The Martin challenge
HOW do you solve a problem like Dusty?
It might not be anywhere near as catchy as the line from The Sound of Music classic song Maria — How do you solve a problem like Maria? — but it is the No.1 question that will occupy the minds of Geelong coaches this week.
In truth it is a question that has occupied the minds of coaches of every team for the past three seasons, such is the damage Richmond matchwinner Dustin Martin is capable of inflicting on opposition sides.
How the Cats answer it is another matter, but it is likely the job of stopping Martin will go to more than one person.
The 2017 Brownlow Medal and Norm Smith Medal winner is unusual in that he rarely ventures into the back half of the ground, something most midfielders do as a matter of course. Not Martin. Richmond coach Damien Hardwick trusts the rest of his players enough to win the ball in their defensive half and surge through the middle where Martin will either join in the chain or get on the end of it close to goal and finish the work of others further afield.
He is also a crucial part of the Tigers set-up at stoppages and centre bounces, so while it is probable a defender will take him when he plays forward, a midfielder with a defensive mindset will be required to play a major role in curbing his influence higher up the ground.
The Cats might be tempted to bring in Scott Selwood for this reason but Cam Guthrie has done well on him and is someone who is in form and can also hurt Martin running the other way.
In Geelong’s back half Jake Kolodjashnij stands out as the most likely option given Martin’s physical attributes.
Tom Stewart reads the play as well as any defender in the competition but while it is essential that someone with a high level of football intellect is assigned to Martin at all times, he may elsewhere.
Kolodjashnij will need support but would match him for strength, even if the Richmond star’s pace might be a concern for the young Cat.
Whoever lands the unenviable job — particularly if it is more than one person — the key to limiting Martin’s effect will be communication.
If there are two players tasked with guarding him, one in the midfield and one when he moves into attack, the be better used handover becomes crucial because Martin is too smart not to take advantage of any confusion between Geelong players over who is responsible for him at any given time.
As Richmond assistant coach Adam Kingsley told his club’s website, it is why opposition coaches spend so much time planning for him.
“You’re always concerned,” Kingsley said.
“You know that at any moment in the game, he can just turn it, whether it’s kicking goals or just creating goals through his run and carry, his kicking or his clearance work.
“You always put work into him and hope for the best ... when he’s in the mood to change the game and get the ball, he’s impossible to stop.”
So how do you solve a problem like Dusty?
There is no easy answer, but Guthrie and Kolodjashnij loom as the men most likely to be handed what has fast become football’s most unwanted assignment.