Return of the Kings: Dustin Martin is awake and so is Richmond, writes Mark Robinson
Dustin Martin and Richmond put the Bulldogs to the sword and sent a frightening message to the rest of the competition — but there can’t be any more self-assurance claims by the Dogs after that effort, Mark Robinson writes.
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It was perfect Richmond
A different Richmond, mind you, but still decisive and organised and the result was all too familiar.
So, too, were the names – Dusty Martin, Trent Cotchin and Tom Lynch. And the lesser lights – Jayden Short, Noah Balta and Jason Castagna.
In effectively one half an hour of football, Richmond gave a stern reminder to the rest of the competition. That is, they might be hurt, but they ain’t dead.
They led by seven goals at halftime – the score was 10.4 to 3.5 – and whatever happened after that didn’t really matter.
That’s an insult to the Dogs, but they have to wear it.
They were beaten by Carlton in Round 6 by 52 points. Three weeks later it was another hiding, this time by 41 points.
Please, no more self-reassurance by saying heavy defeats are outliers. You play and you win or lose. The Dogs lost. It doesn’t mean anything to the ladder, but respect won with wins over Essendon and Gold Cast was kicked out the door on Wednesday night.
They were overwhelmingly ordinary.
They were outplayed and, yes, out-coached in the first half because Richmond’s game style of keeping control of the ball rendered the Dogs’ intensity useless.
Nor could they get their hands on the ball.
In the first quarter, the Bulldogs had 58 disposals, their second-fewest in a quarter this season.
On the flip side, the Tigers took 32 marks, their season-high in a quarter this season.
It was total control and although the Bulldogs kind of levelled the field battle after halftime, the war was already over.
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The Tigers big forwards looked dangerous.
Tom Lynch kicked two goals in the first half on Alex Keath and took several marks, but still has a habit of leaning into his opponent and trying to mark the ball one handed.
Jack Riewoldt took the first mark and kicked the first goal and looked more invested and dangerous.
The greater damage was done Jason Castagna (two goals) and Martin (three goals).
He’s awake, Dusty.
His second goal wasn’t so much vintage, but oh so familiar.
He careered through half-forward, veered to the left away from goal, then veered back and across goal and screwed the ball across his body. There has been no footballer better — or at least more consistent — at kicking across his body, than Martin. That goal was soothing and frantic, like listening to the start of Live and Let Die by Guns N’ Roses.
He was best afield, an assessment we’ve made before and frighteningly for opposition teams, we might make again this year.
The Tigers won every facet of the game.
Significantly, their forward 50m worked. The talls had space, especially early, to take marks, Castagna and Jake Aarts (three goals) kicked goals and the Tigers overall were efficient. In the first half, they kicked 10 goals from 20 entries. That’s 50 per cent. Their season average was only 19 per cent before Round 9.
The Dogs, however, were non-threatening. Josh Bruce kicked two goal and was OK, and Billy Gowers’ run in the ones hangs by a fingernail.
Compare Gowers to Richmond’s Mabior Chol.
Gowers comes into the team and it’s apparent he needs to work on his awareness. Chol comes into the team and he is silky, calm and potent.
Does coach Luke Beveridge go back to Josh Schache? Hmm. That’s why there is an issue in the forward line.
Beveridge has more concerns than his forward line, of course. They are inconsistency and that makes them a so-so team.
The Tigers were missing Bachar Houli, Shane Edwards, Nick Vlastuin, Dion Prestia, Josh Caddy and David Astbury. The Dogs were still belted.
Emerging for the Tigers are Balta, Shai Bolton in the middle and Jack Higgins, whose return to football after brain surgery has been miraculous.
The other key match-up was Ivan Soldo v Tim English. When the game was being decided, English had two possessions in the first quarter. Soldo only had three, but that was a clear win for Soldo.
So, too, was it a win for Richmond’s pressure. The forward-half pressure was back — their rating of 190 was their best of their season.
Also back is Dusty, in what was categorically the return of the king.
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