AFL finals 2022: All the Richmond news in the lead-up to elimination final v Brisbane

Dustin Martin will return for Richmond’s first final, even if his preparation has not been perfect. Plus why wasn’t Shai Bolton on the Tigers’ flight north?

An “80 per cent” fit Dustin Martin will play for Richmond in Thursday night’s AFL elimination final against Brisbane at the Gabba.

The Tigers side will also include Shai Bolton, who hasn’t trained in recent days for “personal reasons”.

Bolton didn’t travel with his Richmond teammates to Queensland but was due to arrive in Queensland late on Wednesday.

“He’s on the plane now,” Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said on Wednesday afternoon after the Tigers trained at the Gabba.

“Everything’s OK ... he’s a certainty to play.”

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Dustin Martin is set to return for the elimination final. Picture: Brendan Beckett

As is Martin, who is set to make a comeback from a hamstring injury he suffered in early July.

“He’s a certain starter,” Hardwick said of the Tigers superstar.

“He did everything we’ve asked. It’s been a little bit of a delayed preparation, but he’s turned the corner in the last three weeks.

“We can’t wait for him to play. What impact we get, we’re not too sure, but what we do know is he’s a very good player.

“He’s not going to be 100 per cent, but he’s probably about 80 per cent which is good enough.”

How Tigers changed premiership blueprint

– Lauren Wood, Tarquin Oakley

Richmond’s forward line is as powerful as a number of key premiership figures have seen in their time at Punt Rd.

With Tom Lynch fit, Shai Bolton firing and now Dustin Martin potentially setting up shop inside 50 against the Lions, it’sa frightening prospect.

But as the Tigers prepare to go head-to-head with the competition’s nearest attacking competitor, they will need to pack all of their key assets – including a finally fit Martin – onto the plane to Brisbane.

The Herald Sun sat down with three Richmond premiership players this week – eight flags between them – for a look at what could set the Tigers apart on Thursday night.

And, they hope, beyond.

Tom Lynch is in career-best form. Picture: Michael Klein

SCORING SUCCESS

The Tigers are the competition’s highest-scoring team.

Second? You guessed it. Brisbane.

This has all the makings of a Thursday night shootout between the competition’s best sides when it comes to hitting the scoreboard.

And Broad said the shift for the Tigers – which has resulted in scores above 100 points in their last four games and more than 90 points in more than half of their games this season – has been evident.

“This would be the most potent forward line in my time at the club,” he declared.

“(Assistant coach) David Teague has come in from Carlton and that’s area of his expertise. We’re playing with a real freedom and flow and speed.

“It seems to work.”

Fellow defender Nick Vlastuin – who played alongside Broad in the 2017, 2018 and 2020 flag wins – said the team had to adjust in the wake of rule changes from AFL HQ, and had capitalised.

“Probably with the way the game is played these days, the stand on the mark rule is a lot harder,” he said.

“Last year we tried to play that lockdown, defensive game and it didn’t work, so teams who score the most generally (do well). An ability to score well leads to good results. You can’t rely on just locking teams down.”

BALLISTIC MISSILES

The Tigers of old are back this season – and pack a punch.

But it took a reality check to rediscover themselves again, and sometimes, you have to go back to go forward.

It was a return to the “chaos” that helped the Tiger train re-route to September, Broad said, with a ballistic turnover game key to their DNA.

Champion Data has the Tigers as one of the game’s best offensive outfits, ranked top for points from turnovers.

And that’s just how they like it.

“We played more methodical for the start of the year, we changed in the pre-season … but we just realised it’s not us,” Broadsaid.

“It’s not how we play. We need chaos – we need the ball on the ground, soccering off the deck. All these unconventional things that some clubs wouldn’t do, we need that for us to work, and when everyone fulfils their role and you add a bit of chaos, it’s good to watch.”

Nathan Broad says creating chaos is key to Richmond’s game plan. Picture: Mark Stewart

And they intend to use their speed when it counts.

“We’re not the biggest or most muscly side out there. But we’ve got a lot of speed and agility,” Broad said.

“If we just get the ball to grass and to space, it’s amazing what some of these boys can do.”

Short is one of those, and said that coaches “encourage” mistakes – it’s what you do after that that counts.

“That probably gives us some confidence, that we don’t need to be perfect,” he said.

“Our game is kind of based off mistakes, so it’s good that you don’t have to be the best at every skill. We just rely on getting the ball forward and giving our forwards a chance.”

THE DIMMASTY

Broad joked that he just about needs a new chest of drawers at home as coach Damien Hardwick continues to shower his players in gifts every week as part of his coaching theme.

Shirts from other sporting organisations are a noted favourite, with the gifts waiting at player lockers.

“Most of the time it’s T-shirts with the theme of the week, so I’ve got a lot of bedtime shirts and winter shirts,” he laughed.

“(My partner) Tayla’s like, ‘Some of these have got to go’. He speaks so well and tells a story and gets the players believing it.

“Everyone writes us off and says the dynasty is done, but Dimma just finds a way to get us back and get us connected again.”

Richmond’s comeback win against Brisbane kickstarted the Tigers’ run to the finals. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

DOWN MEMORY LANE

It wasn’t all that long ago that these two sides met.

Triple-premiership Tiger Nathan Broad says Richmond and Brisbane’s round 20 thriller at the MCG “has to be” the game the Tigers continue to reference as the driving force behind their September push.

On the back of last-gasp losses to Gold Coast and North Melbourne and a draw with Fremantle, the Tigers’ were staring down the barrel when they trailed by 42 points before rallying to run down the Lions.

It all could have been so different.

“It really has to be (the game we look back on),” Broad told the Herald Sun.

“Because if we lose that game, we can’t really lose a game from there on in, otherwise we don’t make finals at all.

“That really got us started. We haven’t lost a game since then now, and built a lot of confidence off it. We’ve got to find confidence in places and evidence, and that’s definitely one of those games.”

“The boys just wanted to be back there and back in September.”

Dual-flag teammate Jayden Short said it hasn’t been directly called upon this week – yet – but that game was proof that matching the Lions in the contest early in the game would be crucial at the Gabba.

“We don’t want to get into that position we were in last time,” he said.

LIONS AND TIGERS AND SCARES

Points for: Brisbane 2nd, Richmond 1st

Score per inside 50%: Brisbane 4th, Richmond 1st

Points from turnovers: Brisbane 4th, Richmond 1st

Inside 50 differential: Brisbane 5th, Richmond 6th

Defensive 50 to inside 50%: Brisbane 1st, Richmond 2nd

Source: Champion Data

Training intel: Different role looms for Dusty

A “brick wall” Dustin Martin could play primarily forward in his first game in two months as the Tigers contemplate throwing the superstar Brownlow medallist straight back into finals action.

Martin, 31, has not played since Round 16 as he battled an ongoing hamstring complaint but is likely thrust squarely into the Tigers’ elimination final against Brisbane on Thursday night – though potentially not in his traditional midfield role.

The star Tiger trained firmly in attack during Monday’s match simulation session, which Shai Bolton — who is not in any doubt to face the Lions — missed due to personal reasons.

Martin participated in every drill of the Tigers’ 90 minute session, including tackling practice and match simulation, showing no signs of hindrance from the hamstring injury that’s kept him out of the side for the Tigers’ last seven games.

Dustin Martin looked sharp at training. Picture: Michael Klein

Dustin Martin at Tigers training. Picture: Michael Klein

And his direct training opponent, triple-premiership defender Nathan Broad, said his teammate should be feared should he be selected.

“I’d be picking him, that’s for sure,” Broad told the Herald Sun.

“But I don’t know what they’re going to do. There’ll be someone else that they won’t be able to play, but it’s Dustin Martin.

“Having his name on a team sheet is a big statement in itself, let alone have him run out there.

“The way he trained … we could definitely use him, that’s for sure.”

The dual Brownlow medallist played as a forward for the match simulation, kicking a goal and moving freely up the ground.

Tom Lynch also trained fully after being subbed out with a groin issue in the Tigers’ win over the Bombers in the last round of the home and away season

Damien Hardwick may have regretted taking the tackle bag. Picture: Michael Klein

Tom Lynch shows no signs of a groin injury. Picture: Michael Klein

Dylan Grimes runs laps as he returns from injury. Picture: Michael Klein

Nick Vlastuin was in good spirits with Jack Riewoldt and Dylan Grimes. Picture: Michael Klein

Trent Cotchin gets some encouragement from Maurice Rioli Jr. Picture: Michael Klein

Broad said the prospect of having Martin alongside the likes of Lynch and Jack Riewoldt in attack was “scary”.

“He’s not a conventional forward. He doesn’t do things like most forwards do – lead and jump,” he said.

“He’s more of a stand and deliver (type player). He is like trying to move a brick wall. He is so strong. He knows what makes him good, knows his craft and is very hard to stop.

“If we’ve got Dustin Martin on Thursday night out of the goalsquare, I won’t be complaining.”

Flag teammate and AFL premiership cup ambassador Bachar Houli — who retired at the end of last season — revealed on Monday that he had invited Martin for dinner late last week, with the triple Norm Smith medallist thoroughly enjoying a Middle Eastern barbecue feast ahead of what could be a finals return.

“I try not to nag Dusty – I know he likes to do wat he does … but he looks really good,’ Houli said at the AFL finals launch.

“Really comfortable and I think he’s going to make a return. Not that I know what he’s going to do in the future, because that’s Dustin. That’s what makes him, him.

“He looks very comfortable, he’s just worried about the near future and getting back and playing quality football.

: There’s no better player to come back and play the game, because he’s the biggest finals player that I’ve ever seen play.

“He’ll just do what’s right for Dustin, but he’s just thinking about doing his bit for the team.”

Both Jack Graham (foot) and Noah Cumberland (hamstring) completed the full session as well, after training away from the main group on Saturday, with defender Nick Vlastuin declaring the pair “fine”.

Originally published as AFL finals 2022: All the Richmond news in the lead-up to elimination final v Brisbane