The Tackle: Scott Gullan’s likes and dislikes after round 3 of the 2023 AFL season

Once again Sydney coach John Longmire watched his Swans over target Lance Franklin — and plenty of his players went missing. Check out all the likes and dislikes from round three.

Anthony Hudson has done it again. Picture: Tim Carrafa

One of life’s greatest certainties is that nothing stays the same and reigning premier Geelong is getting first-hand experience of that.

Already 0-3, there will be plenty of soul-searching at the Cattery this week as Geelong begins the long journey of turning around its fortunes.

Scott Gullan, who has stepped into the fold to provide his hits and misses in Robbo’s absence, breaks down where the Cats are misfiring.

He also addresses the Showdown Medal voting fiasco after it came in for some heavy criticism.

While Tony Lockett back at the football and St Kilda nailing its 150th celebrations with a win gets the big thumbs up.

Chief football writer Mark Robinson was ill at the weekend.

DISLIKES

Why is Tom Hawkins even playing after no pre-season following surgery on his foot?

1. CAT NAPPING

Geelong kicked 38 goals in the last two games of 2022. The last two weeks they’ve kicked just 19.

That fast, exciting team with the killer instinct has been replaced by a slow, uncertain, plodding outfit who now have plenty of history stacked against them to get anything out of this season.

As the Suns turned the screws over the final five minutes at Heritage Bank Stadium, the history books were getting opened.

Not since 1976 has the reigning premier started the next season 0-3. That was North Melbourne who went on to play in the grand final, losing to Hawthorn.

Geelong claimed one unwanted record, scoring just one point from stoppages which is their lowest in history.

Normally the likes of Tom Hawkins, Tyson Stengle and Brad Close eat up anything in the forward 50 but they are shadows of where they were last year.

Why Hawkins is playing needs some proper investigation.

He had no pre-season because of a foot injury and is paying the price for it.

One behind from five disposals was embarrassing stuff.

Call it premiership hangover or blame the shortened pre-season compared to the rest but the Cats midfield is getting outworked.

They have lost the contested possession count in every game and were -24 against the Suns, which screams a lack of willingness to work hard across four quarters.

The defence is consistently being opened up and even the rushing back of Tom Stewart from injury didn’t solve that against the Suns despite a game-high 30 possessions and 13 marks. The player the Cats are desperately missing is Mitch Duncan with his class and brilliant foot skills, while Jack Henry and Jake Kolodjashnij are significant outs in the back half.

Chris Scott now has an eight-day break to prepare for Easter Monday clash with Hawthorn which on paper would be a relieving match-up, the only problem being the Cats lost the corresponding game last year.

Patrick Dangerfield is failing to have to same impact to that of his predecessor.

2. LEADERSHIP LACKING

It was never going to be an easy task — even for one of the greatest players of the modern era.

Replacing Joel Selwood as Geelong captain had so many traps to it for the next man up.

Like Matthew Knights coming in as Essendon coach after Kevin Sheedy and whoever replaces Craig Bellamy at the Melbourne Storm, they’re on a hiding to nothing in many ways.

Patrick Dangerfield has nothing left to prove in his career — he’s a Brownlow medallist who was stiff not to win the Norm Smith Medal last year.

But the start to his tenure as captain has been inglorious.

Obviously the Cats’ tardiness out of the blocks this season isn’t all on his shoulders but the problem is in games like Sunday’s Selwood used to put on his Superman cape.

He would change the course of the game by running back with the flight, a crunching tackle or providing some form of inspirational act which would lift his team.

Cats fans saw it happen so often that unfairly they expect the same from Dangerfield. Unfortunately despite his manic attack on the ball at times, the new skipper couldn’t get it done.

He had only five possessions and no clearances in the second half.

The Swans need to have other options to goal that just Lance Franklin.

3. BUDDY PROBLEMS

Sydney has now lost its past two games at the MCG by a combined 131 points.

There was a lot about the shell-shocked Swans we saw on grand final day against Geelong in the last quarter against Melbourne.

When they put up the white flag it’s very ugly, which is a problem for coach John Longmire who must be confused with where his team is at.

They were the beneficiaries of a soft draw, playing Gold Coast and Hawthorn in the opening two rounds.

So, everyone was waiting to see how they went against a top-four contender.

What we know now is that when the heat is on, there are plenty of Swans who go missing.

Longmire went with a tall forward line after the success of youngsters Logan McDonald and Joel Amertey in the absence of Lance Franklin against the Hawks the previous week.

It was an ambitious move, but once again he watched his Swans be Buddy-centric, targeting him way too many times when there were potentially better options.

Three goals from the trio simply wasn’t enough.

4. MEDAL FARCE

The Showdown Medal voting was a farce for a number of reasons.

First of all Jordan Dawson was not the best player on the ground for his 18-possession game, which he sheepishly admitted himself afterwards.

Secondly, how on earth couldn’t they find five people worthy of giving votes who were actually at Adelaide Oval.

David King is in the top couple of analysts in the business but the fact he was watching it from a studio in South Melbourne — (why the Fox Footy commentators weren’t there is a whole other issue) — and not at the ground is bizarre and plain wrong.

There were nearly 50,000 in attendance yet they couldn’t find a worthy former player or media expert capable of giving their thoughts on the best players.

Ironically Kingy was the only one who got it right giving Izak Rankine three votes (the only votes he received), Rory Laird two and Connor Rozee one.

On social media he did apologise to Crows ruckman Riley O’Brien and full-forward Riley Thilthorpe whose five-goal performance surely deserved more than one vote from the panel.

5. POWER DOWN

Izak Rankine’s brilliant final quarter goal from ball-up to seal the Crows victory on Saturday night summed up Port coach Ken Hinkley’s growing nightmare.

The Power have been slaughtered from stoppages in the last two weeks with the opposition scoring 54 points. The AFL average is 31.

Contested ball has gone south since the opening round win over Brisbane going minus 57 and -22 as has the ground ball difference which was -18.

Hinkley will be able to make an argument that it’s a workrate issue given he has plenty of players capable of getting their hands on the ball at the coal face.

The Power won the clearances by 11 against the Crows with Ollie Wines, Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis prominent yet as the game spread they were found wanting.

Hinkley needs to pull off some urgent repair work given they have an appointment with the Swans in Sydney next week and then the Western Bulldogs at home.

LIKES

The hype was massive and Jacob van Rooyen didn’t let down his admirers. Picture: Michael Klein

1. LONG-AWAITED DEBUT

All summer the talk down at Melbourne had been about Jacob van Rooyen.

The big kid from WA who had been close to a game in last year’s finals series and was set to be first picked at centre half-forward for round 1.

But when the start of the season approached, suddenly things went quiet around Van Rooyen with Ben Brown and Tom McDonald the centrepieces of the Demons forward line.

Instead the 19-year-old started the season in the VFL where he took 11 marks and kicked a goal from 19 disposals against the Bulldogs.

After the Demons disappointing loss to Brisbane, coach Simon Goodwin made the call and brought in the rookie spearhead.

And he delivered in spades with the Melbourne faithful already adopting him as a cult hero after a couple of spectacular marks and three goals against Sydney.

Interestingly, as Van Rooyen was doing his thing, it was Brown who was subbed off midway through the third quarter.

The new-look forward structure, which was obviously also without captain Max Gawn, worked a treat with the unlikely heroes Harrison Petty (one goal) and Kade Chandler (3 goals)

They combined to kick Melbourne’s highest score — 21.8 (134) — since the 2021 grand final.

Clayton Oliver was at his absolute best despite his numbers being down. Picture: Michael Klein

2. SKIPPER DELIVERS

Clayton Oliver took on the captaincy duties at the coin toss in his 150th game and clearly embraced the responsibility.

He then proceeded to be best-on-ground by the length of the straight when the game was at its hottest.

Oliver has had more prolific days but not too many better ones with 25 possessions, seven tackles and two goals.

All eyes were on the middle of the ground in the absence of Gawn but Brodie Grundy showed there was nothing to worry about.

The former Collingwood big man had 21 disposals and 25 hit-outs, with his follow-up work around the contest a perfect compliment to Oliver, Christian Petracca and others.

He was a big reason why Melbourne dominated Sydney around the contest winning the contested possessions by a whopping 34.

Grundy also had a game-high nine score involvements and suddenly no-one is questioning the Demons’ massive investment.

3. WHIPPING BOY FIRES

He’s the Gold Coast Suns’ whipping boy but Jack Lukosius picked a good time to change that narrative.

The often flaky forward put the reigning premiers to the sword with a career-best five goals (his previous PB was two goals) and 12 score involvements.

“It’s the most physical he’s played,” former Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton observed in the Fox Footy commentary box.

Only a week earlier Lukosius’ poor workrate had been highlighted in the media but he came to play against the Cats.

The highlight of his breakthrough afternoon was a stunning 73m drop punt set shot goal. Lukosius took the mark just inside the centre square and surprised everyone, including the umpire, when he went back gesturing that he was having a set shot.

He then produced the booming kick which importantly put the Suns 13 points up with seven minutes remaining, a gap they never conceded.

4. BROWNLOW SMOKEY

The Chad had been pencilled down by many as this year’s Brownlow medallist smokey.

Given his stunning season last year, Chad Warner deserved to get such lofty declarations but he didn’t live up to anything near it against the Demons.

Nineteen touches was a sub-par return and his day was best summed up when he came unstuck taking on Melbourne defender Steven May on the wing.

Warner wasn’t the only big-name who had a bit to think about on the plane ride home with Isaac Heeney again letting down his many supporters.

There are times when he looks like a potential top 10 player in the competition and then there are game’s like this where he only touches the ball 10 times and is irrelevant.

5. HUDDO DOES IT AGAIN

Once again Anthony Hudson has done it.

The best commentator in the business delivered the perfect line as the Gold Coast galloped to their first victory of the season: “They didn’t win in March, take me to the April Suns.”

It was in tribute to the legendary song from Dragon, ‘April Sun in Cuba’.

Hudson was handed a few memorable moments across the afternoon by Suns full-forward Ben King who showed his rustiness in the first half of the game.

King missed all of last year because of knee surgery and was badly out of sorts early doors against the Cats, dropping chest marks and missing simple opportunities.

But early in the final quarter King rose spectacularly to take a hanger on the back of Cats defender Esava Ratugolea.

It was clearly the mark-of-the-day and while he missed the shot for goal, he still provided Huddo and Suns fans with plenty to smile about.

Max Michalanney tackles Junior Rioli on a night where the young Crow continued to shine.

6. MAX MAGIC

The Crows have found one with their historic first father-son draft selection Max Michalanney. Ahhhhh, Max who? That’s what most outside of SA would be asking.

Well, the teenager’s father Jim played in four flags and 211 games with Norwood which meant the Crows could get hold of him with Pick 17 in last year’s draft (they had to match a bid from Sydney).

Max has been a hidden gem for the Crows in the opening three rounds taking some impressive scalps in the back pocket.

In round 2 against Richmond he stood Shai Bolton for 49 minutes keeping him to just five touches (and one goal). He also kept Maurice Rioli Jnr to just one touch in 26 minutes on the same night.

On Saturday night the Crows new blanket covered up Junior Rioli for 78 minutes allowing him just five touches and zero score. He also showed his courage, coming back after a heavy knock early in the third quarter to have a significant impact in the victory.

Tony Lockett, with fellow Saints legend Nicky Winmar, joins in at club’s 150th celebrations on Saturday night.

7. PLUGGER BACK

Any time we see Tony Lockett at the football it gives everyone a warm and fuzzy feeling.

The sight of the reclusive superstar in the race pre-game giving high fives to the St Kilda players is one of the best images of the season so far.

Lockett, who at 57 was looking in ripping nick, wanted to honour the club who started his career. His embrace with Nicky Winmar and his best mate’s wife, Anita Frawley, who held her husband’s No. 2 jumper, was a special moment.

The Saints haven’t done much right in recent years but they’ve had a hell of a six months. Getting Ross Lyon, starting the season 3-0 and nailing the 150th celebrations.

Big ticks all round.

8. CURSE SINKS BRAVE EAGLES

It was always going to happen once Fox Footy’s Gerard Healy went the with commentators curse as West Coast got within two points early in the last quarter.

He was right in pointing out that if they were to win the derby it was going to be one of the club’s best in its history given the circumstances.

But then the curse kicked in and Fremantle found a way to kick clear against an injury-riddled Eagles who’d showed more heart than they had in a couple of years.

Adam Simpson’s team was reduced to having just one player on the bench for much of the second half because of a horror run of injuries.

The rot started with captain Luke Shuey who again did a soft tissue, this time his hamstring early in the second quarter.

Defender Jeremy McGovern then suffered a serious hamstring injury before Alex Witherden left the game with a rib injury after a heavy collision in a marking contest.

Jamie Cripps was then helped off with an ankle injury, ruling him out for the rest of the day.

The extraordinary run of bad luck continued when Liam Ryan landed awkwardly after an attempted big mark and had to be assisted from the ground by trainers. He was able to return to the ground but could barely walk.

Understandably, the Eagles ran out of steam in the final 15 minutes of the game but they will get more out of the effort than Fremantle who continue to look several levels below where they were last year.

Originally published as The Tackle: Scott Gullan’s likes and dislikes after round 3 of the 2023 AFL season