'Certain starter': Martin back for Cat clashCallum Twomey
afl.com.au
Jun 15, 2018RICHMOND superstar Dustin Martin is considered a certain starter for the Tigers' clash with Geelong after missing last week's loss to Port Adelaide.
A minor calf injury ruled out last year's Brownlow medalist from his side's 14-point defeat at Adelaide Oval, and the 26-year-old instead spent the weekend in New Zealand visiting his father.
But he has been named to take on the Cats at the MCG on Sunday, and coach Damien Hardwick said the brilliant midfielder will return for the clash.
"Our expectation is he'll play. He'll train today and get through that we believe, so he's a certain starter at this stage," Hardwick said on Friday.
The injury had started to nag Martin "a little bit" in recent weeks according to Hardwick, but the Tigers felt if last week's clash was not in the Friday night slot then he may have been passed fit.
"It probably developed in the St Kilda game (in round 10), was a little bit worse in the Essendon game (in round 11), [but] to be fair it wasn't significantly worse. But if the game was on Sunday last week he quite possibly could have played," he said.
"It was a conservative call by us and probably a smart call to nip it in the bud and cop your one week instead of making it a two or three-week injury.
"Our medical guys have been really good with making those calls, so we back them in. Dustin will freshen up and play a significant part in our game plan this week."
David Astbury trained on Friday but will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness after an ankle injury last week, but the Tigers will welcome back premiership hero Daniel Rioli to their forward line for his first senior game of the season after a long-term ankle injury.
Hardwick said it was good the Tigers could "get the band back together" with their trio of small forwards – Rioli, Jason Castagna and Dan Butler – and that Rioli's absence had been felt.
"It's funny, we generally show clips of the last time we played the side [we're coming up against that weekend] and trying to find defensive clips without Daniel laying one, two or three tackles has been incredibly tough," he said.
"He's one of those players whose statistical output doesn't look great but he makes those players around him better. And he makes our system better, so we're looking forward to having him back."
Premiership midfielder Dion Prestia, who has played only four games this season, trained with the main group on Friday and is expected to return from injury after the Tigers' round 14 bye.
Hardwick said he will ramp up his "footy skills" work in the next two weeks in a bid to have a big say on the Tigers' back-to-back hopes in the second half of the season.
While the Tigers seem unlikely to deploy a hard tag on any of Geelong's star midfield trio Patrick Dangerfield, Gary Ablett and Joel Selwood, Hardwick did echo the thoughts of Dangerfield, who this week again called on AFL games to be shorter.
"We've spoken about it as a coaching fraternity for the last two-to-three years, the game is far too long. You only have to look at how it goes – some sides, for example, play 33-minute quarters and others play 28-minute quarters," Hardwick said.
"Over the course of a week that doesn't seem significant but over the year it can be quite significant. When you look at games with young sides, the blowouts tend to happen in the last five minutes of quarters.
"If it's all about what's best for the competition, I think it's a no-brainer from my point of view."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-06-15/certain-starter-martin-back-for-cat-clash
