Dusty stuns with 'impossible' goal of the year contender

Richmond’s Dustin Martin has left commentators scrambling for superlatives after of one of the great AFL finals goals on Thursday night at the MCG.

The Richmond superstar is no stranger to moments of sheer brilliance but even for his high standards, the second quarter goal against Hawthorn was something truly special.

Martin found himself with the footy deep in the pocket and running at speed towards the boundary line.

He was some 50 metres away from the posts but decided to have a crack at goal anyway.

There was basically no angle to work with as ‘Dusty’ launched his effort at goal.

The result left the packed house at the MCG, as well as the Channel 7 commentary team completely gobsmacked.

“In an impossible position, oh no it’s not it’s Dusty,” Bruce McAvaney enthused in commentary.

“That’s a remarkable goal.

“Pythagoras couldn’t have worked that out, you just can’t do it.”

Fans on social media were also in disbelief at what they’d just witnessed.

The moment was even more special for Martin, who was also marking a 200 game AFL milestone.

Fans were left in awe earlier in the second term when Martin’s teammate Daniel Rioli rolled through a magical major to see the Tigers kick clear.

Tigers bare premiership teeth

After a pulsating first half, the Tigers kicked away in the third quarter with five goals to two and easily won Thursday’s qualifying final 13.17 (95) to 9.10 (64).

The minor premiers have the week off and are one win away from the grand final, while the Hawks go into a sudden-death semi-final against the winners of Friday’s Melbourne-Geelong elimination final.

Adding to Hawthorn’s woes, star defender Ben Stratton went off in the third term and ended the game with ice on his right hamstring.

Fellow backman Blake Hardwick also was hobbled with a sore hip.

Star Alex Rance sent a scare through Richmond with a sore foot at three-quarter time, but he played out the game.

The first Richmond-Hawthorn final attracted a bumper crowd of 91,446, dispelling complaints from some Victorian fans about the game being scheduled on a Thursday night.

It is Richmond’s 22nd-straight win at the MCG.

Martin starred in his 200th game, racking up 29 disposals to go with his outstanding goal.

Small forward Daniel Rioli and Kamdyn McIntosh kicked three goals apiece for the Tigers – the first time McIntosh has kicked three in his AFL career.

Onballer Jaeger O’Meara was best for the Hawks and captain Jarryd Roughead kicked three goals.

One word summed up the first half: pressure.

A whopping 99 tackles were laid, 44 by the Tigers and 50 from Hawthorn.

This was tough, brutal finals football at its best, with intermittent rain adding to the slog.

A series of spotfires will attract match review scrutiny, but there was nothing that looked like it would garner a suspension.

Tigers captain Trent Cotchin conceded a free kick in the first quarter when he collected Shaun Burgoyne high, gifting the Hawks star an easy kick on goal.

Inexplicably, Burgoyne missed the kick and All-Australian small forward Luke Breust did the same in the second term.

Those misses by two of the Hawks’ most reliable kickers were crucial.

Hawthorn needed everything to go right to challenge the reigning premiers and they trailed by 14 points at halftime.

While the Hawks fluffed those two chances, Richmond slotted through two brilliant goals in the first half.

Predictably, Hawthorn brought in tagging specialist Daniel Howe as a late inclusion.

He came in for tall utility Ryan Schoenmakers, who has a sore Achilles.

With AAP