The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from round 10

Bombers list manager Adrian Dodoro always believed the club had the talent, just not the coaching, now it seems like he was right. Check out Robbo’s LIKES and DISLIKES from round 10.

See all the likes and dislikes from round 10. Picture: Michael Klein

Richmond’s devastating loss looks to be a nail in the coffin, while Carlton president Luke Sayers is expected to come forward to back Michael Voss despite another loss.

Off the field the Hawthorn racism scandal continues, and the lawyer of one family believes a “whitewash” is being undertaken.

See Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from round 10.

DISLIKES

1. Search for the truth

The AFL is looking for an outcome which sufficiently satisfies all parties in the Hawthorn racism scandal. Will it be able to uncover the truth behind what happened? Does it even want to? Speculation that Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt will be cleared is rampant. However, the lawyer for one family, Dr Judith Courtin, believes a “whitewash” is being undertaken, where the allegations against the trio and the Hawks won’t be tested. The family is closing in on launching civil action. Four other families want to tell their stories to appointed mediators and that could take place on Tuesday. On a weekend when Indigenous players and culture were celebrated in Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the affected families in the Hawks scandal are being treated by some as lying, faceless cowards chasing money and who have ruined the reputations of three decent and respected football men. What a contradiction: Love and admiration versus hate and venom. The four families want an apology and contrition, yet that won’t happen on Tuesday because the coaches and the Hawks have not been invited to mediation talks. Can it really be mediation then? Whatever the AFL achieves with its outcome, it also must endeavour to find the truth. Three questions need answering: 1) Did the accused separate players from their families and place them in another location against their will? 2) Did the accused remove the mobile phones and change SIM cards so the families could not contact the players? And, 3) Did the accused request the termination of pregnancy to the player’s partners? If the answer is yes to any of those questions, and there is proof, they will be labelled as human rights abuse. If the answer is no, Clarkson, Fagan and Burt have every right to be terribly aggrieved. They protest their innocence. Clearly the AFL is trying to find a negotiated outcome, but surely it also can’t mediate without finding the whole truth from everyone involved, not just those participating in the investigation. Former Hawks president Jeff Kennett continually calls the allegations horrifying and believes no money should be paid to anyone until every party has had their say in court. A human rights commission hearing remains a possibility, which would once and for all unearth the truth about what took place at Hawthorn. All the while, a Worksafe Victoria investigation continues.

The Hawks walk onto the field. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

2, Will fans come for Vossy?

Carlton fans are stinging, but the Carlton decision-makers are certainly in Michael Voss’ corner. Blues president Luke Sayers is expected to make himself available to media this week, which is a rarity, where he is expected to say that Voss will certainly be coaching the Blues in 2024, which is the third year of Voss’ contract. Sayers is disappointed with how the season has eventuated, but his faith in Voss is absolute. No doubt, putting Voss’s future on the agenda will create discussion, even infuriate some of the more anti-Voss supporters. Carlton has lost five of their past six matches and clearly need better ball users on their list, and better players. The fact is after quarter-time on Sunday, the Blues were willing but not able because they don’t have talent through the middle. Connection with their forwards was also an issue. Mitch McGovern’s form is an issue. Why don’t they ruck him and not Silvagni because he’s struggling as a defender and as a forward when he’s there.

Michael Voss. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

3. Tackle confusion

Port Adelaide has to appeal the MRO decision to ban Tom Jonas for one match. In what is a comical situation, Jonas tackled Tom McDonald - some say high, some say legitimate - and was awarded a free kick. His tackle, however, was deemed to be careless, medium and high. It was none of that. Jonas grabbed the top of McDonald’s jumper, McDonald stopped and turned, slipped, and the momentum of the tackle and McDonald’s movement brought him to ground. Did Alan Richardson’s famous “noise of affirmation’’ work in Jonas’ favour or was it an umpiring mistake? We should find out at the tribunal. Over to you Port Adelaide.

4, What was that, Eagles?

North Melbourne is young and already has gone to the draft, Hawthorn is young and have largely been competitive save for a couple of blowouts, and the Eagles are streets away from those two teams. Hope Harley Reid likes Perth, because it looks like he will be living there. West Coast has seven 30-plus-year-olds on their list consuming a huge amount of the salary cap. Absolutely, list management would’ve discussed potential trades because they need draft picks to rebuild. It’s time to put up all of their 30-year-olds and others to see what they can get in return. Of the 30-year-olds, McGovern’s got value, Jack Darling’s got value albeit diminishing, Shuey no, Hurn no, Gaff probably no, Cripps no, and then there’s Naitanui and he’s played just eight games in a season and a half. So, he’s a no. Will they be aggressive and shop McGovern and Darling? What was stark on Sunday was the development needed for their group of players ranked, say, 25 to 35, and just how far Gaff has fallen as a footballer. He had just 10 touches. Wow. What a harrowing period now and ahead ahead for the Eagles.

5. Hunting Suns players

Eighteen-year-old Bailey Humphrey once again was prominent and much to the disappointment of rivals, says he’s loving playing for the Suns. He was the rising star nominee last week and while the Suns welcomed that announcement, they weren’t enthused about some of the questioning put to him by Melbourne media, questions that always swirl around Gold Coast’s young talent. Like, are you happy up there, would you like to come home and play in front of 80,000 fans, will you be signing a new contract? The Suns and Giants have their challenges because most of their players are recruited from interstate and the media narrative about “coming home’’ doesn’t help. Are any other rising stars asked about their contracts or is it just those from the expansion clubs? Even calling them “expansion clubs’’ after more than a decade in the competition paints them as inferior entities. It’s got to change. For a start, first-round draftees should be signed to three-year starting contracts so they can get further invested in their clubs, most importantly at the Suns and Giants, where their academies should be encouraged and funded so more local talent can be unearthed. Because it’s easier to keep local kids over interstate kids. Humphrey, from Moe, is a phenomenal young player and let’s hope, with Anderson, Rowell and King, he is part of the nucleus of the Suns for many years ahead.

Cats players look on after their loss to Fremantle. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

6. Depth tests any team

The Cats were pedestrian without Dangerfield, Guthrie, Duncan, Stengle and De Koning, and as usual when the Cats lose, the storyline will be they are slow. It’s curious because when they lose they’re slow, but when they win it’s never an issue. As Ross Lyon would say, it’s finger-nail deep analysis. True, they couldn’t catch the Dockers, or at least contain them on Saturday night, but the Dockers at home are suddenly a juggernaut. Without key players in the middle, Geelong were laborious, although they were in this game until midway through the final quarter. Still, no player had more than 20 disposals which is a staggering stat in today’s high-possession football. For example, the Lions had four players - Dunkley, McCluggage, Neale and Ashcroft -who had 30 or more disposals. There’s no need to panic about Geelong, not yet anyway.

7. Sloppy Richmond

Little wonder a Tom Lynch-less Richmond coach Damien Hardwick was devastated in a sporting sense after his team coughed up another close result. Kudos to the Bombers but gee whiz, the Tigers made mistakes. Don’t blame young Rhyan Mansell for missing a goal and being outpointed under a highball by Dyson Heppell, who marked and gave the Bombers the opportunity to win. Young players make mistakes. So do older players. Richmond’s delivery into the forward line and ability to win the ball once it was in there was deplorable. They retained possession 35 per cent of the time and took a mark six per cent of the time. The AFL average is 47 per cent and 20 per cent. Even Dusty Martin’s right foot, which has been one of the beautiful aspects of his talents, is wonky. He went at 36 per cent efficiency. Others included Trent Cotchin (30 per cent), Tim Taranto (47 per cent), while Dion Prestia only had four kicks and two of them didn’t hit targets. The Tigers have a tricky lead into the bye. They play Port Adelaide (home), Giants (away), Fremantle (away) and St Kilda (home). Saturday night’s loss, after leading by three goals in the final quarter, is the nail in the coffin. They have excuses, being cruelled by injuries to top liners, but football doesn’t have an excuse ladder. The actual ladder tells us they have won three, lost six and shared a draw. There’s no coming back to play finals from here.

The Tigers made plenty of mistakes. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

8. No excuses, North

The interchange bungle is no one’s fault other than North Melbourne’s. They knew they were close to the limit and they had to better with their rotations. It was disappointing because the Kangas were mighty throughout. If you didn’t watch the game, be told by everyone who did, that first-gamer George Wardlow was better than what the hype suggested. He’s tough midfielder who wasn’t daunted by the speed and physicality of senior football.

LIKES

1. All Australian skipper

Selectors would’ve met already and would have three names as the leading candidates as the captain of the much-heralded team. In years past, veteran players, if not legacy players, have been afforded the moniker, Tom Hawkins last year, Max Gawn in 2021, Patrick Dangerfield in 2020, and Nat Fyfe in 2019 and Lance Franklin before that. Moore, Bontempelli and maybe Lachie Neale would be front and square for the honour as we near the halfway mark of the season. The Collingwood skipper is without peer at centre-half-back, is in career-best form and his team is the best in the league. Make no mistake, his speech on Anzac Day added weight to standing as a leader. On Sunday, Moore was opposed to Charlie Curnow. He took 11 intercept marks, a record, while Curnow had 16 disposals, took seven marks and kicked three goals. That match-up was the highlight of the game.

Darcy Moore was immense against the Blues. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

2. Old and the young

The old and the young. Jack Sinclair’s emergence as a top-line midfielder was on display against the Giants, but to be honest, we could be accused of being slow off the mark with the St Kilda playmaker. Nobody will be slow in recognising the rapid advancement in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. The 20-year-old, in his 27th game, had a career-high 29 disposals and went at 79 per cent efficiency. He’s cool with the pill, never seems to be frazzled by the moment, and that’s a quality you like in young defenders. He’s got potential star all over him and was among the best in a gritty win by the Saints on Sunday.

3. Weren’t they tanking?

Some observers have argued Hawthorn were tanking this season, but the Hawks dismissed that foolish assumption, when they annihilated West Coast on Sunday. You can’t be tanking in the race for the Tongala Cup, aka Harley Reid, and at the same time record your greatest winning margin over the Eagles. The 116-point win was the biggest since Round 7, 2014, when the Hawks put St Kilda to the sword. In a terribly lop-sided match, the Hawks kicked their highest score since Round 12, 2016. At times, they looked like Collingwood with the way they were able to move the ball, and if the Hawks can beat the Eagles by 116, what in the heck will Collingwood win by? 150 points? A highlight on Sunday was Josh Weddle’s game. He was picked No.18 in the 2022 draft and in his fourth game, he had 28 and kicked two. Dare we say green shoots?

Josh Weddle (right) was a higlight of the win. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

4. Ben Hobbs is earning his spot

The most talked about recruiter in the competition, Adrian Dodoro, is no longer the pin-up boy for everything which was wrong at Essendon. He’s always believed the Bombers had a good list, but the coaching couldn’t get the best out of it. Brad Scott has changed all that. Suddenly, Durham, Hobbs, Caldwell, Zerk-Thatcher, Weideman and Menzie are flourishing and the Dodoro haters are in the bin. Hobbs is an emerging player. He played 17 games in his first year, and then played three VFL games this year before coming in as the sub in the Anzac Day game. He’s started the next four, with Saturday night’s effort against Richmond his best game. He got his opportunity in the centre square - he attended nine bounces, fourth most at the club behind Merrett, Stringer and the underrated Caldwell - with Parish, Shiel and Settlefield missing. He had 23 disposals, five clearances and six tackles. Scott has some thinking to do. How does he get Hobbs into the team when all the midfielders are available? Hobbs is smart, tough, and his kicking numbers are improving. Does he have the endurance to play wing? Can he play high half-forward and push into stoppages? It’s a problem for Scott, but it is a nice problem.

5. Thank you Mr Cortisone

The magic potion had done wonders for Andrew Brayshaw, who in turn has done wonders for a surging Dockers. We knew Brayshaw was carrying an injury because his football wasn’t at the elite level we were accustomed to. He had a jab in his knee in the past month and the response has coincided with the Dockers playing better football. He’s had 30, 34, 31 and 33 disposals in his past four games. The Dockers won two of their first seven matches and lost the contested ball in all those games. Note that they’ve won their past three and won contested ball in all three games. Coincidence much? It’s not the be-all in winning football games but how many times do we hear coaches talk about winning at the source? Fremantle then dominated on the spread by their customary use of handball. They were +107 in uncontested ball and the Cats couldn’t catch them. They’re dangerous, the Dockers, and we haven’t even spoken about their emerging forward group.

Andrew Brayshaw is in a purple patch. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images

6. Welcome back Hugh

He’s been out of discussions somewhat because the arrival of Dunkley and Ashcroft took some of his centre square minutes and McCluggage has needed time to find his rhythm in the new set up. And coaches always say significant personnel change always takes time to jell. McCluggage produced his most productive game of the season against the Suns on Saturday night, having 30 disposals and laying seven tackles. The midfield mix means he’s playing more wing. This year, his breakdown is 34 per cent wing, 19 per cent forward and 46 per cent midfield. In 2022, it was only 11 per cent in the wing position. The Lions are scary deep between the 50m arcs. They have Neale, Dunkley, Ashcroft, Bailey, McCluggage, Zorko, Berry, Rayner and Wilmot is talent-laden. But talent wasn’t their major issue coming into the season. Defending was the issue and that’s where the Lions have most improved. This year they are fifth for points against when, from Round 10 to the preliminary final last year, they were ranked 16th.

7. Caleb Daniel can’t be going back

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge moved Caleb Danie into the midfield mix and if there was an award for the positional change of the year, Daniel’s switch from half-back would be on the podium. He had 30, six clearances and seven score involvements against the Crows, but Beveridge had a decision to make to find a replacement for Jason Johannisen. Rob the midfield and put Daniel back, because Adam Treloar will soon return, or keep Daniel in the midfield mix and go back to Hayden Crozier to play defence, or even the young man Luke Cleary who has been solid in the VFL?

Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from round 10