Martin needs to spend more time forward & Richmond needs to play their kids (HS)

[one-eyed]

Dustin Martin needs to spend more time forward and Richmond needs to play their kids

    Shane Crawford
    Herald Sun
    May 16, 2015 8:00PM

OPERATION Tiger Fightback has to start on Sunday against Collingwood — a team that Hardwick hasn’t beaten as a coach and a side that Richmond hasn’t defeated since way back in 2007.

The first thing I would do if I was Hardwick is to stop trying to play safe footy. Stop going backwards as a team, stop chipping and switching without purpose and concentrate on getting the ball forward.

Take the risk of playing fast-motion footy, as that was one of the reasons why the Tigers clawed their back into last season — by taking the game on and getting the ball into attack as fast as possible.

It’s a mindset the players need to discover — and fast.

Richmond needs to isolate Dustin Martin in one-on-ones in attack like it did last year.

Sure, he is a midfielder, but he was almost unstoppable when pushed deep into attack at stages of last year. He won games for them.

Can you believe Dusty has not had a one-on-one contested in the forward 50m this year, let alone won one?

It’s incredible, too, to think that the Tigers have one of the best defenders in the competition in Alex Rance and yet they are one of the easiest teams to score against.

Part of that is because they stuff around with the ball in areas that they shouldn’t, and by going more direct and with greater certainty, I reckon it would eradicate some of the scoring against issues.

And Hardwick has to start playing the kids, and that’s why I was encouraged to the point of tipping them on Sunday, when I saw the original 25-man squad contained some new names and fresh faces.

Create some competition for spots, and give the kids a chance.

Tellingly, only two sides — Richmond and Port Adelaide — did not have a player under 21 in last week’s round of matches.

And just look at how playing the kids have given teams such as St Kilda, Western Bulldogs and Greater Western Sydney a real kickalong this year. The fresh faces make the older players rise to the occasion too.

Sunday is D-Day for the Tigers. Win against Collingwood, and the season remains alive. Lose, and keep losing, and No Man’s Land is going to be a very lost and lonely place.

Carlton is in No Man’s Land. They aren’t contending and they haven’t hit the rock bottom of a rebuild yet.

We’ll know more about Richmond’s next phase over the next six weeks, but if they are to lose all of those games — which would have them at 2-10 — then I reckon some seriously hard decisions have to be made.

And they might have to decide to go backwards a bit to one day go forwards again.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/dustin-martin-needs-to-spend-more-time-forward-and-richmond-needs-to-play-their-kids-shane-crawford-writes/story-fni5f1tu-1227357456488

[Chuck17]

Thanks for the tip

[big tone]

It's funny how everyone else can see it except Dimma.
Crawf is 100% right, everything we do is safe.
Playing it safe will be the end of him if he doesn't work it out ASAP. His coaching career is slipping away with every backwards chip kick and a few players that are scared to take the game on are going to be to blame. 
For someone that Dimma thinks is a nice kick Batchelor kicks it sideways way too much and Ellis of course doesn't even look forward when he has his 25 "nothing" kicks.
For those that just think I'm being a hater, just have a real close look today at those two.

[The Machine]

Ellis almost always looks to go backwards or sideways every time he gets the ball. Wake up son and play attacking damaging footy as we all know you can.

[WA Tiger]

Well Dusty in the forward line/midfield, wow, who would have thought.....

Hardwick, you are a  BEEP.

[potsclub]

Think he is trying to much. Think he is under a bit of pressure with his job for the first time and doesn't know what to do.
D
Rance in the middle.
Dusty down back.
Morris forward pocket

This is where it's going all pear shaped.

You play your best 22 team where they play their best football.
Seen Dusty win games off his own boot.
Morris might not be a superstar but plays a good lockdown roll on small forwards.

Far out, stop kicking the ball to Jack in the forward pocket either ten meters short of him and or when 4 players are around him.

Tell you what our game plan is crap. I think there is internal trouble. Just like Carlton. Players have stopped trying.

[wayne]

Even a clown who dresses up like an old man and does fart joke after fart joke can see the obvious when Dimma can't.

Dusty unstoppable in the f50, so Dimma stops doing it?

Riewoldt kicks 70 goals and wins coleman. Dimma says for us to get better, Jack needs to kick less goals.

Morris now a forward....

Coaching genius.

[WA Tiger]

Even a clown who dresses up like an old man and does fart joke after fart joke can see the obvious when Dimma can't.

Dusty unstoppable in the f50, so Dimma stops doing it?

Riewoldt kicks 70 goals and wins coleman. Dimma says for us to get better, Jack needs to kick less goals.

Morris now a forward....

Coaching genius.

Yep 100% agree, these decisions have killed us. If Bomber came in he would put them all back where they should be and build the plan around that.

[eliminator]

Crawford is spot on. Hardwick has lost touch with what he needs to do as he is in self preservation mode. Martin of course would bring a spark to the forwardline and getting it into the forwardline quickly would mean that defenders from opposing teams would be put under the pump for once. Bringing in  young players would hopefully bring the enthusiasm which has sadly been lacking.

[WA Tiger]

Hardwick has been in preservation mode since round 1 when he played Newman.

[bojangles17]

Fluff article , 5-6 newcomers in today's side