The Tackle: Why Bachar Houli has the 'H' factor Mark Robinson
Herald Sun
June 24, 2013 TO tag or not? The outside runner? The inside mid? Commission a defensive forward?
There's always a balance of how many to tag and who to go to, but it's clear from two games at the weekend that two vastly different types of players need to be curtailed.
One is Luke Hodge. The other Bachar Houli.
This isn't a comparison, because if 1000 people were asked to choose between Hodge and Houli, they would all choose the Hawks skipper.
No, this is not about who's better, it's about their influence on their teams.
Clearly, something has to be done about Hodge.
Forget whether you thought he was gone because of his knee, he is back to his imperious best.
Two weeks ago his 15-possession game against Carlton, which included the crunch on Marc Murphy, was rated the equal to any 35-touch game this season.
Against the Eagles on Friday night, Hodge had 25 and was among the best players on the ground.
His influence is double-edged. He wins the ball and he inspires teammates.
He doesn't require a run-with player, he demands a player of similar tenacity, for Hodge has to be stopped at the coalface, not on the outside.
They are hard to find. Heath Hocking perhaps. Ryan Crowley. He bullied Brent Harvey to the point of utter frustration yesterday and, if we are promised a Hodge versus Crowley match-up in the finals, the TV networks better have an ISO camera at hand.
Houli is a different beast.
It's sexy to criticise the Tigers back flanker for being a wide runner, a player who skirts the coalface, but surely it's time to recognise Houli for what he is - a running backman who finds the ball and can deliver it precisely.
When the ball hit Houli in the face/neck during the fourth quarter, he was munched by the Channel 7 commentators. They preferred to take the mickey out of Houli instead of saying it was probably his only mistake for the night.
Houli was my pick for best afield against the Dogs.
He had 10 possessions in the first quarter, which demanded Nick Lower be sent to him for periods in the second and third terms. Lower stood him for 32 minutes, and Houli spent the rest of the time running off Luke Dahlhaus (18 minutes) and Lachie Hunter (14).
He would finish with 25 disposals, five inside 50s and 13 score involvements, for which he was ranked No.1.
Time and again Houli ran through the middle of the ground to set up Tigers' scores.
If the Tigers make the finals, and it's looking surer by the week, opponents should have a plan for him.
On Saturday night the Bulldogs decided to tag Trent Cotchin and Brett Deledio, leaving Houli to make too much of the play in the back half.
Bulldogs skipper Matthew Boyd curtailed Cotchin, Liam Picken tried to clamp Brett Deledio and failed, so players "off the leash" had to stand up and they did - Shaun Grigg, Reece Conca, Dustin Martin and Daniel Jackson.Houli was another.
At the start of the season he was rated "elite" by Champion Data - ranked in the top 10 per cent in his position.
The Tigers also rank him highly - he was fourth in the 2012 best and fairest.
Houli was the moneyball recruit. He had good numbers for minutes played at Essendon amid the perception there was something wrong with him because Matthew Knights wouldn't play him and James Hird couldn't convince him to stay.
The Tigers picked him up in the 2010 pre-season draft.
A multitude of All-Australian teams were selected over the bye rounds, and not one of them included Houli.
Yet his numbers stack up.
This year he's going at 22 disposals at 81 per cent efficiency.
Grant Birchall is averaging 24 disposals at 80 per cent, Andrew Walker 23 at 77 per cent and Michael Hibberd 24 at 76.
It's pretty good company.
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