Murray MiddletonRound One
March 24th 2008 13:12
* Every Monday edition will feature the key talking points to arise from the weekends’ matches. This week they are as follows:
1. The Ageing Dockers
On Saturday afternoon Collingwood comfortably accounted for Fremantle. The result was not a complete surprise. Collingwood made the preliminary final in 2008, while the Dockers failed to make the finals. None-the-less, Fremantle were expected to begin strongly. Last year they lost the first three matches and discovered how quickly a season can slip away. Because of the emphasis on the season opener, Fremantle opted to field a side without a single player under the age of twenty-two. Highly-rated draft pick Rhys Palmer missed out at the selection table, much to the bemusement of supporters and football experts. Although seemingly a minor decision, it reveals a great deal about the Dockers’ mindset. Clearly they do not trust their youth.
Collingwood fielded a team with ten players aged twenty-one years or younger. Young defender Nathan Brown restricted Matthew Pavlich to just one goal in his first game for the club. Would Fremantle have trusted a first-gamer on Anthony Rocca? Mark Harvey has begun his coaching career by selecting former Essendon players Dean Solomon and Mark Johnson in the team. Solomon has been handed a one match ban by the tribunal in the wake of Saturday’s match. It was the type of reckless act by Solomon that was recently criticised in this column. The Dockers must channel their aggression in the right direction. They must also blood youth. At seasons’ end Peter Bell and Shaun McManus will retire. Round one was the perfect opportunity to blood Palmer and perhaps Ibbotson. The Dockers erred at the selection table and paid the price. They now have the oldest list in the competition. 2008 still holds hope for the Dockers, but they must find the right blend of youth, experience and middle-range players if they are to challenge for the finals.
Cameron Wood’s debut for Collingwood also deserves mentioning. There is every chance that by season’s end he will be the club’s number one ruckman – another cunning trade by Mick Malthouse.
2. Twelve Goals in a Match
Sydney and St. Kilda put on a terrible display on Saturday night at the Telstra Dome. The Saints eventually won by two points (6.15 to 6.13). The match was awful for viewers. St. Kilda’s Round 8 loss to Hawthorn last season was considered the worst game of the year. They have already put forth a candidate for this season. Unfortunately for the Saints, they are now the common denominator in the realms of ‘boring football’. In the first quarter on Saturday night the Saints kicked four goals to one and looked ready to continue their form from the NAB Cup. The game was closed down from the second quarter onward by the Roos-Lyon method of ‘tempo football’. One reason Sydney feels compelled to resort to such tactics is that they cannot afford to bottom out in the Sydney sports market. Where a Victorian club – if given the Swans current list - might opt to rebuild, the Swans cannot afford the same luxury. If they are not in finals contention, attendances will suffer. Hence, Sydney resort to tactics which aren’t pretty to watch, yet herald favourable results. The Swans have won a flag under Paul Roos. Many will argue that the premiership will do the Swans’ talking. Others just want to watch good football.
Since Ross Lyon’s appointment St. Kilda have reverted to a far more defensive brand of football. They have a different list to Sydney. Theirs is undoubtedly more talented. Yet the Swans have been more disciplined in recent seasons and have also managed to field full strength teams when it matters the most. If St. Kilda is to succeed, they cannot deliver any more performances like Saturday night. Geelong won a premiership by playing a fast and attacking brand of football. It was good for the game. St. Kilda is one of the few clubs who has the talent to compete with the Cats. The only way they will defeat them is if they play to their own strengths. So-called ‘tempo football’ is clearly not one of them. Watching the Saints play in recent times has been reminiscent of watching Lleyton Hewitt play tennis. He often competes admirably with his opponent, yet when the crunch comes, he too often reverts to defensive tactics which ultimately bring about his own demise.
3. The Bombers Fly Up
Essendon demolished the Kangaroos by almost nine goals at the Telstra Dome on Monday. It was a result that seemed most unlikely when Scott Lucas limped from the field in the first quarter with the Dons already trailing. Lucas is likely to miss the next ten weeks. Although the Bombers covered him well against the Kangaroos, they will struggle in his absence. Adam McPhee was given an Aaron Hamill-like role across the half forward line. He ran hard and presented to his teammates all afternoon. Matthew Knights will be heartened by McPhee’s success. Lucas’ absence could lead to several outcomes. Youngster Jay Neagle looked promising in the NAB Cup and might get his opportunity. Scott Gumbleton is currently injured, but might have a role. Courtney Johns must seize this opportunity to save his place on the list. The one certainty is that McPhee is going to have to add goals to his repertoire.
Matthew Knights would have been pleasantly surprised by the ease of his side’s victory. It remains to be seen how good the win was. The Kangaroos have a huge task to reach the heights of 2007. Nathan Thompson played well in his return match, although he tired. As usual, Aaron Edwards threatened to explode, but didn’t. And Shannon Grant’s form suggested that he may not make it to the end of the season before succumbing to retirement. Grant has been a wonderful player, but – just like Wayne Schwass – his kicks have started to drop short. That is the key sign that the end is nigh. In contrast to Matthew Knights’ debut, Dean Bailey’s team was thumped by Hawthorn by 104 points. The loss will hurt Demons fans. Their club is struggling off the field and needed to put in a strong performance against the undermanned Hawks. They kicked two goals in the first three quarters. It might be a long season for the Demons.
* I would like to clarify a previous article in light of one of the weekend’s matches. In my article ‘Who Will Go Gently Into That Good Night?’ I singled out Sean Rusling as the Collingwood player who most needs to perform in 2008. Many Collingwood supporters objected to my choice. Rusling is very talented. There is no doubting that. My reasoning was solely related to his ability to avoid injuries. If he can stay fit, Rusling will be a good player. However he seriously injured his shoulder against the Dockers on the weekend and may spend an extended period on the sidelines. This is not the first time that Rusling has succumbed to injury at the beginning of a season. It is not his fault, but it hurts the Pies’ structure. How much more can they take?
1. The Ageing Dockers
On Saturday afternoon Collingwood comfortably accounted for Fremantle. The result was not a complete surprise. Collingwood made the preliminary final in 2008, while the Dockers failed to make the finals. None-the-less, Fremantle were expected to begin strongly. Last year they lost the first three matches and discovered how quickly a season can slip away. Because of the emphasis on the season opener, Fremantle opted to field a side without a single player under the age of twenty-two. Highly-rated draft pick Rhys Palmer missed out at the selection table, much to the bemusement of supporters and football experts. Although seemingly a minor decision, it reveals a great deal about the Dockers’ mindset. Clearly they do not trust their youth.
Collingwood fielded a team with ten players aged twenty-one years or younger. Young defender Nathan Brown restricted Matthew Pavlich to just one goal in his first game for the club. Would Fremantle have trusted a first-gamer on Anthony Rocca? Mark Harvey has begun his coaching career by selecting former Essendon players Dean Solomon and Mark Johnson in the team. Solomon has been handed a one match ban by the tribunal in the wake of Saturday’s match. It was the type of reckless act by Solomon that was recently criticised in this column. The Dockers must channel their aggression in the right direction. They must also blood youth. At seasons’ end Peter Bell and Shaun McManus will retire. Round one was the perfect opportunity to blood Palmer and perhaps Ibbotson. The Dockers erred at the selection table and paid the price. They now have the oldest list in the competition. 2008 still holds hope for the Dockers, but they must find the right blend of youth, experience and middle-range players if they are to challenge for the finals.
Cameron Wood’s debut for Collingwood also deserves mentioning. There is every chance that by season’s end he will be the club’s number one ruckman – another cunning trade by Mick Malthouse.
2. Twelve Goals in a Match
Sydney and St. Kilda put on a terrible display on Saturday night at the Telstra Dome. The Saints eventually won by two points (6.15 to 6.13). The match was awful for viewers. St. Kilda’s Round 8 loss to Hawthorn last season was considered the worst game of the year. They have already put forth a candidate for this season. Unfortunately for the Saints, they are now the common denominator in the realms of ‘boring football’. In the first quarter on Saturday night the Saints kicked four goals to one and looked ready to continue their form from the NAB Cup. The game was closed down from the second quarter onward by the Roos-Lyon method of ‘tempo football’. One reason Sydney feels compelled to resort to such tactics is that they cannot afford to bottom out in the Sydney sports market. Where a Victorian club – if given the Swans current list - might opt to rebuild, the Swans cannot afford the same luxury. If they are not in finals contention, attendances will suffer. Hence, Sydney resort to tactics which aren’t pretty to watch, yet herald favourable results. The Swans have won a flag under Paul Roos. Many will argue that the premiership will do the Swans’ talking. Others just want to watch good football.
Since Ross Lyon’s appointment St. Kilda have reverted to a far more defensive brand of football. They have a different list to Sydney. Theirs is undoubtedly more talented. Yet the Swans have been more disciplined in recent seasons and have also managed to field full strength teams when it matters the most. If St. Kilda is to succeed, they cannot deliver any more performances like Saturday night. Geelong won a premiership by playing a fast and attacking brand of football. It was good for the game. St. Kilda is one of the few clubs who has the talent to compete with the Cats. The only way they will defeat them is if they play to their own strengths. So-called ‘tempo football’ is clearly not one of them. Watching the Saints play in recent times has been reminiscent of watching Lleyton Hewitt play tennis. He often competes admirably with his opponent, yet when the crunch comes, he too often reverts to defensive tactics which ultimately bring about his own demise.
3. The Bombers Fly Up
Essendon demolished the Kangaroos by almost nine goals at the Telstra Dome on Monday. It was a result that seemed most unlikely when Scott Lucas limped from the field in the first quarter with the Dons already trailing. Lucas is likely to miss the next ten weeks. Although the Bombers covered him well against the Kangaroos, they will struggle in his absence. Adam McPhee was given an Aaron Hamill-like role across the half forward line. He ran hard and presented to his teammates all afternoon. Matthew Knights will be heartened by McPhee’s success. Lucas’ absence could lead to several outcomes. Youngster Jay Neagle looked promising in the NAB Cup and might get his opportunity. Scott Gumbleton is currently injured, but might have a role. Courtney Johns must seize this opportunity to save his place on the list. The one certainty is that McPhee is going to have to add goals to his repertoire.
Matthew Knights would have been pleasantly surprised by the ease of his side’s victory. It remains to be seen how good the win was. The Kangaroos have a huge task to reach the heights of 2007. Nathan Thompson played well in his return match, although he tired. As usual, Aaron Edwards threatened to explode, but didn’t. And Shannon Grant’s form suggested that he may not make it to the end of the season before succumbing to retirement. Grant has been a wonderful player, but – just like Wayne Schwass – his kicks have started to drop short. That is the key sign that the end is nigh. In contrast to Matthew Knights’ debut, Dean Bailey’s team was thumped by Hawthorn by 104 points. The loss will hurt Demons fans. Their club is struggling off the field and needed to put in a strong performance against the undermanned Hawks. They kicked two goals in the first three quarters. It might be a long season for the Demons.
* I would like to clarify a previous article in light of one of the weekend’s matches. In my article ‘Who Will Go Gently Into That Good Night?’ I singled out Sean Rusling as the Collingwood player who most needs to perform in 2008. Many Collingwood supporters objected to my choice. Rusling is very talented. There is no doubting that. My reasoning was solely related to his ability to avoid injuries. If he can stay fit, Rusling will be a good player. However he seriously injured his shoulder against the Dockers on the weekend and may spend an extended period on the sidelines. This is not the first time that Rusling has succumbed to injury at the beginning of a season. It is not his fault, but it hurts the Pies’ structure. How much more can they take?
| 59 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
