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https://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2019-09-07/qf-hardwick-postmatch---------------------------------------------------------
Hardwick's Dusty gamble pays off for Richmond AFL.com.au
Callum Twomey
Sep 8, 2019 RICHMOND gambled on playing Dustin Martin as a near permanent forward against Brisbane, and the plan paid off.
The move came through for the Tigers in their 47-point qualifying final win over the Lions on Saturday night, with Martin kicking an equal career-best six goals.
The superstar midfielder played predominantly close to goal, where the Lions had no answers for his explosive mix of smarts, craft and power.
Coach Damien Hardwick said it was all part of Richmond's tactics heading into the crunch clash, with the Tigers keen to isolate Martin deep in attack.
"We thought we could get an advantage down there. I thought Jack [Riewoldt] and Tom [Lynch] at various stages looked very dangerous as well and we thought if we could engage their third taller defender we thought that might work for us," he said post-game.
“If we could break that last line … they play really high defensively, so we thought we could get that one on one match-up out the back and it worked for us tonight.”
The Lions midfield performed strongly the last time the sides met, in round 23, when Brownlow Medal contender Lachie Neale gathered 51 disposals.
Hugh McCluggage, Dayne Zorko, Jarrod Berry and Mitch Robinson have been crucial to Brisbane's success this season in the midfield, but Hardwick backed his side to control the middle, so they could make best use of Martin in the forward half.
"It's an area of the game where how you value it is really important. There's different value for contested possession, if that makes sense. We value some things a lot higher and I thought our guys battled manfully through there," he said.
"We threw the magnets around a little bit to try and get a different look for us and it worked tonight.
"I thought we probably broke even in that part of the game tonight."
Richmond progressed to its third straight preliminary final for the first time in the club's history with a strong performance against the Lions.
Brisbane had its chances to establish a lead, particularly in the first half, but the Tigers kicked 11 goals to four after half-time to run away with the win and condemn the Lions to a knockout semi-final next week against Greater Western Sydney.
Hardwick said the Tigers benefited from the Lions' wastefulness.
"Their first quarter was outstanding, I thought we got out of jail there. They were really attacking hard. Their goalkicking let them down a fair bit tonight as well," he said.
“I was probably happy that we’d absorbed their best punch,” Hardwick said when asked if he was nervous after the Lions’ dominant first term.
“I thought they came really hard and we just couldn’t get that ball out of our back half. We sort of thought ‘can they sustain that sort of pressure and that setup for the whole game?’, and we challenged our players to get better in a couple of areas and they lifted.
“That’s the great thing about our side — I consistently challenge those players in Trent and our leaders to get better in certain areas of their game, and they respond.
“That’s why they’re a pretty good side.”
Shane Edwards’ 29-disposal, eight-clearance and six-tackle showing in the middle had only helped the cause in the plan to push Martin forward, Hardwick said, as the 2018 All-Australian only continued to improve with age.
“Shane’s one of those players that we needed at certain stages of the year to play different roles,” he said.
“We love how he’s playing at the moment. His ability to create, but then also to win the ball back as a midfielder is really important. He’s just a wonderful player and he just seems to get better and better — a bit like Bachar Houli.
“The closer they get to 30, they just seem to become better players again. We’re very lucky to have them in our side.”
There was a controversial free kick paid to Tigers defender Dylan Grimes in the first term, which saw the All Australian backman accused of staging.
It cost the Lions a shot at goal, with Charles Cameron's free kick given back to Grimes following Eric Hipwood's slight bump, but Hardwick defended his star.
"It's funny isn't it, because I look at the game in a lot of different ways and I see guys shrug their head and all that sort of stuff [looking for free kicks], so at what stage do we stop and just let them play the game?" he said.
"The game's hard enough as it is. Pull our heads in probably a little bit [about the commentary] would be fair."
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