Richmond’s midfield aces throw up giant conundrumThe Australian
22 September 2017They do not boast the international fame of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, but the Richmond midfield combination of Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin have forced rivals on the back foot all year.
So much so that the Greater Western Sydney’s coaching hierarchy are the latest to ponder how best to approach the dynamic duo in tomorrow’s preliminary final against the Tigers at the MCG.
Giants assistant coach Lenny Hayes yesterday said Cotchin, the Richmond captain, was as pivotal in the Tigers’ qualifying final thrashing of Geelong as Martin, the Brownlow Medal favourite.
“They have some pretty good players. When you look at that first final, I thought Trent Cotchin was just as important as Dustin Martin in that game,” Hayes said.
“They are probably the two we have looked at the closest, but you also throw in some of their half-forwards who come up the ground, they go pretty well as well.
“Martin has had an outstanding year. Is he tag-able? I am not too sure. We still have a little bit to decide there but they are the two we have looked at the closest.”
Martin is a dominant favourite to win the Brownlow Medal and has already claimed the AFL Coaches Association and Players Association honours this season.
Barring anything untoward, the 26-year-old will pass 700 disposals for the season tomorrow.
He also sits second with 32 goals on the Tigers’ goalkicking list behind Jack Riewoldt.
Cotchin has gathered the third most possessions for the Tigers this year, just one disposal behind Shaun Grigg, and has also booted 17 goals when edging forward.
When analysing the match earlier this week, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin pondered whether it might be better to attempt to stymie the influence of the Tigers skipper.
Former Richmond coach Terry Wallace made the same argument a month ago as the Tigers consolidated a spot in the top four.
“If I was coaching against the Tigers, I would go after Cotchin every single time, not Martin,” Wallace said.
“I think Martin is a lot more difficult with his dynamics to actually be able to really cut him out, where Cotchin his whole career, right back to the under-18s, it’s been one little weakness there, that you can actually lock him away.
“He’s had a great year, that’s why you go after him. Cotchin is the one you’ve got to go after.”
Both Richmond and the Giants opted against making any changes from the sides that won their most recent finals.
The Tigers have named Shaun Hampson, Shai Bolton and Corey Ellis, who are all involved in Richmond’s VFL grand final against Port Melbourne on Sunday, as emergencies.
Giants veteran Steve Johnson, who booted six goals in the semi-final victory over West Coast, has been named after a week of intrigue surrounding his fitness. Devon Smith, Sam Reid and Harry Perryman have been listed as emergencies for the GWS.
Richmond forward Shane Edwards, who admitted to dreaming about playing in a grand final, said the Tigers have tried to embrace the occasion as they seek to make their first decider since 1982.
“We’ve been a bit guilty of underplaying the game in (previous) years, shying away from what it’s going to be like and trying to think it’s another game, but it isn’t,” Edwards said.
“There’s a lot more on the line and we took that mindset into the last game we played and it seemed to go all right.
“(We’re) embracing the moment and it’s a great time to be playing footy.”
Giants coach Leon Cameron said this week that regardless of the respective strengths both sides have at either end of the ground, the team that gets the better of the midfield battle will prevail.
Hayes, who played against both Martin and Cotchin during a decorated career with St Kilda, believes the Giants have the quality to cope with Richmond’s renowned pressure.
“I think our contested ball gets probably overshadowed by what everyone sees with our outside run but if you look at the entirety of the year, we have one of the best contested ball differentials in the comp,” he told RSN Breakfast.
“We feel like if we can match them in that area, we are going to have to pressure them as well, we are hoping to match them inside and then over the length of the game get them on the outside.”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/afl-finals-midfield-aces-throw-up-giant-conundrum/news-story/7fee2d658f3ad4a4244dec91f7c19619
