Tigers coach lifts lid on 'unusual' Dusty benching

1 year ago 79

Richmond manager Damien Hardwick has kept his cards adjacent to his thorax regarding Dustin Martin's wounded presumption aft mysteriously subbing his prima antheral successful the 4th quarter.

Hardwick's broadside survived a furious Adelaide comeback to tally retired 32-point winners, steadying the vessel aft the location broadside had travel from a monolithic half-time spread to get wrong a kick.

With the Crows breathing down his team's neck, Hardwick raised eyebrows erstwhile helium pulled Martin from the crippled with conscionable implicit 12 minutes near successful the last term.

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The 2017 Brownlow Medal victor was replaced by young guardant Rhyan Mansell, and the determination provided instant dividends for the Tigers, with Mansell kicking a extremity wrong a infinitesimal of coming onto the ground.

Hardwick was asked astir hooking Martin aft the crippled and said the determination was made "from a absorption constituent of view".

"We had a mates of boys that we were benignant of talking astir with respect to what does it look like," helium said.

"His (benching) was conscionable from a absorption constituent of view. We'll spot however that pans out.

"Obviously we've got a abbreviated interruption similar Collingwood, but we'll enactment our mode done those."

Martin's benching was a determination that was described arsenic "unusual" by Brisbane Lions large Jonathan Brown.

"It would beryllium antithetic that he'd beryllium subbed retired arsenic a resting mechanism," Brown said connected Fox Footy's coverage.

Hardwick's Tigers look a six-day turnaround earlier a circular 3 blockbuster against the ladder-leading Magpies astatine the MCG adjacent Friday night.

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