Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin can stop Fremantle star Nat Fyfe, says Cameron Ling Jon Ralph
Herald Sun
June 02, 2015 FORMER Geelong stopper Cameron Ling says Nathan Fyfe is almost untaggable, flagging Richmond’s Trent Cotchin as the man to limit his damage on Friday night.
Fyfe is in awesome form, with some pundits believing he has polled Brownlow Medal votes in every match this year.
Cotchin this weekend labelled Fyfe as a “freak”, conceding no other side had been able to curtail him with a tag this year.
Geelong’s Cam Guthrie was the only pure tagger to try, battered as Fyfe had 19 possessions and three goals on him in 55 minutes in Round 2.
Cats premiership captain Ling says Richmond attempting to play Taylor Hunt on Fyfe would be futile, aware Richmond can only limit his breathtaking output.
“Unless you have got a tagger who can do it then don’t try to tag (Fyfe),’’ Ling told the Herald Sun.
“I think they will run a normal midfield against him but you need a mechanism around stoppages so you don’t let him out the attacking side.
“You back your system in, but if he does win it, it’s not dangerous ball movement, it’s a quick kick or a rushed handball.
“They would hope to keep him to 25 (possessions) but if he gets 25 or 30 and they are under pressure, they can live with that.
“If you put a player like Cotchin on Fyfe at stoppages then Cotchin would back himself to read it and have an impact.
“Then you can back yourself and if your team wins it you keep going forward knowing if the ball does get turned over someone has an awareness who goes to Fyfe.”
The Tigers could also decide on an ultra-aggressive approach, playing an offensive weapon like Brett Deledio to hurt Fyfe the other way.
Cotchin said after the Tigers’ third straight win Fyfe seemed unstoppable.
“We might let him go. We may as well, no one seems to go near him,” he joked.
“He has got that height which helps around the stoppage and he also pushes forward. He is a freak, everyone loves watching him play and maybe we will let him do his business and shut down every other avenue to goal,” he told 3AW.
Star midfielder Brandon Ellis also put his hand up to play on Fyfe if asked by coach Damien Hardwick, with Kamdyn McIntosh and Shaun Grigg possible solutions given the lack of a tagging weapon.
The lack of taggers in the competition has seen Fyfe able to do as he pleases in most games.
In Round 1 against Port Adelaide Kane Cornes went to Stephen Hill, in Round 2 he burnt Guthrie, in Round 4 against Sydney he wasn’t tagged and in Round 5 Demon Heritier Lumumba allowed him 14 touches in 43 minutes.
In Round 6 Dyson Heppell was one of several Bombers to play on him while in Round 7 Bulldog Mitch Wallis, who kept him to 14 touches last year, played on him for only six minutes.
Fyfe on Monday night picked up the maximum 10 votes in the AFL Coaches Award, giving him 78 of a possible 90 votes.
The Tigers have won their past two games at Subiaco Oval — both against West Coast — but have lost their past three matches to Fremantle there.
Ling would have loved the chance to play on Fyfe despite the challenge it represents, but few clubs now have dedicated taggers.
“I loved the challenge of playing on blokes as good as Fyfe and in your own head you believe you can limit them,” he said.
“You have got to be at your best for the challenge. But Brett Kirk or Kane Cornes at his best, they would go into a game thinking I can limit this bloke and have an impact in helping my team win.”
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-skipper-trent-cotchin-can-stop-fremantle-star-nat-fyfe-says-cameron-ling/story-fnp04d70-1227378596940
