AFL 2021: Richmond defeats Brisbane but Dustin Martin ruled out for season with kidney injury
Sports medicine expert Dr Peter Larkins says Dustin Martin’s season-ending injury is “exceptional” and more than a “bruised kidney”. Here’s what the Tiger can expect.
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Dustin Martin will remain in a Gold Coast hospital until midweek as the Tigers plot to turn around a 10-goal loss to premiership favourite Geelong earlier this season.
Richmond club doctors are adamant Martin will make a complete recovery despite missing the rest of a season in which the Tigers are suddenly back in contention for a deep finals run.
Coach Damien Hardwick is optimistic Shane Edwards (ankle) will be ready to return after the significant performances of returning premiership stars Toby Nankervis and Kane Lambert last week.
The Tigers will also need to find a replacement for Kamdyn McIntosh (hamstring), with Patrick Naish, Riley Collier-Dawkins and Thomson Dow contenders after being dropped last week.
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David Astbury limped off the ground with a left ankle injury late in the win but the Tigers believe he will be ready to take on Tom Hawkins.
The triple Norm Smith Medallist will remain in hospital with a pair of Richmond staffers in support before he flies south on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Martin has missed only nine games in his career but the Tigers beat the Western Bulldogs by 22 points in Round 7 when Martin missed with concussion.
The Cats dominated Richmond to win by 63 points in Round 8, turning the tables from the Richmond premiership victory.
The clash is certain to be played at the MCG as per the fixture despite Geelong’s strong push to relocate the game to GMHBA Stadium.
Hardwick and Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale both said they were happy to play the game in Geelong if it was relocated, ensuring the Cats had no ammunition should they secure the venue choice.
But the AFL has made clear it is not in the business of relocating games mid-year unless forced to because of Covid issues, with the MCC also keen to retain a contracted game given commercial and signage considerations.
Sports medicine expert Dr Peter Larkins said Martin’s injury was “exceptional” and more than a “bruised kidney”.
“Every now and again we get these unusual abdominal injuries, the extreme was (former Cat) Tom Lonergan going back 15 years,” Larkins said.
“That was a really high velocity injury where he got kneed and his kidney virtually got split in half and therefore they couldn’t repair it or rescue it and it wouldn’t repair itself when there’s that big a damage.
“Bruised kidneys that settle down in a week or two happen from time to time … the players might miss a week or two … they get a blood test and scans and everything settles, so to have a high-grade one like Dusty’s got is exceptional.
“The good news is it doesn’t sound like it’s a surgery one. The bad news I guess is they are putting a time frame of a couple of months rather than a couple of weeks so it is more than a bruised kidney in other words.
“Bruised kidneys in contact sport we are used to dealing with – a few weeks and they settle down. A lacerated kidney is more extreme or a partially ruptured kidney and they heal naturally, rare ones need surgery and the extreme ones are the Lonergans.
“There have been bruised kidneys but nothing in recent years that have been anything like the Dusty Martin headline.”
Larkins said pain relief, rest and intravenous fluids, initially, were needed for recovery.
But he said the high blood supply around the kidney meant the organ could heal itself “quite well”.
“There are a lot of nerves around the kidney, so the bleeding causes a lot of irritation, the blood causes a lot of irritation to the nerves and so pain relief (is needed),” Larkins said.
‘“He’d need fluids intravenously and his appetite won’t be too good for a little while.
And rest. If it’s a laceration or a split kidney, it repairs itself because there is a lot of blood supply around the kidney and that’s why they bleed a lot.
“So the good news about a lot of bloody supply is that it repairs itself quite well, the same way we talk about muscles that get torn and heal better than a tendon that gets torn and a hamstring for example because there is better bloody supply in certain parts of the body, including the kidney.”
NANK THE TANK TIGERS’ NEW NO.1
—Chris Cavanagh
Move over, Dustin Martin.
There is a new most important player at Richmond and his name is Toby Nankervis.
Unlike Martin, you won’t find the cut-priced ruckman on the AFL Rich List of the top 100 earners in the game.
The three-time premiership player – who was secured from Sydney in exchange for a lowly pick 46 in the 2016 trade period – wouldn’t be in the top 200 earners.
But ‘Nank the Tank’ is arguably the Tigers’ new No.1 man – and is doing enough to rival Greater Western Sydney’s Shane Mumford as the competition’s biggest wrecking ball.
A softly spoken giant off the field, Nankervis brings a serious physical presence on the field and can never be accused of not giving his all.
Nankervis is not as good a tap ruckman as Melbourne’s Max Gawn, doesn’t have the leap of West Coast’s Nic Naitanui and doesn’t generally win as much ball around the ground as Collingwood’s Brodie Grundy.
But what he is is a competitive beast who makes the Tigers look a hell of a lot stronger in the stoppages department, helps teammates around him walk taller and gives Richmond a much better overall balance across the ground.
Nankervis returned from five weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury to help lead Richmond to an upset win over Brisbane on Friday night.
If six-goal milestone man Jack Riewoldt was Batman in the 20-point triumph, Nankervis was Robin.
He finished with 22 disposals (the equal-third most disposals of any Richmond player), 10 intercept possessions (team high), seven clearances (team high) and 18 contested possessions (game high).
No other Richmond player came close in the contested possessions count, with four other players next best with eight.
All this came despite Nankervis playing only 70 per cent game time as he was eased back into things.
There are the personal statistics – and then there is the team balance he brings.
The 26-year-old’s return allowed Maribor Chol to spent more time forward and put his brilliant goalkicking on display as he slotted four goals at important stages and provided a third-tall option in attack alongside Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt.
It also allowed the 184cm Marlion Pickett to focus on his role on a wing, after being forced to shoulder a significant chunk of the ruck duties against Collingwood in Round 17.
Richmond has won eight games this season and it is little coincidence that Nankervis has played in seven of those.
In the five games he has missed, the Tigers have gone 1-4.
“He’s so important to the way we play,” Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said on Friday night.
“He’s a bit of a barometer for us. I said that prior to the game, with the way he leads from the front. Our guys certainly walk taller having him in the side.
“He was probably a little bit rusty early, but the second half when the whips were cracking he stood up and played his role.
“It was great to have him back in the side. There’s no doubt he’ll be better for the run next week.”
Aside from the Brisbane players who got crunched by Nankervis, the only people at the ground that didn’t love his aggressive play were the umpires.
Puzzlingly, Nankervis was penalised for a “dangerous tackle” not once but twice in the second quarter.
On both occasions, he made only body contact and on both occasions the Lions’ players he tackled did not have their heads make contact with the ground.
Hardwick bit his lip when asked about those free kicks.
“It’s not for me to judge, as long as they’re consistent for the round moving forward,” Hardwick said.
“We can abide by the rules if we know the rules.”
The coach joked he was powerless to stop Nankervis playing with an aggressive edge – and he wouldn’t want to anyway.
A fit and feisty Nankervis shapes as a key to the Tigers’ renewed push for a fifth-straight finals appearance this year.
SIMPLE SEPTEMBER EQUATION
—Chris Cavanagh
A finals berth if well and truly back in the hands of the Tigers after a win that was highly valuable on multiple fronts.
The 20-point victory over the fourth-placed Brisbane snapped a four-game losing streak and will provide a much-needed confidence boost to Hardwick’s side that their game still stacks up against the competition’s best outfits.
It also provided another little percentage boost – from 99.3 to 100.8 – which is looking like being increasingly important come season’s end.
And it takes the pressure off needing to defeat ladder-leader Geelong next Sunday to remain in the finals hunt.
The reality is that Richmond could now lose to Geelong and still play finals football if it wins its last four matches to finish the year – which would take it to 12 wins.
In 2019, the Western Bulldogs and Essendon finished seventh and eighth on the ladder respectively with 12 wins apiece.
This year similarly looks like being a case of 12 wins and you’re in.
After Geelong, Richmond faces Fremantle, North Melbourne, Greater Western Sydney and Hawthorn to finish the year.
While no games are easy this season, the Tigers would be favourites in all of those matches as things currently stand.
“I think we’ve always had the confidence, we probably just haven’t played to the level that we’d like,” Hardwick said.
“As I’ve said previously, our players were coming in and out of the side so our connection and our consistency wasn’t there but we’re going to get the vast majority back now we think so we’re excited about what it does look like for us moving forward.
“The story’s ours to write. The ball’s in our court. We’ve just got to play as well as we can and hopefully we make the finals. I reckon if we get there we’re going to cause some grief.”
JACK SIX-SHOOTER HAS TIGERS BACK IN HUNT
Milestone man Jack Riewoldt has kept Richmond’s finals hopes alive with an inspired performance in his 300th game.
But an upset win over Brisbane at Metricon Stadium came at a cost as two fresh injuries emerged for the already crippled side.
Riewoldt logged his best goal haul of the season with six majors to lead the Tigers to a 20-point triumph.
He joins Carlton’s Eddie Betts and Richmond legend Jack Dyer as the only three players to kick six goals in their 300th game.
Riewoldt’s preparation for his milestone game was far from orthodox, with it built on Maccas, meatballs and the Tour de France. But it certainly worked.
“Had about three hours to get ready to come up,” Riewoldt said of the Tigers’ abrupt departure on Thursday.
“The club said make sure you get something to eat before you get on the plane so I’m not going to lie, I ducked into the Maccas at the airport to get something to eat, chicken wrap from there, then last night about 1am I was eating meatballs watching the Tour de France.
“Not the perfect preparation — I haven’t had a lot of sleep — but I’ve had the best week.
“Really special. Got my Richmond family right around me.
“I couldn’t have written the script any better.”
Star midfielder Dustin Martin finished the match on the bench with a suspected rib injury, while speedy premiership wingman Kamdyn McIntosh was subbed out of the game late in the opening quarter with a right hamstring.
Martin’s injury came as the result of a heavy collision with Brisbane hard-nut Mitch Robinson late in the third quarter.
The 2017 Brownlow Medal winner was left gasping for air on the ground for some time and had to be helped from the field by trainers.
Martin went straight down to the rooms to be assessed by doctors and did not return to the field.
Riewoldt, who was chaired from the ground through a guard of honour by both sides, said it had been a special win after a special week.
“It’s been a whirlwind last 24 hours, a whirlwind week since the Collingwood game finished,” Riewoldt said.
“I had the most amazing week. I want to thank everyone who sent me a message. Most of all I want to thank my teammates for doing a little bit of something for me I appreciate it. It’s a big game for our season.
“Brisbane is a great side. To have the quick turnaround to come here and play in Queensland it’s an unbelievable achievement.”
Riewoldt kicked goals in each of the first two quarters before a third-term purple patch which saw him boot three majors as Richmond surged to put on five unanswered goals.
He added cream to the cake in the final term.
After each goal, ‘Mr Brightside’ rang out around Metricon Stadium in a nod to Riewoldt’s famous onstage appearance with The Killers after the 2017 Grand Final.
A swathe of Tigers fanatics on the far wing held up ‘JR8300’ and “Jack 300” signs, with supporters in yellow and black clearly outnumbering fans of the side based an hour up the highway.
The win propelled Richmond back into seventh spot on the ladder, given their healthy percentage.
The Tigers face Geelong next weekend before games against Fremantle, North Melbourne, Greater Western Sydney and Hawthorn to finish the season.
MATCH REPORT: MARTIN INJURY TAKES GLOSS OFF SUCCESS
—Ronny Lerner
An injury to Richmond superstar Dustin Martin has overshadowed Richmond’s upset victory over the top-four Brisbane Lions at Metricon Stadium on Friday night.
It’s unclear as to the exact nature of the injury, but it looks as though the Brownlow medallist suffered a nasty rib injury. He collapsed to the ground in agony at the time of the collision with Brisbane hard nut Mitch Robinson in the third quarter, and was on all fours again as soon as he made it to the boundary line.
He wouldn’t feature again, and premiership wingman Kamdyn McIntosh (hamstring) was also added to their injury list.
But luckily for the resurgent Tigers, they wouldn’t need Martin’s brilliance to finish off the Lions as Jack Riewoldt celebrated his 300th game in fine style, booting six goals to help Richmond temporarily move back into the top eight. Mabior Chol bobbed up as well with four majors.
The result stopped the haemorrhaging for Richmond after four losses in a row, including three consecutive defeats to bottom-10 sides, saw them tumble down to 12th spot on the ladder.
Meanwhile, what looked like a minor hiccup for Brisbane against St Kilda last week, now looks like a decent-sized wobble, with their spot in the top four looking precarious at the worst time of the season.
Richmond started the game like the Tigers of old, rediscovering their intense forward pressure and dominating the territory battle to lead by two goals early in the second term.
But on the back of superior clearance work, and a more threatening forward line, the Lions kicked six of the next eight majors, including a pair to Joe Daniher, to take a 13-point lead early in the third quarter.
However, Riewoldt and Shai Bolton then stamped their authority on the contest, turning the tide for the Tigers who kicked the next five goals, three of which coming off Riewoldt’s boot, to open up a 17-point gap on the Lions just before the final break.
Richmond regained the ascendancy around the stoppages and flexed their muscle in contested situation to overwhelm Brisbane who failed to get a meaningful foothold in the game for the remainder of the contest.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE ‘NANK’ MAKES
The Tigers have been struggling in the ruck since Toby Nankervis injured himself in Round 11, particularly recently against St Kilda (Paddy Ryder/Rowan Marshall) and Collingwood (Brodie Grundy). But he made an instant impact in his return, and his influence in the middle of the ground was a huge reason behind the Tigers’ stunning return to form.
NO HIPWOOD, NO ADAMS, NO LIONS?
Brisbane got their first look at life without key bookends Eric Hipwood (knee) and Marcus Adams (foot), and while they took enough marks inside 50 to suggest they could potentially cope without Hipwood in the long run, Adams’ absence was missed sorely down back as Richmond took numerous marks that probably wouldn’t have been allowed had Adams been present. Ryan Lester was no match for Riewoldt.
CHOL BRINGS OUT THE TRICKS
Mabior Chol kicked two of the best goals of the game. Late in the first quarter he converted a set shot from 48m out on the boundary line which swung back beautifully to give the Tigers a 13-point lead. And just before time-on in the second term, after the ball evaded him and Jack Payne as they were grappling each other in a marking contest at the top of the goalsquare, Chol brilliantly soccered it home as he fell to the ground.
SCOREBOARD
TIGERS 4.2 7.4 12.6 16.10 (106)
def
LIONS 3.1 8.4 10.7 13.8 (86)
LERNER’S BEST
Tigers: Riewoldt, Nankervis, Chol, Bolton, Lambert, Short, Graham.
Lions: McCluggage, Lyons, Andrews, Neale, Daniher, Roibnson.
GOALS
Tigers: Riewoldt 6, Chol 4, Lynch 2, Graham 2, Martin, Bolton.
Lions: Daniher 3, McCarthy 2, Cameron 2, Bailey 2, McStay 2, Robertson, McCluggage.
INJURIES
Tigers: Martin (suspected ribs), McIntosh (hamstring).
Lions: Robinson (cut eyebrow).
UMPIRES
Gavine, Nicholls, Williamson
VENUE
Metricon Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LERNER’S VOTES
3 J.Riewoldt (Rich)
2 T.Nankervis (Rich)
1 M.Chol (Rich)
Originally published as AFL 2021: Richmond defeats Brisbane but Dustin Martin ruled out for season with kidney injury
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