Early Tackle: Sam Landsberger’s likes and dislikes from AFL round 23
Footy’s tightest finals race will deliver one of the great finishes to a home-and-away season. SAM LANDSBERGER breaks down where it’s all at after a thrilling Saturday of footy.
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The race for the top eight has gone into overdrive with round 23 shaping as the decisive weekend for several contenders.
As a result, it’s been a week of huge talking points — trades, the Essendon implosion, Jake Stringer’s future and more.
Sam Landsberger names his round 23 likes and dislikes.
DISLIKES
CLARKO’S CONTRADICTION
This was Alastair Clarkson when asked about North Melbourne’s interest in Jack Viney on Thursday: “We never comment publicly about any player. Don’t think that’s fair on the player, don’t think it’s fair on the club, don’t think it’s fair on the opposition club”. This was Clarkson when asked about Viney on radio on Friday: “All of the guys we actually want are probably contracted. It’s just like can you extract one or two of them out? Jack’s part of that … Ollie Wines, Luke Parker. Is Dane Rampe coming out? He’s 34 now. Cal Ward.” It was an extraordinary backflip. Suddenly it was not only fair to comment on opposition players, but also throw out new names such as Rampe (others had been thrown up in the previous segment). Wonder how Clarko’s good mate John Longmire felt about that one?
TIME WASTING FREES
Starting to lose count of the delay of game free kicks for players handing the ball to a teammate rather than an umpire at a stoppage. Heeney got pinged on Friday night in a decision that largely went unnoticed. Few had heard of the rule before Lachie Sullivan was penalised in a decision that cost Collingwood a goal in the last quarter against Fremantle. That match ended in a draw. If the Pies had won then they would sit in the eight and the Dockers out of the eight. That’s done, but the point is this is getting paid every time now. Some will say this is on the players: ‘How hard is it to give the ball back?’ But it’s a poor look for the game. Imagine if one of these decisions decides the premiership? Is that really how we want the game to look?
WHAT’S CHANGED?
It is almost two years to the day since David Barham created a civil war at Essendon that resulted in a president, coach, chief executive departing as well as several directors and a full-scale external review taking place. What exactly has changed since that time? The club will argue standards have lifted and Mason Redman might be playing for Adelaide and Zach Merrett elsewhere if Barham didn’t blow the place up. But Ben Rutten dropped Dylan Shiel, dropped Jake Stringer and made decisions based on players taking shortcuts. When Brad Scott came the players had to embrace higher standards otherwise they would have been identified as the problem. It is also almost one year to the day since captain Zach Merrett said: “We set ourselves up in a really good position at round 17 to compete and make and challenge finals and to fall away so poorly late in the year was obviously very disappointing. The players are sick of ending their season in August. It’s no fun, it sucks to watch other teams having their season alive. So some pretty strong messages from some of the players”. What exactly has changed since then? The Bombers lived in the top eight from rounds 7-20, including nine weeks in the top four, and it is all over in August. Champion Matthew Lloyd spoke on Friday about walking into a proud, powerful club in 1994 and the club losing so much respect since he retired in 2009. Brad Johnson said they can’t play out a 24-round season. Excluding 2021, when Ben Rutten coached the Bombers to finals, the club has lost its last two games of each season by a combined 454 points. That’s seven games for 0-7 and an average of 64 points, with one to come against Brisbane at the Gabba. ‘Johnno’ was bang on.
AND WHAT’S NEXT?
Mick Malthouse says he wouldn’t offer Jake Stringer a contract. Somebody will, but if Stringer wants two years it might not be at Essendon. Dyson Heppell has retired, Jake Kelly might be gone, Jaidyn Hunter is gone, Peter Wright should look for a third AFL club, Sam Weideman and Kaine Baldwin are lineball calls and contracted kids Ben Hobbs and Elijah Tsatas could ask for trades. The Bombers will have a top-10 pick plus secure NGA gun Isaac Kako. They need to work, and they also need to be played. It took too long for Archie Roberts to get a game and the fact is we still don’t know about the likes of Tsatas, Jaiden Davey, Lewis Hayes and Tex Wanganeen because we have not seen them. Brian Taylor said while commentating that it is hard to see where the improvement comes from. That’s alarming because the one place you do not want to be is no man’s land.
Isaac Heeney has received a one-match suspension following this incident involving Jamie Webster.
— AFL (@AFL) July 8, 2024
Full Match Review findings: https://t.co/i8vLddhw79pic.twitter.com/VYITHiD6gO
BROWNLOW BLOODY HELL
Isaac Heeney felt crook this week. He is likely to feel sick again when Andrew Dillon reads the Brownlow votes for the first time. Heeney has probably polled six votes in the past eight days and – coupled with his unstoppable start to 2024 – it is hard to see how Jimmy Webster’s bloodied nose does not cost Heeney the medal. That would see Heeney join Corey McKernan, Chris Grant and Jobe Watson as players to poll the most votes without winning the medal. Dillon’s maiden count might be the most awkward of all time. But it would be a win for predecessor Gillon McLachlan, TAB’s new CEO, with 10 per cent of a fat market blown on Heeney at the time of his suspension. That’s probably north of $50,000.
SHARKED TOO SOON
Word is Bailey Smith trained on Friday … at Southport. Not at Whitten Oval, where his Western Bulldog teammates prepared for North Melbourne. Or should that be ex-teammates. Smith will play for Geelong next season. But he is not there yet and if he was contracted for 2025 there is every chance he would be lining up against the Kangaroos. Smith ruptured his ACL two weeks after Dan McStay, who played his fifth AFL game for the season on Saturday. The Bulldogs’ season could be alive in another five weeks’ time and still the 2021 finals specialist won’t be part of it. The reality is Smith has checked out of his employer and they are protecting their trade asset. The fact Smith will be paid more than half a million dollars to not even attempt to play for the Bulldogs this year doesn’t sit overly comfortably.
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM
Izak Rankine’s brilliant season is over. Dan Houston’s might be, too, along with the Victorian’s career at Port Adelaide. Houston could’ve tackled Rankine, but chose to bump and knocked Rankine out. We know what happens when that is the case, and losing the All-Australian gun for multiple finals would be a devastating blow to Port’s flag hopes. With the benefit of hindsight, Houston, Rankine and Mark Keane must all be wishing Keane marked the previous contest. Keane could’ve uncontested, but instead he double-fisted a spoil that was collected by Rankine and them bam. Houston ran into him like a steam train. It had shades of Rankine’s bump on Brandon Starcevich, which cost Rankine four matches. The Crows momentarily lost their focus after the ensuing scuffle. They gave away a free kick to Francis Evans and then a 50m penalty, which gifted a goal and the lead. Adelaide was outscored 6.4 (40) to 2.0 (12) after it lost its ace. The hit might have cost them the Showdown. Should the ARC have the capability to issue a red-card for incidents like these?
LIKES
THE GREAT FINISH
Footy’s tightest season will deliver one of the great finishes to a home-and-away season. On Saturday, Port Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney locked in top-four berths while Geelong and Brisbane all but blew top-two and top-four finishes respectively. The Lions would need to beat Essendon and West Coast to upset the Cats to pinch the double chance. The Cats would need to smash West Coast, make up roughly 100 points on Port Adelaide and rely on Port and the Giants losing to join Sydney with a home qualifying final. Collingwood and, would you believe, Fremantle will be barracking hard for West Coast against Carlton on Sunday. Realistically, the Magpies need the Eagles and Saints to beat the Blues, Port to beat Freo and them to knock off Melbourne on Friday night to scrape in. But their premiership defence somehow has a pulse again after a clutch last-quarter from Lachie Schultz, who has been criticised this year but is highly-rated internally for his selfless work off the ball. It’s probably Collingwood, Fremantle and Carlton fighting for eighth. The Dockers have won one out of seven games decided by 13 points or less and their destiny is no longer in their hands. The banged-up Blues will be nervous next week. Excluding the loss to Brisbane, St Kilda has conceded just six last-quarter goals from its past six games at Marvel Stadium. Tim Membrey (12 goals in five weeks) and Zak Jones have revived their careers. They are dangerous. Then, there’s the live game in Ballarat. If the Giants beat the Dogs they will – momentarily at least – hold second position. Meanwhile the Dogs might need to win to make it or host an elimination final (although they look bound to play Hawthorn at the MCG). Bring it on.
GOLDEN GULDEN
Errol Gulden’s precise passing set up four goals, including three in the first half when Essendon had the edge. Kicking inside 50m is known as the ‘money kick’, and Gulden is golden. Started to wonder on Friday night whether the Swans should’ve allowed Buddy Franklin to play on. Would Franklin playing 10 home-and-away games plus finals – think Brad Ottens or Clark Keating – have helped the premiership push? Logan McDonald leads Sydney for marks inside 50m with only 41. Is McDonald, Joel Amartey and Hayden McLean really a premiership-winning attack? Then the firepower of Sydney’s midfield shone brightly. The Swans might need at least 12 goals out of Chad Warner, Luke Parker, Isaac Heeney, Tom Papley and Will Hayward on grand final day. And they might get it.
STAR DIMMERS
Loved Craig McRae saying: “I think I’ll tell my grandkids I coached Nick Daicos. What a player. We’ve got front row seats to the Nick show”. McRae’s fist-pump celebration on the bench when the footy’s youngest superstar kicked a breathtaking goal was awesome. But on the eve of September the stoppers are back in vogue. James Jordan on Zach Merrett, Toby Bedford on Caleb Serong and Steele Sidebottom on Lachie Neale (after tagging Errol Gulden last week). But there’s no more dreaded match-up right now than Brandon Starcevich. On Saturday he kept Bobby Hill goalless. Last week he kept Toby Greene to four disposals and before that it was Jack Higgins (four disposals, no goals). The ultimate clamper.
ON-SWAN
Sydney’s victory all but locked in the minor premiership, which will give Chloe Molloy’s team the chance to bring home the $1 million prize for the McClelland Trophy. It will be the Swans’ 10th minor premiership and they have never missed the grand final from there. But arguably of more significance was captain Callum Mills’ return to form across four quarters and James Rowbottom’s return to top gear in a dominant third quarter. Those boys are built for finals.
HAUNTED BY HOGAN
Fremantle defended Jesse Hogan poorly on Saturday. Hogan was allowed to dictate his match-up too often and when he kicks a bag it is checkmate – his clubs are now 23-2 when Hogan kicks more than three goals since midway through 2016. Hogan’s one-on-one record is No.2 of all time (behind Dusty’s ridiculous 2017) and with Alex Pearce injured thought Josh Draper should’ve just been given the job all day. Hogan hasn’t won a club goalkicking award since 2016, but will romp in the Coleman Medal this year. He is the hulking spearhead and the pressure of Darcy Jones is going to be a serious September factor. That’s seven wins on the bounce. It was almost an all-Sydney grand final in 2016. Could the Battle of the Bridge be headed to the ‘G this year?
CULTURE KINGS
Forget Jack Viney’s post-match comments about his future. Viney would’ve been hot and bothered because in 27C heat this bloke had nine clearances, 10 tackles, 30 disposals and kicked 2.1 He is the heartbeat of this club and arguably its strongest cultural driver. It felt like season 2025 started on Saturday for the Demons. Key forwards Jacob van Rooyen, Daniel Turner and Harry Petty kicked 10 goals as they build cohesion after the Demons decided midyear to set and forget that combination. They kicked 12 goals from clearances and became the first club to fly out of Gold Coast with four points. Thought the recent criticism had been over the top. With a young side the Demons got within two points of form sides GWS and Port Adelaide in the past three weeks. They’ve won 63 games since 2020, which is second only to Brisbane. In a tight competition not much has gone right this year and still they have not been far away.
KING MAX
Footy loves new flavours. The industry has swooned over breakout stars such as Jake Waterman and Tristan Xerri. As Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne points out, sometimes sustained greatness can get neglected and suspect that has happened to Max Gawn. Along with Viney, Gawn’s second half on Saturday was inspirational. With his leg strapped the skipper crashed into all 110kg of Jarrod Witts and beat him in the ruck. Thought Gawn was best-afield when he marked everything against Port Adelaide last week. No disrespect to Xerri, but Gawn has had the better season and, at 32, deserves a seventh All-Australian blazer.
Originally published as Early Tackle: Sam Landsberger’s likes and dislikes from AFL round 23
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