Universal Love In the pantheon of Richmond greats, where does Dusty now stand?

[acr2751]

Ian Stewart was a great player for StKilda and he had one stellar year for Richmond, 1971. He was hampered by injuries for the rest of his career. I would put Rioli and Raines above him and Billy Barrot as well. Yes he was a great player but mainly for the Saints.

Billy was a gun too but i could not put him in my top 10
Stewart was very special even when he played with injuries i think the 73 grand final he was on 1 leg and was outstanding 3 goals from half forward
i think the club rated him high enough to make our team of the century

 

[acr2751]

Cotchin ??

i had to choose between Raines and Cotch

 

[sregit]

Your attendance is more way more comprehensive than mine. The only GFs I attended were only 72~74. And I dropped off footy until the early 90s. Images of Barrot's drop kicks from the centre are etched in my memory. And I guess I liked dirty players like Sheedy, Balme, McLean, McGhie. Durable rovers like KB & Harvey didn't impress me as much.

I have been blessed to have seen us live at the G win 7 flags. 67 69 73 74 80 and of course 2017 and 19. Distraught that if we win this year I will not be there. I chose Bartlett and Dusty as 1 and 2, however, for pure excitement Barrot was also my favourite. I also preferred hard arse dirty players but they're not ahead of KB or Dusty. They had to change the rules to stop KB. Another flag or 2 and Dusty could be number 1.

 

[Tanski]

Maybe you are biased because Dixon played a good half on Rance once.

I've noticed Rance copping a bit of disrespect around here lately. Never seen a player be able to dominate a game from Full Back like him. Scarlett was probably better at stopping his man directly, but Rance was different, he would literally win the ball back against the odds and launch attack after attack.

If i could like your post more than once i would!
Alot of people have short memories. Richmond won't have another Alex Rance for many many many years. Dominated every week from 2012-2018.

 

[sregit]

If i could like your post more than once i would!
Alot of people have short memories. Richmond won't have another Alex Rance for many many many years. Dominated every week from 2012-2018.

Yes 2012-2018 were sensational. The reason why some, me included don't rate him as high as some greats of the club is because he was a complete F#%kup in 2010 and 2011. Still a great player in those 7 years.

 

[Dr Awkward]

I can't believe he has gotten away with the don't argue for so long. I've played gridiron for 4 years and watched it for 35 years. In gridiron, the same move is called a stiff-arm. All you need to do is knock it away and the instigator is lost. Same stuff you did in primary school if some thug sticks his hand in your face (or tries to hit you). You knock the hand away first.

AFL players still try to grab Dusty using 2 hands?! What are they doing? Knock that hand away first then Dusty is lost, the other hand has the ball and is useless. The very act of doing the don't argue means Dusty has to lean into the person to push off. If that hand gets knocked away it's easy to gobble him up, because there is no push off to go in the other direction.

He is still a legend though.

I don't think it's as easy in AFL because you don't get as much time to see it happening.

dusty is very good at doing it rapidly

 

[Mr Unbelievable]

BEST

 

[Vassp]

last..............




















nah!!!

 

[amc11]

At his peak he is as good as anyone. The knock is for example he has one only two B&F's so his consistency is not always as high for entire seasons like for example Dangerfield. But he is better than Danger and Fyfe because of his ability as you say to win contests. Can't think of to many footballers other than the one's you mention above who are better one on one players. Hence the Leigh Matthews comparison (think you might have forgotten about him). Royce Hart was another that won a good % of the contests he was involved in. Ricciuto, Judd, Voss.

Dusty has a complete skill set that puts him above most others, and that comes to the fore in big games. Probably up there with Bartlett and Hart as the best players I have seen at Richmond.

The interesting thing about relating consistency to B&F's compared to players from other clubs is quite simply you cannot. Unless the other clubs have exactly the same voting system and the same people providing the votes as Richmond has, it is impossible to compare. From memory last season was the first time since 2012 Dustin Martin was not in the top five for the B&F. In 2012, his 10th position has been his lowest placing in the B&F since debuting for Richmond so without knowing what is going to happen this season a 10th place, a 6th place, 6 top five finishes, and 2 wins from the preceding 10 seasons is right up there with consistency.

In my opinion the awarding of AA is all swings and roundabouts as well - so much depends on who is on the judging panel, who has a strong voice on said panel and where individual natural biases fall. Whilst recognition for individual performances are great, most players would prefer team success if given the choice of one over the other.

I actually think many people continue to underestimate the brilliance of Martin for a couple of reasons namely because the way he plays he makes the difficult look so effortless and his ability to bring others into the game. Josh Caddy in an interview after the 2017 Grand Final mentioned Martin is the most selfless top echelon player he had ever played with!

 

[nickcat0]

I can't believe he has gotten away with the don't argue for so long. I've played gridiron for 4 years and watched it for 35 years. In gridiron, the same move is called a stiff-arm. All you need to do is knock it away and the instigator is lost. Same stuff you did in primary school if some thug sticks his hand in your face (or tries to hit you). You knock the hand away first.

AFL players still try to grab Dusty using 2 hands?! What are they doing? Knock that hand away first then Dusty is lost, the other hand has the ball and is useless. The very act of doing the don't argue means Dusty has to lean into the person to push off. If that hand gets knocked away it's easy to gobble him up, because there is no push off to go in the other direction.

He is still a legend though.

It's not that easy, when players are moving at speed, and the hand comes out, and hits you in the chest, in a split second.

Back to the original question. I've been watching AFL since the 90s, and in that time, Dusty is the best Tiger I've seen. I only know of the 70s/80s players through video, and players before that through reputation, so it's impossible for me to judge them.

Dusty probably has 3 or 4 more years left in him; and by the time he retires, I'm sure he'll be in the conversation for greatest Tiger ever.

 

[Bojangles17]

not sure how you can have Rance above M Rioli to be honest..

5 x AA will do it

 

[Bojangles17]

I can't believe he has gotten away with the don't argue for so long. I've played gridiron for 4 years and watched it for 35 years. In gridiron, the same move is called a stiff-arm. All you need to do is knock it away and the instigator is lost. Same stuff you did in primary school if some thug sticks his hand in your face (or tries to hit you). You knock the hand away first.

AFL players still try to grab Dusty using 2 hands?! What are they doing? Knock that hand away first then Dusty is lost, the other hand has the ball and is useless. The very act of doing the don't argue means Dusty has to lean into the person to push off. If that hand gets knocked away it's easy to gobble him up, because there is no push off to go in the other direction.

He is still a legend though.

He doesn’t do it so often these days , I have seen oppo do that occasionally, don’t think their minds are sharp enough to remember

 

[Rodney Dangerfield]

If i could like your post more than once i would!
Alot of people have short memories. Richmond won't have another Alex Rance for many many many years. Dominated every week from 2012-2018.

To be fair I reckon you got a far better appreciation of Rance live at games.
Remember sometimes just being mesmerized at the way he read the game particularly if you were behind him, and just watching him and where he would move to way before anyone else.
Never seen anybody read the ball in flight like him.

 

[Grrr]

The interesting thing about relating consistency to B&F's compared to players from other clubs is quite simply you cannot. Unless the other clubs have exactly the same voting system and the same people providing the votes as Richmond has, it is impossible to compare. From memory last season was the first time since 2012 Dustin Martin was not in the top five for the B&F. In 2012, his 10th position has been his lowest placing in the B&F since debuting for Richmond so without knowing what is going to happen this season a 10th place, a 6th place, 6 top five finishes, and 2 wins from the preceding 10 seasons is right up there with consistency.

In my opinion the awarding of AA is all swings and roundabouts as well - so much depends on who is on the judging panel, who has a strong voice on said panel and where individual natural biases fall. Whilst recognition for individual performances are great, most players would prefer team success if given the choice of one over the other.

I actually think many people continue to underestimate the brilliance of Martin for a couple of reasons namely because the way he plays he makes the difficult look so effortless and his ability to bring others into the game. Josh Caddy in an interview after the 2017 Grand Final mentioned Martin is the most selfless top echelon player he had ever played with!

No doubt, but Dusty as has been noted by Dimma and others does take time to get into the season. On that interview with Lids with Dylan Murphy, he said that Dusty came to the season underdone often because in his words according to Lids, 'what are they not going to play me.' This sort of explains why he can be a bit inconsistent early in the season and by finals time he is in his peak. Much better as a long term player, not quite so good for B & F's which work very much on consistency.

On talent alone, Dusty should have half a dozen AA's by now.

 

[Ceehook]

all this talk of a statue is good

but if we are going to be honest and do him justice

a path leading upto the statue should have Himalayan prayer wheels lining each side

 

[harimal12]

I have watched a lot of our best right back to Roger Dean, Des Rowe.As a kid sitting behind the goals at Punt Rd,Fred Swift would have a chat to us kids hanging over the fence.Billy Barrott,Saint Francis,Roy Wright,Maurice,Royce Hart watched them all.I saw Richos first game and I remember thinking here we go at last!!
It was the 17 Grand final,late in the first Quarter Dusty fending off getting the ball to Bachar the crowd noise..I stood up with my grandson and told him Dusty Martin is the best Tiger I have seen play..Maybe the emotion of the day but then look at all he has achieved since 2017

 

[Not Important]

just behind lord royce, saint francis and sir ian.

 

[Dr Tigris]

Dusty has to be #1 now, maybe equal #1, but #1.

And he has time to win another couple of Norms. Maybe sneak another Brownlow.

It's good to be a tiger

 

[Ceehook]

patient 0

 

[Tigerandy63]

In 2016, Mike Sheahan was asked to list his top 50 of the last 50 years. The top 10 were....

1 KB
2 Royce
3 Francis
4 Flea Weightman
5 Raines
6 Stewart
7 Clay
8 Barrot
9 Richo
10 Sheedy.
.
.
.
.
.
34 Dusty

We all know what he has achieved since then, so in my mind he has now displaced Francis Bourke at no. 3, with at least 4 years to move into the top 2.

On SM-T580 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Brick Loosener]

To be fair I reckon you got a far better appreciation of Rance live at games.
Remember sometimes just being mesmerized at the way he read the game particularly if you were behind him, and just watching him and where he would move to way before anyone else.
Never seen anybody read the ball in flight like him.

Spot on. Joy to watch.

 

[tora tora tora]

In 2016, Mike Sheahan was asked to list his top 50 of the last 50 years. The top 10 were....

1 KB
2 Royce
3 Francis
4 Flea Weightman
5 Raines
6 Stewart
7 Clay
8 Barrot
9 Richo
10 Sheedy.
.
.
.
.
.
34 Dusty

We all know what he has achieved since then, so in my mind he has now displaced Francis Bourke at no. 3, with at least 4 years to move into the top 2.

On SM-T580 using BigFooty.com mobile app

Dusty is No.4 for me. Seeing him live at a GF in 2020 put him up a few rungs. If our team can win another under Dimma then the top 10 changes dramtically

 

[Frank Grimes]

Richo far ahead and Riewoldt. He did it when we were a rabble. Carried the club on his shoulders for the majority of his career.

Agree. He was by far the biggest draw card in our dark days. It's just a shame we could never see him in a good team. I think he could have been in the 1000 goal club if he had better supply.

I don't think I've seen a player love their club more than Richo.

 

[Dont_Argue]

goat status

 

[Ceehook]

In 2016, Mike Sheahan was asked to list his top 50 of the last 50 years. The top 10 were....

1 KB
2 Royce
3 Francis
4 Flea Weightman
5 Raines
6 Stewart
7 Clay
8 Barrot
9 Richo
10 Sheedy.
.
.
.
.
.
34 Dusty

We all know what he has achieved since then, so in my mind he has now displaced Francis Bourke at no. 3, with at least 4 years to move into the top 2.

On SM-T580 using BigFooty.com mobile app

I don't mind the look of that top 10

I'd say sorry St Francis , you've been displaced one spot and Dusty is top 3

Bourke's broken leg at Glenferrie happened just in front of me , it made me follow him closely after that and have huge respect for him , its just we are splitting hairs

and I'm sure all the guys from 3 - 10 would be happy the Tigers have another great and I'd hope none of them would say Dusty isn't worthy

I'll be back in 2-3 weeks time with a Dusty tribute