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The big talking points and questions out of AFL Round 3

2023-04-02T20:30+10:00

We’ve seen three rounds of footy in 2023 and we’re starting to get a pretty good feel of where everyone fits this year.

Kane Cornes and Nathan Buckley, into the Means Test with Gerard Whateley and David King into Sportsday with Gerard Healy, Luke Hodge, Sam Edmund and Cornes will absolutely scratch your footy analysis itch on Monday on SEN, but until then here are some of the big points of discussion.

See them below:

Geelong are a shell of their former selves

There weren’t going to be any major problems for Geelong, providing they could comfortably handle Gold Coast on Sunday.

Not only could they not do that, but Chris Scott’s men were simply dreadful at Heritage Bank Stadium. The Suns fought hard and linked up well on occasion, but the clash was there to be won if Geelong were good enough.

But the Cats were walloped in clearances and contested possessions, both of which they rarely lost last year, and now average just 6.7 tackles inside 50 this year.

In all three losses this year, Scott’s men have looked in cruise control. The Geelong of last year would have found a way to win the three games, but the Cats have looked well off the pace in every last quarter this year.

To put it into perspective, Geelong are the first reigning premiers to be winless and last after three rounds.

Easter Monday is now an absolute blockbuster. If Geelong loses that, the rebuild that’s been mooted for years might be fast-tracked.

How the league approaches Monday will be fascinating

There’s no doubt that the free kick awarded to Jesse Motlop that kickstarted Carlton’s win late in its game against GWS was the wrong decision.

Perhaps not wrong in the way the rule is worded, but wrong in the sense of how it's been officiated over the best part of a year.

The initial ‘arms out is 50’ confusion raged for days when it happened to Harris Andrews against Collingwood early last year, and there’s little doubt this will too.

The league can choose to either back the umpire in and point to the rule in saying any level of dissent can be punished, or it can cave to the fans and admit the call shouldn’t have been made and give everyone a clear precedent for the season.

The Giants, who are reported to be “privately seething” won’t be credited with a win, but perhaps can feel justified in knowing they almost had a premiership contender beat.

Never, ever, ever underestimate Luke Beveridge

Luke Beveridge, the 2016 premiership coach, might be one of the great motivators of the modern game.

It was clear to see that the Western Bulldogs were never walking off Marvel Stadium without the four points on Thursday night. Granted, it remains to be seen what would have happened if the Brisbane Lions had brought their best.

But Beveridge had his troops playing for him and the club in Round 3. It was a well-drilled performance with the captain, Marcus Bontempelli, oozing his class and strength while the Dogs had role players galore.

It wasn’t the first time the Dogs have started a season 0-2, but despite Beveridge’s record, the star coach was still under plenty of pressure publicly heading into Round 3.

But when he needs to elicit a response, there’s perhaps none better in the game than Beveridge.

And for now, we know he has the talent at his disposal to beat the best when they bring their best.

Mitchell v Clarko is a battle we’ll enjoy for years to come

As every headline read in the aftermath of the clash, it was the master versus his apprentice on Saturday as North Melbourne took on Hawthorn.

The master, Alastair Clarkson entered as the hot favourite, but it was his former apprentice, Sam Mitchell who took out the clash in comfortable style in the end as the Hawks enjoyed their first win of the season.

Post-game, the two didn’t cross paths and Clarkson had already flagged that he was to take a different flight home to the North and Hawthorn squads.

To make it all the more exciting, Hawthorn and North Melbourne are coming from a similar position in terms of list profile.

There’s no doubt we’ll be keeping the score of this one for what could be the next decade or more.

Collingwood are deadest premiership favourites

It wasn’t the margin that the Magpies won by on Friday night, but the way they did it.

Craig McRae’s side was convincingly better than Richmond - thought to be a fellow contender - in the 14-point win, and Collingwood is now one of just two unbeaten teams after three rounds.

The only question mark will be how they manage the ruck battle, but outside of that, they’re firing on all cylinders.

Their defence is ranked fourth in the competition, Nick Daicos needs no further mention, Scott Pendlebury is winding back the clock, Jordan De Goey is playing his role to perfection and they’ve kicked more points than any team barring Melbourne.

The next fortnight is set to give an even more telling insight. Brisbane in Brisbane before St Kilda – who could still be undefeated – will be two of the most intriguing games of their respective rounds.

Win those, and it’s hard to see how Collingwood don’t go deep into September.

Ken Hinkley is the most under-pressure coach in the league

With a Round 1 win over Brisbane, Ken Hinkley seemingly bought himself a few quiet weeks off the front page.

Incorrect.

Hinkley is now the most under-pressure coach after three rounds and rightly so after looking well off the pace against the Magpies and then watching his side butcher the final quarter of the Showdown.

Port will now likely start outsiders in three of their next four games. If Hinkley has a record of 2-5 heading into May, the Sharks will be circling even more than they already are.

Hinkley has been a stalwart of Port Adelaide and despite the absence of a premiership, it’s been a tenure that has garnered plenty of success at the club.

But in his final year of a contract, Hinkley’s chances of coaching Port Adelaide next year are now hanging by a thread.

Port Adelaide chairman David Koch has said he won’t discuss Hinkley’s future until August. But if it becomes clear over the next month that Port isn’t playing finals, there’s every chance Hinkley will graciously step aside before.

Justin Longmuir and Luke Jackson get the monkey off the back

There will be plenty in footy relieved at the conclusion of Round 3, but perhaps none more than the Fremantle coach and his star recruit.

In a gradual rebuild under Justin Longmuir, the Dockers have to improve year on year if the pressure is to remain on their cross-town rivals.

To make finals from 0-3 would have been statistically very unlikely for Longmuir and his troops, meaning a win in the derby simply had to happen.

It was scrappy and they were aided by several injuries to the Eagles, but in the end, a 41-point win felt pretty appropriate.

Apart from a win, perhaps the only thing Dockers fans wanted to see more was Luke Jackson showing something to get excited about.

A poor start to his career in purple had seen the West Australia media come hard for the 21-year-old, but his response was emphatic on Sunday evening.

He kicked his first two goals in Round 3 and also took three grabs, two of which were contested.

Jackson’s performance will at worst buy him some time, and at best lay the groundwork for some dominant performances to catapult Fremantle into the premiership conversation.

Sometimes all it takes is one week to change a season.

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