Dustin Martin unleashes monster torpedo punt to set up Josh Caddy goal

ISOLATING Dustin Martin inside 50 will cause opponents huge headaches, but he proved against Carlton he doesn’t need to be anywhere near the goals to impact the scoreboard.

Dustin Martin let’s fly.

RICHMOND has to isolate Dustin Martin inside the forward 50 to generate a winning score.

That was the message from premiership player and analyst David King before the Tigers’ season-opening game against Carlton.

At halftime he looked like Nostradamus, as Richmond employed the new ‘Dusty paddock’ to brilliant effect with the star midfielder booting three goals to set up a big lead.

DOMINATION: DEAR DUSTY, PLEASE RE-SIGN NOW

But Martin showed in the final term he doesn’t need to be anywhere near the goals to impact the scoreboard.

WATCH DUSTIN MARTIN’S MASSIVE TORPEDO IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

With 16 minutes to play and Carlton just close enough to make Richmond fans nervous, Martin gathered the ball from a stoppage 40m from the Blues’ goal and unleashed a huge torpedo punt straight down the middle of the MCG.

It flew over the centre square, landing well inside the opposite forward 50, travelling close to 80m.

“It is a big, big barrel,” Bruce McAvaney called on Channel 7.

Dustin Martin unloads.

Recruit Josh Caddy pounced on the Martin bomb, beating defender Sam Rowe in a one-on-one battle and soccering the ball through the goals. The Tigers were never threatened after that.

Watching the replay, McAvaney said: “He is just casting a giant shadow over the MCG.”

Richmond gave a hint of a more direct playing style during the pre-season, and that play is about as direct as it gets. More, please.