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The big sticks: What we learned in AFL Round 7

Gary Ablett is congratualted by teammates after kicking a goal at the MCG.

Gary Ablett is congratualted by teammates after kicking a goal at the MCG. Photo: Getty

Reported, booed and a corky, but Ablett is smiling

In his current form, Geelong’s Gary Ablett can cop a leg injury, get reported and booed and still have a great day.

“Nice big corky in the first quarter, that didn’t help,” Ablett told Channel Seven after the 32-point over Essendon at the MCG on Sunday, although he was coy when asked if he’d be rested next Sunday against North Melbourne.

“Not 100 per cent sure. It all depends on what the physios say and the docs say. My body is feeling good,” he said.

“I want to play as long as I can. If I start to get sore, will take a week often.”

Based on replays of his high hit on the Bombers’ Dylan Shiel, it also looks like he also has little to worry about from the report.

The Cobden Connection

First among equals: Sam Walsh. Photo: Getty 

Keen to talk up the ‘Country round’ Channel Seven commentators gave a solid mention to the lads from south-west Victorian dairy town Cobden on Sunday.

Acknowledged at half-time were North Melbourne’s Ben Cunnington, Fremantle’s Sean Darcy, Essendon’s Zach Merrett and Geelong’s Gary Rohan.

Which is all well and good, but there was one other Cobden export who should probably not have slipped through to the keeper – just the No.1 draft pick and Carlton’s Rising Star favourite Sam Walsh.

For former Swan Rohan, the move to Geelong and closer to home has been a good one, although he revealed in an interview that he’d not really thought of himself as a tradeable commodity.

“Yeah, [it was] pretty hard at the time,” he said.

“What really annoyed me was when the trade and that all happened, they came out and said, ‘He wanted to go back for family reasons’, and that kind of stuff. That really hit me pretty hard. Obviously they couldn’t say that I wanted a trade-in, but that really hurt.”

Old blues hit new Blues

Carlton will be two steps forward and one back as it develops its list – and that’s OK with coach Brendon Bolton.

After an impressive few weeks the Blues came back to earth with a lame 58-point loss to North Melbourne.

In the ‘battle of the bottom’, the Blues managed just one goal to half-time in an 18.12 (120) to 8.14 (62) humiliation.

Adding to the Blues’ woes, key defender Liam Jones was taken to hospital after being knocked out in a nasty collision with North forward Cameron Zurhaar late in the third quarter.

“For our guys, it just shows it’s a real learned behaviour to be able to turn up every week and be absolutely right on the money,” Bolton said.

“We had too many off early and it set the tone for the rest of it.”

Hardwick is in Tom Lynch’s corner

Melbourne’s Tom McDonald puts pressure on Richmond’s Tom Lynch. Photo: Getty

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick wants fans to be patient with Tom Lynch after the prized recruit was held goalless in the 47-point loss to Western Bulldogs on Saturday night.

Lynch started the season in blistering form with 16 goals in four games, but he’s had just one goal in his past three matches.

His five possessions were the fewest of any player on the ground and he struggled to have an impact in the air when matched up on Bulldogs veteran Jackson Trengove.

“It does take a player moving from a club a little bit of time,” Hardwick said.

“It probably takes seven or eight weeks for them to get some momentum. I know he had some success early, but we expect that to gel a little bit better over time.”

AFL can’t be complacent on violence

The recent ugly incidents in the crowd at AFL matches shows that Australian Rules can no longer be complacent when it comes to crowd violence.

Melbourne Football Club on Sunday condemned an ugly incident of crowd violence after its win over Hawthorn that will result in a fan being charged by Victoria Police.

The victim of the attack was a disabled Hawthorn supporter who had been taunted by the Melbourne fan.

“The club is appalled by this behaviour and vehemently (condemns) violence of any kind,” a Melbourne statement read in part.

“The club is working with all relevant parties involved to gather further information, and to determine the appropriate action required.”

The latest incident comes after a fan was knocked out at the season opener between Carlton and Richmond, with other brawls occurring at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium, in a bar at Marvel Stadium and between Collingwood and St Kilda fans at the same venue last season.

-with AAP

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