How will Port Adelaide go about trying to stop Dustin Martin in its blockbuster against Richmond?
Port Adelaide backed its ‘system’ to stop Dustin Martin in the preliminary final and he won the game for Richmond. So how do the Power try and quell him this time?
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The last two teams to face Richmond have had specific plans for Tigers superstar Dustin Martin, will Port Adelaide join them?
Ken Hinkley backed in the Power’s system in the preliminary final to quell the Richmond star and Dusty had 21 disposals, including 12 contested, two goals and three clearances to play a starring role in the Tigers six point win.
Hinkley is expected to again put faith in the system when the two sides meet in a blockbuster Friday night clash with plenty on the line – the loser will be 2-2.
“Dustin is the best player in the competition and we will put some work into him but ultimately the way we play our game is a team type of defence,” Port general manager of footy Chris Davies said on Monday.
“I think we will back our group to do the job but the coaches need to have contingencies to back any players’ influence.”
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But the success Sydney had against Martin in its shock win last weekend raises the question, should Port Adelaide deviate from its usual plan to try and stop the Richmond superstar?
Veteran Swans Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker paid Martin close attention around the stoppages and when he went forward tagger George Hewett wore him like a glove.
It followed on from Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson sending veteran Shaun Burgoyne to follow Martin around in Round 2, although the Tigers star still shined in that game.
“All they need to do (is) pull out the tape of what Sydney did on the weekend, it wasn’t a full blown tag,” Port Adelaide games record holder Kane Cornes said on SEN SA.
“But who is the player most like Josh Kennedy at Port Adelaide? It is Ollie Wines. So Wines whenever he is around the ball and Tom Jonas whenever he goes forward.
“And that may not be good enough, he may be too good for those two players but at least at the end of the game you are not going to say we didn’t try something, we didn’t have Hamish Hartlett on Martin or Darcy Byrne-Jones on Martin like we saw in the prelim final which was an absolute nightmare.”
Martin manhandled Byrne-Jones in a marking contest to kick a crucial goal in the second quarter in the preliminary final.
“They will need to be flexible back there for that very point to get the right match-up on Dusty and not get exposed and let him take three marks in the forward area and kick three goals because he is capable of that as we know,” he said.
“Richmond will try and isolate him at times to try and get Dusty (against) the wrong match-up and if they do that can be the difference.”
McGuane said it would be a tough decision for the Power to make.
“They have to be conscious of how after centre bounce Dusty drifts forward and when he drifts forward he becomes part of their forward six,” he said.
“Because Kane Lambert rebalances the Richmond teamsheet with six defenders, six midfielders and six forwards because Dusty is now one of them.
“And then it is about who do they communicate that handover to and they have to justify who the best defender is in that situation.
“Is it Dan Houston but can he play close to goal because that’s where Dusty becomes isolated and if he is slightly higher does Darcy Byrne-Jones go to him although he got outmarked on a couple of occasions (in the prelim).
“Does Jonas play on him close to goal and take that intercept ability out of their defensive structure?”
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Originally published as How will Port Adelaide go about trying to stop Dustin Martin in its blockbuster against Richmond?
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