The support for absent Goodes was heart-warming
Like Essendon’s Asada saga, the Adam Goodes story has captured the nation’s attention because it’s so much bigger than just a football story. In round 18, with Goodes on the sideline by his own choosing, clubs and players had their chance to respond and the message was one of solidarity. Richmond and Western Bulldogs players wore their Indigenous Round guernseys, Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy wore a #37 guernsey during the warm-up, Lindsay Thomas pointed to a tattoo of the Aboriginal flag on his chest as he celebrated a goal and the likes of Lewis Jetta and Michael Walters performed celebratory dances after scoring. The Swans entered the field through a banner that simply read “Respect” and their fans offered a minute’s applause during the seventh minute of the third quarter, in honour of Goodes’ #37.
Of course, there are still some who don’t get it. Any time a player was booed over the weekend, like Jarrad Waite by fans of his former club Carlton, wits took to social media to ask, “Is that racist?”
Well, no. Players have been booed for as long as our game has existed – booed in response to an unsavoury incident, booed to put them off a set shot. But no player has ever received the type of systemic, vitriolic abuse that Goodes has, week-in week-out.
If Goodes returns to the game this weekend, he’ll do so at Simonds Stadium in what shapes as a must-win game for both sides. Geelong coach Chris Scott didn’t mince words last week when he said “you wouldn’t be doing it [booing Goodes] unless you want to confirm to the world that you are a bigot”. How his supporters respond could set the tone for the rest of the season.
Richmond out-Hawthorned the Hawks
If Damien Hardwick entered Friday night’s blockbuster with a checklist of what his side needed to do to beat the unbackable premiership favourites, chances are he’d made a lot of green ticks by 10.30pm. Emulate the Hawks’ short passing game? Tick. Deny them the ability to use their exquisite foot skills? Tick. Win the crucial one-on-one contests all night? Tick.
Simply, the Tigers out-Hawthorned the Hawks all night. Hawthorn is impossible to beat when it is allowed to play the game on its own terms, as Fremantle and Sydney have painfully found out in the past month. The Tigers approached the game with a clear mindset to retain possession, play it safe and avoid bombing the ball inside 50, which the likes of Brian Lake and Josh Gibson eat for breakfast against disorganised teams. It worked. By the time the Tigers had the first shot of the game, they’d already chalked up 43 possessions to Hawthorn’s 10. The Hawks averaged more than 100 marks a game heading in, but Richmond held them to just 64. They hurried and harassed their better-credentialed opponents to great effect – you rarely see the likes of Luke Hodge and Shaun Burgoyne as sloppy as they were on Friday night.
Perhaps more crucially, the Tigers didn’t drop their heads in the second quarter when they saw a three-goal quarter-time lead evaporate by the main break. The old Tigers would have collapsed in a heap, but the new Tigers approached the second half positively and wrested back control.
In the context of Richmond’s season, this was a massive win. At the start of the month, Hardwick labeled July “big boys’ month”. The Tigers passed with flying colours. And if they can replicate Friday’s hard-nosed, disciplined performance next month, the sky’s the limit.
Collingwood’s selection blunder
Collingwood finally lost patience with Jesse White at the selection table, dropping the key forward for Saturday afternoon’s clash with Melbourne. The former Swan has frustrated fans since he headed south at the end of 2013; White has always been the type of tease who will take a commanding mark one second and spray a shot from the goalsquare the next. His omission, though, meant the Pies were heading into the game with a paper-thin forward line and teenager Darcy Moore as the focal point. Moore kicked five in the last week’s loss to the Bulldogs but was never going to replicate that feat against a very good defender in Tom McDonald – let alone without the presence of White to at least draw a defender.
At the same time, Jamie Elliott returned to the lineup in the sub’s vest, meaning that Collingwood was effectively without its three leading scorers (White, Elliott and the injured Travis Cloke).
The result was predictable in many ways. Collingwood had more inside-50s but seven less scoring shots, as they slumped to their sixth successive loss that have also been the fatal blow to their finals aspirations. Moore had six touches and no influence, and his team could find just four goalscorers all afternoon.
When the Demons are ‘on’ – as they have been against Geelong, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs – their forward line looks potent. Jesse Hogan and Jeff Gartlett were threatening all day, and Bernie Vince chipped in with three. They were options the Pies could only dream of.
Tom Lynch makes his mark
Big key forwards announce themselves in big moments. Who can forget Buddy Franklin nailing the winning goal from outside 50m in the 2007 elimination final, or Tex Walker’s crucial shot to give the Crows hope at half-time of the 2013 semi-final? The stakes weren’t exactly as high at a sparsely attended Metricon Stadium on Saturday night and a clash between second (West Coast) and 17th (Gold Coast). But for Tom Lynch, the moment was just as important.
The Suns thrust the ball forward with less than a minute to play and the key forward floated across the pack to mark it cleanly. As the clock ticked down and the Suns were six points in arrears, it was apparent that Lynch’s shot would be the last kick of the game. He didn’t appear flustered, went through his usual routine and duly kicked truly from about 35m to earn Gold Coast an unlikely two points against a premiership fancy. Lynch’s fourth goal was perhaps the most important of his career, because it showed that the forward could own the big moments.
It was the expected progression of a player like Lynch that had many predicting the Suns would play finals this year. Things haven’t panned out that way for a number of reasons (just six appearances by Gary Ablett hasn’t helped), but Lynch has been a shining light and at just 22 shows all the hallmarks of becoming a genuine star. With Charlie Dixon reportedly on the move, Lynch may be even more important next year, a year in which he also finds himself out of contract. Forwards who can compete and mark are valuable. Forwards who kick the big goals when their team needs them are priceless.
The Bulldogs can do some damage in September
All season, the possibility of the Western Bulldogs making the finals has been a bit of a novelty. The Dogs were coming off such a low base last year and while their exhilarating footy under new coach Luke Beveridge has thrilled all supporters, most assumed the young team would tail off towards the end of the season.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. After going through a flat patch a few weeks ago, the Dogs have appeared rejuvenated in the past fortnight, playing some of their best run-and-gun football as they’ve comfortably disposed of Collingwood and Essendon, the latter a Sunday afternoon rout. Their midfield bats deep, their backline led by Bob Murphy, Dale Morris and the league’s most improved player, Easton Wood, is resolute and their forward line is versatile, evidenced by Stewart Crameri’s career-high seven goals and the consistency of Jake Stringer and Tory Dickson. The team will clearly be better a year or two down the track, as young players continue to develop, but for now there’s no reason why the Dogs shouldn’t be aiming high.
The closest comparison to this Western Bulldogs team is Port Adelaide of 2013, who came from a 14th finish the year prior to beat Collingwood in an elimination final and take it right up to Geelong in the semi.
Whoever faces the Bulldogs in a week one final – North Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide seem the most likely candidates right now - will have their work cut out trying to shut down the Dogs’ classy ball winners and damaging half back line. What seemed a novel possibility three months ago now seems a certainty, and Beveridge should have bigger goals than simply making a finals appearance.
