The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from round 12
Sam Darcy received a two-week ban for his hit on Brayden Maynard, but unlike the Peter Wright incident, never even made a play on the ball, writes Mark Robinson in The Tackle.
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Melbourne went down without a fight, and the Suns and Dockers have shown they’re still well and truly in the hunt.
Mark Robinson names his likes and dislikes from Round 12 in The Tackle.
DISLIKES
1. THE DEMONS SURRENDER
That was a comedy from Melbourne, yet no one’s laughing. And it would be too simplistic to say it was just ‘one of those games’. Three weeks ago, when they lost to West Coast in Perth, was supposed to be ‘one of those games’. Two in such a short time is a major concern. On Sunday, the Demons raised the white flag at the 10th minute of the first quarter. Premiership contenders don’t lose by 92 points and certainly not teams who brand themselves as defensively strong.
They coughed up 141 points, which was their worst loss since the final round of 2016. They were walloped in every main KPI. They scored three points from stoppage, they conceded 90 points from turnovers and 58 of them came from defensive half turnovers. What that means is they couldn’t keep control of the ball and when they lost it, they couldn’t stop the Dockers from scoring. The midfield too easily was dominated, even with all the stars there such as Gawn, Petracca, Viney, Oliver and Pickett. Mind you, the Dockers are ranked No. 1 clearances. The rot started in the middle and spread. Just 37 entries didn’t give the forwards a chance, and Fremantle’s 69 entries had the defenders under siege. It was the most entries Melbourne has conceded since Round 20, 2019, and as Jordan Lewis noted on Fox Footy, the alarming aspect was Melbourne could not do anything to stop them. Now in 10th spot, we watch for the response.
2. RESPECT THE PAST
Yes, Marcus Bontempelli might be the best player in the AFL. Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Patrick Cripps, Christian Petracca and Nick Daicos are also in the discussion. And Bontempelli might be the best player the Bulldogs have had. And that’s another matter of opinion. It’s why the opinions of football royalty such as Allen Aylett, Percy Beames, Bob Davis, David Parkin and Gerard Healy also matter. They were members of the selection panel who, in 1996, chose the AFL Team of the Century. Footscray’s Ted Whitten was named at centre half-back in that side. In the same year, EJ was named as an inaugural legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame alongside iconic players such as Ron Barassi, Dick Reynolds, John Coleman, Jack Dyer and Leigh Matthews. They, too, were named in the team of the century. However, there could be only one captain – and that honour went to EJ. So, if you want to argue that Bontempelli might be the greatest Bulldog, do remember that Whitten might not only be the greatest Bulldogs player, he’s also in the argument as being the greatest player of all time. Sorry, but Bontempelli is not in that debate. Nor would he be in a revised team of the century, bearing in mind Dyer, Greg Williams and Gary Ablett Snr filled the interchange spots. No, EJ still reigns at the Dogs.
3. MRO IS A SHAMBLES
Sam Darcy received a two-week suspension for his deliberate assault of Brayden Maynard on Friday night. At no stage did he try to mark the ball. He saw an opportunity to try to pulverise Maynard and took it. Earlier this year, Peter Wright was given four weeks for his hit on Sydney’s Harry Cunningham. The Swan was concussed, but at least Wright was trying to mark the ball before bracing for the collision at the last moment. Because Cunningham was concussed, Wright was doomed. Bombers coach Brad Scott was furious that Giant Toby Greene received a one-match sanction for a similar clash with Carlton’s Jordan Boyd. Because Boyd was not concussed, Greene received a one-game suspension. Clearly, it’s not about the actions, it’s about the injuries sustained in the action, which really is a matter of luck. Darcy was lucky. If Maynard was hurt, Darcy was looking at a five or six-week suspension. It was a cheap shot from behind that had one intention – to hurt Maynard.
4. HARD CALLS NEEDED
During the 2010 season, Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse pulled the trap door on the careers of Tarkyn Lockyer, Shane O’Bree and Josh Fraser. He believed the Pies needed change and playing favourites was never in his make-up anyhow. At Sydney, this year, coach John Longmire played Luke Parker in the twos for a month. Again, a tough call but the team’s needs were greater than Parker’s. Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has his own Waterloo moment: Does he play Charlie Dixon? The general of the team has kicked one goal in his past three outings. Against Carlton, it was just the one disposal and that was coming off a rest. If Port is going to make a run at it, it has to recalibrate its forward line. Hinkley was asked during the week could Todd Marshall function better without Dixon. He said they complemented each other. It’s not working. Marshall has 18 goals this season, which included five against North Melbourne, which means he’s got 13 goals in the other 11 games. That’s a lame return as well. Maybe it’s time Marshall replaced Dixon as the No. 1 forward. At least give him a month or so to assess him. Port’s game has holes. They were torched at stoppage by the Blues, their defence against the bottom 10 team gives up 72 points and against top eight teams it’s 92, but they still manage to kick 90 points a game. They rely on mids to score and didn’t have Connor Rozee and Willie Rioli against the Blues. All is not lost, but change is needed, and Dixon is that change.
5. THE CROWS
If we can gender-speak, they are the temperamental girlfriend and the unreliable boyfriend. In footy-speak, they are, with St Kilda, the most disappointing team of the season. They can’t play finals. They need to win nine of their remaining 11 games. It won’t happen. They can’t be trusted. Their terrible start to the season – they lost five of their first six games – left them scrambling. Their recovery was meritorious. Before Saturday, they were the No. 2 for scoring and No. 2 for points in the past six weeks. They arrived at the MCG on Saturday and their heads weren’t in the game. They conceded the first four goals and 10 of the first 12 goals overall. “We had a lack of contest, we didn’t have our usual dare, we got beaten up around stoppages, we seemed to lack energy for whatever reason,’’ coach Matthew Nicks said of the first half. In plain-speak, they were pushovers. Meek and uninspiring. No season is a wasted season because young players get games into them, and process and predictability gets better. But to be in 14th spot, two points above St Kilda on the ladder, and when the Saints have been shredded by all analysts, is an indictment on a team which was a bad umpiring decision away from playing finals in 2023.
LIKES
1. SUNS SUPREME
In a game which had speed, rebound, brutal contests, missed opportunities and some contentious umpiring decisions, the Suns moved into the eight. It made for a thrilling game of Australian rules. The Suns further enhanced their home ground credentials and Essendon lost the game but did not lose respect. Turnover scoring was huge – 73 to the Suns to 62 for the Bombers – which contributed to a constant flow of action. Gold Coast games can be a difficult watch sometimes because the ball can get slippery, but this game was top notch. The Suns’ midfield group are action men. They bore in and bore through stoppages and their quick hands in tight is as good as any team in the competition.
The bond between Anderson, Rowell and Miller is the key to Gold Coast’s success, and while we’re talking about their MVP, defender Mac Andrew is motoring towards that accolade. Plenty of 50-50 free kicks were paid while others were ignored and one of last frees paid, against Jayden Laverde, was critical. He was pinged 50m for throwing the ball to Brayden Fiorini when it should’ve gone to Touk Miller. The Suns players were in motion at the time and Laverde, who didn’t know who had won the free kick, assumed it was Fiorini’s free. It was the correct decision, but you just hate it when 120 minutes of high-energy football is so heavily influenced by a simple brain fade. Overall, the 50m penalty is becoming too influential in games.
2. DOCKERS ON THE MOVE
That’s four wins, a draw and one defeat in the past six games and they are now sixth on the ladder. They’re certainly not boring because boring teams don’t run rings around the hardest teams to score against once the ball goes inside 50. They kicked 22.9 from 68 entries. Essentially, they scored a goal once in every three entries. That’s a walk over. What we now know is Fremantle’s best footy is capable of running deep in September. It’s not kamikaze footy, but they play edgy footy. Overall, their defensive profile is elite, the midfield is the No. 1 clearance mob in the competition, and the forward group is evolving. That’s their query. On Sunday, 20-year-old Jye Amiss and 21-year Josh Treacy kicked seven goals between them. Luke Jackson kicked three goals as well. If those three can continue to evolve – and kick straight – the Dockers ceiling is high. We’ll know more after the break. They have the bye this week and then it’s the Bulldogs (away), Gold Coast (home), Sydney (away) and then Richmond (home).
3. IF YOU DON’T MIND, UMPIRE
The new interpretation is footy’s version of Quick Draw McGraw. The ball winner is under more pressure than he’s ever been, and that won’t please AFL great Leigh Matthews. He reckoned that before this weekend the tackler was winning the battle anyhow and now would probably argue the tackler is looked after even more than the ball winner is. At the weekend, there were quick whistles and missed whistles, but the one favourable aspect was the game was moving quicker. There were free kicks and not ball-ups, which meant there was less congestion. Coaches still like to swamp their defensive 50s with players, but generally the game was more in motion between the arcs. That’s what we wanted. The ruling that ‘he tried’ to get rid of the ball is also now gone. You either did or you didn’t. Of course, there was inconsistency, and blatant mistakes, and that will never change. And ‘reasonable’ time in terms of prior opportunity will also be a curious watch. All up, the new interpretation of holding the ball was good for footy – but even better for the tackler. Now, just to fix ‘in the back’ in terms of paying a free kick and football would be fairer for everyone.
4. SEASON KILLERS
In two weeks, Hawthorn has ended the seasons of Brisbane and Adelaide. And they were 33 seconds from beating Port Adelaide. And in doing so, they opened the door to a possible finals berth. Who would’ve thought that after they lost their first five games? The change is in the hunt. Hawthorn is the best team at hunting the ball and the opposition away from the stoppage.
They are the No. 1 ground-ball team and No. 2 behind Carlton in contested ball. Win or lose, that’s all you want from your team. Positives abound. Dylan Moore has the respect of the competition and is in All Australian contention. Jack Ginnivan has also surprised. He’s kicked 14 goals this season and is winning a lot more ball than he did at Collingwood. He’s part of the ‘rascalish’ under-23 group which includes Day, Weddle, Newcombe, Dear, D’Ambrosio, the Macs – Macdonald and McKenzie – who have played every game, and Seamus Mitchell who has played eight games this season. Finals are unlikely, but the future presents blue skies.
5. TALK ABOUT HUNTING
St Kilda’s pressure was 203 against West Coast on Saturday. In their past seven matches, which include six losses and one win, their pressure rating was 184, 164, 171, 192, 205, 176 and 160. The 205 game was against Hawthorn, which they lost by five points. Hawthorn’s rating that day was 195 so it was a fierce contest all around. Before Saturday, St Kilda was ranked 15th for pressure which is so unlike a Ross Lyon-coached team. Clearly, there was a mindset change.
They finally won contested ball (+8), inside 50s (+8), and clearances (+5), which returned a season-high 40 points from turnover. They held the Eagles to 68 points and only allowed two inside 50s from 40 defensive chains. As well as the mindset, there was tactical and personnel change. Paddy Dow won nine clearances, Hunter Clark laid 12 tackles and Marcus Windhager clamped Harley Reid after halftime. Maybe Windhager should tag every week, with Noah Anderson or Matt Rowell next week, and Lachie Neale the week after that. Turn him into Ryan Crowley, who was Lyon’s attack dog at Fremantle.
6. THE OLD DOG THRIVES
Hand up, I thought Jack Macrae’s career was over. We’re not sure what the future holds, whether it’s senior or VFL footy, or whether it’s at another club. But presently, Macrae is rewarding coach Luke Beveridge. He kicked the first two goals against the Pies when the tidal wave was rolling heavily with Collingwood.
His poise and experience in those moments was invaluable. Banished from the middle for the energy and speed of the young bucks – Sanders, West and Garcia, Macrae has had to scrounge for the ball at half-forward. He’s not a front and square type, more the cool head with ball in hand. He had 19 disposals, took seven marks and kicked two goals, and won several 1v1 contests. He could do with more goals – his two goals were his first of the season – but his value is beyond scoring.
7. OLLIE’S IN THE RUNNING
Now that Harley Reid is out of the race for the Rising Star – and he should be now that he’s suspended – Ollie Dempsey and Darcy Wilson loom large. Reid’s act cannot be defended. Some analysts have tried, asking what else could he have done, and West Coast coach Adam Simpson even said there was nothing in it. What Reid could’ve done was not sling Wilson into the ground, notwithstanding the fact Wilson tried to step inside a lunging Reid which helped create the sling motion. That’s not blaming Wilson for anything. Reid was too intent to dump Wilson which led to the suspension. Dempsey is on the move. On Saturday night, in his 19th game, he had 27 disposals and kicked three goals and arguably was best afield in what was another strange Geelong performance. In their past four games, they played a good and bad half against Port Adelaide, played a bad four quarters against Gold Coast, lost to the Giants by four point, and played an average and then a good half against Richmond. The fact is when the Cats are able to move the ball with speed they are dangerous. When they don’t, or are not allowed to, they look pedestrian.
Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from round 12
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