Dangerwood v Motchin - an AFL showstopper Nine Wide World of Sports
By AAP
7 September 2017So who would you prefer - Dangerfield and Selwood or Martin and Cotchin?
The AFL's best two midfield pairings square off in an intriguing subplot to Friday night's huge AFL qualifying final at the MCG.
About the only thing clear-cut about the debate is that the Geelong duo have far and away the better moniker.
Dangerwood beats Motchin hands down in the snappy wordplay stakes.
The argument is nowhere near as straightforward where it really counts.
In the blue and white corner, Geelong can boast the reigning Brownlow medallist in Patrick Dangerfield, whose stacked CV also includes five All-Australian guernseys and best and fairest awards at Adelaide and the Cats.
Dangerfield's teammate Joel Selwood stands head and shoulders above all other contenders as the game's most inspirational captain.
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He can boast six All-Australian selections - three as skipper - and three Geelong best and fairests.
And unlike any other members of the celebrated quartet, Selwood has tasted premiership success - on three separate occasions, no less.
If Richmond's two midfield prime movers can't yet claim as many individual honours, it's fair to say they are closing the gap.
Martin - who last week signed a seven-year contract extension worth $1.2 million per season - is the unbackable favourite to win the 2017 Brownlow Medal.
That Dangerfield is ineligible due to suspension makes it a near-certainty, although there's every chance Martin will top the vote count regardless, such has been his dominance.
It would be a huge shock if Martin doesn't also claim a second straight Jack Dyer Medal as the Tigers' best and fairest player, an award where he has finished in the top three in five of the previous best six seasons.
That a spot could not be found for Cotchin in the expanded All-Australian squad of 40 in 2017 was among the more bizarre selection decisions in recent memory.
He has never captained his club better and only Martin's annus mirabilis has denied the 27-year-old more headlines for his key role in lifting Richmond from the doldrums all the way to third spot.
Like Dangerfield - and presumably Martin too by the end of the month - Cotchin is a Brownlow medallist.
He's also a three-time club best and fairest winner and a 2012 All-Australian.
So how do rival coaches Chris Scott and Damien Hardwick go about trying to quell the opposition's best two?
In the cases of Dangerfield and Martin in particular, it's a hugely difficult ask.
Both combine an enviable ability to rack up possessions with elite acceleration and raw power, with Martin's trademark "don't argue" the cream on top.
Cam Guthrie and Tom Stewart combined to do a pretty good job on Martin when the two teams last met in round 21, as the Cats claimed a 13th straight win over Richmond.
"Dustin was a little bit sore for that game too so there are a lot of things that contribute to performances that aren't necessarily going to be factors in this game," Cats coach Scott said on Wednesday.
"So while you'd be crazy not to look at it, as it was only a month ago, we've got to be aware that things might be a bit different this time and be ready to adjust on the fly."
Tackling machine Scott Selwood could also be sent to either Martin or Cotchin.
Joel Selwood is a certain starter on Friday night, just 35 days after suffering an ankle injury which required surgery.
Vastly-improved Tiger Kane Lambert has the capacity to do a run-with midfield role on either of the Cats' prime movers, while Kamdyn McIntosh at least has the size and speed to be an option when Dangerfield goes forward.
Friday night won't necessarily provide a definitive answer to the Dangerwood v Motchin debate.
But whichever pairing has the biggest night is every chance to carry their team straight through to the preliminary final.
http://wwos.nine.com.au/2017/09/07/03/37/dangerwood-v-motchin-an-afl-showstopper
