The tactics of Collingwood’s Brent Macaffer on Richmond captain Trent Cotchin on Friday night reignited the debate about taggers in our game.
This debate is nothing new. It happens every season when a very good player is totally shut down by a tagger. So often last season it was Fremantle’s Ryan Crowley, now it’s Macaffer after Cotchin managed 13 disposals in the Tiger’s 38-point loss.
The bottom line, as every Magpie fan or Freo supporter will tell you, is that it is legal. It has been for years, and as long as the umpires crack down on any illegal play, bad luck to the tagged.
It’s a compliment to the player being tagged. He is clearly a star, and opposition coaches need to negate him. Trent, ask Gary Ablett about it. Ask Brent Harvey about it. Ask Chris Judd or any of our game’s elite.
Having taken his game up a level, he is being tagged. Now he has to raise the level yet again – not just physically but mentally. That’s what stops you reacting when your tagger wants you to. That’s what helps you break the tag. That’s what helps you help your team again.
You don’t have to like tagging – and personally I don’t – but it is part of the game. If there was a way to get it out of the game, I’d be the first to agree, but like the players, we have to live with it.
I’d much rather see the best players doing things that average players can’t than having to watch less polished players trying to emulate the good ones. But coaches have to put the brakes on opposition superstars, and if it’s within the rules, they will continue to do it.
It’s about getting four competition points, no matter how you go about it.
When the Swans were accused of being ugly in 2005, most rival fans complained it was bad for the game. Did you hear any Sydney fans complaining? Ugly doesn’t matter as long as you win, and they won a flag.
Taggers are and always will be the most hated opponent come match day. They are detrimental to the game according to opposition fans, but among the most valuable to their coach. That was the case with Macaffer on Friday, and I’m sure their coaches would testify it has been the same for the likes of Ryan Crowley, Steven Baker, Sean Denham, Jared Crouch and Tony Liberatore in the past.
As Liberatore once said, “When a player gets sucked in it’s a massive win for the side.”
Taggers are seen as the villains to the game’s superheroes, the evil against the good, but all they are is one of 22 players with a job to do.
They will forever be part of the game. So be it, as long as they are belted over the knuckles by the umpires if they break the rules.
What Cotchin needs is a stronger mental attitude and some teammates to lend a hand in breaking the tag.
I understand the angst and complaints of Tiger fans, but Cotchin being tagged is not the biggest problem they have right now. They are so far from playing like the team that knocked on the door of the top four in 2013, with one scratchy win and three losses to start 2014.
They have an easy game against Brisbane this week, but then face Hawthorn and Geelong. They had better find some form or the 2014 Tigers could be like so many of their predecessors, looking in from outside the eight come September.
Ash of Geelong
Guest
Haven't needed them the last 3 weeks maybe you should actually watch some games.
Cat
Roar Guru
Roos do need the umps looking after team, gotta have help.
Ash of Geelong
Guest
Perfect timing for this , the Roos have pies this week and MaCaffa will have umpires all over him and his rubbish tactics.
Gecko
Guest
Dave instead of watching netball, perhaps you'd be happy to see rugby get the upper hand. No-one's suggesting that tagging or even defending should stop. Some people are just suggesting that watching Cotchin, Boomer Harvey, Deledio etc break free a bit more often and use their creativity would be better for footy than seeing McCaffer grabbing their arm the whole arvo. McCaffer last weekend tried putting an arm across Cotchin's chest and nudging Cotchin to where the space wasn't - and that's fine. But, for the benefit of our game, constantly grabbing arms just shouldn't be allowed.
slane
Guest
As somebody who played as a tagger I have to disagree. I wasn't good enough to get a kick so I basically spent all arvo wrestling with the best opposition player. Nothing artful about it. It's the easiest role to play.
pope paul v11
Guest
Just part of the game. North could have done worse than tag all of Essendon in Rd 1.
dave
Guest
After seeing Nat Fyfe get suspended for a bump and now this. The next rule change should be to get rid of the shorts and make the players wear skirts. Although have you ever watched a netball game? Their niggling tactics are up there with the best of the afl. They dont mind a bumb or two either.
Norfolk
Roar Rookie
Talk about having a whinge. If a team has enough talented midfielders one being tagged wouldn't matter. Tagging is defending and defending is an art form.
Gecko
Guest
Simoc I agree McCaffer last weekend was holding an arm far more often than Crowley does, and umps just have to crack down on it. Re other commenters above, sure taggers are valuable and will probably always be a part of our game. But if we want a better spectacle, we've gotta cut back on holding and arm hooking, particularly so the outside midfielders can get off the leash a bit more.
Joe
Guest
Quality taggers are more important than solid midfielders. Last year, I reckon Crowley was the second most valuable player behind Ablett. Every time he shut down an opposition mid he should have got Bronlow votes. If you can shut down an opposition's major ball winner then immediately you have the midfield advantage. Let's not forget that there are very few players that can handle a hard tag - it's an aspect that midfielders have to deal with. If I was Ross Lyon or Bucks I would be stoked to have Crowley/Macaffer - they would be more valuable than a solid midfielder.
Cat
Roar Guru
yes just what we want, a whistle blowing every 5 seconds for soft free kicks ...
alicesprings
Guest
Umpires clearly didn't pay enough free kicks to against McCaffer. No excuses for that! Equal blame goes to the Cotchin's team mates. I remember fondly watching the poor bloke tagging G. Ablett in his days at Geelong. That player was routinely targeted by seemingly every Geelong player, to the point where a few free kicks were usual given after a gang tackle with some singing fore arms etc. Either way whoever was tagging Ablett would have been the sorest player after the final siren. Ablett usually also got a heap of easy handball receives on the odd occasion when he was struggling to brake free. Richmond/Cotchin didn't facilitate any of this.
Brian
Guest
They need to start paying free kicks. I've never understood why AFL players are allowed to get away with so much off the ball pushing and shoving. It should be if your not near the ball you don't get touched. That would provide the player being tagged with an important weapon creep away from the ball and if the tagger puts his arms around you free kick.
Simoc
Guest
Agreed. Liberatore was a dirty player. I don't see Ryan Crowley holding like McCaffer was reported as doing a lot. He got penalised but according to the referees advisor wasn't penalised enough for blatant offences. I'm a Crowley fan and reckon he gets the ball a lot and is very effective. And apparently he has good communication skills as well.
Lazza
Guest
At least a nil all draw is a contest. Anything is better than all those blow outs. The AFL has a draft, salary cap, equalisation and a rigged draw yet can't seem to produce close, absorbing contests that go right down to the wire?
langou
Roar Guru
There was a situation last year where the umpire warned a player to stop bumping his opponent in the back. It wasn't anything major but constantly giving these small jabs to the back. The player jabbing didn't stop and a free kick was given. You should've heard the commentators (both radio and T.V) give it to the umpire for awarding a soft free kick. Here, lies the problem, the footy world doesn't like tagging tactics but also doesn't like soft free kicks for they perceive as "a bit of niggle". Holding and grappling someone off the ball is illegal, bumping someone when they are not contesting the ball is also illegal, so I find the "Richmond players weren't supporting Cotchin" argument a bit strange.
Ryan
Guest
I thought Richmond were absolutely awful, but thought Collingwood were only slightly more impressive. Neither side will make an impact this year, and if either fall into the finals it will be a short visit.
andyincanberra
Guest
This is a storm in a teacup. There has always been taggers and there always will. Did Macaffer step over the line at times? Yes, and Cotchin was awarded with 5 or 6 free kicks. Travis Cloke is is blanketed by players off the ball every match. I watch every Collingwood match and I don't remember him getting one free kick this year. I have no problem with the way Macaffer played on Friday night, Cotchin's team mates didn't support him. What I don't want to see ever again is the tactics employed by Tony Liberatore. Hopefully if a player ever repeated what Liberatore did to Paul Kelly, they would be rewarded with a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
Neil from Warrandyte
Guest
I have never liked the look taggers give the game. Perhaps weaker clubs (ie Carlton) need to devote entire training sessions to practising Macaffer's 'wet blanket' tactics and take out all 18 of a stronger club's players (ie Hawthorn), for a nil all draw. Wouldn't that be a big tick for the AFL's equalisation program.
Franko
Guest
Hardwick must have been fuming at the lack of chop out, as a player, he was all about flying the flag. Maybe King would have been helpful in that regard? In regards to Richmonds general performance and specifically Cotchin, the word that springs to mind is "soft" - both mentally and physically they were bullied by Collingwood.