AFL Early Tackle: Glenn McFarlane names his likes and dislikes from round 16
You think the critics would know by now — write off Geelong at your peril. As GLENN MCFARLANE writes, the Cats have silenced their doubters yet again. See his likes and dislikes from round 16.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Melbourne didn’t walk away with four points at the Gabba, but there plenty of positives for Simon Goodwin to take out of the Friday night loss.
It was a win for the Lions that was orchestrated by coach Chris Fagan and his subtle halftime spray.
Fagan has his concerns, though. And he won’t be the only coach as all nine games return to a big weekend of footy.
Glenn McFarlane names his early round 16 likes and dislikes in the Early Tackle.
DISLIKES
IS THIS THE ACHILLES HEEL THAT COULD SINK THE LIONS’ RUN?
Brisbane’s four-game winning streak has put the Lions right back in the finals frame – and potentially still a top four hope – after a disastrous start to the season.
But it could rest on conversion rate, which reared its ugly head on Friday night when the Lions butchered the ball going forward against Melbourne.
It didn’t cost them a win, but it could so easily have.
The Lions were ranked 18th for goalkicking accuracy from the opening round through to round 9 before turning all that around.
Prior to Friday night, their 630 points scored over its previous five games was the most by any team over a five-game stretch since 2018.
But that clinical efficiency in attack fell apart at stages of the clash with the Demons, with Chris Fagan’s team booting 11.20 (86).
Worse than that, they made so many errors leading into attack that it almost cost them a win, including a Charlie Cameron dropped mark and a wild Eric Hipwood handball to name a few.
Fagan will know they need to clean that up if they want to be a force again this season, with the victory at least coming off a superb McCluggage goal from a correctly paid deliberate out of bounds.
LAST-TERM DEMONS
Is Melbourne fit enough?
That’s a strange question to pose midway through a season, but the manner in which the Demons have struggled to run out games in the past few weeks has almost cost them one game and definitely cost them Friday night’s clash with Brisbane.
Melbourne has failed to kick a goal in its past two final terms against North Melbourne and the Lions.
Is that because they have brought a number of young fresh faces into the side?
Or are some of the older guys simply struggling to run out games?
Melbourne took a few really good steps forward from a pressure perspective on Friday night, but they were completely and utterly gassed for most of the last term.
Almost from the first few minutes of the final quarter, it looked as if the Demons were holding on for dear life as Brisbane launched attack after attack.
They gave it everything they have, but few teams can hope to win matches when not kicking a goal in the final term.
DEATH, TAXES … BUT NOT THIS TIME PIES
This wasn’t the way the script was meant to run for Collingwood ahead of a crunch game against top four contender Essendon next Friday.
In what looked like another Houdini-like wrestle out of the manacles, Craig McRae’s never-say-die Magpies appeared set to continue a familiar narrative when charging home against the Suns on the Gold Coast.
Concede a big start; start making small inroads; then storm home over the top of the opposition like footy’s version of a tsunami.
But this time the Suns were not to be denied and despite the Magpie hitting the lead late, Damien Hardwick’s team closed out the game with the final two goals of the game.
The Magpies were brave again, but for once just couldn’t close it out in a loss that puts some pressure back on the reigning premiers.
They have some big matches to come in the back end, with the Bombers to come ahead of future engagement against Geelong, Hawthorn, Richmond, Carlton, Sydney, Brisbane Lions and Melbourne.
ROOS MISSED THE HOP ON UNSTOPPA-BONT
Maybe Clarko and the Kangaroos missed the memo … ‘beware the Bont when he is under a fitness cloud’.
For the third time this season, Marcus Bontempelli dragged himself out of his sick bed or from under a query over his fitness to turn in a best afield performance in a season where he might finally win that elusive Brownlow Medal.
He would be a fitting winner as he might not have put together a better season than this, which is saying something given what we’ve already seen from him.
But the big question was why North Melbourne allowed the Bulldogs skipper to pretty much run his own race in the first half, putting the club’s recent tagger Will Phillips onto the dangerous Adam Treloar.
It seemed a strange move, for the Bont was seemingly everywhere early on, having the first effective disposal of the match, 19 in the first half and a dominant 35 by the game’s end.
Yes, the Kangaroos kept coming, and made a game of it later, but could they have been even close if they had locked down on the game’s most dangerous player?
Bont had 647 metres gained, 20 contested possessions, 11 clearances, six scoring involvements and seven inside 50s.
We love what Clarko and the Kangaroos are doing, and the future’s so bright, but they might have got this one wrong.
OH NO, LOGAN
Logan McDonald was the talking point of the week after the Herald Sun revealed he was being heavily targeted by Collingwood, and that rolled into Saturday’s SCG game against another team courting his services.
The young Swans forward, who is out of contract at the end of the season, had the chance to push his team’s winning streak to 11 when he had the ball in his hands as the siren sounded with Sydney one point behind Fremantle.
He sized up his moment from just outside 50m after copping a perfect pass from Nick Blakey. But in trying to push for extra distance, McDonald hung the kick out to the right, leaving the Dockers with their most important win of the season.
It might end being the loss John Longmuir’s team had to have – a kick in the pants at the right time of the season – but it will also whet the appetite of those rivals who think the Swans can still be vulnerable in September.
Their stars were, by and large, outworked by the blue-collar Dockers, and the slow starts which they have been able to overcome for weeks and weeks now finally proved too much in the end.
You wouldn’t damn the Swans for that.
It’s been a great streak. But the coach will know a four-quarter effort is the thing that wins finals.
FANS FURY OVER UMP DECISIONS — BUT ARE THE BOMBERS STILL A FINALS LOCK?
Essendon fans have every right to feel aggrieved at a few critical umpiring decisions which looked wrong in a cruel third term, but the cold reality is the Bombers simply weren’t good enough when it mattered.
Geelong’s long-time dominance against the Dons rolled on again, making it 19 of the past 22 times they have beaten Essendon.
It was a sad way to end a game that was meant to honour Dyson Heppell in his 250th AFL match, but once those frees went against Essendon, they were no match for the Cats.
The AFL will have to explain some of those umpiring decisions in the coming days, but the Bombers will also have to address their own mistakes and lack of competitiveness in the second half.
It was the second game in a row Brad Scott’s team has fallen short against a good side, with Carlton and Geelong giving them a reality check in the past two matches.
It sets up a critically important clash with Collingwood next Friday night which could play a massive role in each team’s top four prospects.
STOP THE WHINGEING
Leaving aside some umpiring and congestion concerns and the spectre of concussion, the game is in pretty good shape … but you wouldn’t know it with all the whingeing going on.
The gulf between the 18 clubs right now has stretched into a chasm.
The angst in regard to competitive balance, fixture fairness and integrity, and the right price to pay for father-son and academy picks is growing by the day.
Some clubs have got some legitimate gripes; others less so.
Let’s just hope that the AFL gets its skates on and makes a clear, definitive and transparent ruling on the pathway ahead.
The game needs some clear air.
LIKES
‘YOU GIVE ME POSSESSIONS AND I’LL SHUT UP’
It wasn’t quite Ron Barassi’s famous ‘You give me possessions and I’ll shut up’ rant, but it’s good to see some good old-fashioned tough love from a coach can still elicit the right response in this caring, sharing modern age.
Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan put the names of his three star midfielders Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage – and their possession tallies alongside their opponents – on the Gabba whiteboard after a Demon second-term midfield demolition on Friday.
It worked.
As Dunkley said on SEN on Saturday, it was the “kick in the bum” that the mids needed to bring about a second half response which has kept the Lions’ season alive.
“It was a bit of a hit between the eyes,” Dunkley said. “We were getting beaten at the contest, so it was a bit of a kick in the bum.”
Somehow the Lions found a way to get back in the midfield hunt which ended up proving decisive in the club’s six-point victory.
Dunkley did, however, have cause to be a bit miffed with the possession comparisons, as he was only two disposals off Clayton Oliver’s halftime tally of 15.
“I did think I wasn’t too far off the top Melbourne player when he brought it up, I thought I was going OK,” he said.
But he was never going to bring that up to his coach, conceding that the most dangerous thing for a player in footy has always been to point something out to a coach in the midst of a semi-spray.
THERE’S STILL LIFE LEFT IN THE CATS
The obituary writers were busy writing off the Cats — and not for the first time — after last week’s thrashing at the hands of Carlton.
It was their sixth loss from their previous seven games.
But the critics were premature — and wrong again!
In a ‘Country Round’ contest with Essendon, the team from down the highway came to the MCG with a purpose and an intent to prove the critics wrong.
Chris Scott pulled a few coaching levels against twin brother Brad, including moving an out of sorts Tom Stewart successfully into the middle to partner Patrick Dangerfield, giving Tom Atkins a job on Zach Merrett, and pinning faith in some of the young Cats including debutant Lawson Humphries (15 disposals) and Tom Wills Award winner Ollie Dempsey (25 disposals and two goals).
In doing so, the Cats jumped above Collingwood on percentage with a 45-point win over the Bombers on a night where it emerged that Tyson Stengle — who kicked three goals — is set to knock back and offer to join St Kilda to stick with Geelong.
It sets up a massive GMHBA Stadium clash next weekend with Hawthorn.
NAT AND THE SWAN-BUSTERS
Fremantle claimed footy’s biggest scalp and veteran Nat Fyfe turned in one of his most selfless performances shadowing Isaac Heeney at the SCG.
On a day when the premiership favourites looked vulnerable for the first time in months, the Dockers leapt into flag contention with their most complete win of the season, just staving off the fast-finishing Swans on their home deck.
It was a rich reward for a team playing on the road without their injured skipper Alex Pearce.
And it was Fyfe who played a key part in the Dockers’ win, restricting Heeney’s influence for much of the game which might give the dual Brownlow Medallist a new lease of life in the purple.
“It was a Hollywood finish, wasn’t it,” Fyfe said on Fox Footy. “To be able to play away, against the best team … to come up here without our skipper was fantastic.”
“The universe works in funny ways, I get to play on one of the best and in-form players in the comp, and if you can win the war, and contribute, that’s the most important thing.”
Fyfe restricted Brownlow fancy Heeney to 20 disposals, his lowest return of the season, with his coach Justin Longmuir and his lieutenants turning in a brilliant performance from the box.
The Dockers had a swag of stars on the day, and will take plenty of confidence from this win going forward.
WAS THIS GOLD COAST’S GREATEST MOMENT?
It says a lot about Gold Coast’s very modest achievements across 14 seasons that this win over reigning premiers Collingwood is arguably the greatest team moment in its 296 games.
And it should provide the platform for the Suns’ maiden finals appearance later this season.
We say should because we’ve seen this show from Gold Coast before only to be let down in the second half of the season, but this 2024 platform looks a little more secure.
Anything less than a final, and it would be a massively wasted opportunity for Damien Hardwick’s team, who had to beat the Magpies twice at home on Saturday.
Twice, that is, because the Suns led by more than five goals on a few occasions, only to shut up shop with Collingwood producing another fightback to hit the lead by the narrowest of margins when Nathan Kreuger slotted a goal home with less than five minutes on the clock.
The old Gold Coast would have turned it up.
But this version didn’t, and in kicking the last two goals of the game, the Suns showed the mental toughness required to play finals.
Admittedly, this was a home game, and the Suns will almost certainly need to win a few games on the road to qualify for the September action.
That’s something they haven’t done this year - other than home games in Darwin - but they need to start with North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium next week.
HAS RORY MOVE TO DEFENCE GIVEN THE DOGS A NEW DYNAMIC?
Forget about the ‘four-headed forward monster’ … Luke Beveridge’s decision to send Rory Lobb to an unfamiliar defensive role on Saturday might prove a game-change for the Dogs.
Bravo Bevo, what a gutsy move!
When the Dogs named Lobb in a team that had Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton back to join Jamarra Ugle-Hagan on Thursday night, we wondered what the hell was going on.
But the coach backed himself – and Lobb – to take on a different role in the club’s at times vulnerable defence and it worked a treat.
“I thought he was very good,” a rapt Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said post-match.
“Really happy with that outcome and how well Rory played. He took five intercept marks and a number of critical spoils, was able to use his speed at times for a big man to close space, and I thought he was pretty composed when he had the ball for most of the night.
“So that’s a real win for us. He’s too good a player to miss out week to week.
“‘Lobby’ as a junior didn’t play a lot of football so it would be one of the few games he’s played a full game as a key defender and for us it’s very encouraging with his length and his ability to negate but also win the footy back.”
Lobb looked natural behind the ball, having 16 disposals with an equal game-high 12 intercept possessions, providing Liam Jones with some much needed support in defence.
His manager might be looking for a new home for the 31-year-old, despite having a contract with the Bulldogs, but his new role down back – if he can keep it up – might be enough to keep him in the side this year … and maybe longer.
Strange things have happened!
CLARRY, KOZZIE AND THE KIDS
Just days after the Herald Sun revealed that Clayton Oliver is off the trade table and staying with the Demons, the man himself was giving a nice little reminder of how important he can still be for Melbourne.
Oliver wasn’t quite back to his best, but his 29-disposal and five clearance game was a big step forward in the right direction after a really difficult past few weeks.
Importantly, his pressure and hunt – a bit like the Demons themselves – was back, with his 50 pressure acts being the equal second most for the club behind Jack Viney.
He still has six more years to run on his $1m per season contract, but Demons insiders are convinced he can reach those same lofty heights with a full pre-season and a clear run at it, given he is more settled in his life than for quite some time.
Kozzie Pickett’s five goals and 11 scoring involvements were his best scoreboard returns since 2022, and set a template for his role going forward.
He needs to stay at that high level, and not dip into mediocrity as he has at times in the past.
And while we’re at it, the Demons’ difficult 2024 season has one silver lining … they’ve unearthed some good young talent who will help the club deep into the future.
Take Andy Moniz-Wakefield, who impressed on debut with 16 disposals, almost 300 metres gained and a real composed attitude, while the likes of Koltyn Tholstrup, Caleb Windsor and Kynan Brown are showing good promise.
Remember also before you dismiss the Demons going forward that the other 22s and under include Trent Rivers, Jacob van Rooyen, Judd McVee, Daniel Turner, Blake Howes and late withdrawal Jake Bowey.
DON’T ‘DILLY-DALLY’ ON STATE OF ORIGIN
If the AFL is serious about resurrecting State of Origin football, as Andrew Dillion said this week, let’s stop talking about it and get it done.
Let’s play it every four years, put some extra money on the table for the players as a carrot, and just tell the clubs it’s happening.
We’ve been talking about a possible return for the best part of 25 years now, without any real plan or purpose going forward.
One of the most influential coaches in the game, John Longmire, declared this week he had changed his mind and was now in favour of State of Origin’s return, while Carlton vice captain Jacob Weitering also said he would love to play.
Yes, there are risks associated, but with the right planning, a suitable pre-season timetable every four years and genuine buy-in from the players (you won’t get it from the clubs), it could just work.
More Coverage
Originally published as AFL Early Tackle: Glenn McFarlane names his likes and dislikes from round 16
‘Crap’: AFL great goes nuclear on former club
A West Coast Eagles great has put his former club in the gun, naming omission candidates amid a frustrated plea for the coach’s departure.
The Australian league that can defy media rights fears
As concerns that the global sports rights bubble may burst, SHANNON GILL takes the crystal ball to Australian sport’s next round of rights negotiations with rights authority Colin Smith. Only one sport looks able to defy the fears.