Who is most important of Richmond's 'big four' to their premiership defence?By Nic Negrepontis
SEN
1 July 2108Five-time premiership player Dermott Brereton still believes Dustin Martin will prove to be the most important of Richmond’s ‘big four’ heading into September.
Richmond’s elite tier of Martin, Jack Riewoldt, Alex Rance and Trent Cotchin were all massive parts of their premiership run last year, but the reigning Brownlow Medallist hasn’t quite had the same calibre of year.
Riewoldt dominated for the Tigers on Thursday night against Sydney, taking 16 marks and kicking three goals, while Rance and Cotchin have consistently performed all year.
Despite that, Brereton still believes it’ll be Martin who changes games for them come finals.
“Martin in the middle with his ball usage can separate the Tigers in moments of need,” he told SEN’s Crunch Time.
“I still think Dusty has another level to go to this year and is their number one out of their big four.
“Even if Riewoldt doesn’t play that well every week, he always plays his role in the Richmond forward line and that will serve them well anyway.”
Former Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy agrees, hoping we see the best of Martin later in the season.
“I can’t really split them, but if Dusty gets into that form that he can, that’s that level that Richmond has that no one else has shown just yet,” he said.
SEN Chief Broadcaster Gerard Whateley said Richmond’s win over Sydney shows there’s a gap between the Tigers and the rest.
“I just think that that’s the narrative of this season. You can overcomplicate it, but it’s Richmond and it’s everyone else,” he said.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/06/30/who-is-most-important-of-richmonds-big-four-to-their-premiership-defence/
