Dusty-less Tigers could go from great to the greatestBy Damian Barrett
afl.com.au
19 July 2021SPORTING greatness can come in many forms, but special reverence is afforded greatness achieved in adversity.
Richmond Football Club's 2017-20 greatness is already entrenched, forever included in any list which covers Australian football dynasties.
If the Tigers were, in the remaining weeks of the 2021 season, to prove capable of wading through and conquering the multitude of serious setbacks thrown their way, they may just elevate themselves into the best-ever category.
Their situation is certainly at crisis point, Dustin Martin's season-ending kidney damage sustained in round 18 the latest and most impactful addition to an injury list filled with star talent throughout the entire season.
That Richmond was able to defeat Brisbane in a 'home' match at Metricon Stadium on Friday night was yet more proof that this team can never be written off. And while it has finished round 18 without a position in the top eight, there is not one team above it on the ladder that would gleefully approach a September match-up against it, even without Martin.
While Martin of 2021 hasn't been the Brownlow Medal-winning Martin of 2017, he has still been very, very good. And as evidenced in the Grand Finals of 2017, 2019 and 2020, he elevates his contributions for the moments when there are no prizes for second.
Martin joins Dion Prestia, Nick Vlastuin, Bachar Houli, Noah Balta and Nathan Broad on the injury list. Shane Edwards is on it, again, so too Dave Astbury. Trent Cotchin and Tom Lynch have been on it, both still seem underdone. Kane Lambert has been playing hurt. Toby Nankervis finally returned, against the Lions. Kamdyn McIntosh ripped a hamstring on Friday night.
As current fixturing stands, the Tigers are to play Geelong on Sunday at the MCG. It is an 'away' fixture, not that that will mean anything given there will be no crowd.
To win what would be one of the more extraordinary and improbable premierships in 2021, from this position the Tigers are probably going to need to win eight of a possible nine remaining matches – five home-and-away engagements, and then a finals campaign which would begin without a double chance.
After the Cats, clashes against Fremantle, North Melbourne, GWS and Hawthorn are to follow. I'm backing Richmond, even under this almighty adversity, in for four of those next five, which should take care of the mathematical challenge to actually qualify for the finals.
And then the real fun would begin, as there would be absolutely nothing to lose.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/650000/barrett-dusty-less-tigers-could-go-from-great-to-the-greatest
