The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from round 20

Are the Hawks mentally in the wrack? Do they care enough? Mark Robinson takes a look at the horror show against the Saints in The Tackle.

Jack Viney was brilliant for Melbourne. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

It was a thrilling round 20 of football, with plenty of upsets making it a nightmare for those in tipping competitions.

Premiership contenders dropped their ball while the battle for places in the finals went to another level.

Mark Robinson analyses the weekend of footy in his likes and dislikes.

LIKES

1. MAN AMONGST MEN

A checklist: Brodie Grundy won’t be first ruck again this season. Tick.

Harrison Petty, Jake Melksham and Jacob Van Rooyen will spearhead the September campaign. Tick. Angus Brayshaw filled Clayton’s Oliver spot. Tick. And Jack Viney might be putting together his best season of footy. It is Viney’s 11th season and he has one best and fairest to his name (2016). He could have another. Christian Petracca is likely to lead the B&F but internal recognition is different to umpire and media recognition. Viney’s numbers are outstanding, his impact is greater.

Jack Viney has had a super year. Picture: Michael Klein.

His tackles, support tackles, knock-ons, bumps and collisions set a tone, and in the past month, as Melbourne has met challenge after challenge, the leaders have stood firm led by Viney, Petracca and Gawn. Gawn is a wonder and Viney is the soldier. He had 32 and seven clearances yesterday and probably 26 bruises, and averages 25 and five clearances this season. But it’s not about numbers with Jack. In the Australian novel book, My Brother Jack, Jack is described as ‘’fearless (and), engaging head-on with the world around him’’. Ring a bell?

2. HATS OFF TO THE ‘’HALF-BACK WHISPERER’’

That’s how St Kilda coach Ross Lyon described assistant coach Corey Enright - the champion Geelong half-backer - when Enright wanted Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera re-deployed from the wing to the defence. Recruited as a wingman, Enright preferred Wanganeen-Millera’s calmness mopping up at the back and Lyon agreed. He’s been a huge find for the Saints. He was super again on Sunday and if the best and fairest votes were counted now, the young fella would be in the top five place-getters. He’s played 19 games this year and 14 of the 19 have returned more than 20 possessions and his 33 disposals against the Hawks was a career-high. He hasn’t got the speed of, say a Daniel Rioli halfback, but he has speed of mind and a coolness with ball in hand. He was in the votes again on Sunday.

3. ONE STREAK OVER, ONE STREAK CONTINUES

There can be nothing but relief for West Coast and its coach Adam Simpson and utter disappointment for North Melbourne and its coach Brett Ratten. The Eagles hung on desperately in the final quarter and if truth be told they were out on their feet in the final 10 minutes. In the final quarter, the Eagles were -8 contested ball, -3 inside 50s and were outscored by 26 points. But they won. It won’t change their long-term plans to rebuild the list. That’s two single-digit defeats for North Melbourne in its two past matches and after a horrible season, credit due to the Kangas for not raising the white flag. For the Eagles, finally Adam Simpson might have a smile on his face. God knows, he needed it.

Lance Franklin is very likely to retire at the end of the season. Picture: Getty Images

4. END OF AN ERA

Lance Franklin was open-minded about playing next season and he needed everything to go right over the final month to at least give Sydney something to think about. A calf injury - the old man’s injury - is almost certain to seal Franklin’s fate. He won’t go on in 2024. It’s a time of disappointment for him and for all of footy. Franklin will depart widely recognised as one of the game’s greatest players, if not the greatest. He is in the territory of Gary Ablett Snr, a freakish talent. He, Ablett Jnr, Judd and Martin are the players of this century, and overall, Franklin rates with Lockett, Coleman, Dunstall, Coventry and Wade as the sport’s best goalkickers. The lasting image of Franklin won’t be of him sitting the pine on Friday night, it will be of the countless moments and imperious performance across 20 seasons. As Mick Malthouse wrote in Sunday’s Herald Sun, time comes for every player and Franklin’s body has called time.

5. BACK FROM THE DEAD

Adelaide midfielder Matt Crouch is resuscitating a career which has been derailed by injury in recent years. In 2021, he didn’t play a game because of a groin injury and in March this year, he broke his leg at training. At 28, it was a case out of sight, out of mind and it would not have surprised if Crouch took his dainty left foot to the SANFL and ran out his career. The Crows had plenty of winners on Saturday night, from Tex Walker (seven goals) to Irish defender Mark Keane whose father flew out for his first game, and they included Crouch. He had 32 disposals and 12 clearances and his domination at stoppages was so profound, the next best clearance winner on the ground was Port’s Zak Butters with six. Is there a difference in how he’s playing on his return? He’s certainly figuring in score involvements - 10 this week and 10 last week when his career average is six. His main opponent in the midfield was Jason Horne-Francis and the old dog came out on top.

Matt Rowell and the Suns midfield were brilliant. Picture: Getty Images

6, THE SUNS SHINING

The four-pronged Suns midfield - and an emerging Sam Flanders - savaged the Lions midfield on Saturday. The Lions didn’t show enough respect to Anderson, Miller, Rowell and Witts and, in turn, the Suns disrespected one of the so-called best midfields in the competition. Miller outworked Lachie Neale, Anderson sliced the opposition and Rowell after half-time, was spell-binding. Rowell had just four touches in the first half and 15 in the second half, and the second half included nine tackles, six clearances and many broken tackles. His gather and goal at stoppage early in the fourth quarter was peak Rowell brutality and tenacity. Fremantle’s Michael Frederick kicked a contender for the goal of the year at Geelong, it was opined, but Rowell’s goal was much better and much more difficult to execute.

7. GRITTY SWANS

They lost contested ball by 23, clearances by 13 and inside 50s by 22 and still won the game. They are efficient, the Swans. The AFL average for forward half intercepts is 23 and against the Bombers, they won just 13, which is a low return. But they scored 43 points from those 13 interceptions when the league average is 27. How does that possibly compute? It was a horrible loss by Essendon who just might be the most frustrating team in the competition. How the Bombers allowed the best left-footer in the game in Errol Gulden to have 37 on a wing is further confusing. The Bombers might argue they almost won with Gulden having 37. The other argument is, if they kept him to 24, would they have won? It’s the bigger picture outlook at the Bombers, as coach Brad Scott continuously says, but gee that was disappointing. In a nutshell, the Bombers teased and the Swans delivered.

DISLIKES

Clearance was king in the Tigers clash with the Dees. Picture: Getty Images

1. CLEARANCE SHOOT-OUT.

It was a wonderful game of Australian Rules at the MCG on Sunday, although not sure the coaches will look fondly at the clearance impact. This was two midfields with a super aggressive attitude which means they weren’t always super keen to work defensively. The Tigers gave up 12 goals from clearance which is more than double the AFL average. Their next worst result this year was seven goals in Round 2 versus Adelaide. They might have been unlucky on the back of Max Gawn’s dominance, but they also might’ve been too kick-chasing instead of defending better. Melbourne also gave up nine goals from clearance and although they won the battle on Sunday, those sorts of numbers won’t win them the war in September. When the final margin was five goals, three-goal differential was far too much leeway from the Tigers.

2. TIMID HAWKS

It took coach Sam Mitchell to deliver a rocket for the Hawks to click into competitive gear, and their next two quarters were a hardy response. Why they were able to give up nine goals in a quarter to a team which has struggled to kick goals, however, is where the mystery and anguish lies. Are the Hawks mentally in the wrack? Do they not care enough? They were out-worked, out-ran and monstered at clearance. The response was solid, but the game was lost, because they spent two quarters playing catch-up and were done early in the final quarter. It was a disappointing first quarter because those sorts of uncompetitive quarters were thought to be behind them.

The Power have dropped three games on the trot. Picture: Getty Images

3, ALARM BELLS AT PORT.

That’s three losses in a row for Port Adelaide and they face Geelong at Geelong this week, where they have lost their past eight matches. They might be lucky because Geelong’s season is stuttering. Port Adelaide looked tired against the Crows and who really knows how much impact the Collingwood game the week before had. In no order of importance, Powell-Pepper was quiet, Williams has lost his spot on a back flank, Duursma’s treading water, that’s two quiet ones in row for Finlayson, Bergman’s intercept marks have dropped and he’s not getting enough ball, Wines looks a little lost on a wing and Marshall kicked one goal against Collingwood and didn’t have a shot at goal on Saturday night. Port got opened up, too. Adelaide’s six goals from chains starting in their backline was Port’s worst result this year. So, where are they? Their bookends are struggling. Since Round 16, they are 17th for scores per entry and 17th for conceding scores to an opposite entry. It’s hardly the profile of a premiership contender.

The Power are under fire for their handling of Aliir Aliir’s head knock. Picture: Getty Images

4. CONCUSSION CONFUSION

Expectedly, concussion campaigner Peter Jess was perplexed by the events at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night, when Aliir Aliir returned to the field after a head clash with teammate Lachie Jones. The club doctor ticked off Aliir’s return without a concussion test and coach Ken Hinkley defended the club’s position in the post-match.

“The absurdity of the AFL concussion management system was on show at the Showdown’’ Jess said.

“The Port Adelaide debacle highlights just how far we have not progressed in concussion and brain trauma in the AFL. Whilst the AFL is investigating Port Adelaide the reality is it should be the AFL under investigation. After all, the concussion protocols are developed and administered by the AFL.’’

Not for a second would you think a club doctor would not have a duty of care for a player, so why no concussion test for Aliir Aliir? That’s the question the AFL will want answers to.

Luke Beveridge can’t seem to get the best out of his Dogs. Picture: Getty Images

5. FRUSTRATING DOGS

No other supporter base falls in love and out of love with their coach as much as Bulldog fans do with Luke Beveridge. It was another tough loss, but, no, he won’t be sacked. But at the same time, if the Dogs don’t play finals, there should be a review about why? That’s not a headline because all clubs review their seasons, but it all depends on how the Bulldogs view their list and what they deem as acceptable. They will probably play finals this year - they play Richmond (Marvel), Hawthorn (Tasmania), West Coast (Marvel) and Geelong (Geelong). They need two wins to probably make it and a third win to be sure. It’s going to be tough. Whether Beveridge likes it or not - and he doesn’t - the run-on in opposition goals is alarming and it happened again at Ballarat. The defence is depleted, but let’s not let the midfield escape scrutiny. In the second half, the inside 50 count was 34-27 to the Giants.

Focus on today’s footy, Garry. Picture: Alex Coppel

6. TALK ABOUT THE GAME

Veteran TV performer Eddie McGuire put it on the agenda on his podcast last week, which was to implore footy commentators to talk about the game and not themselves. The same can be said in the post-match discussions. On Friday night, Charlie Curnow kicked six goals and looked every ounce the most exciting and dominant forward in the game. He was irresistible in front of 86,000 raging fans. And what does Garry Lyon slip into commentary on Fox Footy? His own 10 goals he kicked in a final and when his co-commentators didn’t respond, he playfully chipped them for not picking up what he put down. Lyon was a gun forward and Jonathan Brown was even better and their extensive knowledge on how Curnow was able to take down Darcy Moore, his positioning and body work and mental capacity to carry a forward line, was welcomed. Still, Friday night should’ve been all about Charlie Curnow, especially so immediately after the game.

7. A DISCIPLINE ISSUE

Brisbane’s Lincoln McCarthy has to cool his jets. In round 16, he jumper-punched to the face Richmond’s Kamdyn McIntosh and received a one-week penalty. On Saturday, Charlie Cameron won himself the ball in the second quarter and was about to prepare to have a shot at goal, when McCarthy ran in and caused a ruction and the umpire reversed the decision. He plays hard, McCarthy, but he can’t afford to play stupid. There’s bigger issues at the Lions, however, not least the scratchy form of ruckman Oscar McInerney. He finished Saturday on the bench with an injury, but he was munched by Jarrod Witts when on the ground. They week before that Max Gawn got hold of him at the MCG. It is only two weeks but it’s apparent the Lions can’t win it if McInerney can’t hold his own in the ruck.

Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from round 20