Dustin Martin [merged]

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How Dustin Martin's on-field alchemy made him an unparalleled champion of the AFL

By Steve Vivian
ABC
15 June 2024

There's shades of the biblical to the Dustin Martin story, in which he led a long-diminished fan base to the promised land. Salvation in 2017. Exaltation in 2019. Immortalisation in 2020. From some sort of footballing purgatory at Punt Road, he rose.

The legend of Martin was sealed in the 2020 grand final, when he entered the footballing pantheon. His apotheosis came in four kicks: the first, a hope-restoring one-handed prayer; the last, a vanquishing of an epochal rival with a swivel of the hips.

Ahead of Martin's 300th match tonight, it's worth considering if we'll ever see a player put as big a mark on the game.

This lofty arc began in the footballing rubble and in high farce.

Richmond drafted Martin because the club won a game, with a kick after the siren against Melbourne in 2009, that all its supporters wanted to lose.

When Jordan McMahon's goal sailed through the sticks late in that season, Tigers fans stood ashen-faced, as Melbourne supporters hugged one another in a state of rapture, with their club having earned the right to the top two draft selections.

Richmond slid down the order to a supposedly inferior pick, selecting Martin.

By 2017, at the peak of his powers, he had become a figure almost embodying the id of the wounded, starved Tiger fan. A man with a purposeful yet restrained savagery, their Mad Max commandeering the long-mired punt road war rig. Violent fend-offs, slipped tackles, caressed kicks.

In the third quarter of the 2017 qualifying final, 37 years into the club's premiership drought, a kick separated Richmond and Geelong.

His three consecutive goal assists from there were the first grand brushstrokes on the Martin finals fresco: a brilliant pass to Shane Edwards; the iconic one-on-one contest on the defensive back flank against Tom Stewart, where he’d take a bounce and deliver the ball to Riewoldt; and the dual broken tackles on the forward flank, followed by a 55-metre kick across his body into Shaun Grigg's lap in the goal square.

It's all there in that 20 minutes of football, the opening act of the closest thing we've seen to footballing imperiousness.

Martin was an alchemist in these finals, transmuting his performance into something Tigers fans will tell you was almost ethereal. Opponents melted away, play unfolded as if in slow motion, like it was all meant to end up in some sports film.

There have been other gifts along the way: the pass to Marlion Pickett in the 2019 grand final, the goal against Hawthorn in the 2018 finals, and how silence became his virtue as he let his football do the talking, to name a few.

Where does he sit among the modern greats? There's Voss, Hird, Buckley, Judd, Goodes, Ablett Jr, Franklin and Martin, the latter three standing a half-shoulder above.

He is the greatest finals player of all time, and his feat of three best-on-grounds in grand finals, in a sport with 44 players on the field, will quite likely never be matched.

Martin was already perhaps historically unassailable in 2019 when he became the only player to have won a Brownlow, two premierships and two Norm Smith medals – and that was before his 2020 magnum opus.

And who else might leave such a stylistic legacy? His signature move is a sensation. And he became the most feared one-on-one player of his era.

Then there's his impact on the popular imagination: the murals are up, fans have fashioned themselves in his image with the "Dusty cut", and all the while the invincible aura without barely saying a word.

His place in the game, you can't argue. Let's hope footy fans can watch him walk on water just a few more times.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-15/dustin-martin-richmond-tigers-legacy-300-games/103979902

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Dusty’s journey from Castlemaine kid to silent superstar

By Jon Pierik
The Age
June 15, 2024

Before the 2009 national draft, where he would be taken by Richmond with the No. 3 selection, Dustin Martin was asked who had been the greatest influence on his career to that point.

The answer: “Myself. Because I want the best out of myself.”

In the years since, the likes of Damien Hardwick, Neil Balme, Brendon Gale and Trent Cotchin have all shaped Martin’s career on the way to becoming only the seventh Tiger to reach 300 games, a milestone he reaches on Saturday. But it’s the man himself, and the drive he has had, which morphed Martin into an AFL great and future Hall of Famer.

Here are 10 key moments that have helped shape Martin the man, and Martin the footballer.

1. 2017 grand final: A season for the ages

Martin capped off one of the greatest individual seasons with 29 disposals (a whopping 22 contested, six clearances), including two goals, as the Tigers stormed to a 48-point win over Adelaide, ending a 37-year club premiership drought. No player had won the Brownlow, Norm Smith and flag in the same season, but Martin rewrote history. “Yellow and black!” Martin bellowed with a double fist pump, accepting the Norm Smith Medal from James Hird.

This was the season when North Melbourne tempted the off-contract Martin (more on that below) with an outrageously lucrative offer. His mother Kathy, in the Tigers’ dressing room with other family members after the grand final, said her son was a man of destiny.

“I knew he would win that Brownlow Medal, I predicted it before the season even started. I knew he would get the Norm Smith Medal as well, because he has won everything else,” Kathy told this masthead.

2. 2020 grand final: Lights, camera, action

With the sport taken from Victoria because of the pandemic, and the Tigers struggling with the constraints of life in a Brisbane hub, it was Martin who soothed all ills with one of the greatest grand final efforts, becoming the first man to be a three-time Norm Smith medallist.

Under lights at the Gabba, Martin booted four goals among his 21 touches, turning a contest in which Geelong had led by 15 points at the main break.

One particularly brilliant moment lives on. Late in the game, he stole the ball from the feet of Mark Blicavs on the boundary line, turned, held off a lunging Patrick Dangerfield, spun and snapped through his fourth goal. “Dus-ty, Dus-ty,” the Tigers cheer squad roared, as The Age’s man on the spot, Andrew Stafford, reported at the time.

3. 2019 grand final: Becomes an all-time great

The Tigers, stung by a shock preliminary final defeat to Collingwood a year earlier, vowed redemption, and enjoyed that with an 89-point mauling of Greater Western Sydney at the MCG.

Martin claimed back-to-back Norm Smith Medals, this time for four goals among his 22 disposals (12 contested). There had been pre-game chat about whether Giants stopper Matt de Boer would go to Martin.

He did, but Martin had the better of de Boer, and also pushed forward, leaving Sam Taylor or Heath Shaw to man him. His third goal, snapped from the forward pocket having gathered the ball while being tackled, signalled this contest was all but over. “The way he can influence a game is incredible,” coach Damien Hardwick said. “He will go down now as one of the all-time greats.”

Martin, who became only the fourth dual Norm Smith medallist, said he would have a special celebration. “I didn’t actually get a 2017 premiership tattoo, so I am definitely going to get one of both, 100 per cent,” Martin said.

4. Round one, 2017 v Carlton: Unstoppable force

Setting the table for what footy legend Leigh Matthews would later describe the best home-and-away season a player had enjoyed, Martin was imperious against the Blues, with 33 disposals, six clearances and four goals. “He’s the ultimate professional, Dustin – he goes about his business, he trains incredibly hard, he looks after himself and he gets the result he deserves,” Hardwick said.

After an off-season of discontent amid a board challenge, with the coach under pressure to retain his job, and Balme brought in to help run the football department, the Tigers surged to a 43-point win, a sign of the grand things to come for the team – and Martin.

Having finished third in the Brownlow Medal count a year earlier, Martin was to have been a restricted free agent after the 2017 campaign, his strong form ensuring he would be a $1 million-a-year man in the AFL.


5. 2017: Crowned Brownlow medallist

In a season of domination, Martin claimed the sport’s highest individual honour, having guided the Tigers to their first AFL grand final in 35 years. The robust midfielder polled a record 36 votes, ahead of ineligible Geelong star Dangerfield (33) and Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell (25). He had a remarkable 11 three-vote games, averaging 30 disposals, 14 contested possessions, six clearances, six inside-50s, four tackles and a goal each game.

“To everyone in the Richmond footy club, what a week we’ve got in front of us, I can’t thank you enough, but I can’t wait to finish it off with success this week, hopefully,” a nervous Martin said upon accepting the medal. “And to my teammates I’m so proud of you all, and I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve. This medal is because of each of you and the connection we have and the support we give each other. I couldn’t think of a better group of guys to go to the grand final with. We’ve worked hard all year for this moment and I’m excited for what we’re about to do.”

The shortest-priced favourite in Brownlow history, Martin became the sixth Tiger to take home “Charlie”. Martin was also named the most valuable player by the AFL Players Association and AFL Coaches Association, and later claimed the Jack Dyer Medal.

6. August 31, 2017: Signs seven-year contract

It might seem a touch odd to have a contract extension on a greatest moments list, but, in terms of the dynasty the Tigers went on to enjoy, if Martin had accepted the riches on offer at Arden St, the Tigers may not have even prevailed in 2017, let alone get near the holy grail in 2019 and 2020.

After months of speculation since confirming in January that a decision would not be made until after the season, including a meeting with Tigers’ powerbrokers on the day his signature was secured, Martin and his manager Ralph Carr announced they had secured a whopping seven-year deal, with industry figures estimating it was worth about $1.2 million a season.

Martin revealed he had twice met North Melbourne staff and players, the Kangaroos offering $1.5 million a year, also over seven years. “I certainly thought about it. It was a stressful year, believe it or not. I was kind of wrestling with myself,” Martin told The Footy Show.

“You’ve got to make the most out of your football career while you can, so with Ralph and my dad and people close to me, there was plenty of conversations, but in the end, Richmond’s home to me.”

Had Martin fudged the issue, and left it to the off-season, it remains a great “what if” whether this would have destabilised the Tigers through their 2017 finals campaign. Had he left, the Tigers could still have been searching for their 11th flag.

7. Outta my way: Develops the ‘don’t argue’

Martin wasn’t the first AFL player to use the fend-off, or as it’s generally dubbed, the “don’t argue”, but he has certainly become synonymous with this rugby-type tool to keep an opponent at bay.

There have been any number of Dusty fend-offs through the years, particularly when he bursts free from a stoppage. There was a night game against Melbourne in 2018 when, in one memorable sequence on the members’ wing at the MCG, he initially fended off Josh Wagner, then left Alex Neal-Bullen sprawling on the turf on the wing, before again escaping Wagner to retain possession and drive the Tigers into attack.

In 2021, The Age’s Michael Gleeson took a look at what made Martin so physically powerful. When it came to executing the “don’t argue”, Martin doesn’t benefit from having abnormally long arms, but he has timing. As Brisbane Lions great, and former Tigers assistant coach Justin Leppitsch said, Martin steps towards the tackler, not away, so he drives more force through his fend-off. He also reads the tackler to understand when the tackler has over-committed, and appears slightly overbalanced, and then times his fend-off.

“He has the power and lateral speed, but he times his move to step into the player and then throws out the fend-off and it makes it [the don’t argue] stronger,” Leppitsch said.

“He pushes. Most people think he is trying to run over people, but he actually pushes and runs away from them. They are trying to grab something that is not there for very long.”

8. December 17, 2021: Mourns his father

Martin and his father Shane were extremely tight. Shane Martin was deported to New Zealand in 2016 when his visa was cancelled on “character” grounds, this despite the senior Rebels bikie member having lived in Sydney for the majority of his adult life.

Martin made regular trips to see his father, including one two days before he agreed to his seven-year contract extension with the Tigers.

Shane’s death from a heart attack at his Mt Maunganui home on December 17, 2021, shattered the Tigers’ star, who took a leave of absence from the game after round one in 2022 to grieve. He returned in round eight, but managed only nine games that year, his future in the game suddenly clouded.

9. July 4, 2012: The wake-up call

This was a turning point for Martin, the Tigers sacking errant midfielder Daniel Connors, 23, and suspending Martin for a fortnight for failing to attend a training session as a result of taking sleeping medication. Connors had been prescribed the medication, Martin, given the tablets from another friend, not revealing to the Tigers he had also had a couple of drinks.

The incident was strike three for Connors, who had been suspended for eight matches two seasons earlier after an alcohol-fuelled incident at a Sydney hotel, and had found trouble over the pre-season.

Martin’s on-field form had not been an issue since his debut in 2010, he had finished third in the best and fairest in his second season, but this was a wake-up call to the standards and expectations the Tigers were building under emerging administration led by chief executive Brendon Gale and Hardwick.

10. November 2009: Martin becomes a Tiger

Of course, draft day has to be in this list. Remember, Melbourne had the top two picks in the 2009 national draft, the Tigers sweating over the young lad from Castlemaine who recruiting manager Francis Jackson had labelled a “special talent”.

“Despite leaving school early, he [Martin] has had terrific life experiences and is a very hard worker. He is a nice country kid, very humble, but has a fanatical desire to be the best he can,” Jackson said.

The Tigers knew a year out from the draft Martin was a top-five pick, this affirmed when he won All-Australian selection in the under-18 team of ’09. The Tigers had a sigh of relief when the Demons took Tom Scully (187 games for the Demons, GWS and Hawthorn before retiring in 2020) and Jack Trengove (89 games for the Demons, Port Adelaide before retiring in 2019).

In his own pre-draft written words, Martin, who barracked for St Kilda because of a family friendship with former player Rod Keogh, said he most resembled Joel Selwood of current AFL players.“Good around contests, good skill level and decision-making,” Martin said of the fabled Cat.

Asked what type of player he was himself, Martin said: “A centre, who is a good clearance player. Can run and carry, can play both ends and set up attacks.”

Fifteen years on, Martin continues to do just that.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/dusty-s-journey-from-castlemaine-kid-to-silent-superstar-20240605-p5jjht.html

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The greatest? Five AFL legends rate Dusty's big game impact

By Riley Beveridge
afl.com.au
15 June 2024


Norm Smith Medal winners Dustin Martin (C) with Gary Ayres, Jimmy Bartel, Luke Hodge and Tony Shaw. Picture: Lucas Scott, AFL Media

Who better to ask about Dustin Martin's legendary status on the biggest stage of all? Riley Beveridge speaks to five Norm Smith medallists about the Tiger's greatness

THE DAY is just different.

"It's an experience that is hard to relate to other people," Gary Ayres tells AFL.com.au.

The pressure. The build-up. The excitement. The nerves. The expectation. The possibilities. The hope. The fear. Every player dreams of playing in a Grand Final. But few have the temerity to overcome the gamut of emotions that go into the day, shoulder such significant burdens, and drag their team to the game's ultimate prize.

Thousands have played football at the highest level. Very few have become premiership players, though. Even fewer have won Norm Smiths. To be the best player in football's biggest contest is an honour reserved for only the game's very elite. Simply winning one is an achievement that any ex-footballer can dine out on for a lifetime.

"I live off mine a fair bit," Tony Shaw laughs.

For a long time, to win two put you into rarefied air. After all, only three have ever done it.

"It's what people will talk about for a long time after your career," Luke Hodge says.

To win three, though. Well, that should be impossible. But just ask any Richmond fan; Dustin Martin has spent the best part of the last decade turning what had once seemed the unbelievable into reality.

On the eve of Martin's landmark 300th game, AFL.com.au spoke to a handful of the game's most respected Norm Smith medallists to gauge the enormity of the Richmond superstar's three Grand Final performances and to pose the question: Is this the greatest big-game performer Australian Football has ever seen?

The weight of history

IN THE afterglow of the all-conquering 'Dimma Dynasty', it's easy to forget the predicament Richmond had found itself in before Dustin Martin inspired the impending years of Tiger triumphs.

Richmond had gone 37 years without a premiership. It had gone 15 years and four finals without tasting September success at all. The previous season, its campaign had concluded in the ignominy of a 113-point defeat to Sydney. As brutal as it sounds, the club had become a laughing stock.

So, when Martin inspired Richmond back into the finals courtesy of a record-breaking 2017 campaign that resulted in a Brownlow Medal from 36 votes – the most in the award's history – the opportunity to not only win a flag, but change the perception of an entire football club, was suddenly at his doorstep.

"The expectation that you carry depends on what sort of history your club has going into Grand Finals," triple-premiership player and 2011 Norm Smith Medal winner Jimmy Bartel tells AFL.com.au.

"If you're part of those potentially drought-breaking ones, the fans are nervous, the people you talk to are nervous. But as soon as you identify that you don't carry all of that history, you've just got to try and win this game, that's all that matters.

"For me, that's what excited me. I was comfortable with the high-risk, high-reward nature of a Grand Final. You could be remembered forever for winning, or it could sting forever for losing. I actually enjoyed those sorts of stakes."

Evidently, so did Martin. After a performance that yielded 28 disposals and six clearances in the 2017 qualifying final win over the Cats, then 20 disposals and three goals in the preliminary final victory against the Giants, the level of pressure and expectation lifted one more notch ahead of the Grand Final. Fortunately, such moments were made for Martin.

"The clubs do their best to keep it as normal as possible, but it is so abnormal. It's the fanfare around it and the commitments outside of the club and the conversations you're having," four-time flag winner and 2022 Norm Smith medallist Isaac Smith says.

"The hardest part of the whole thing is the ticket situation. It's just a completely different build-up, really. Some people are built for it, other people struggle with it. Dusty is certainly one that's built for it."

But what makes Martin so ready for the big occasions? The pace, the power, the force, the fend-off? Clearly, the Tigers superstar has every quality imaginable for on-field success. But it can often be the intangibles that become so important when pressure moments crank up in the days and hours leading up to a Grand Final.

The football public might not hear much from Martin, but could that be a cause for his brilliance? While his ability alone is truly special, Richmond had to foster an environment for its media-shy magician to flourish. Doing so might have added to Martin's mystique, but it could also be a telling reason for his awe-inspiring performances.

"The one thing that happened with Dusty and Richmond, is Richmond had to understand – and they did it well – that he didn't want any of the hoo-ha," Collingwood's 1990 premiership captain and Norm Smith Medal winner Tony Shaw says.

"He didn't want that. When you become an AFL player, you're asked to be open to everything. As a matter of fact, you'd think a lot of clubs would've said, 'No you have to do this, this is what happens and everybody is interested in you'. But Richmond just said no, he was too good.

"I've worked with Dusty a couple of times and he's not arrogant or anything like that, he's just shy. He just doesn't like doing that sort of stuff. They organised it so well, around him not having the pressure of that and just letting him play the game."

Martin and Richmond might have progressed to that 2017 Grand Final, but they remained the underdogs against a mighty Adelaide team. The Crows were then a feared, powerful, attacking force. For the Tigers, and for Dusty, it was time to deliver.

Dusty being Dusty

THE ENTIRE 2017 season had felt like the complete Dustin Martin package.

There were 14 games worth 30-plus disposals, but there were also 13 games where he kicked multiple goals. There were clearances, tackles, don't argues, the lot. And against Adelaide, it would be the Grand Final where Martin combined it all into a single afternoon's work.

He had 29 touches, 22 contested possessions, kicked two goals, had two goal assists, racked up six clearances, finished with nine score involvements and took three bounces. Quite simply, it was vintage Dusty.

But he did it all when it mattered most. More than anything, Martin's legacy from his three special Grand Final performances were carved from the moments that demanded him to be great. Against the Crows, he gave his first glimpse of being the most clutch performer in the competition.

There was the steal, the fend-off and the assist to Bachar Houli to give Richmond its first lead of the day, the contested mark and the set shot to extend that advantage just before half-time, the remarkable set-up to Jason Castagna to put the match beyond the reach of Adelaide midway through the third, then the hook around the corner as the icing on the cake late in the match.

"I really do think it's about the moments," Ayres, Hawthorn's five-time premiership champion and the first ever dual Norm Smith Medal winner in 1986 and 1988, tells AFL.com.au.

"There's going to be pressure like you've never experienced before. You've got to be able to handle that pressure, knowing what could possibly be the result and clearly what you could feel like if you don't win. You have to inspire and do something that might inspire your teammates to then assist everyone in what you're trying to do.

"Clearly, he's got an amazingly high footy IQ. He's talented, that's what everyone sees. But the moments that demanded him to do something pretty special, but also to impact in that game in that moment, what he does is he drags other players along.

"When you think about all of the qualities that Dusty has got, I know people talk about him being a general, but I think he's more like a commander out there when he's playing those games at the top of his absolute best. What he then does, it drags other people with him. That makes him even more special."

Martin perhaps had more of those moments than people think in 2019, as Richmond made it two premierships in three years when it comfortably accounted for Greater Western Sydney by 89 points.

The scale of the final margin and the manner in which the Tigers gradually put breathing space on the Giants means that, in hindsight, it is easy to forget that things weren't always going the way of Damien Hardwick's side on that sunny September afternoon at the MCG.

Richmond had actually gone goalless through the game's first 24 minutes and trailed with 70 seconds remaining in the first quarter, before Martin broke free of Heath Shaw's attentions and finally put the Tigers on the board.

Five minutes into the second term, he put his opponent on the deck and dribbled through another to light the fuse for a run of 11 straight Richmond goals. But even still, the margin wasn't insurmountable until he snapped through again from tight inside the boundary line halfway through the third to ensure it was finally party time.

His fourth, having again disposed of Shaw before rifling through from beyond 50m, came with seconds left on the clock and sparked celebrations reminiscent of those that accompanied his late goal in the 2017 decider a couple of years ago.

But although this Grand Final performance wasn't as prolific as back then – Martin's four goals complemented 22 disposals, 12 contested possessions, three clearances, two goal assists and eight score involvements – his impact was just as significant.

"I think where people get caught up in Grand Finals, it's when you overthink it," Hodge, Hawthorn's four-time premiership champion and a two-time Norm Smith Medal winner in 2008 and 2014, tells AFL.com.au.

"For any big game, if you go in there with clarity on your role and clarity on what you've got to do and what your team has to do, any nerves should be out of your system the day before the game. Yes, you're going to have the parade and all of that kind of stuff. But a lot of the issues people have with those big games, they overthink and over-build it. By the time you're into the game, they've worked themselves up or they've played the game in their head 25 times.

"I don't know Dusty very well, but it looks like he doesn't get overawed by stuff and he's not going to overthink the situation. He just loves football. He wants to go and play football – hence why we probably don't get to chat to him much in the media – because he doesn't love the limelight. He just loves playing football with his mates. That's what's held him in good stead in big games."

But, again, Martin's 2019 Grand Final performance hadn't stood alone. Like in 2017, the Richmond superstar had dragged the Tigers to the decider through a series of memorable finals performances.

Along with his Norm Smith Medal-winning display in the showpiece event, Martin had kicked six goals in the qualifying final against Brisbane and backed it up with 22 disposals and two goals against Geelong in the preliminary final. His four-goal display against the Giants put the finishing touches on another September to remember.

"It's his demeanour. He's obviously extremely confident in his own ability," Smith says.

"But what separates a lot of players, and if you go back and look at so many of the Norm Smith Medal winners, it's how clean they are. Dustin is certainly that. He is just so clean.

"Certainly, playing against him on many occasions, his power and his strength could mean he could back himself to spend time over the football. He was then so clean and he was able to execute his skill post-contest. Some of the skills that he possesses, his foot, his fend-off, his vision and his knowledge of the game, it's as good as any."

Two Grand Finals, two premiership victories, two Norm Smith Medals. Martin was building quite the collection. But he was also saving his best – and one of the game's most special individual performances yet – for last.

Continues next post ....

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From previous post ...

His crowning moment

BARTEL had seen this story unfold before.

As a boy, he had watched Geelong teams get torn apart by moments of individual brilliance in Grand Finals. Be it Peter Matera kicking five for the Eagles in 1992 or Greg Williams adding five of his own for the Blues in 1995, every Cats fan knew this nightmare well. Now, Martin was adding another chapter.

After a season like no other in 2020, in a Grand Final like no other under the lights at the Gabba in Brisbane, Martin produced a performance like few others could to drag Richmond to a third premiership in four seasons.

Geelong was in complete control nearing half-time. Chris Scott's side was 21 points ahead – an advantage worth more than normal given the shortened length of quarters in this COVID-19 affected season – and had the ascendancy in almost every statistical category. But the dominance didn't deter Dusty.

Needing a spark just before the main break, Martin swooped on a crumbing ball, squared up Jake Kolodjashnij with a brutal fend-off, and without having even gained full control of the ball snapped across his body and through the goal to shift the game's momentum.

"That goal right on half-time. It felt like Geelong had control of the game and he just hit the contest and it bounced up and he bodied his way through," Bartel says, almost ruefully.

"I just watched that Grand Final and it was like I was a kid watching Grand Finals, when Peter Matera ripped the Cats apart in 1992 or Greg Williams in 1995. You're just watching someone and knowing that everyone else on the field is at his mercy. That's what it felt like, particularly watching the last one.

"The Crows and the Giants, he was awesome early and put them to the sword but it became a bit of a cakewalk. Really, that Cats one, it was a bit of a struggle for a while. The thing that kept separating the game was him. Every single one of his goals were amazing individually, but he put them all together."

His first, which put an end to a run of five consecutive Geelong goals, gave Richmond an air of belief at half-time. The Tigers then capitalised on their superstar's brilliance, kicking two more in quick succession to start the third quarter. But they still trailed by a slender three-point deficit late in the term when Martin bobbed up again.

This time, he roved another congested pack and eased away from the contest like only he could. With just a momentary glimpse of goal, Martin bent through a dribbling checkside snap to finally give Richmond the lead.

"Geelong had every right to be so far in front at half-time," Hodge says.

"If it wasn't for Dusty, half-time would have been a blowout. That sounds harsh on the other guys, but I don't mean to be harsh. That goal that he kicked just before half-time, it gave them that sniff.

"Let's be honest. If it wasn't for Dusty's goal just before half-time, Geelong would've walked away with it. He ended up kicking four and his second half was amazing, but him keeping them alive is the reason why they won."

Sparked by Martin's two moments of magic, Richmond gradually pulled clear amid a second-half armwrestle. But, with the result still in the balance, another sublime piece of skill ensured the separation Tiger fans had only dreamed of before half-time.

Receiving a Kane Lambert handball, Martin stepped around Mark O'Connor's attempts to tackle and barrelled through a skidding bomb from beyond 50m out. Suddenly, Richmond's lead was insurmountable. But the best was still to come.

With just over 60 seconds remaining, and with Queensland-based Tiger fans already belting out their famous song, Martin stood up amid Patrick Dangerfield's tackle attempts, swivelled on a dime and snapped through from against the boundary line.

"He had to do some special things," Ayres says of Martin's 2020 performance.

"Some of the goals he got ... there was that one in the last where he was on the boundary, he did the fend-off, then he curled the ball around. To come from behind in a Grand Final, and to drag the teammates of his across the line, it was greatness at its peak."

That it was. The fact Martin's display had followed a do-or-die semi-final performance against St Kilda worth 25 disposals and a goal, then another in a preliminary final victory over Port Adelaide that featured 21 disposals and two goals the week before, was just another sign of his enduring brilliance.

The GOAT

FOOTBALL has never seen a CV like it.

There are the three Norm Smith Medals, an achievement no one had ever accomplished before Martin. In total, 14 of the 15 judges to have voted on Martin's Grand Final performances gave him best-on-ground honours (Terry Wallace gave Houli three votes in 2017). It adds to his three premiership medals.

But there is also the 2017 Brownlow Medal, the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL Players' Association's Most Valuable Player, the AFL Coaches' Association's Player of the Year award, the four All-Australian blazers and the two Jack Dyer Medals as Richmond's best and fairest.

But along with his trio of Norm Smith Medals, there is more history of Martin standing tall on the game's biggest stages. There are also three Gary Ayres Awards, given to the best player across an entire finals series, two more Yiooken Awards for the best player in a Dreamtime at the 'G match, and even a best-on-ground award following his game for Victoria in the 2020 State of Origin match.

Such an honour's list clearly stamps Martin in the 'Greatest of All Time' debate. But it also puts him emphatically in clear air when it comes to discussing the best big-game performers that football has ever seen.

"You'd have to say so," Ayres says of whether Martin is the game's best ever Grand Final performer.

"Three Norm Smith Medals, it's insane. Really, it is. We all know as players, there are 18 sides sent out every year. Only two qualify for that Grand Final, and only one is going to win. For him to do it three times and win three Norm Smith Medals, and with where Richmond was in 2016 ... you could always see his greatness, but he took it to another level."

If the opinions of Ayres, the first player ever to win dual Norm Smith Medals, wasn't enough, then those of Hodge, the last player before Martin to achieve such a feat, follow a similar thought process.

"It's hard to say no," Hodge says.

"He's played three Grand Finals and he's won three Norm Smiths. You look at someone who is consistent in that way, you sort of sit back and say ... well, it's hard to argue. He's got a 100 per cent strike rate. No one has got his record. To be so powerful and be so dominant in all of them, it's bloody impressive."

Martin has achieved it all, but he also has the longevity to match. Saturday's accomplishment, becoming just the seventh player in Richmond's near 140-year history to reach 300 games, is evidence of that. Quite simply, football might never see a champion performer of Dusty's ilk ever again.

"I jokingly say to people who have won Brownlows, 'Don't worry about that'," Shaw laughs.

"The Norm Smith, it's probably the biggest accolade. Not to sound big-headed, but the day came and you did what you had to do. You got it done and you performed under enormous pressure to the best of your ability and people saw that and thought what you did was the best of any other player on that ground.

"When you win three Norm Smith Medals, not many have won two. To win three, at the top level, he will go down – and he should go down – as probably the best big-game player the game has ever seen. There's no doubt. No doubt."

https://www.afl.com.au/featured/1149962/left-in-his-dust-why-richmond-tigers-great-dustin-martin-is-historys-best-big-game-player

[one-eyed]

Dusty's greatest hits: We rank all 16 of his finals appearances

Nathan Schmook had the unenviable task of ranking Dustin Martin's finals games ahead of the Tiger superstar's 300th match. Do you agree?

By Nathan Schmook
afl.com.au
15 June 2024

DUSTIN Martin's greatest hits as a master of the big stage came during a peerless run of form between 2017 and 2020, when he played 13 of his 16 finals.

They are a collection of games that are treasured by the yellow and black, including three Grand Final masterclasses that resulted in a historic three Norm Smith medals.

When re-living Martin's finals performances, it is remarkable how consistent the champion midfielder was through those four particular seasons, with his top 10 finals made up entirely from that peak period of his remarkable career.

But Martin's three elimination finals between 2013 and 2015 were also a preview of what would come, with the young Tiger also showcasing his tenacious competitiveness and skill in flashes on the big stage.

As Martin prepares for his 300th game, against Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday, AFL.com.au has ranked the Tiger champion's 'sweet 16' September appearances.

16. 2018 Preliminary Final v Collingwood

Martin entered the first final between Richmond and Collingwood since 1980 under an injury cloud, suffering a badly corked thigh that bled into his knee. The Tigers took a risk in playing him after not training for a week-and-a-half and it didn't pay off in one of the biggest September upsets in recent memory. Martin finished without a clearance after six kicks from his 19 disposals and spent time deep forward, where he was well held. Best remembered for Mason Cox's pack marking and three influential goals, it was the loss that inspired the Tigers' 2019 year of redemption.

15. 2022 Elimination Final v Brisbane 

Martin's most recent final was one of his quietest, with one goal from 15 disposals in a thriller at the Gabba. The match is most memorable for Tom Lynch's overturned goal and the late match-winner from Joe Daniher that followed it in the goalsquare. Martin's 15 touches were his second-lowest return in a final, edged only by the 14 he had against the Lions in 2019 in a six-goal qualifying final performance.

14. 2020 Qualifying Final v Brisbane

One of only two scoreless finals for Martin during his 2017-2020 run, the champion midfielder started brightly but faded somewhat to finish with 18 disposals and 10 inside 50s. It was the Lions' night as they ended a 15-game losing streak against the Tigers and 11 years without a finals win. Without a big influence from Martin, the Tigers were led by Dion Prestia, Jayden Short and Kane Lambert.

13. 2014 Elimination Final v Port Adelaide

The Tigers entered the finals on an 9-0 run but, like they had 12 months' earlier, fell at the first hurdle, losing by 57 points. Martin racked up plenty of the footy with an equal team-high 29 disposals and nine score involvements. But he was part of a team that couldn't hold its own in the contest and gave the ball back repeatedly, shuffling players around to try and get back in the game.

12. 2015 Elimination Final v North Melbourne

Among his team's best players, Martin won the footy but didn't use it with precision in his third final as the Tigers went down by 17 points. Found himself in defence on occasion and was one of too few fighting hard in the midfield. Had 21 disposals after a fast start and created a goal from nothing for Kamdyn McIntosh when he won possession on the wing and burst forward.

11. 2013 Elimination Final v Carlton

A young Martin in his first final gave a taste of what was to come on the big stage when he outmuscled Jeff Garlett and then ran inside 50 to kick his first September goal. There was also a first-quarter 'don't argue' that electrified the crowd. The Tigers lost a blockbuster final by 20 points, with Martin finishing with 19 disposals and six inside 50s in the first of three straight elimination final defeats from 2013-15.

10. 2019 Preliminary Final v Geelong

Richmond looked destined for a second straight preliminary final defeat with the Cats leading by 21 points at half-time and looking comfortable. And while Tom Lynch, Bachar Houli and Dion Prestia were the stars, Martin was heavily involved in the comeback, crumbing off the back of a contest and running in to kick an early goal in the third quarter that built momentum. He finished with nine score involvements, including two goals, from 22 disposals. 

9. 2020 Semi-Final v St Kilda

Like was so often the case, the door remained ajar for the Tigers' opponents until Dusty slammed it shut himself. On this occasion, it was a left-foot goal out of a stoppage halfway through the fourth quarter that made sure of things, capping a performance that saw Martin among the best few players on the ground with 25 disposals, one goal and nine score involvements. The Tigers won by 31 points in a clash on the Gold Coast as they continued to surge towards a premiership during the pandemic.

8. 2017 Preliminary Final v GWS

Another excellent performance that contains signature moments in Martin's career, spearheading a 36-point win in his first preliminary final. Martin got the Tigers off to a fast start, roving brilliantly off the pack and handballing forward to Kane Lambert for the opening goal 15 seconds in. He ended the contest either side of three-quarter time with three goals in succession, steaming out of the goalsquare, faking left and powerfully spinning to his right to kick one of his iconic goals on the outside of his right boot. Finished with 20 disposals and 3.3.

7. 2018 Qualifying Final v Hawthorn

Martin produced another finals special at the MCG in his 200th game, with this performance memorable for an incredible goal he kicked on his right foot running towards the boundary line in the pocket. Provided his usual brilliance inside the contest with 17 contested possessions among his 29 disposals and a massive 10 clearances. Coach Damien Hardwick has warned his star was primed for a big return to the finals stage, and he wasn't wrong.

6. 2019 Grand Final v GWS

It is easy to mark this Grand Final down given it was so one-sided, but it included a key interjection from Martin when the Giants had early momentum and several memorable moments. The Tigers needed a spark late in the first quarter and it was Martin who got clear off Heath Shaw to mark and then snap a set shot. He then wrong-footed his man in the second quarter to get behind him and snap the second of four goals. His second quarter was influential and he played a crucial hand in a famous Grand Final moment, kicking unselfishly to Marlion Pickett for the debutant's first career goal. A unanimous Norm Smith medallist, he received his medal from Simon Black and screamed "yellow and black" into the microphone.

5. 2020 Preliminary Final v Port Adelaide

One of the tightest finals Martin played in, with the margin never extending beyond 11 points and the Tigers winning by six at a wet Adelaide Oval. Martin was heroic in a best afield performance, finishing with two goals, including his team's first when he crumbed expertly and snapped with his right foot. He defied the conditions with some sublime kicks against the minor premiers on their home deck, finishing with 21 disposals and six score involvements to help send the Tigers through to a third Grand Final in four seasons.

4. 2019 Qualifying Final v Brisbane

The Tigers took a gamble at the Gabba and it paid off in a big way, playing Martin as a near permanent forward and winning by 47 points to progress to preliminary final. The superstar Tiger kicked an equal career-high six goals and was a clear best afield in the deep role as the Tigers worked to isolate him on a variety of opponents. They stuck with the plan after the Lions' fast start, with Martin going on to outmuscle opponents in marking contests and kick multiple stoppage goals. His sixth, which was a 35m kick along the ground, was the exclamation point on one of his most memorable performances.

3. 2017 Qualifying Final v Geelong

Martin's first emergence as a finals force as he moved on from a magnificent home and away season and became a master of the big stage at the MCG. The midfielder was central to the Tigers' frenzied game style and attack on the ball, breaking the Cats when he set up goals for Shane Edwards and Shaun Grigg either side of three-quarter time. Finished with 28 disposals, nine inside 50s and six score assists – double the next best – as the Tigers won through to their first preliminary final since 2001 with a 51-point win.

2. 2017 Grand Final v Adelaide

Given a license to roam by coach Damien Hardwick, Martin was devastating at the MCG and completed arguably the greatest ever season by a player by winning a Norm Smith, premiership and Brownlow medals in the same week. It was Martin's ability to win possession inside the contest and feed it out to teammates that separated him, finishing with 22 contested possessions among his 29 disposals. Calm in the chaos of Richmond's first Grand Final appearance since 1982, he kicked two goals as the Tigers overpowered the Crows by 48 points.

1. 2020 Grand Final v Geelong

Martin's Grand Final masterpiece. The champion Tiger repeatedly imposed himself in the game's most important moments and when his team needed him, kicking four brilliant goals in a match-turning performance. His first goal was a highlight, snapping accurately under heavy pressure when the Tigers were 21 points down in the second quarter to turn the tide. A powerful late goal shaking off Patrick Dangerfield was the cream in a performance that showcased his ruthless competitiveness. Finished with 21 disposals and nine score involvements in a 31-point win and was stamped as the modern game's greatest finals performer with a record third Norm Smith Medal.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1150367/dustin-martin-greatest-hits-we-rank-all-16-of-richmond-tigers-hero-finals-appearances

[one-eyed]

Ben Cousins has heaped praise on Dustin Martin ahead of his 300th game

Ben Cousins, a close friend of 300-gamer Dustin Martin, has detailed the “enormous impression” the Tiger champion made on him.

James Dampney
News.com.au Sports reporter
June 15, 2024 - 3:39PM



Former teammate Ben Cousins has penned a glowing tribute to Dustin Martin on the eve of the Richmond champion’s 300th AFL game.

Martin arrived at Punt Road via the 2009 national draft and his first season in the AFL coincided with Cousins’ second and final year with the Tigers.

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Cousins’ checkered AFL career featured 238 games, a Brownlow Medal and a premiership with West Coast before he was banned by the league for the 2008 season following an arrest for drug possession and refusing a blood test.

Once he was allowed to compete again, Cousins was picked up by Richmond in the 2008 pre-season draft and when he linked up with the Tigers, he was instantly struck by the shy, quiet draft pick.

“The final two years of my AFL career came with an unexpected bonus when Dustin ‘Dusty’ Martin arrived at Punt Road late in 2009 for pre-season training,” Cousins wrote in a column for 7NEWS.

“I could easily bang on about the enormous impression he made on me right from the get-go, as he was simply doing things on-field I’d never seen before from a first-year player.

“Fifteen seasons later and on the eve of game 300, this quiet kid forever let his football do the talking and it only got louder.

“A lot has been said of his incredible career but staying true to yourself throughout a lengthy journey has impressed me just as much.

“Big kudos for a kid who just loved his footy, had a bucketload of belief and, fortunately for him, a willingness to overcome some unforeseen obstacles.”

Like Cousins, Martin battled off-field issues during his 15 seasons in the AFL, but overcame it all to stand as one of the greats of the sport.

The 32-year-old won the Norm Smith Medal in all three of Richmond’s premierships during his time at Punt Road, along with four All-Australian awards and two club best and fairest nods.

Martin has also shunned publicity, including a refusal to do undertake any media appearances in the build-up to Saturday’s clash with Hawthorn, when he will become the 104th player to chalk up 300 games.

Cousins, who formed a close friendship with the Richmond champion, credited the man known universally as “Dusty” for staying true to himself across his glittering career.

“Every young player enters the AFL world with a lot of growing up to do and even knowing who you really are can sometimes be confusing,” the 45-year-old wrote.

“It’s not easy to stay authentic in a cutthroat industry where everyone has their say, at the mercy of a system that can often prey on those yet to prove themselves a product of the establishment.

“I can imagine at times there’s been internal anguish, struggles and pressure to ‘conform’ that carries a significant weight not lost on me.

“This is a gruelling sport which leaves you physically and emotionally spent on a weekly basis.

“Throw in additional levels of expectation, popularity and never-ending scrutiny it can sometimes make one feel like you’re fighting the fight on all fronts, and speaking from experience, it can also be lonely.

“This storyline could’ve read somewhat different without the staunch support of the Tiger army. The alliance that developed between he and his guardians is unbreakable.

“Yes, there’s an argument to suggest that success brings responsibility and access on all fronts, but if that’s not your thing why should we push someone down a path of duplicity?

“For Dusty to reach 300 games under a spotlight of unsought attention is testament to his passion of just wanting to play the game he still loves.”

Cousins also compared Martin to some other modern-day greats that preferred to avoid the spotlight.

“He’s become an icon of this game (just ask any kid) who, in my opinion, has already given back more through his on-field deeds than anyone could give in appearance value.

“Other icons of the game like Tony Lockett, Gary Ablett Sr and more recently Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin have also preferred privacy over self-praise and fanfare so surely there’s room for him in that shelter too.

“I have the utmost admiration for the way Dustin Martin has handled himself throughout his career.

“He entered the arena with a ‘don’t argue’ and has kept delivering ever since.

“Perhaps that’s a fitting phrase for us all to ponder on another level.

“For me personally, it’s important to be at this milestone game to share in the celebration of an outstanding man and his ever-supportive football club.

“And I for one don’t expect another miracle performance on this particular big day. Just enjoy it, my good friend, you’ve earned it.”

It has been a difficult season for the Tigers, picking up just two wins from 13 matches to date.

One of those victories was against the ladder-leading Swans, the only team to beat Sydney so far in 2024, while they are also coming off an upset win against the Crows in Adelaide.

The Tigers will be desperate to salute their champion midfielder at the MCG as he takes his 300th bow.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/ben-cousins-has-heaped-praise-on-dustin-martin-ahead-of-his-300th-game/news-story/30acfb27ba863b62a0785b55114cd5ea

[Tiger_In_Sicily]

God I hope Dusty of old comes out today and tears it up. Makes a huge statement, kicks 5 and shuts the media up

[Tiger Khosh]

God I hope Dusty of old comes out today and tears it up. Makes a huge statement, kicks 5 and shuts the media up

Shuts the media up? You’ve been potting him all season.

[Damo]

God I hope Dusty of old comes out today and tears it up. Makes a huge statement, kicks 5 and shuts the media up

Shuts the media up? You’ve been potting him all season.

Yep
Shouldn’t have been in the side from memory

[Andyy]

God I hope Dusty of old comes out today and tears it up. Makes a huge statement, kicks 5 and shuts the media up

You gonna watch or go sailing on the Mediterranean?

[Damo]

God I hope Dusty of old comes out today and tears it up. Makes a huge statement, kicks 5 and shuts the media up

You gonna watch or go sailing on the Mediterranean?

Tending to his eight properties and olive oil farm

[Simonator]

Id wanna retire if I was dusty. Very uninspiring half of footy

[Tiger_In_Sicily]

Dusty should retire after tonight..
FFS the team couldn't even lift for him and all his done.
Even players like Baker, been totally poo.
Trade him while he has value

[Tiger Khosh]

Right on cue…..

[Knighter]

$1.3m for that - retire please