The Dusty tactic Richmond don't want you to knowBy Melanie Dinjaski
wwos.Nine.com.au
22 September 2019Richmond's second half fightback to defeat Geelong in their AFL Preliminary Final was no accident.
Even if Bachar Houli and coach Damien Hardwick are keen to keep their cards close to their chest, there was a 'critical' adjustment which proved decisive.
On the Sunday AFL Footy Show on Nine, Houli was keeping mum on the key change identified by Bombers legend Matthew Lloyd, which helped Richmond defeat the Cats 85-66 on Friday night.
The Tigers booked their second grand final appearance in three years with the win, but it didn't look like they were headed to the AFL decider at halftime. Trailing Geelong 50-29, Hardwick accidentally let slip post-game that there was a strategic move he made that turned their fortunes around.
"The guys at halftime, we didn't look like it. I thought Geelong were all over us playing a terrific brand of footy. We made a couple of changes that worked," Hardwick told media.
"I shouldn't have said that should I?"
Hardwick had let a clue out, and Lloyd believes it involved Dustin Martin.
"I reckon Dusty Martin wasn't going great and the midfield was pretty poor," Lloyd said on the Sunday Footy Show.
"Where is Dusty? He charged forward as Dusty likes to do but when you're down on the scoreboard you can't do that.
"That is putting a lot of pressure on the backs."
Lloyd said there were obvious signs that Martin wasn't at his best. Having suffered a leg issue in a modest performance - by his standards - that included two goals and 22 possessions, in the midfield he was getting beat.
"Is this the intensity of a midfielder that needs to get his team back in the game? I'd say no," Lloyd said, reviewing the footage.
"Not good enough - it's a final."
But Lloyd showed how that changed form the very first bounce of the third quarter with Shane Edwards in and Martin moved out.
"They went from 19 inside 50s at halftime, to 19 in the third quarter alone, so that's the move I reckon he made and was critical at halftime," Lloyd explained.
Houli was put under the pump by the panel when asked if the Martin change was indeed what Hardwick had instructed at halftime to inspire the comeback, but the Tigers defender wasn't about to give any of their team's gameplan away.
Especially before they appear in the 2019 AFL grand final.
"I'm a very honest person and I actually would not have a clue. I just get told to stop as many goals as possible," Houli said.
Martin's match fitness for the grand final is sure to be a hot topic in the coming week, but Richmond would be buoyed by the efforts of their defence, led by Houli with 32 touches, which stood up against Geelong.
"To be 21 points down in a prelim final where you're not playing particularly well and for the guys to respond, it's where your leaders stand up and I thought our guys did a wonderful job of getting the game back looking like a Richmond game," Hardwick said post-game.
"It was a pleasing result against a very, very good football side."
https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/richmond-tigers-tactics-against-geelong-cats-dustin-martin-bachar-houli/b3d96e41-a82c-44cc-aa6a-622db69ee7f2
