Hardwick interview Jan 24 - 2014 expectations / Dusty the defender (afl site)

[big tone]

I agree with WAT, Dusty is a proven goal kicking mid - if you want a play maker down back then put Lids back there

I agree with you blokes. It's all well and good to be attacking off half back but first and foremost you have to defend, and Houli ain't the best at it and Martin IMO doesn't have the patience nor the dedication to play that roll. He is the most natural footballer we have and playing in the backline isn't for those really gifted players. He is unpredictable, reckless and dangerous with the ball in hand forward of centre, why anyone would want to take that advantage away from us just astounds me.

The other way to look at it is who is going to kick all our goals? If we take our best proven goal kicker in Jack away from goals and our second best proven goal kicker in Dusty away then you are taking a big risk just for the sake of it.
Like someone else said, play Lids there if need be, he gets tagged out of the game anyway if someone half decent runs with him, when in the midfield.

[camboon]

Agree , in addition, when he is being tagged out of the game, the back flank or forward pocket might change the dynamics. I just hope he know who to man up tightly when he needs to !

[tony_montana]

If there is a weakness in Martin's game, its his accountability, doesn't tackle and chase as hard as he could or should. Agree with most that we'd be better served with him mid and fwd and allow someone like Lids to play back to help Houli distribute

[Gigantor]

There is nothing wrong with Dusty adding another arrow to his bow in fact we should be welcoming this.It will give us a backline and midfield with a myriad of options.....Let the opposition try and man up on us now,they wont know if they are martha or arthur

[Rampstar]

or as our friends from collingwood say Arfur or Marfa

[Penelope]

If there is a weakness in Martin's game, its his accountability, doesn't tackle and chase as hard as he could or should. Agree with most that we'd be better served with him mid and fwd and allow someone like Lids to play back to help Houli distribute

id see that as an argument for teaching him to play as a backman.

i remember reading somewhere, someone claiming that hardwick wished he had done with martin what he did with conca in his first year.

not sure how much creedence there was in the statement, but I could see there truth to it, particularly taking into account what you say about martin/s defensive side.

[tony_montana]

If there is a weakness in Martin's game, its his accountability, doesn't tackle and chase as hard as he could or should. Agree with most that we'd be better served with him mid and fwd and allow someone like Lids to play back to help Houli distribute

id see that as an argument for teaching him to play as a backman.

i remember reading somewhere, someone claiming that hardwick wished he had done with martin what he did with conca in his first year.

not sure how much creedence there was in the statement, but I could see there truth to it, particularly taking into account what you say about martin/s defensive side.

I thought about that as I was typing my post As long as it doesn't cost us a place in finals, i'd accept it for the greater good, but gut feel tells me it aint worth it(just my opinion) ...and I recall Hardwick making that statement a year or 2 ago.

[Smokey]

FWIW, I read into it that they are going to try and make Dusty a more 'all ground' type of mid-fielder instead of just a mid who goes forward.  As Al said, makes him more rounded, improves him in a weak area and makes it much harder for opposition coaches to counter.  Gives us more drive and attacking/rebounding options at different times during the game off half back, and also allows Vlastuin to spend more time rotating through the midfield, learning that role and adding to our midfield hamburger 'overflow'.  Win win.

[1980 I Was There]

You gotta ask the question, how well do we get the ball out of the backline?
Well apart from stuffing around with the ball too much and indecisive kicking to cause turn overs, there's the annoying and all too often kick that floats around the wing looking for an easy way to the forward line.
This practice is very predictable and other teams know it.

Imagine if you could for just a moment, an explosive unstoppable force carving canyons right through the central corridor straight to the forward line. How awesome would that be.

Apart from Deledio, Dusty is the only player on our list that has the capabilities of doing just that.
And that is something that would pay lots of money to see.

[Darth Tiger]

You dont deploy a jet to do the mail run.

[Willy]

A lot of this would be do do with improving his defensive game, which I welcome. How much time he actually spends down back is another story.

[the claw]

VIDEO: Hardwick interview discussing his expectations for 2014 ...

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2014-01-24/hardwicks-expectations
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2014-01-24/tigers-search-for-youth-lift


* We’re probably looking for (players from) the draft three years ago to step up - the Reece Conca draft. We’re really looking forward to getting those players in, and even last year’s second and third round picks – guys like Matthew McDonough, Kamdyn McIntosh and Liam McBean. We’re really excited about how those guys are going to perform. The great thing is it’s certainly putting pressure on the players up front, which is always a good place to be.

* We’re not setting a ceiling, but we’re certainly setting a floor.  We are like 17 other clubs who are looking to play finals again. The important thing for us is to get our group focussed on that early part of the season.  The final eight rarely changes after about round 12 or 13. We’ve got to make sure we’re in the eight at the start of the year, and continue to win games.

keep going. theres only vickery left from 08 and in many ways we are still waiting for him to step up.
09 well theres pick 3 martin and then daylight.griffiths,astbury, dea, are whats left from the 10 draft.
10 conca well hes been solid im not sure hes shown what a top 10 pick should have. whats left is batchelor and helbig.
11 ellis, then theres elton and arnot.elton being tall its pointless expecting much but development.
12  expectations should be low especially with the talls.
13 similar to 12 except we only took one kid so expectations should be low on him and we should be expecting significant output from 24 yr olds.

[the claw]

on martin im pretty sure the defensive side of his game has been poor due to the lack of motor.seems to me most times having worked hard for the ball theres little left to defend with.

imo as his tank gets up to standard so will the defensive side of his game.
the area id be working hard on to have him improve is contested possesions the count is just too lobsided.

also imo the two players who should be being groomed at hb are mcintosh and dea. id also like to see what helbig could offer back there.

finally how many sml/med /or tall running  defenders do we need. batchelor, dea, deledio, ellis, houli, mcintosh, morris, newman, petterd, vlastuin, and now martin. plus grimes really needs to add some sort of rebounding/running component to his game.

[1980 I Was There]

Maybe the move to the defense may have something to do with his accuracy in kicking for goal the past couple of years.
2013 goals 23 behinds 32
2012 goals 23 behinds 23
Not much use of being forward if he can't convert.

Maybe it's about his clearances and clangers (for the position he's playing).
2013 clearances 58 clangers 63
2012 clearances 67 clangers 62

He may be able clear the ball, but his use is of it is quite dismal.

What ever the Coaches reasoning is surely and hopefully for the best.

[Diocletian]

The more positions a mid can play and the more versatile mids you have, the better.