Dusty days: Has star Tiger been reborn under new coach?Jon Pierik
The Age
June 24, 2023 — 4.00pmDustin Martin has turned back the clock and been given greater licence to spend more time further afield, as the Tigers work towards a finals “miracle” under caretaker coach Andrew McQualter.
Martin, 31, was particularly influential in the Tigers’ two wins heading into this weekend’s mid-season bye, having 27 disposals against Fremantle and 35 against St Kilda, the latter the first time he has had at least 30 touches since round five, 2021, also against the Saints.
However, it’s where Martin has been used which has been noted by rival clubs, for he has spent a greater percentage of his time in the midfield over the past fortnight (80.6 per cent) than he had through the opening 12 rounds (67.7 per cent).
There has been a significant change in his time inside 50, dropping from 30.9 per cent to 14.5 per cent over the past fortnight.
While still a relatively low percentage, the Tigers great has also found himself venturing into defensive 50 more often, this escalating from 1.3 per cent to 4.8 per cent.
This balance over the past fortnight aligns more with his 2017 Brownlow Medal year, when he spent 75.8 per cent of his time in the midfield, 18.4 per cent up forward and 5.8 per cent defensively, enjoying one of the greatest individual seasons of all time, capped with a breakthrough Richmond premiership and the first of his three Norm Smith medals.
Tigers great, and now senior advisor, Neil Balme said Martin had been instructed to venture further afield.
“Yes, he is doing a bit more midfield stuff, as well as playing up the field as a forward,” Balme said.
“Today’s footy, wherever the ball is, virtually everyone is within a kick of it, no matter where they are. You have to go to encourage them to get nearer the ball, and he is doing that very well.
“And a couple of the other teams haven’t really played as tightly on him because he does that, and that does make it a bit easier for him.”
However, there may be a trade-off with Martin’s rejigged role, for he has been goalless over the past three weeks, including the past fortnight. He had 13 through the opening 11 rounds, including four from only 19 touches in a four-goal win over Geelong in round nine.
Martin, whether through age, fitness, injury or pure class, has been seen as more of a forward in recent seasons, regularly playing forward of centre, but his toughness in the contest, penetrating kick and poise mean he can be influential across the entire field, particularly with the Tigers now looking to win more clearances.
“He can play a bit,” Balme said facetiously.
Martin is enjoying his football under McQualter, and the Tigers remain confident he will be at the club next year and complete the final year of his contract.
The Tigers, having had only three wins and a draw and slipping to 14th on the ladder before Damien Hardwick quit after round 10, have won three straight, and are within a game of the top eight, as they prepare to head to Brisbane and face the Lions in a Thursday night blockbuster.
They will need to win six, possibly seven, of their final nine home-and-away games to claim what had seemed an unlikely finals berth.
“The players have responded really positively to the fact we needed to recover our position, and we have done really well. It would be a miracle [to make finals] going forward, but we haven’t given up on the hope of a miracle because our best has always been pretty good, and we are starting to deliver it a bit more now,” Balme said.
McQualter has begun to stamp his own imprint on the game plan. Champion Data analysis shows the Tigers have leapt from 14th to fifth for disposal differential over the past month, opting to hold on to the ball more through uncontested possessions, while also curbing their mark-play on percentage.
There is a greater emphasis on clearance differential, vaulting from 16th after round 10 to eighth. Under three-time premiership coach Hardwick, winning clearances was not a priority.
The Tigers have also surged from 15th for points from forward-half intercepts to fourth, and from last to third for scores per inside 50 percentage.
“All those things, that’s exactly what Damien would have been doing anyway because the numbers are the numbers, and our style is our style,” Balme said.
“What do the numbers tell you? We have to improve our stoppage clearances, or hold the ball more in our forward line, or whatever it is.
“While Andrew has come in, he hasn’t changed the way we have played. Obviously, it’s slightly different because he has a slightly different way of presenting it, but we are still virtually playing the same game, the assistant coaches are still all doing their jobs similarly.
“We have elevated Kane Lambert to do ‘Mini’s’ [McQualter’s] job, and Mini is doing Damien’s job. It’s not that different and the players have really responded well to it.”
Should McQualter, 37, deliver a finals berth, the highly rated assistant, and one-time St Kilda and Gold Coast player, will have even stronger claims to permanently win the top role.
“What Andrew has been doing has been really good. His relationship with the players has been fantastic, he has challenged them well and a slightly different voice is sometimes a positive,” Balme said.
The Tigers are hopeful star midfielder Jacob Hopper (calf) will return on Thursday after a five-week absence, but there is no timeline for key forward Tom Lynch. Balme said he hoped Lynch will play again this year, but the Jack Dyer medallist is still working his way back from a fractured foot.
DUSTY DAYSRounds F50 % Mid% D50%1-12: 30.9 67.7 1.3
13-14: 14.5 80.6 4.8
2017: 18.4 75.8 5.8
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/dusty-days-has-star-tiger-been-reborn-under-new-coach-20230624-p5dj4l.html
