Time to deliver when it counts ... finals football One stellar performance in September can cement a player's reputation
The Age
Wednesday September 9, 2009
If you were in any doubt just cast your eye over the dominant performers in week one of this year's finals series. Andrew McLeod was magnificent on Friday night in the Crows' rout of Essendon. At various stages this year it looked as though one of the great AFL careers was finally coming to an end. Maybe it was the whiff of September action that stirred him from a mid-season slumber, but his past seven weeks have been superb, capped, not surprisingly, by a best-on-ground performance in the elimination final. The following day Matthew Scarlett took control of a game of football from full-back in a manner that not too many players have been able to do over the years. Thirty possessions at 93 per cent efficiency, he was a stumbling block that the Dogs were just unable to overcome. He is now, rightfully, included in the "best-ever" full-back debate. At two o'clock Saturday afternoon, Michael Voss told us on Melbourne radio that he still wasn't sure if Simon Black was going to get to the line that night for their elimination final against Carlton due to a hamstring strain. Eight hours later, Black had tallied 29 possessions, another best-on-ground to his name and further evidence that he is a gold-plated superstar of the game. Then Nick Riewoldt put on a display the next day that would have made Wayne Carey proud. He willed himself, through an indefatigable work rate, to a performance that wasn't going to deliver St Kilda anything other than a victory. Perhaps, more than the other three, it was the defining showpiece in an already brilliant career. Equally, if reputations are made in September they can also be lost, or at least tarnished. You could almost guarantee the four players I've mentioned would deliver when the stakes, pressure and consequences are at their highest. You can add the names Gary Ablett, Chris Judd and Lenny Hayes to that list. For others, there is still the need to deliver on football's biggest stage. For these players September can give us confirmation of their status in the game, and if we are to put such a hefty loading on outstanding finals performances then it stands to reason that we will mark those harshly that don't. RYAN GRIFFEN (W BULLDOGS) Here's a player who has all of the attributes to shine at this time of year but he is desperately in need of a big finals game to elevate his status from potential matchwinner to bona fide big-game performer. This season has had its own challenges for him, off the field as well as on, but it is time for him to impose himself on a contest of the magnitude of this weekend's final against Brisbane. There have been occasions throughout his career where it has appeared he was on the precipice of stardom, only to see him slide back to periods of mediocrity. There are no excuses. Matthew Boyd, Adam Cooney, Daniel Cross, Shaun Higgins and Jason Akermanis ensure he is not going to be the No. 1 target for opposition tags. He needs to aggressively break the lines and get maximum return for his ability to run and carry the football. Fifteen goals from 19 matches this year is another area that he should look to improve on. Maybe he's got to become more demanding in search of the football. Maybe he doesn't realise how good he could be. He has by no means been a failure in the finals he has played, for his numbers are comparable to those he produces in the home and away, but not comparable to the talent he possesses. He is due. LEON DAVIS (COLLINGWOOD) Davis has mesmerised us all in the past few years with his exquisite ball skills, miraculous goalkicking and, particularly this year, his forays up the field and into the midfield. He now needs to bring that form into September. Maybe it's because you have such expectations of a talent like Davis, but I was really disappointed with his output in the game against St Kilda. He just didn't seem to bring the energy and vitality to the contest that he has shown this year and, for such an occasion, it was a letdown. There didn't seem to be anywhere near enough desperation to get to a contest, nor the inclination to absolutely leave everything out there on the MCG in a quest to win the game. It appeared €” from the comfort of the commentary box €” that Davis was too prepared to let the game unfold around him, as opposed to inserting himself into it. He has come a long way as a footballer in the past few years, it would be a shame to not see him light up a final in the manner that we know he can. STEPHEN MILNE (ST KILDA) Of all the Saints on the weekend he would be the one looking forward to preliminary final day, for his impact in the Saints' victory was negligible. There have been question marks over Milne for much of his career, to the point that his former coach was of the opinion that it was a lost cause taking him interstate to play, such was his form on the road. I have been a fan, however, and his devotion to the defensive aspects of the Ross Lyon game plan has meant he has become a much more valuable contributor when his team is not in possession of the ball. But he needs to bring some of his home-and-away brilliance to the MCG in two weeks or those questions will remain. For the Saints' sake, they will need more than just Riewoldt firing if they are to deliver the premiership cup to Moorabbin. Every time that ball enters the Saints forward 50, Milne needs to bust a gut to have some sort of involvement. Again, the game on Sunday carried on around him, rather than with him. MARK BLAKE (GEELONG) Unlike the other three he is yet to establish his home-and-away reputation, but the best way to do that might be to play his best game in a final. Possession is nine-10ths of the law and he has ownership of the No. 1 ruck spot with the Cats. He is staring at the most coveted of football opportunities, yet I am still to see that desperation played out on the field. With Brad Ottens making steady progress in his return to senior football, Blake's ability to provide a strong presence at stop-play situations makes the Cats an even more dangerous proposition. An ability to follow up his ruck duties with desperate and committed ground work, combined with a fierce aerial contest are the areas that will see him become of greater value to his team. These four guys are not in any way easy targets. I have lauded the performances of Griffen, Davis and Milne, in particular, on many occasions over the years, but they are all now faced with a golden opportunity to make their mark at a time of year when it matters most. Performances in September, good or bad, are never forgotten.
© 2009 The Age