Justin Leppitsch has tossed up a left-field idea on how Sydney should attempt to clamp Dustin Martin this weekend.
The Hawks attempted to quell Dusty by sending Shaun Burgoyne with him around the ground in Round 2.
The former Tigers assistant coach would like to see Swans key defender Dane Rampe tag Martin and follow him around the ground.
“I do have a left-field one. This is the one I’d love to see. Sam Reid back and Dane Rampe all the way with Dustin Martin,” Leppitsch told SEN’s Whateley.
“We’ve talked about George Hewett taking that role and he’s done that in the past, but I think Dusty is a little too classy for him inside the forward 50 and if you want to stop him anywhere, it’s in that part of the ground.
“I know it’s hard because you’d have Reid take Tom Lynch and then Tom McCartin on Riewoldt and then you balance up with Rampe, but that’s the one from left-field they could look at.
“I think he’d be elite on Dusty in the forward 50. No one can score on Rampe, although Taylor Walker did okay, but he’d be better on Martin than anyone else they’ve got I think.”
Leppitsch looked back on Round 2 and three positional changes that he really liked.
“Jack Crisp playing in the midfield, I think that was a really good move by Nathan Buckley. He’s not only a good contested player, but good outside. He connects the dots between the inside and the outside which is really important,” he said.
“The Mark O’Connor tag brought tagging back onto the map, so well done to Chris Scott and the group there. I can’t wait to see when they play Richmond whether they go to that. They’ve got to do it.
“The other one was probably the unheralded one on the weekend, Shane Edwards going back for Richmond. They lost Nick Vlastuin and gee his hands and his ability to create for other people, I thought that was a really good move.”
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The triple premiership Lion also forecasts three magnet moves that might come in the next few weeks.
“The magnet moves to look at are the interesting ones and I think they’ll promote discussion,” Leppitsch said.
“Some I think will just happen like Peter Wright will play ruck. It’s just going to be a challenge for him because the competitive nature of the game has always been his little niche, but in the ruck you’re forced to go to combat, you’re forced to battle and get in there so I’m looking forward to that this week.
“Toby Greene, this is the one, should he go midfield? He looks to me like the only Giants player with life, energy, winning the contest, he’s such a good forward.
“I’m sure the Giants are wrestling at the moment with whether they throw him in the middle just to get some spark. He probably doesn’t have the run of the gun midfielders, but he’s got the heart and maybe that’s what they need in there at the moment.
“Zac Williams is the other one. Have Carlton found his best position or do they pull the trigger and go ‘look maybe he’s a half-back’ and just get him back there.
“He’s a good contested player and different type to who they’ve got down there and he can carry through that line. That’s a big question they’re going to ask over the coming weeks.”
