Robbo’s Top 50: Dustin Martin ranked No.1 player in the AFL after another finals masterclass
Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps is No.48 in Mark Robinson’s Top 50. The fans say that’s way too low. And he’s not the only huge bolter — and slider — on the readers’ list. Vote on every player.
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Fan voting on the 2020 Top 50 has revealed a huge surprise — the readers agree with Robbo. At least when it comes to the top of the list.
Dustin Martin and Lachie Neale are a universal choice for the No.1 and No.2 spots, but after that there is plenty of healthy disagreement.
The fans rated Nat Fyfe the No.3 player of the year — 15 spots higher than Robbo’s rating — but the two biggest bolters were players Robbo had in the 40s.
On fan ratings Patrick Cripps leaps from No.48 to No.4 and Max Gawn jumps from No.45 to No.6, overtaking All-Australian ruckman Nic Naitanui.
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Other players to make a big leap up the list include Scott Pendlebury (No.22 to No.7), Jack Macrae (No.32 to No.8), Lachie Whitfield (No.30 to No.15), Clayton Oliver (No.47 to No.18) and Hugh McCluggage (No.44 to No.21). Sam Walsh, who scraped in at No.50 on Robbo’s list, is at No.29 on the fans’ rankings.
Patrick Dangerfield slides from No.6 to No.12 according to the fans, Taylor Adams is down 13 spots to No.26 and Christian Petracca falls from No.4 to No.27. But the biggest slider is Coleman Medallist Tom Hawkins, who falls all the way from No.3 to No.49.
See the full list and have your say on every player below.
WHY DUSTY IS ROBBO’S No.1
Kevin Bartlett is never going to debate about who is Richmond’s greatest player.
How can he?
KB is a contender for the No. 1 title, along with Royce Hart and Dustin Martin.
Asked to rank the top Tigers, he said: “I wouldn’t do that, that’s unfair’’.
However, he does rank Martin – this season’s No. 1 player in the Top 50 – among Tiger greats.
“Jack Dyer was unbelievable, Jack Titus must have been unbelievable, Roy Wright unbelievable, Royce was fantastic, Francis Bourke, Billy Barrot, Ian Stewart, Kevin Sheedy, Geoff Raines … all great Richmond players.
“And Dustin is up there with all those people.’’
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Asked to compare Martin to any player Bartlett had seen, which covers 60 year of football, Bartlett said Billy Barrot.
Barrot played 120 games for the Tigers from 1961-70 and is named in the club’s team of the century.
“Billy was an explosive player, beautiful kick, played in the centre but could go forward and be a damaging player,’’ KB said.
“There were times where he won finals and big games after switching from a centreman to full-forward.
“When he was up he was unbelievable.’’
WATCH ROBBO DISCUSS HIS TOP 50 WITH AL PATON:
KB described Martin as a superhero of the modern Tigers.
“Dusty is one of the modern-day greats, not only of Richmond, but of the competition.
“For so long, Richmond didn’t have anything to really celebrate – for 37 years – so what Richmond needed when they won the premiership in 2017 was it gave a whole new generation of Richmond people new heroes.
“And Dusty would be No. 1.
“When they won in 2017, you probably had to be 45 or 46 years of age to even remember Richmond winning the premiership in 1980.
“It’s now won three in four years which means dads and mums and kids are enjoying winning premierships and enjoying their heroes and Dustin has played a big part in that.”
MORE ROBBO:
Mark Robinson pays tribute to long-time Essendon doctor Bruce Reid after his death aged 74
Three Norm Smith Medals cements Martin’s place in unprecedented football history.
Who’s to say a fourth is not beyond him? Who’s to say he won’t be a permanent forward in two years time and be just as damaging?
A remarkable finals series for Dusty – yet again – has him recognised as the best player of 2020.
Brisbane’s Lachie Neale won every award imaginable, and clearly had a stellar season, but even he would doff his cap to the Tigers’ No. 4.
Neale was No. 2, Tommy Hawkins No. 3, Christian Petracca No. 4 and Travis Boak was No. 5 in the Top 50.
The Top 50 is loaded with defenders like never before and is symbolic of the defensive nature of today’s game.
It is for another time to debate the imbalance between offence and defence, suffice to say the AFL has to be concerned about reduced scoring.
If the AFL is not concerned, it needs to be.
Still, the defenders deserve recognition.
The top five highest ranked defenders are Harris Andrews (10), Caleb Daniel (15), Dylan Grimes (16), Nick Vlastuin (19) and Jacob Weitering (23).
Another 12 defenders are included in the next 27 selections in the Top 50.
Unofficially, the formation of the back six delivered more headaches for the All Australian selectors than the discussion about small forwards versus midfield-forwards.
The stark improvers this year include Lachie Neale (2), Petracca, Jack Steele, Liam Ryan, Ollie Wines, Taylor Adams, Cam Guthrie, Caleb Daniel and Mitch Duncan who were included in the top 20.
Only two small forwards, Ryan and St Kilda’s Dan Butler, were named in the Top 50.
The others, such as Tom Papley and Charlie Cameron, were too inconsistent.
The big-name performers to drop out of the Top 10 named at the start of the season were Max Gawn and Patrick Cripps, both listed in the 40s.
The Tigers had six players in the Top 50 which included best and fairest winner Jayden Short and emerging midfielder Shai Bolton.
Bolton had a ripper season from about Round 6 onwards and I suspect this won’t be his first and only appearance in the Top 50.
The last spot went to Carlton’s Sam Walsh and he, like Bolton, won’t be a stranger on this list for years to come.
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