Murray MiddletonRound Nineteen
August 10th 2008 16:04
1. Eagles Future Looks Bright
On Sunday afternoon the West Coast Eagles officially ended Essendon's season with an upset victory at Subiaco. Essendon had won six of their previous seven matches and were expected to account for the understength Eagles. It became clear early in the contest that the Eagles had come to play. This season West Coast has beaten Brisbane, Adelaide, St.Kilda and Essendon in Perth. While their performances at home have, at times, lacked character - particularly their defeats by Carlton and Richmond - they have beaten four teams who are vying for the top eight. Their away record is pathetic (they haven't won away from home), but there is hope for the future.
On Sunday Ben McKinley kicked a career best seven goals. It was only McKinley's sixteenth AFL match. He is approximately two inches too small to play a traditional key position role, but has the physique and the marking ability to play 'tall'. He has had a superb season in 2008. With Quinten Lynch pushing up the ground McKinley may well become the new Eagles spearhead. The performance of Mark LeCras is also worth mentioning. His 2008 season was ruined by a chronic groin injury. Since his comeback he has worked his way into great form. LeCras is a natural goalkicker who oozes class. In last year's qualifying final against Port Adelaide he pushed up into the midfield to play a crucial role. He is a star of the future.
Ashley Hansen is a hard working centre half forward. His ability to outrun his opponents should not be underestimated. John Worsfold now has the core of a great forward line in the next five years. Josh Kennedy - who was secured as part of the Chris Judd trade - showed some promising signs this year (he has been booked in for surgery like most of his teammates). If Worsfold can find a way to play Adam Hunter up forward in the future, as opposed to using him as a pinch-hitter, the Eagles suddenly have a talented mix up forward. As yesterday's result shows, the Eagles are always dangerous at home. Don't be surprised if they make a serious challenge for the top eight in 2009.
2. Hawks Tame Lions
The Hawks and Lions put together two and a half quarters of dreadful football on Saturday afternoon. Brisbane played heavy numbers behind the ball in an attempt to strangle the supply to Franklin and Roughead. The problem was: the move effectively stopped the supply to Brisbane's two key forwards. Nearing three quarter time Brisbane had kicked only one goal. For a side desperately trying to make the finals, such a defensive approach was surprising. Inevitably, the game broke open in the final quarter (as always happens when one side spends all of their energy flooding). The Hawks kicked nine goals in the la st half an hour to underline the gulf in class between the two sides.
The tactic employed by the Lions will have done little to entice Jonathan Brown to stay at the club. The fact that he has not signed yet shows how serious the contractual dispute has become. From the outside it would appear that Brown is being remarkably stubborn. No player is worthy of a five year contract, particularly one who plays with the wreckless intent of Jonathan Brown. The main reason he wants five years - one would have to assume - is because he knows that his body won't hold up to five years of AFL football. It is one thing to consider leaving, but it is another to look Leigh Matthews in the eyes and say 'I'm leaving.' For this reason alone, it is unlikely that Brown will jump ship. But the longer his contractual dispute drags on, the more Craig Hutchison will snoop.
3. Pies Beat Gutless Saints
Did anyone not expect Collingwood to play with hunger in the first quarter? Yes - St.Kilda did. On Saturday night Collingwood fielded their worst team of the season. Heath Shaw and Alan Didak - arguably two of their best three players - were missing. There was little doubt that the Pies would come to play. The onus was on their more talented opposition to exploit the deficiencies in the Pies' line-up. On the surface, the match represented an opportunity for the Saints to deal the drubbing that the football world - Collingwood supporters aside - had been waiting for. Within two minutes of the opening bounce it was clear what the result was going to be.
St.Kilda plays a style of football that is very similar to Sydney's brand of 'tempo football' (the worst two words in football). Mick Malthouse clearly knows how to counteract this brand of football. He has won all three matches as coach against Ross Lyon and has also tormented Sydney during their previous four encounters. On Saturday night Collingwood got the jump on St.Kilda and made their opposition look stagnant, soft and predictable. Scott Burns played like a man possessed and Dane Swan, Dale Thomas and Leon Davis - all of whom always destroy St.Kilda - did what they do best. It was a clinical display by Collingwood. They had clear motivation to win this match. It will be more difficult in the coming weeks to draw on this motivation.
Much has been said about the factors that motivated Collingwood's performance. With Robert Harvey announcing his retirement during the week, St.Kilda had equal motivation to win on Saturday night. They owed it to their champion to give him one last chance at September glory. But, after twenty-one seasons of letting Harvey down, why would they stop now?
On Sunday afternoon the West Coast Eagles officially ended Essendon's season with an upset victory at Subiaco. Essendon had won six of their previous seven matches and were expected to account for the understength Eagles. It became clear early in the contest that the Eagles had come to play. This season West Coast has beaten Brisbane, Adelaide, St.Kilda and Essendon in Perth. While their performances at home have, at times, lacked character - particularly their defeats by Carlton and Richmond - they have beaten four teams who are vying for the top eight. Their away record is pathetic (they haven't won away from home), but there is hope for the future.
On Sunday Ben McKinley kicked a career best seven goals. It was only McKinley's sixteenth AFL match. He is approximately two inches too small to play a traditional key position role, but has the physique and the marking ability to play 'tall'. He has had a superb season in 2008. With Quinten Lynch pushing up the ground McKinley may well become the new Eagles spearhead. The performance of Mark LeCras is also worth mentioning. His 2008 season was ruined by a chronic groin injury. Since his comeback he has worked his way into great form. LeCras is a natural goalkicker who oozes class. In last year's qualifying final against Port Adelaide he pushed up into the midfield to play a crucial role. He is a star of the future.
Ashley Hansen is a hard working centre half forward. His ability to outrun his opponents should not be underestimated. John Worsfold now has the core of a great forward line in the next five years. Josh Kennedy - who was secured as part of the Chris Judd trade - showed some promising signs this year (he has been booked in for surgery like most of his teammates). If Worsfold can find a way to play Adam Hunter up forward in the future, as opposed to using him as a pinch-hitter, the Eagles suddenly have a talented mix up forward. As yesterday's result shows, the Eagles are always dangerous at home. Don't be surprised if they make a serious challenge for the top eight in 2009.
2. Hawks Tame Lions
The Hawks and Lions put together two and a half quarters of dreadful football on Saturday afternoon. Brisbane played heavy numbers behind the ball in an attempt to strangle the supply to Franklin and Roughead. The problem was: the move effectively stopped the supply to Brisbane's two key forwards. Nearing three quarter time Brisbane had kicked only one goal. For a side desperately trying to make the finals, such a defensive approach was surprising. Inevitably, the game broke open in the final quarter (as always happens when one side spends all of their energy flooding). The Hawks kicked nine goals in the la st half an hour to underline the gulf in class between the two sides.
The tactic employed by the Lions will have done little to entice Jonathan Brown to stay at the club. The fact that he has not signed yet shows how serious the contractual dispute has become. From the outside it would appear that Brown is being remarkably stubborn. No player is worthy of a five year contract, particularly one who plays with the wreckless intent of Jonathan Brown. The main reason he wants five years - one would have to assume - is because he knows that his body won't hold up to five years of AFL football. It is one thing to consider leaving, but it is another to look Leigh Matthews in the eyes and say 'I'm leaving.' For this reason alone, it is unlikely that Brown will jump ship. But the longer his contractual dispute drags on, the more Craig Hutchison will snoop.
3. Pies Beat Gutless Saints
Did anyone not expect Collingwood to play with hunger in the first quarter? Yes - St.Kilda did. On Saturday night Collingwood fielded their worst team of the season. Heath Shaw and Alan Didak - arguably two of their best three players - were missing. There was little doubt that the Pies would come to play. The onus was on their more talented opposition to exploit the deficiencies in the Pies' line-up. On the surface, the match represented an opportunity for the Saints to deal the drubbing that the football world - Collingwood supporters aside - had been waiting for. Within two minutes of the opening bounce it was clear what the result was going to be.
St.Kilda plays a style of football that is very similar to Sydney's brand of 'tempo football' (the worst two words in football). Mick Malthouse clearly knows how to counteract this brand of football. He has won all three matches as coach against Ross Lyon and has also tormented Sydney during their previous four encounters. On Saturday night Collingwood got the jump on St.Kilda and made their opposition look stagnant, soft and predictable. Scott Burns played like a man possessed and Dane Swan, Dale Thomas and Leon Davis - all of whom always destroy St.Kilda - did what they do best. It was a clinical display by Collingwood. They had clear motivation to win this match. It will be more difficult in the coming weeks to draw on this motivation.
Much has been said about the factors that motivated Collingwood's performance. With Robert Harvey announcing his retirement during the week, St.Kilda had equal motivation to win on Saturday night. They owed it to their champion to give him one last chance at September glory. But, after twenty-one seasons of letting Harvey down, why would they stop now?
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