Midweek Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from Round 10 of the AFL season
Ben Brown was dropped, then when he regained his place in the North Melbourne team he didn’t last one quarter. Injured and out of contract, will he be at the Kangaroos next year? Robbo’s Round 10 likes and dislikes.
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An entire round of footy between Monday to Friday is new for fans and Mark Robinson has delivered an extra serve of likes and dislikes.
A pair of Richmond players have taken their game to another level and the Tigers’ win have left some reservations about Brisbane’s premiership bona fides.
Here’s what caught Robbo’s attention in Round 10.
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LIKES
CLAYTON A CLASS ABOVE
Sometimes, a player stands head and shoulders above every player on the ground. Usually it’s the domain of Dusty Martin, or Lachie Neale, and over the past decade Nat Fyfe and Patrick Dangerfield. And on Wednesday night it was Clayton Oliver.
He was brutal at the contest, he was the clearance and disposal leader, and if you looked at him closely, you’d know he never stopped moving at every contest. It was as though he was dancing towards the ball and then exploding away when he won it.
It took the Demons two and a half quarters to dismiss the Crows and then a whitewash in the last quarter and clearly their DNA was back – tough, contested and a productive midfield. So unlike the performance against Brisbane.
Oliver has received some verbal heat in recent weeks and he responded brilliantly. He’s just 23 and played 91 games, so the response was, indeed, from a serious player.
CATS’ DANGER PLAN PAYS OFF
It’s always in the eyes of the beholder. Geelong was in control for the majority of the game — they had 25 scores to North Melbourne’s 12 – and they departed with four points, confidence grown with kids and, the most interesting of all, a reasonably rested Patrick Dangerfield.
He played solely deep forward until North threatened the margin in the final quarter and was then moved into the middle. The result? Dangerfield won the clearance and Mitch Duncan kicked the goal.
The plan to reduce the stress of battle on Dangerfield worked perfectly, although former Swan Ryan O’Keeffe viewed Dangerfield’s game differently.
“I don’t think he’s invested tonight,’’ O’Keefe said on the ABC.
Dangerfield played 87 per cent forward and 13 per cent forward, and had eight score involvements.
DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH
They are the accountable Tigers — unassuming types who constantly mop up the footy and launch the Tigers from the back half.
When he retires, Jayden Short’s right foot should be cast in bronze for the Tigers’ museum.
Against Brisbane, Short had 23 disposals and went at 100 per cent efficiency.
That is extraordinary in a high-intensity game of football. Only two players with similar disposals have accomplished that feat this year — Swan Dane Rampe in Round 2 and Eagle Brad Sheppard in Round 7.
Liam Baker’s the massive improver at Richmond. He had a team-high 26 disposals (at 73 per cent) rotating on Linc McCarthy, Charlie Cameron and Jarrod Berry.
His development from stopper to damaging run-and-deliverer has been noted. The fact he is the No. 2 interceptor at Tigerland behind Nick Vlastuin further highlights his elevation.
The depth of quality at Richmond is insane.
POWER AND INFLUENCE
It’s common for a club to have one player unlucky to miss a proposed All-Australian team, but not two.
Port Adelaide has Darcy Byrne-Jones and skipper Tom Jonas.
Jonas is your nondescript leader who simply gets the job done.
“He goes under the radar outside (the club),’’ one Port insider said on Wednesday.
“But he’s done some amazing things.’’
On Monday night, he kept Bulldog Sam Lloyd goalless.
He has stood Sam Weideman (zero goals), Tim Membrey (one), Eddie Betts (one) and Jeremy Cameron (zero).
And it’s his first season as the solo skipper.
READ MORE:
Essendon legend Tim Watson fires back at AFL-employed journalist Damian Barrett
North Melbourne loses forward Ben Brown to injury in loss to Geelong
Richmond romance between Sydney Stack and Monique Conti appears to be over
DISLIKES
MORE CROW CLEANSING
It might be low-hanging fruit, but Tex Walker leads a young forward line which simply can’t kick goals. Tex is 30 and played 197 games.
For the majority of them he was a presence and productive. Unfortunately, he is neither now and his future at the Crows post 2020 has to be a discussion internally. He had five disposals, two shots at goal and didn’t register a score, and didn’t have a score involvement.
True, the mind-numbing bombing down the line to the outnumber would’ve challenged every forward, but Walker has to be more productive for his younger teammates around him. Fogarty and Himmelberg are the future and I’m not sure that future includes Tex past this year.
BROWN INJURY ADDS TO WRETCHED YEAR
The wretched season of Ben Brown. It was disappointing and now it’s painful.
Selected in the senior team after being axed for one game, Brown played 15 minutes on Harry Taylor before suffering a knee injury after being tackled for the game. In those 15 minutes, he had zero possessions and zero impact. In that time, North Melbourne had six inside 50s and Brown wasn’t the target once.
Where to now for Brown? Let’s hope it’s not a serious injury because it further befuddles Brown’s future. Not so long ago, he was asking for a four-year deal from the Kangas. That’s miles from the plate now. That’s if he’s even at the club. Brisbane, for one, could do with a leading forward.
THE LIONS NEED ERIC
This is not a slash and burn on Eric Hipwood because he’s only 22 and has played 85 games.
But the day has to be coming where he produces in a big game and against the best teams.
Opposed to Noah Balta on Tuesday night, Hipwood’s six disposals was a season-low.
He’s a potential matchwinner and in a forward group that has only Charlie Cameron consistently kicking goals, Hipwood needs to elevate.
There’s no doubting his talent and energy. He throws himself kamikaze-like at marking contests, but the problem is he doesn’t hold enough marks.
Sometimes he seems to play like a flanker in a 203cm body, but he wasn’t a problem for the athletic Balta.
LUKE’S KINGDOM FOR A FORWARD
Luke Beveridge is coaching Western Bulldogs with one arm tied around his back.
With the free hand, he’s manipulating his midfield and defensive groups at a high level, but when the ball goes forward, his other arm cannot be set free.
At halftime on Monday night, the Dogs led inside-50s 25-12 against the AFL’s best defending inside-50 team. It didn’t help an iota.
The forward set up was Josh Bruce, Sam Lloyd, Cody Weightman, Mitch Wallis, Toby McLean and Laitham Vandemeer. They couldn’t threaten in the air.
Port Adelaide defenders took 15 intercept marks, while the Dogs managed only five marks inside 50m.
If this is the trend, the Dogs cannot win the flag. The injured Aaron Naughton has become an even more important player to them.
Originally published as Midweek Tackle: Mark Robinson’s likes and dislikes from Round 10 of the AFL season
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