Early Tackle: All the likes and dislikes from round 18 of the AFL
The Bombers headed down the highway to Geelong with their finals credentials on the line, what came from the game gave both us and them a reality check. See all the early likes and dislikes.
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Round 18 of the AFL is in full swing.
The Lions blew it, the season is slipping from the Dogs and Max Gawn’s masterclass will bring further heat on Brodie Grundy.
Glenn McFarlane names his early likes and dislikes.
LIKES
Has the sleeping giant woken?
Geelong’s 77-point obliteration of Essendon would have had rival premiership contenders shifting a little nervously in their positions on Saturday night.
The Cats are coming … and that’s more than a little concerning for those who know how good they can be at their best.
Last year’s premiers have had a challenging flag defence as they have struggled with form and with personal issues, but with six games to go until the finals, it looks as if Chris Scott’s team is starting to hit its peak at the right time.
As they rose to fifth on the ladder, and with Tom Hawkins dominating with five goals, the Cats might have to do it the hard way in September, but they are more than capable.
Their run to the finals won’t be easy, starting with Brisbane at the Gabba next Saturday and including Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Collingwood, St Kilda and Western Bulldogs.
But the belief is rising, and the new faces of 2023 appear to be getting better and more in tune with the rest of the group.
They will be a tough proposition in the finals. No one will want to play them. We’ll learn more about this next weekend against the wounded Lions, but it’s hard not to think that if they play at their best, they can still play a big role in the flag race.
Tour de Max
Max Gawn’s 29-disposal, 39-hit-out masterclass was arguably the ruck performance of the season against Brisbane on Friday night – and that doesn’t bode well for Brodie Grundy.
As much as Gawn was busy talking up the fact that he believes a ruck-forward partnership with Grundy can work ahead of the finals – as well as waxing lyrical about his love of the Tour de France – the one certainty out of Friday night was that the Demons skipper will be the team’s predominant ruckman for the rest of the season.
Even Grundy’s former coach Nathan Buckley conceded that Gawn is almost certain to play at least 85 per cent game time in the ruck for the remainder of 2023 off the back of his extraordinary effort to help get the Demons over the line by a point against the Lions.
“It’s pretty clear from a one week sample after making that decision (to drop Grundy) who needs to be rucking for 80 to 85-percent of the game,” Buckley said of Gawn on Fox Footy.
So where does that leave Grundy?
Grundy played in a VFL practice match on Saturday as he began what looms as a several week stint at that level in an effort to boost his forward craft.
Gawn and Goodwin say they are committed to making the big man partnership work, despite the coach choosing to send Grundy back to the VFL in one of the most sensational selection calls of the season.
Gawn said on Channel 7: “Brodie has taken it like a man. We’ll get there, I’m not giving up on that.”
Goodwin said: “One thing we’re not going to do as a footy club is leave any stone unturned in getting better. We want more impact forward the ball – and the only way we’re going to continue to do that is to expose them for longer.
“So part of the plan with Brodie is to expose him with VFL footy. We think we can turn that combination into a threat moving forward. We’re going to work to do it. And it doesn’t have to be at AFL level. We’re still really confident that’ll work and as we get closer towards the back end of the year, we’re going to need both of them up and going.”
Grundy has committed to working to improve his forward craft. He will get another chance at AFL level this season, but given what Gawn did on Friday night, it won’t be as the No. 1 ruck.
It will have to be a forward who can pinch-hit in the ruck. Could it come down to Grundy looking to try and take the forward spot of Ben Brown or potentially Jacob van Rooyen?
And Adam Cooney even forecast on Channel 7 that he could see Grundy playing at a third club next year – potentially Geelong.
Jake ‘n Shake
Thirteen months ago Jake Melksham and Steven May came to blows outside a Prahran restaurant, in an altercation that symbolised the Demons’ slide from grace last year.
On Friday night, those same two players were locked in a different sort of embrace – a hug – in the rooms after Melksham’s clutch goal delivered Melbourne one of the most remarkable comeback wins in recent times.
It was a moment that brought a beaming smile to Demons’ fans clutching to the belief that the one-point win over the Lions could be the tonic to re-ignite the club’s flame again.
The hug happened just moments before the Demons launched into a spirited version of the club theme song.
Melksham had spent a large slice of the season plying his trade with Casey Demons, but he turned into matchwinner on Friday night, not only playing a role on Lions defender Harris Andrews, but kicking two massive last term goals to help turn the contest.
He might well have booked his place in the senior side again, with former teammate Jordan Lewis insisting he must be a part of the side going forward if they are a flag hope.
“He’s in their best 23, no doubt,” Lewis said on Fox Footy.
Errol’s All-Australian crawl
James Reyne was right … Most of us would “give anything just to be like” Errol Gulden.
In a season in which the Swans have struggled to make an impression for various reasons, Gulden’s 2023 contribution has been something to behold.
He was clearly Sydney’s best again in the narrow win over the Bulldogs on Thursday night with a team-high 30 disposals and 11 inside 50s.
That performance has validated the belief that he is on his way to his first All-Australian blazer as a legitimate wingman.
Too often in the past we have seen the All-Australian selectors opt for part-time wingmen when they have made their selections in order to get the best players in, but that could change this year with Gulden, Collingwood’s Josh Daicos and Essendon’s Nic Martin all pushing their case for inclusion.
Gulden hasn’t missed a game since the mid stages of 2021, but his form this season has elevated to a new level, as evidenced by another mature showing against the Dogs.
It’s almost time to start getting his blazer size!
Pies’ perfect 10, now bring on Port!
Footy’s most watchable and most watched team Collingwood destroyed Fremantle with a 10-goal second quarter avalanche to show why it is the firming premiership favourite.
The Magpies set up what has been a long-anticipated clash with second placed Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night, which could yet be this year’s grand final preview.
And inspirational defender Brayden Maynard put the pressure right on the Power with his post-match comments on Fox Footy.
“We love every challenge that comes our way,” Maynard said. “So Port better bring their A-game because we are coming over there and we are going to give it our best.”
The Magpies kicked 10.1 in the second term – including eight in a row. It was the 11th time this season Craig McRae’s team has kicked a run of six or more consecutive majors, which no other club has got close to in 2023.
The Pies even had time pre-game to congratulate Brett Rosebury as he prepared to become the second umpire to reach 500 AFL games.
A crowd of 61,157 watched Collingwood win its 15th game of the season, which means the Magpies are now only 3,680 fans off the 1 million attendance mark for 2023.
They will reach that figure 30 seconds after the gates open at Adelaide Oval next week.
Brownlow Medal favourite Nick Daicos put his name forward for more votes with 36 disposals and one goal.
Jamie Elliott threw off an illness scare during the week by kicking four goals. Mason Cox stepped up in the ruck in Darcy Cameron’s absence. Maynard personified the pressure-packed Magpies as he pinballed his way to countless tackles and smothers.
Dan McStay was integrated back into the AFL side for the first time since Gather Round, kicking two goals.
The Magpies’ depth was on display again, with Tom Mitchell given a rest as the sub before being brought into the game early in the third term with Scott Pendlebury taken out of the game as a tactical measure to ensure he is cherry ripe against the Power.
Standby for what could be the game of the season.
Finals snakes and ladders
If this was the AFL’s moving round, there have been some big winners and some massive losers in the jostling for ladder positions ahead of September.
Melbourne kept its top four hopes alive with a comeback from the dead, while Brisbane let a massive opportunity slip and it might yet cost them a home final.
The Dogs and Saints coughed up gilt-edged opportunities to consolidate spots in the eight; while the Suns and the Swans somehow kept their faint finals hopes alive.
Collingwood looks like a top two lock now, while Fremantle’s 2023 season is all but over.
Dimma would have liked that!
If AFL coach-in-waiting Damien Hardwick paused his world travels for a quick TV peek of Gold Coast’s comfortable win over St Kilda, he would have liked what he saw.
The three-time premiership coach is considered a huge chance to take on the Suns in 2024, and you can understand why on face value after their 26-point victory over the Saints.
In a messy week for the Suns that included the sacking of Stuart Dew and some board rumblings, the Suns players stayed focused to give caretaker coach Steven King a win in his first game at the helm.
What was most impressive was the surging run from stoppage that made the Suns great viewing as the Saints struggled to get into gear.
The talent is clearly there for the Suns, but it is as much about attitude as anything else, as we have seen on occasions. And on that front – at least on Saturday – the Suns’ senior players seemed intent on making a stand.
Jack Lukosius kicked four goals, Sam Flanders had his best game as part of a dominant midfield and Bailey Humphrey gave a reminder of what sort of player he is going to be.
Incredibly, the Suns are still an outside chance of playing finals.
This is a plumb coaching job up for grabs, especially given the Suns will get three Academy jets later this season. Is it any wonder Dimma is re-invigorated and keen to get back into coaching!
Blue heaven, but sweating on Harry
Carlton’s late-season resurgence has claimed its biggest scalp – Port Adelaide – and reignited the Blues’ finals hopes.
And in ending the Power’s 13-game winning streak, they did it without key forward Harry McKay, who was subbed out early with a knee injury.
The Blues won their eighth game of the season – and their fourth in succession – to keep their hopes of September action alive off the back of four-goal performances from out of contract forward Jack Silvagni and late inclusion Jesse Motlop.
Those frustrated Blues fans calling for Michael Voss to be replaced have thankfully been silenced as Carlton looks ahead to what amounts to almost a free-hit against West Coast next week before a crucial Round 20 showdown with top of the table Collingwood.
Voss has the Blues humming once more – and more importantly scoring again – with three of the past four weeks resulting in 100-plus scores with the other one being 98.
They kicked 18 goals – with Coleman Medal favourite Charlie Curnow (now 51 goals) kicking three of them – as the efficient Blues made the most of their opportunities going forward.
Can they make it? Yes, but they will have to do it the hard way with the Eagles, the Pies, St Kilda, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney to come.
Voss was cautiously optimistic on McKay’s prognosis at half-time, stressing they believed he was “OK” but the Blues understandably wanted to wait on scans before feeling comfortable.
And the Power? It was probably the loss they had to have after making so many changes this week, but they now need to regroup to take on Collingwood in a huge clash on Saturday night.
Nothing ‘Messi’ about that
Full marks to Jobe Watson for delving into the Gerard Whateley meme controversy when commenting on Gryan Miers’ opening goal for Geelong on Saturday night.
“There is nothing messy (‘Messi’) about that,” Watson said on Channel 7 in reference to the fake tweet that WASN’T sent by Whateley suggesting that 100-game player Miers was right up there with global soccer superstar Lionel Messi.
The original tweet which started the snowball effect earlier this week was completely made up and had nothing to do with Whateley.
But it sparked a whole series of humorous memes in the following days about the one-time kid from Grovedale, who admittedly is having some sort of season for the Cats.
Whateley called out the tweet a few days ago, asking the person who sent the first fake message to take it down.
All that did was fuel a series of other social media memes that must have frustrated the hell out of Whateley.
Watson was happy to keep the joke rolling on, even if the only thing that was really messy was Essendon’s start.
The little boy from Grovedale!
— 7AFL (@7AFL) July 15, 2023
Gryan Miers makes the most of a messy forward line, and scores!#AFLCatsDonspic.twitter.com/csyYsjpk6Q
DISLIKES
Red and black reality check
Hey Bombers, just when we were starting to trust you … you go and throw in a performance like that.
It wasn’t necessarily about losing to Geelong down the highway; it was the manner of how the flogging started and how it ended.
Saturday night’s monstering from the Cats might be an outlier to the season so far, but it might also be a damaging psychological blow that Brad Scott’s team will need to overcome.
How do you assess a flogging such as this one?
Bin it and get on with it? Or forensically run through the tape that might make for some ugly and uncomfortable viewing?
Probably, it’s a bit of both.
But Essendon must get to work immediately to ensure that they are ready mentally and physically for Friday night’s must-win clash with the Western Bulldogs.
It could be the difference between playing finals and sitting out September, which would be a waste after such a productive season so far.
The fact that the Bombers failed to kick a goal until the six-minute-mark of the second quarter left them no chance, as the Cats piled on the first seven goals of the game.
Their tally of 45 was their equal lowest score of the year, but just as alarming would have been that the Bombers gave up more than 100 points for only the second time this season.
In terms of the finals, this wasn’t just a lost four points. It was damaging in a different way in that their percentage crashed from 107.1% to 101.2% – almost six full percent.
That’s a double blow, and it is why the Bulldogs clash is a must-win game on Friday night.
‘One of the great chokes’?
Chris Fagan has every right to be angry.
This time it had nothing to do with the venue and everything to do with the structure and attention to detail late in the game.
And Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney insists it had everything to do with pressure.
When Joe Daniher put the Lions 25 points in front early in the final term, this game looked done and dusted. But as the Demons edged their way back into the contest, largely off the back of some herculean individual efforts, the Lions turned from big game hunters into a far meeker feline version.
They shut up shop too early, Jack Gunston was sent back as the extra man in defence and on face value it looked like they were trying to hold on rather than take the game on.
They didn’t dare to win; they tried to hold on.
Cooney suspected something worse on Channel 7. He insisted that the way in which the Lions gave up a lead of almost five goals in the last term was “one of the great chokes.”
“They choked on the big stage … it opens up demons (of playing at the MCG). It will (sit) with them for a long time.”
Time and again the Lions made mistakes late in the game.
The Demons ripped the ball out of every stoppage. Jack Viney ripped the ball out of an opponent’s hands and nailed a team-lifting goal. Moments later Gawn ripped the ball out of the ruck in one of the last key passages before handing it off to Angus Brayshaw, who had been allowed far too much room. Then Melksham edged his way clear of Andrews late to take a clutch mark that led to the matchwinning goal.
Cooney was brutal about the Lions’ inability to stem the tide, saying the loss would cost them a home final chance.
What’s gone wrong with the Dogs?
Marcus Bontempelli is producing one of his greatest seasons; Tim English has made a downpayment on a possible All-Australian ruck berth; Tom Liberatore is in rare form … and the Bulldogs’ season is teetering on the brink.
It seems hard to fathom given how talented the list is.
When Luke Beveridge’s team defeated Adelaide in Ballarat in Round 10, they were 7-3 and seemingly on their way to a top four position.
Fast forward to now, and that top four spot looks in massive doubt and it is more now about getting back into form to make a statement in the finals … if they make it.
Since Round 10, the Dogs have gone 2-5, with wins only against North Melbourne and Fremantle – a sign that something isn’t quite right.
Is it the fact that the Dogs’ bottom six players might not be as good as some of the other contenders’ bottom six?
How much as it had to do with the loss of Liam Jones in defence, who has seamlessly slotted back into AFL football this season before his arm injury?
It is not an easy run home, starting with Friday night’s showdown with Essendon. They will also have to take on GWS, Richmond, Hawthorn, West Coast and Geelong and will need to start winning again if they want to play finals.
Anything less would be a wasted season.
Gaff dilemma
Nathan Buckley was blunt when asked about the fall of one-time West Coast midfield star Andrew Gaff, which has seen him relegated to the sub for Sunday’s clash with Richmond.
“He’s fallen off a cliff,” Buckley said on Fox Footy.
Gaff’s AFL career looks in free-fall, which is hard to believe given how good he was at his peak.
It’s only five years ago that Gaff knocked back a monster offer to join North Melbourne and in that same year cost himself dearly with an off the ball hit on Andrew Brayshaw which deprived him the chance to play in the Eagles’ 2018 premiership side.
For various reasons, he hasn’t quite looked the same player since.
As the Herald Sun reported this week, Gaff would be open to the prospect of joining a new club, potentially a Melbourne-based one, next season if a deal could be reached with the Eagles.
The only issue is, would any club be interested in taking on a 31-year-old whose form has fluctuated badly in recent seasons and who still has a year to run on his lucrative contract?
Ross cross as Saints endure Steven King horror show
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon is a brutal realist and that came across in no uncertain terms when he was interviewed on Fox Footy before the start of the third term when his Saints were anchored on two goals.
He was frustrated and you could understand why. Yes, the Saints are missing Max King and co and their forward set up lacks any sort of potency, but this was still a hugely disappointing performance for a side eager to play finals.
Lyon promised to make some changes saying that he had “told the boys we are (only) two goals … (and need to make changes) … it looks like hard work at the moment.”
It sure was hard work for Saints fans to watch, as Suns caretaker coach Steven King and the Gold Coast players engineered a regulation 26-point victory, having never been challenged.
St Kilda sits at 9-8 on the ladder but faces a real challenge to play finals as a growing pack puts them under pressure after a promising start to Lyon 2.0.
Lyon’s team can win its next two games against North Melbourne and Hawthorn, but the challenges follow after that with clashes against Carlton, Richmond, Geelong and Brisbane.
Over to you, Saints.
That’s it for the Dockers
Fremantle has been one of the most disappointing teams of 2023 and looks all but assured of missing out on the finals.
They have been a hard watch this season.
Other than a four-game winning streak earlier in the season, which included wins over Geelong and Melbourne, Justin Longmuir’s team has underperformed this year.
They were competitive at stages against Collingwood on Saturday, but still tellingly gave up 10 goals to the Magpies in the second quarter alone.
It didn’t help that Sean Darcy and Brandon Walker were ruled out of the game with an ankle and knee injury, nor that they were up against the best side in the AFL right now.
But too much is left to too few with the Dockers and until they start to share the load more – and get more dynamic in their approach – they won’t be a finals factor.
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