The media are on the Dusty bandwagon big time....Richmond cub Dustin Martin's all-out attack on elite status Mark Stevens
From: Herald Sun
April 28, 2011 RISING Richmond star Dustin Martin is challenging Hawthorn's Lance Franklin as the most devastating player in the AFL.
The statement is not opinion, but based on statistics from the first five weeks of the season.
Martin has had an involvement in 34.7 per cent of the Tigers' scores, behind only Franklin's 35.2 per cent strike-rate at Hawthorn.
Gary Ablett is third on the list with a 33.9 per cent contribution at the Gold Coast Suns, highlighting Martin's surge into the league's stratosphere.
Score involvement stats are the strongest indicator of a player's value.
And 19-year-old Martin's touches are turning to scoreboard gold.
He had a hand in 14 of Richmond's 27 scores in Sunday's nine-point victory against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.
Former Sydney coach Paul Roos, who witnessed Martin's heroics against North, said last night: "For a second-year player, it was a bloody good effort".
"He's outstanding. He was the most influential player on the ground, no doubt," Roos said.
"He kicked goals and he created them. He kept Richmond in the game and then they were able to get a run on."
Former Melbourne champion Garry Lyon lavished Martin with praise, likening him to Geelong superstar Joel Selwood.
"He's a big boy. A big strong body. He's got everything you want in a footy player. He's got a warrior-type competitive mentality," Lyon told Triple M.
"He does all that sort of stuff, then chuck the poise and classy finishing on top of it.
"He is going to get to Selwood category. I can't give him too much greater praise."
Martin, the No.3 pick in the 2009 draft behind Melbourne pair Tom Scully and Jack Trengove, has kicked nine goals from five matches as a midfielder pushing forward.
Martin has been involved in 41 of 118 Richmond scoring shots this year - eight more than any other Tiger.
Champion Data senior analyst Glenn Luff described the definition of a "score involvement": "It is the number of times a player has a disposal, hitout or knock-on in an unbroken chain that results in a score."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-cub-dustin-martins-all-out-attack-on-elite-status/story-e6frf9jf-1226045887508
