Adelaide Crows need to deal with the Brownlow Medallist in two roles — midfield and selfless forward
BROWNLOW Medallist Dustin Martin poses a tactical challenge for the Crows, one Adelaide midfield coach Scott Camporeale is prepared to win
Crows
Don't miss out on the headlines from Crows. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- How Crows built a grand team
- All the latest on Grand Final eve
- The master and the apprentice
- Croweater: Crouching Tiger, hidden Crow
- Gallery: Crows fans fly as one
ADELAIDE knows there are two version of Dustin Martin to deal with in tomorrow’s AFL grand final — the Richmond midfielder and the selfless Tigers forward.
But does Crows midfield strategist and senior assistant Scott Camporeale give the assignment to one — or two, with the risk of the Brownlow Medallist doing damage in the handover of the biggest challenge on the MCG tomorrow?
“Obviously, he is a talented player,” said Camporeale of Martin who is the favourite for the Norm Smith Medal as the best-afield in the grand final.
“You don’t win the Brownlow Medal without playing really good footy — and we know what he can do through the middle and he hits the scoreboard when he is forward.
“He is no different to (2016 Brownlow Medallist and Geelong champion) Patrick Dangerfield.
“We think we have the match-ups through the middle of the ground — and we think we have the match-ups when he goes forward, as well.”
But can one Crows deal with the task of competing against Martin so that he does not do damage in the transition from midfield work to attack?
“We’ll wait and see,” said the guarded Camporeale as Adelaide travelled to Melbourne with upgraded rookie midfielder Hugh Greenwood part of the midfield mix after passing tests on his troubled calf on Wednesday.
Martin on Monday won the Brownlow Medallist with a record 36 votes — including 11 best-afield nods from the umpires — to justify Leigh Matthews’ claim the Tigers has played “the greatest season in the history of the game”.
There is a higher rating for the Richmond midfield with Martin and Cotchin than there is of Adelaide’s workmanlike group led by Crows vice-captain Rory Sloane. Each team has one midfielder in this year’s All-Australian team — Martin and Crows high-possession earner Matt Crouch.
Camporeale carries the game-day responsibility of working the midfield match-ups that are expected to have the greatest influence on deciding the grand final. The lingering question remains Adelaide’s willingness to work a tag, a theme reintroduced to the Crows arsenal after the mid-season break with Riley Knight.
“It is a constant (discussion),” Camporeale said of the tagger. “We look at the team we play — and we look at our balance as well. It is a nice chess piece to look at week in, week out.
“It’s in the mix ... and we’ll see.”
Adelaide and Richmond play for the second time in this year’s premiership season, 21 weeks after the Round 6 clash at Adelaide Oval won by the Crows by 76 points. The Tigers two Brownlow Medallists — Cotchin and Martin — had 26 and 25 disposals respectively.
Martin scored one goal in a season when he has kicked a career-high 35.
Martin has a 4-5 record in his nine games against the Crows with a 21.33 disposal average — his second lowest in the head-to-head statistics with Richmond’s 17 AFL rivals.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
Originally published as Adelaide Crows need to deal with the Brownlow Medallist in two roles — midfield and selfless forward
Several Crows still in limbo after latest re-signings
A pair of promising defenders have signed on at Adelaide, but a number of Crows remain in limbo as the club prepares for a bumper trade period.
No, thanks: Crow turns back on Collingwood trade
Collingwood came hard at Mark Keane in an attempt to get the key defender back at the club. But the Irishman isn’t going anywhere, recommitting long term at the Crows.