Richmond star Dustin Martin thrives spending more time in the midfieldSAM EDMUND
Herald Sun
May 24, 2016DUSTIN Martin has changed the way he plays football.
The midfielder with the powerful frame, tattoos and the best ‘don’t argue’ in football, is now officially that — a midfielder.
The fact is, for the first six and a bit seasons of his career, Martin has been a forward as much as he’s been an on-baller.
The Tigers have had a bit each way on their talented 2009 No. 3 pick, and he has delivered more often than not in both areas.
But Martin’s deployment as a permanent inside midfielder in the past month has sparked a career-best run of form that’s causing chaos for rivals. The finishing class remains, but it’s now preceded by more wrecking-ball menace at the coalface.
From 2010 to 2015 and in the first five rounds this year, Martin spent less than half his games in the midfield. Yet from rounds 6-9 he’s been in there 83 per cent of the time.
Whether that was to cover for the loss of Trent Cotchin and Kane Lambert only coach Damien Hardwick knows. But what everyone now knows is that Martin now has to stay there.
His contested possession average has skyrocketed from 8.6 in the first five weeks to 14.8 in the last four and clearances have gone from three per game to 5.5. He now attends 17.5 centre bounces a match, up from 9.8.
But where Martin’s influence is most telling is the fact that, along with ripping the ball from stoppages, he’s also taken his metres gained from 304m per game to 533m.
Clearance players lethal on the burst are the dream combination for coaches. Think Chris Judd and Gary Ablett in their primes.
Critically, of the 190 players in the past month to win at least 40 per cent of their possessions contested, Martin ranks No. 1 in the competition for metres gained with Patrick Dangerfield second.
It’s been a remarkable form surge after a turbulent off-season plagued by restaurant scandals and his father Shane’s deportation to New Zealand.
Martin gave a “shout out” to his dad on live television after another commanding display against Fremantle, before Cotchin praised his teammate’s strength.
“For someone who doesn’t actually test that well in the gym he’s a beast,” Cotchin told Channel 9.
“He’s so strong. I was talking to Anthony Miles after the game and he said: ‘I just wish I had the same strength as Dusty because I’d get out of so much trouble’.
“He’s been fantastic the last month.”
2010-2015 Rounds 1-5 Rounds 6-9Rankings Points 95 93 123
Disposals 23.4 24.0 29.3
Contested Possessions 8.4 8.6 14.8
% of possessions won contested 36% 36% 52%
Clearances 3.3 3.0 5.5
Time spent in midfield 49% 47% 83%
Source: Champion Data http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-star-dustin-martin-thrives-spending-more-time-in-the-midfield/news-story/8880650d0bcd39e3996f98ad6daa8f68