DAVE: Alright boys, another magnificent week of finals action with thrillers galore. Let’s start with our best action from the weekend…Marcus, you kick us off.
MARCUS: We often fall into the trap of talking about forwards and midfielders a lot, but I’m going to give a defender a shout-out this week. Mitch Thomas, in a close game on Sunday between Emerald and Healesville, was one of the only defenders to get back on the line for a Healesville shot at goal, and took a goal-saving mark on the line. Healesville hadn’t set up defensively, so Emerald transitioned to the other end, Rogan Goonan kicks it to David Johnson, who got some serious hang time, and they went the length of the ground without the ball touching the deck. Johnno looked like he was surfing on a player’s back at one stage. Just the fact that Mitch Thomas was so switched on, and David Johnson turns it into a highlight reel at the end, that was my best action.
JONTY: I’ve got two best actions this week. (Marcus rolls his eyes in disgust).
DAVE: We’ll let him have two; he’s been very busy this week.
JONTY: Thanks Dave. I’ve got one from each of my games. I saw Endeavour Hills win its first premiership, which was outstanding for a club in its thirteenth year. The highlight from that game, apart from the big moments late, was clearly in the second quarter when Ben Virgona scored a goal from the boundary line. He ran from the centre of inside-50 towards the boundary line and pounced on a loose ball, threw it on his foot, and it curled in like an AFL footballer might do. It was outstanding, the perfect shape on the ball was fantastic, and the celebrations were immense. And it came at a time when the play was running against Endeavour Hills. The other one was on Saturday, with Cranbourne beating Cheltenham, and it was probably the moment when you felt like Cranbourne had won the game. Bailey Buntine, with a big run-down tackle on the goal-line. Cheltenham led all day, then Cranbourne ran over the top of them, but you knew they would come back, and just when that was about to happen Buntine produced a special moment. Cheltenham marked in the goal-square, and instead of going back for a set shot, he got absolutely poleaxed…
DAVE: Reminiscent of…
JONTY: Heath Shaw and Nick Riewoldt.
MARCUS: I was going to say last week with Brandon Osborne.
JONTY: Very good Marcus, it’s good to see you were listening. It was an outstanding weekend of footy.
DAVE: My best action came from the losing team, Nar Nar Goon, in the West Gippy prelim against Phillip Island. The Island ended up winning by a point, but the Goon kicked four goals in five minutes towards the end of the third quarter and looked home. The last of those four was the best. Flynn Parker, who was moved forward, took a strong grab on the wing; he then went quickly to Dermott Yawney who clunked another, then Yawney moves it quickly to the forward pocket. The ball tumbles towards the boundary line and Matt Homfray kicks a ripper banana kick from the chalk. The crowd went nuts, the Goon looked home…but the Island settled at three-quarter time and found a way to win.
JONTY: Sounds similar to Marcus.
DAVE: A little bit…but not really!
MARCUS: I’m just glad we’re talking local sport this week and you two haven’t turned it into ‘Let’s Talk Collingwood’ again.
DAVE: There’s plenty of time for that mate (Jonty smiles in agreeance).
PLAYING COACHES
DAVE: Alright boys, this week we’ve got the West Gippy grand final and both teams are being mentored by a playing coach. Tom Hams at Inverloch and Cam Pedersen at the Island are the men in question. Jonty, it’s been 44 years since Alex Jesaulenko coached Carlton to a flag while playing in the VFL…tell me, are playing coaches a good thing at local level?
JONTY: I’m more against it than I am for it, and there’s a reason why you don’t see it in the top league. The ability for players to be able to compose themselves and deliver a message at the breaks, and harness the energy and enthusiasm of the group would be more difficult than a coach who is seeing the game from the bench and able to think about things before delivering their message. The other thing is being able to separate your own performance from the teams, if you’re down a bit personally, are you able to hype your team up? How do players get inspired by a playing-coach who is not performing to a high level?
It’s a little bit difficult culturally as well, because how can you be one of the boys but also be the coach? For me, there has to be a separation there and that would be really difficult to deal with. It could work with certain characters…but I’m more against it.
DAVE: Very well answered young fella, Marcus, your thoughts?
MARCUS: I’m riding Jonty’s coat-tails and agreeing with pretty much everything he said. If I’m a player, personally I don’t want my coach being a player as well. I think players should play and coaches should coach. There’s enough for coaches to worry about, without thinking about their own performance as well. I was talking to Chris Johnson last week, who is going to be a playing coach (Berwick Springs) next year, and he said his time injured this season was really beneficial because he could watch the game from the sidelines and get a better perspective. I think it would be difficult to think about coaching and playing at the same time, but having a teammate as a selector could also cause a bit of friction. In cricket, Michael Clarke was a selector, and that turned into a shit-fight for a while, and it’s not hard to see that unfolding at local level.
DAVE: So Johnson and Hayden Stagg are co-coaching Berwick Springs next year…and both as playing coaches?
MARCUS: That’s correct; they were line-coaches this year while playing.
DAVE: Watching Inverloch in particular has been fascinating this year. Hams has an off-field assistant in Leigh Cole, who was senior coach at Korumburra-Bena last year, and they talk in depth before Hams addresses his players. I think it can work if the coach trusts the assistant and the coach can just play the game and get some off-field insight at the breaks. And with Pedersen at Phillip Island, he took over from a great coach in Beau Vernon but they have very different views on how the game is played. Vernon was a kick-it-back-down-the-line sort of coach, and Pedersen revelled in that style, but since he took the reins the Bulldogs have become far more aggressive with their ball use. The benefit for Phillip Island is, they’ve still got a great player – who hasn’t lost his impact – and he’s more invested in making it work than ever before. I agree with your points, and agree that I’m more against it than for it…but it can obviously work with the right characters involved and set up.
JONTY: Are we all a little bit softer in our thoughts on a playing-assistant, rather than a playing-coach?
MARCUS: I am.
DAVE: I agree with that too. You hear new AFL coaches say all the time that the step up from assistant to senior coaching is huge. There is so much more responsibility.
PLAYER POINTS
DAVE: Marcus, I noticed on the weekend that Pakenham had 21 one-point players and one two-point player on Saturday. So, they have room in regards to player points, but what do you think they need right now?
MARCUS: They finished fourth this year and I think that’s due to having a really good system under Ash Green. They haven’t got the big names that come in to other clubs, but they’ve still been really competitive, and that’s credit to the coaching staff. They are lacking key-position depth, and I speak quite often on this page about Pakenham’s reliance on Jordy Stewart. They need him at both ends, and some bigger-bodied midfielders to take the load off Jake Barclay and Jimmy Harrison in the middle. They’re both sensational at what they do, but they just need that extra support. Overall, they just need a bit of quality and experience. They don’t always get great numbers to training, so maybe some players that can come in and set higher standards in those areas. As I said, they’ve done really well to do as well as they have this year…most people thought they wouldn’t play finals. Can they beat Woori, or can they challenge Wandin and Narre? To do that they probably need more cattle.
DAVE: Jonty, of your clubs, which one has a player points story to tell?
JONTY: Cranbourne won the premiership last year with 28 points, and that’s what their success has been built on during this generation. They love the fact that they don’t bring in stars, or people from other clubs, it’s all built from within at clubs like Cranbourne and Dingley. They have really strong juniors clubs and that continually feeds the senior club as well. Cranbourne loves it, and it builds that us-against-them mentality that they’ve had for years. They’re there because they want to be there.
DAVE: They brought in a high-profile player called Justin Bollenhagen about a decade ago, and he lasted a season…so you’re probably spot on with your point. It’s no surprise in West Gippy that Korumburra-Bena has the most room to move with points, but the scary thing is that Phillip Island is probably next best in that area as well. They’ve got Pedersen and a couple of other high-profile players, but they have a lot of home-grown talent as well. It’s not rocket-science boys…having a strong junior program is definitely the way to go!
MARCUS: I just checked Narre Warren’s list from Saturday…they used only 23 points of an available 46. They’re a similar club to Cranbourne.
BROWNLOW TICKETS
DAVE: Jonty, two hypothetical tickets have become free at the Brownlow…who are you taking from your competitions and why? You have to suit up, but you’re not allowed to wear that bloody cap of yours. (Marcus laughs…in joke)
MARCUS: Can you tie a tie Jonty?
JONTY: Yes.
DAVE: What about you Marcus?
JONTY: He wears a tie all the time Dave.
MARCUS: That really hurts Dave.
DAVE: Well, just because you wear a tie doesn’t mean you can tie one. I had a mate called ‘Sticks’ Waugh who worked in a bank for years and had a suite of elastic ties that he wore to work for years. He still doesn’t know how to tie a tie. Alright, let’s get back on track.
JONTY: I’ve gone two players who would have a very good time at the Brownlow, and the after-party, Luke Bee-Hugo and Kyle Hendy. Those two would have a lot of fun.
DAVE: Letting Bee-Hugo loose at the Brownlow would be Fevola-esque. Marcus, who are you taking?
MARCUS: I’m taking Rod Benstead from Berwick Springs, he has got so much infectious enthusiasm and I walk away feeling better about myself after every chat I have with him. He makes you want to run through brick walls. And the other one is Jon O’Brien, assistant coach at Wandin; he’s a big fan of the paper and loves what we put together each week. He knows the league inside out, knows his footy as well as anyone…he’d be great company to keep on Brownlow night.
DAVE: I’m taking Jack Taylor from Phillip Island. He’s my MVP for the year, Mr Fixit for the Bulldogs. If you want to find him on the footy ground, just head to the end where the wind is blowing. Very versatile and was moved into the midfield on Saturday to give his team a spark. And I’m taking Meaghan Winter from Nar Nar Goon. I saw Megs at Warragul a few weeks ago, she had a bag of netballs around her neck and was ushering two young kids to the netball courts at the same time. She’s a ripper and I’m giving her a night away from the kids and taking her to the Brownlow with Jack.
Good chat boys…we’ll do it again next week!
