Martin lifting his game to a new levelJAY CLARK,
Herald Sun
April 8, 2017RICHMOND’S midfield including superstar ballwinner Dustin Martin is reaping the benefits of a new weights program, according to captain Trent Cotchin.
The Tigers appointed a new strength and conditioning boss Luke Meehan over summer and increased their focus on upper body weights in the pre-season to help support their new pressure-centric game plan.
And Martin, who is $7 second-favourite to win this year’s Brownlow Medal after a scintillating start to the season, has been one of the biggest improvers in the Richmond gym in recent months.
Martin, 25, will wear a helmet to help protect his fractured jaw for Saturday’s clash against West Coast at the MCG.
In part, the new weights program is designed to equip the Tigers’ ballwinners with the extra strength required to break through and navigate the heavy congestion around stoppages.
Hawthorn champion Luke Hodge said he believed most clubs around the league would be increasing their midfield strength to help match the Western Bulldogs’ onball muscle and combat the dense clusters of players around the ball.
The Dogs were ranked No.1 in the stoppages on their way to a stunning premiership triumph last season.
Cotchin lauded the new functional strength program and said Martin, in particular, was achieving personal-best results.
“It’s a new weights program which has been reinvigorating, exciting and more so just footy-focused,” Cotchin said.
“Dusty has lifted more weights than he has ever lifted and it is showing through in games.
“It’s really exciting.”
Hodge said players were having to increase their upper body strength, while maintaining their running power, to cope with the demands of the modern game.
The four-tuime premiership Hawk said the Dogs onballers were setting the benchmark in terms of their strength in the clinches.
“There are so many people around a stoppage,” Hodge said on Triple M.
“Yes, you do need to cover ground - as everyone has focused on in the past few years - but there are so may contested possessions these days.
“You saw the Doggies last year. They were that good at contested possession, and how strong in the upper body they were.
“Maybe it (Richmond’s new strength program) has followed the trend of other clubs, because I think a lot of clubs have had more of a focus on the upper body strength.”
After missing finals last season, the Tigers overhauled their coaching program and game plan, and have brought in new recruits Dion Prestia, Josh Caddy and in-form ruckman Toby Nankervis to give the team a stronger hand in the midfield.
They have won their first two games over Carlton and Collingwood and are one of the AFL’s top tackling and pressure sides.
Richmond ranks third for tackles (11 more than its opposition per game) this season after ranking last in the category (11.5 less than the opposition) last year.
They have also surged in clearances from 13th last year (-1.4) to 6th this season (+1.5), and jumped from 10th (-0.4) to 8th (+2.5) in contested possessions.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/dustin-martin-is-achieving-personalbest-results-in-the-gym/news-story/dd9d9c1d889814f425efd115c48a9def
