Walt Kowalski
Team Captain
- Apr 24, 2016
- 562
- 1,255
- AFL Club
- Richmond
Having watched Dusty now for quite a few years, I am of the opinion he is amongst the four greatest footballers I've seen, the others being Ablett Sr., Ablett Jr. and Carey. I have a high opinion of match winners. I would also include Lockett and Dunstall among the elite match winners I've seen, however the old school full-forward is somewhat reliant on his midfield delivering, whereas the guys I mentioned do it further up the ground, hence my higher appreciation for them.
That said, I wonder where Dusty sits in the pantheon of Richmond greats. I have not seen many footballers with such natural skills as his. His ability to gather the ball in heavy traffic and dispose well is unparalleled. But his influence doesn't end there. He almost never makes a mistake. To me his biggest skill is the ability to see what is unfolding before him in a way that only truly truly elite footballers do. His ability to put us into a position to score from a stoppage has gone to another level. And he does a lot beyond that that might not register a stat. Tap ons, hussle, shepherds, all sorts of clever 1%ers that make us such a dangerous team. He's literally like a chess master seeing a number of moves ahead.
Enough waxing lyrical, because I could all day. Where does he now sit among the greats of our history? For mine, it is not absurd to consider him the greatest player in our history. But that's a big call, when you consider players of the calibre of Hart, Titus, Dyer and Bartlett.
For mine, he is at very least in our top 5 players of all time. And between now and his career ending, I think he may be considered the greatest Tiger ever. What a magnificent arc from the guy overlooked by Melbourne with pick 1 and 2 in the 2009 draft (perhaps because of concerns over his character) and what a testament to Martin's actual character, and our club's culture.
That said, I wonder where Dusty sits in the pantheon of Richmond greats. I have not seen many footballers with such natural skills as his. His ability to gather the ball in heavy traffic and dispose well is unparalleled. But his influence doesn't end there. He almost never makes a mistake. To me his biggest skill is the ability to see what is unfolding before him in a way that only truly truly elite footballers do. His ability to put us into a position to score from a stoppage has gone to another level. And he does a lot beyond that that might not register a stat. Tap ons, hussle, shepherds, all sorts of clever 1%ers that make us such a dangerous team. He's literally like a chess master seeing a number of moves ahead.
Enough waxing lyrical, because I could all day. Where does he now sit among the greats of our history? For mine, it is not absurd to consider him the greatest player in our history. But that's a big call, when you consider players of the calibre of Hart, Titus, Dyer and Bartlett.
For mine, he is at very least in our top 5 players of all time. And between now and his career ending, I think he may be considered the greatest Tiger ever. What a magnificent arc from the guy overlooked by Melbourne with pick 1 and 2 in the 2009 draft (perhaps because of concerns over his character) and what a testament to Martin's actual character, and our club's culture.