Tigers give Dustin Martin famed guernsey No. 4 Mike Sheahan
Herald Sun
November 13, 2010FORTUNATELY for Richmond, Dustin Martin is a young man with a body and temperament beyond his years.
The club yesterday ordained the imposing teenager the face of its future, giving him the most famous yellow and black jumper of the post-Jack Dyer era.
Martin, 19, will wear the No. 4 guernsey worn not only by the great Royce Hart, but the only number carried in all 10 of the club's AFL premierships from 1920-80.
And the Tigers enlisted four-time premiership coach Tom Hafey to make the presentation at Punt Rd at the launch of "The Tiger is Stirring" membership campaign.
Not only did Hafey declare himself a Martin fan, he said Ray Byrne - regional manager of Martin's junior club, the Bendigo Pioneers, and a former Carlton, Collingwood and Geelong player - told him earlier in the day Martin would be a best-and-fairest winner and captain at Richmond.
It just so happens midfielder Martin, at 187cm and 86kg, is exactly the same dimensions as Hart at the peak of his powers as the game's pre-eminent centre half-forward in the late 1960s and early '70s.
Wow, does this kid have a load to carry for someone with 21 games to his name.
David Astbury, another 19-year-old, was given the No. 12 guernsey worn most recently by Matthew Richardson and previously by another Richmond legend, Jack "Skinny" Titus, who kicked more goals (970) than even Richo (800).
Both boys were suitably humbled in front of teammates and coaches. Ironically, Astbury sees himself as a defender in the Nathan Bock mould rather than a future Richo.
Martin told compere and former player Nathan Brown: "Hopefully I can keep the tradition going and be the next No. 4 to win the premiership."
Hart and champion centreman Geoff Raines wore the number in Richmond's five premierships from 1967-80.
Coach Damien Hardwick is keen on rewarding young players on deeds rather than expectations.
Martin may have been taken at No. 3 in the 2009 national draft, but he played his first season in No. 36.
It's consistent with the coach's own career. He started at Essendon in No. 39, graduating to No. 11 after four years. He later wore 11 at Port Adelaide, and was a premiership player at both clubs.
Ben Nason, another one-year player, has been promoted from No. 47 to No. 22.
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale told players, staff and influential supporters the club was looking for 10,000 new members next year in the second leg of a highly ambitious bid for 75,000 members by 2014.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/tigers-give-dustin-martin-famed-guernsey-no-4/story-e6frf9jf-1225952957573Richardson, who played 282 games and kicked 800 goals for the Tigers, handed Astbury his jumper as part of the club's 2011 membership launch at Punt Road. Club legend Tom Hafey was on hand to give Martin, a Rising Star nominee this year, the No. 4 jumper.
''If you want to survive in the AFL you've got to work hard and the guys that work the hardest and the longest hang around and have a long career,'' Richardson said.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tiger-history-passed-on-20101112-17r5r.html
