return from a foot injury after the bye.
This year’s premiership is the Demons’ to lose.
THAT KOZZY MAGIC
For years, the football world salivated over Hawthorn forward Cyril Rioli’s ability to turn everything he touched into gold.
Kysaiah Pickett has still played just 26 games, but you almost feel safe to say the AFL has found Cyril 2.0.
Rioli was famously awarded a maximum 10 coaches’ votes for a 12-disposal game against Geelong in 2015, in what was touted as one of the best dozen touches games ever played.
Pickett won’t get 10 coaches’ votes for his performance on Friday night, but produced one of the best nine-disposal matches you will see.
Kozzie threads it through! #YokayiFooty | #AFLDeesLionspic.twitter.com/VBswDxSA1w
— AFL (@AFL) June 4, 2021
As one senior opposition recruiter recently put it, Pickett was one “of the most inspired picks in the past 10 years” by the Demons.
Other clubs had the South Australian small forward on their draft boards in 2019, but not at pick 12.
However, the Demons saw a hole on their list that they needed to fill and went for it.
Pickett kicked 3.3 from his nine disposals against the Lions and is as crafty and dangerous a small forward as there is in the AFL right now.
He now has 20 goals for the season at an average of 1.7 a game.
“He applies pressure, he gives you spark and his ability to finish and impact the game is sensational,” Goodwin said.
“He’s a really important player for us and he’s someone who’s really special and we’re going to continue to develop and grow.”
Twenty-six games into his career, Rioli was averaging 13.7 disposals and had kicked 25 goals.
Over the same period, Pickett has averaged 10.3 disposals and kicked 27 goals.
ZORKO ASKS FOR TROUBLE
It is hard to see Brisbane Lions captain Dayne Zorko copping a week for his elbow which connected with opponent Tom McDonald’s chin.
But Zorko needs to reign in such silly actions and stop giving away undisciplined free kicks.
Zorko is a champion ball-winner and well-spoken and respectful character off the field.
But he has given away 26 free kicks from 12 games this season – the most of any player in the competition.
Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko has been reported. #AFLDeesLionspic.twitter.com/Lkmy6tPOuT
— AFL (@AFL) June 4, 2021
The Lions led by 13 points early in the third quarter and had possession of the ball in defensive midfield when Zorko made contact with McDonald’s head 30 metres off the ball.
The umpire saw the incident, reported Zorko on the spot and handed the Sherrin back to Melbourne.
The Demons worked it inside-50 and Pickett kicked a goal moments later to bring the margin back to seven points and continue their surging momentum.
Zorko needs to be better.
MATCH REPORT: GET EXCITED DEES FANS
— Daniel Garb
They may be in the midst of their best start to a season in 65 years but the Melbourne Demons have delivered the strongest message yet that their premiership quest is not to be doubted in 2021 with a remarkable, come from behind 22-point win over fellow flag fancies Brisbane at Giants Stadium.
Trailing by four goals at half-time the triumph was set-up by an incredibly eventful third quarter which proved the catalyst in locking away top spot on the ladder for another week, which they are now guaranteed to hold heading into next Monday’s Queens Birthday clash with Collingwood.
The third term fightback was inspired by a Christian Petracca masterclass on the ball, two goals a piece to Tom McDonald and Kysaiah Pickett – who had been quiet up until that point – and a resurgence from Steven May down back after he was beaten early by Eric Hipwood.
In the middle of all of that, Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko was reported for striking McDonald in an incident that led to a free-kick for Pickett’s first major as the prodigious talent sparked the Demons yet again, like he has done all season, to light up the second week of Indigenous round.
That momentum carried the Demons forward into the final term as both McDonald and Pickett added their third goals for the evening, while Petracca added a second in yet another sterling display that is likely to attract Brownlow votes.
Earlier it was Zac Bailey who shone, kicking four goals by the midway point of the third quarter in an individual display that at one point looked likely to inspire his side to a victory that would elevate their flag credentials to another level.
Hipwood was dangerous as well in the early stages forcing Simon Goodwin to move Steven May off him for Jake Lever.
From there the Demons defence would settle both man for man and structurally to allow their midfield brigade led by Petracca, Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver and James Harmes to provide the platform for their forward half revival in the second half.
The win – arguably Melbourne’s best of the season – leaves the Demons with an 11-1 record this year and the side is now 5-0 against fellow top-eight teams.
Importantly, those five wins against top-eight teams have come by an average of 23.6 points.
Melbourne trailed the contested possession count by 13 at halftime but ended up winning the final count by five and won the inside-50s after the main break 31-18.
“That’s what our fans have been waiting for, is something that they can see every time we play,” Petracca said.
“Win or lose, we play a contested style of footy and we give our all. I felt like we did that tonight against a quality opposition who probably arguably are the most in form in the comp and we play a similar brand to them so we knew it was going to be a fight all night.”
Petracca said the Demons played “boring” football in the first half but addressed the need to move the ball with greater speed in the second half and tighten up defensively.
“We weren’t playing with excitement, we weren’t linking up with each other and we weren’t having fun like we usually do,” he said.
“At halftime you get the ability to reset and we felt like we did that and we did a great job of resetting and just playing the way we play. Backs standing up in front, being bold, being risky with our ball movement and it has paid off against a great opposition.”
Brisbane’s Ryan Lester (hamstring) was subbed out in the final term, while Melbourne’s Jayden Hunt played on through a left shoulder complaint.
In a game that lends on statistics so often to measure individual performances, it’s the intangible energy of a player like Pickett that remains unquantifiable, yet undoubtedly powerful in its ability to lift an entire football club in pursuit of victory.
It certainly felt that way as the No.12 pick from the 2019 draft yet again inspired the Demons.
There may have been better players over the course of the game for Melbourne but no spark was as electric as Pickett’s, and none transfers to the stands and amongst the supporters quite like the impact of Melbourne’s forward dynamo.
His three second half goals invigorated both his teammates and their fans who made an intimate neutral venue crowd seem intimidating amid their second half blitz.
“You can feel it. We had a great support here tonight and when Kozzy gets near the ball you can just hear the crowd get involved in the game,” Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.
“And he brings that energy to the team even during the week at training and in games he applies pressure, he gives you spark and his ability to impact and finish in the game is sensational.
“He’s a really important player for us and he’s a special person and someone we’re going to continue to develop and grow.”
The Demons boss is now hoping the pleasant surprise of the New South Wales based faithful can assist his team once more next Monday when they take on Collingwood in the traditional Queens Birthday clash, this time at the SCG, which again doubles up as the fight MND fundraiser.
“It’s going to be a big game, we’re looking to get the crowd the game deserves,” he said.
“It’s a special occasion for Neale Daniher and raising as much money and awareness as we can in that space. To see the crowd here tonight it was just brilliant. I didn’t realise we had so many Dees supporters in Sydney so we’re looking to fill the SCG come next Monday, it’s going to be awesome.”
The Demons will go into that game at the top of the ladder thanks to a dramatic transformation defensively as well that provided the base for the midfield and forwards to overpower the Lions.
“I thought our backs early in the game were beaten pretty convincingly. Really it was up to them to respond, our defensive method didn’t change too much at all,” Goodwin said.
“Our ability to win contests behind the ball was the thing that changed. May started to back himself to mark the ball. Petty as well. Salem, Rivers and Hunt all won contested ground ball and that was a big part of shifting the momentum of the game.”
The Lions got the jump on the Dees early and the energising Zac Bailey was critical in helping them doing so.
He kicked two first quarter goals, the second of which was a wonderfully instinctive soccer out of mid-air that connected perfectly to give Brisbane the ascendency early.
That became an afterthought though after a masterful pick up and finish at high speed in the third quarter for his fourth of the game just when the Dees had stolen the momentum.
While Zorko’s report will garner most of the attention, a second quarter incident involving Tom Sparrow could land the Demons youngster in trouble with the Match Review Officer.
He ran past a loose ball on the wing and instead of bending to pick it up he collected Daniel Rich in the head with a bump. It’s the exact act the AFL is trying to stamp out and while it didn’t look overly forceful, a suspension wouldn’t be a surprise.
SCORES
MELBOURNE: 2.3, 5.4, 10.9, 14.13 (97)
BRISBANE: 4.4, 8.6, 10.8, 11.9 (75)
GOALS
Melbourne: McDonald, Pickett 3, Petracca, Fritsch 2, Gawn, Jackson, Neal-Bullen, Sparrow.
Brisbane: Bailey 4, Cameron 2, Daniher, Hipwood, McCarthy, Cameron, Coleman, Zorko.
BEST
Melbourne: Petracca, Oliver, Gawn, Pickett, Harmes, McDonald, May, Brayshaw.
Brisbane: Bailey, Zorko, Neale, Rich, Andrews, Lyons.
DANIEL GARB’S VOTES
3 – Christian Petracca
2 – Clayton Oliver
1 – Zac Bailey
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