Dustin Martin labelled best second-year AFL player: Richmond coach Damien Hardwick Jon Ralph
From: Herald Sun
May 03, 2011 RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has labelled Dustin Martin the best second-year player he has seen.
Martin has taken the competition by storm, his latest dominant performance a 35-possession game against the Brisbane Lions.
Hardwick has been at four clubs - Essendon, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn and Richmond - since being recruited in 1994, but cannot find an equal to the man from Castlemaine.
"(With) Dustin Martin, it's hard to know where to start," he said.
"I don't think I have seen a more significant impact for a second-year player in my time in AFL.
"He has had a terrific season and built on his performance last year, but the great thing we have seen this year, which he didn't have last year, was the ability to push forward.
"We can probably thank the sub rule for that one, so thanks Adrian Anderson and Andrew (Demetriou)."
In Hardwick's time he has played with or coached stars such as Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli, James Hird, Matthew Lloyd, Gavin Wanganeen and Shaun Burgoyne.
He says Martin's transition into a more complete player has come from going to school on his opponents.
The 19-year-old has been going to games to study the running patterns of elite midfielders.
"His ability to win one-on-one contests is as good as I have seen. We feel he has an enormous future, and hopefully he can continue on in his good form," Hardwick said.
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