North Melbourne falls short of upsetting Richmond but shows rivals how to stop Dustin Martin
LAST year Dustin Martin got pretty much everything he wanted. Today he didn’t get it all his own way — and he didn’t like it. Other teams, take note.
Richmond
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DUSTIN Martin isn’t used to not getting his own way.
Last year he pretty much got everything he desired including enough money in a new contract to buy a small country, a Brownlow Medal, Norm Smith Medal and premiership.
It took the Australian Government to deliver his only real disappointment when they wouldn’t let his old man back in the country.
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On the field Dusty was in complete control, no one was capable or willing to really upset his command on proceedings.
Ben Jacobs didn’t play last year. In fact, he hasn’t been on the park for almost two years because of injury.
The last time he played against Richmond was in the 2015 elimination final when the Kangaroos tagger took Trent Cotchin to the cleaners.
It was a performance which haunted the Tigers captain, with Jacobs keeping him to just three kicks and six handballs.
This time Martin was the target. Dusty was expecting it and after contesting the opening bounce he slid down to full-forward to try and shake his shadow.
It didn’t work. At quarter-time he’d had just two handballs, by halftime he was up to seven disposals but zero impact on the contest.
Ironically, Cotchin wasn’t exactly have a party without Jacobs. He was in a head-to-head battle with North ball magnet Ben Cunnington which early days wasn’t going his way.
Cunnington was easily best on ground at halftime with 20 touches which included 16 contested possessions and seven clearances.
Cotchin had only six handballs in the first quarter but was up to 18 touches by the main break.
While these two match-ups were an entertaining subplot, there was a pretty intense and interesting competition going on between the rest of the 40 players at Etihad Stadium.
The first half was Richmond in defending premier mode with their pressure causing turnovers by a lesser opponent which they then ruthlessly capitalised on.
But the third quarter was a different story.
The pressure valve from North went up about 10 levels and the Tigers didn’t like it. Four goals to one got the Roos within four points at three-quarter time.
Ben Brown was engaged in an enthralling battle with Alex Rance while North captain Jack Ziebell was inspiring all in sundry playing mainly forward as his young team started to whiff an upset.
They finally got their nose in front after a Shaun Higgins snap at the two-minute mark of the final quarter.
As all this was happening Dusty was at the other end, stranded in a forward pocket where his opponent was Scott Thompson.
His day was summed up a couple of minutes later when he was pinged for too high after executing his trademark don’t argue fend on North youngster Jy Simpkin.
To his credit, the crucial goal to put Richmond back in front midway through the last term came from a nice Dusty tap to Cotchin who snapped truly.
He then produced a brilliant kick to set up Dan Butler for the goal which finally broke North’s back.
Dusty had gone under 20 possessions only once this year and that was in Round 4 against Brisbane, although it must be noted he did kick six goals that day.
The end result of his afternoon against North was 16 possessions but he only had 11 in his 59 minutes opposed directly to Jacobs who got 15 touches himself.
So have North given the blueprint to other clubs on how to challenge Richmond?
You don’t have to be Einstein to figure out that stopping Dusty is going to enhance your chances but the problem is no-one else has anyone as good as Jacobs.
But they should at least start trying to find one because the tactic gave North a chance and if Brown hadn’t missed a couple of gettable shots in the last five minutes, it might have got them the upset and recognition they’re craving.
RICHMOND 3.4 8.4 9.7 12.10 (82)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.0 5.2 9.3 11.6 (72)
GULLAN’S BEST
TIGERS: Cotchin, Caddy, Lambert, Houli, Vlastuin, Lloyd.
KANGAROOS: Cunnington, Ziebell, Jacobs, Higgins, Anderson, Thompson.
GOALS
TIGERS: Caddy 4, Lambert 3, Riewoldt 2, Castagna, Cotchin, Butler.
KANGAROOS: Atley 2, Wood 2, Brown 2, Waite 2, Simpkin, Higgins, Macmillan.
REPORTS
McDonald (NM) reported for making high contact with Lambert (Rich) in the first quarter.
INJURIES
Nil
UMPIRES
Deboy, Hosking, Chamberlain.
CROWD
29,153 at Etihad Stadium.
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