Dustin Martin - 2017 Brownlow medallist [official]

[(•))(©™]

I don't get it n
As far as I can tell, Dusty hasn't been as good as he can be yet the accolades are flying.

[Slipper]

The AFL will be pooping itself over the possibility of the Cats appealing Danger's suspension.

[MintOnLamb]

Don't care much for the Brownlow but wouldn't people prefer if he won it outright instead of by default, with an asterisk next to his name and on a night where all the air is sucked out of the room because another bloke received more votes?

I am with you, in reality if the guy is ineligible
a) he shouldn't attend and
b) his votes should not be read out

[YellowandBlackBlood]

No challenge. It's Dusty's to lose. I hope he keeps himself out of trouble! 

[mat073]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/geelong/geelong-accepts-onematch-suspension-patrick-dangerfield-ineligible-for-brownlow-medal/news-story/996a24c3f21bc2000ea8ffad15c378d2

[Simonator]

Yep. Give him the medal

[Dougeytherichmondfan]

Imagine if Danger polls the most votes but Dusty wins. Danger has to award Dusty with the medal.....

[Diocletian]

Don't care much for the Brownlow but wouldn't people prefer if he won it outright instead of by default, with an asterisk next to his name and on a night where all the air is sucked out of the room because another bloke received more votes?

I am with you, in reality if the guy is ineligible
a) he shouldn't attend and
b) his votes should not be read out

In most years yes though Dangerfield has to attend as the reignig medallist to present the medal ....also they still have to read out votes fom matches the ineligable player was involved in so f.e if Dangerfield got two votes but they only read out the blokes who got one  & three votes , people would work out how many he votes he was getting and I'm sure the broadcasters & the media would be counting them anyway and showing them on their boards.


Personally I don't understand why umpires continue to award votes to ineligible players, they should be instructed not to. Seems the simplest and most obvious soultion to me...not foolproof though if a player with big lead only gets suspended  late in the season....

[lamington]

I think the AFLCA votes (which Dusty is also leading) should be more of a spectacle. I like that it has a better spread of player types i.e. it isn't overly midfield centric. And for the most part I think the coaches have a better grasp on the game than the umpires.

[one-eyed]

The thing that can stop a Dusty Brownlow romp

afl.com.au
1 August 2017

THE 2017 BROWNLOW Medal appears to be Dustin Martin's to lose, but the Richmond superstar will need to walk the Tribunal tightrope between now and the end of the season to collect his award.

CrownBet, which will be paying out all bets on ineligible Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield if he polls the most votes, has wound in Martin to a $1.20 favourite to win his first Brownlow Medal.

However, Martin has been fined twice for low-level offences and a third minor charge would see him suspended for one match himself and ruled out of contention for this year's Brownlow Medal.

Martin, who has otherwise avoided suspension through his 171-game career, finds himself in this perilous position because of two incidents in the round 17 win against the Brisbane Lions.

He was charged with rough conduct for an off-the-ball bump on Lewis Taylor and fined $1000, and then made unnecessary contact to the face of Nick Robertson, drawing a $1500 fine.

Martin's track record, drawing only one other Tribunal charge for a low-level offence (for forceful front-on contact in his third game), suggests he will keep his cool for the remainder of Richmond's season.

If Martin does commit a third low-level offence, the Tigers would have much more motivation to challenge than the Cats did with Dangerfield, given they would only be risking $2500 – not an extra week on the sidelines.

The AFL.com.au Brownlow predictor suggests Martin would win in a landslide if he remains eligible, potentially by a record margin following Dangerfield's suspension.

He has been judged best afield in seven of the Tigers' past nine games and already has a tally of 32 votes – a lead of 13 votes over the next eligible player, Hawthorn midfielder Tom Mitchell.

Despite the excellent form of teammate Trent Cotchin, the AFL Coaches votes suggest it is unlikely Martin will have too many votes taken from him.

Martin leads the AFLCA Player of the Year award with 101 votes, ahead of Dangerfield (94 votes) and more than double Cotchin (50 votes).

He has been adjudged best on ground by the coaches seven times with perfect 10 scores, and shared best-afield honours twice with scores of nine.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-08-01/what-can-stop-a-dusty-brownlow-romp

[Yeahright]

Personally I don't understand why umpires continue to award votes to ineligible players, they should be instructed not to. Seems the simplest and most obvious soultion to me...not foolproof though if a player with big lead only gets suspended  late in the season....

Don't mind that. As you pointed out, there is a potential issue but is easily the best thing I've heard put forward

[Yeahright]

He was charged with making unnecessary contact to the face of Nick Robertson, drawing a $1500 fine.

Still unsure how any charge deemed "insufficient force" isn't then deemed as "unnecessary contact".

[one-eyed]

Dustin Martin on track to break Patrick Dangerfield’s Brownlow Medal vote record

JON RALPH,
Herald Sun
August 2, 2017

DUSTIN Martin might be on the greatest Brownlow Medal polling tear in AFL history.

Fresh from what shapes as a trio of three-vote performances, his chief rival was yesterday wiped from Brownlow contention.

But from a deeper analysis at Martin’s weekly performances he won’t just beat Dangerfield, he might wipe his Brownlow record.

Martin is on track to surge past Dangerfield’s 2016 record of 35 Brownlow votes and potentially crash through the 40-vote barrier.

Brownlow voting is historically fluky given the umpires that vote on the award and the track record of short-priced favourites getting beaten.

Yet two key indicators weigh overwhelmingly in Martin’s favour.

Last year’s 25-vote performance saw Martin poll votes in every single one of Richmond’s eight victories.

Of the 24 available votes he could have polled in those wins, he racked up 20 despite a year in which he kicked nine goals to this year’s 24 so far.

Polling in 11 games (with six best-ons) despite what is commonly accepted to be Richmond’s annus horribilis, he polled three votes in a close loss to Geelong and two in a defeat against the Dogs.

Those that know him believe he finally clicked two months into the season amid speculation about his dad’s deportation and the fallout from the off-season chopsticks drama.

Injected into more of a pure midfield role, he polled 24 of those 25 votes in the last 15 rounds of the year.

This year Martin could have polled in 14 of 18 games already, with the Tigers notching 12 wins so far.

Martin doesn’t just play well in those wins, he plays with such authority it is hard to see him not receiving three Brownlow votes.

He seems certain to poll maximum votes against Carlton (33 touches, four goals), West Coast (40 and 2), Essendon (30 and 1), North Melbourne (38 and 2), Brisbane (40 and 2) and GWS in Round 18 (31, 11 clearances).

Then there are a clutch of games where he could easily poll three — last week’s 34 touches and a goal against Brisbane, the Giants in Round 9 (36 touches, 10 inside-50s).

Finally there are games where his polling record suggests he could get lucky — the win over Melbourne where Jack Riewoldt kicked six, the loss to the Dogs where he could poll behind Marcus Bontempelli.

Trent Cotchin might steal some votes (Round 2 v the Pies, Round 17 v the Lions) and Alex Rance might take Richmond’s only votes in the Round 13 loss to Sydney.

But last year behind Martin’s tally of 25 votes Cotchin polled just nine votes in a solid year and Rance only seven in an All-Australian year.

Ben Griffiths (four), Brandon Ellis (three) and Jack Riewoldt (two) were the only other Richmond pollers as he took 25 of the 52 Richmond votes.

This year he has been more explosive, kicked more goals, won more matches, been recognised even more for his brilliance.

The challenges come in the form of two low-level fines already accrued and two taggers about to dull his star power.

Hawthorn’s Daniel Howe was well beaten by Joel Selwood but had the better of Josh Kennedy, Dylan Shiel and Nat Fyfe and seems a likely Dusty target.

Then the following week Scott Selwood could go to him or Cotchin, having put the clamps on Bryce Gibbs and Rory Sloane already this year.

Dangerfield might still come with the clouds with 30-plus votes given his best games are extraordinary and he has 35 goals so far compared to 24 last year.

Still, even in a century where Dane Swan and Gary Ablett have been rolled as odds-on favourites, it seems only Martin can beat himself now.


RECORD PACE

With four rounds left, Dustin Martin could already have 36 Brownlow Medal votes in his keep

Analysis by Jon Ralph

¦ R1 v Carlton W43

The consummate performance — four goals, 33 disposals. Lock in three votes.

¦ R2 v Collingwood W19

25 disposals, two goals, but Cotchin had 26 and two and is likely to get three votes. Dusty one or two.

¦ R3 v West Coast W11

40 disposals, two goals. Certain three votes.

¦ R4 v Brisbane Lions W52

16 disposals, looked sore. No chance.

¦ R5 v Melbourne W13

32 disposals, nine clearances. Jack Riewoldt six goals, Michael Hibberd 27 disposals. Not in AFL coaches votes, landed two in Herald Sun. One or two votes maybe.

¦ R6 v Adelaide L76

25 disposals, one goal. Tigers smashed. No votes.

¦ R7 v Western Bulldogs L5

28 disposals, two goals, but Marcus Bontempelli clear best. Not in coaches votes, Herald Sun gave him two. Could he sneak in for two?

¦ R8 v Fremantle L2

27 disposals, one goal. No Herald Sun votes, no coaches votes. No chance.

¦ R9 v GWS L3

35 disposals, 10 inside 50s. Alex Rance best with coaches, Dusty best with Herald Sun. Two or three votes?

¦ R10 v Essendon W15

30 disposals, one goal. Maximum coaches votes, three with Herald Sun. Lock in the three.

¦ R11 v North Melbourne W35

38 disposals, two goals. Clearly best afield. Three votes.

¦ R13 v Sydney L9

23 disposals, two goals. Rance huge. Not in top seven in coaches votes. No.

¦ R14 v Carlton W26

30 possessions, six clearances, seven inside 50s. Clearly best ahead of Matthew Kreuzer. Three votes.

¦ R15 v Port Adelaide W13

36 disposals, one goal, best in coaches award over Kane Lambert. Three votes.

¦ R16 v St Kilda L67

19 disposals, one goal. Tigers annihilated. No chance.

¦ R17 v Brisbane Lions W31

40 possessions, two goals. three votes in Herald Sun, nine coaches votes. Two or three votes.

¦ R18 v GWS W19

31 disposals, 10 inside 50s, 11 clearances. The triple-double. Three votes for sure.

¦ R19 v Gold Coast W33

34 possessions, one goal, seven inside 50s. Not as dominant but still likely three votes.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/dustin-martin-on-track-to-break-patrick-dangerfields-brownlow-medal-vote-record/news-story/a6eb0521deaf98cd93883d09272b4835

[Gracie]

So taking the lowest position from those comments would see Martin on 30 votes right now.

[one-eyed]

AFL Brownlow Medal 2017: Dustin Martin’s father Shane Martin should be allowed into Australia says Mark Robinson

MARK ROBINSON
Herald Sun
5 August 2017

UNQUESTIONABLY, there will be an awkwardness if Patrick Dangerfield polls the most votes and, as the previous winner, has to present Dustin Martin with the 2017 Brownlow Medal.

But it will pass quickly enough on the night.

So will the popular belief it will be awkward for Martin if he has to answer questions from Bruce McAvaney during his acceptance speech.

Martin is said to be not media savvy, but that’s not entirely true. Simply, Martin doesn’t like the media and how sections of it have portrayed him over the years, not least through the chopsticks controversy. So he avoids it.

The fact is Martin is no longer the shy boy from Castlemaine and, at 26, is much more confident in himself and in front of others. Martin’s speech, if he wins, could be one for the ages.

It won’t as eloquent and effervescent as Dangerfield’s last year. Nor as professional as Chris Judd or Gary Ablett. And it won’t even be as knockabout as the speech made by his great mate Dane Swan.

It will be raw and down to earth. The rawness of Martin is the beauty of Martin. He was a kid from central Victoria who left school, played footy and who became “Dusty’’, the most famous Dusty since Springfield and Slim.

On Brownlow Medal night, McAvaney will be charged with eliciting from Martin a story of a hardy family, a bikie dad, tribal tattoos, incredible personal development and a subliminal gift to play Australian rules.

There’s three aspects of Martin’s life we’ve come to know.

He loves his dad. He loves children and vice-versa. And Trent Cotchin loves Martin.

It’s astonishing Martin has yet to re-sign with Richmond.

Maybe it’s an attitude borne from his dad, but people close to Martin talk of his unyielding loyalty.

When Shane Martin — Martin’s father — was deported to New Zealand and Martin made a television plea to the Australian Government to allow him to return, he spoke of brotherhoods. “Just because he was in a club doesn’t mean he has done anything wrong,’’ Martin said. “I am in a footy club, he is in a bikie club, they join, get together and go for rides.’’

If Martin wins the medal, his dad, at this stage, won’t be there to celebrate it.

The question is: Should Shane Martin be allowed back into Australia for one night only to see his son be honoured with the most cherished individual award in football?

The AFL told the Herald Sun it would not have an issue if Martin’s father was to attend.

The Tigers would be willing to help Martin go through the necessary processes to try to make it happen because they believe in the saying: If you don’t ask, you never know.

Of course, Shane Martin was deported for a reason.

He was flown to New Zealand by the Government in April, 2016, after Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said he failed to meet the minimum character requirements to remain in Australia.

Shane Martin is a former top-ranking official with the Rebels motorcycle gang. “We are at war with outlaw motorcycle gangs because they are distributing drugs across society and they’re involved in serious crime,’’ Dutton said.

“Outlaw motorcycle gangs should hear the message clearly that we’re going to continue this operation until we can wipe out outlaw motorcycle gangs.

“They are causing misery to mums and dads who have teenage children who are buying drugs from outlaw motorcycle gang members.’’

Shane Martin said in December 2016: “I’m not a threat to Australia. I’ve never been in trouble in my life ... except for trivial things and that was a long time ago. I’m finished with the Rebels and I have been way before they came and arrested me. Never been to jail … I’ve got history, you know, but it’s not indictable.”

The Tigers star made his public plea in February this year.

“I wake up every day hoping to get a phone call from Dad saying, ‘Guess what, I’m coming back’,” Martin told Channel 9.

“He hasn’t done anything wrong. If he was a criminal I’d cop it, but they’ve just taken him away for association.”

The greatest influence on Martin’s life has been his father and it’s why the Tigers have allowed him to fly to New Zealand at least three times this season.

Could the Turnbull Government cut the Martins some slack?

Clearly, it’s worth pursuing from Martin’s side, despite the prospects of success being grim.

As for it being awkward on Brownlow night, Martin has to avoid incurring another fine on the field in the remaining four rounds or he, too, will be suspended and ruled ineligible for the award.

Popular belief has Martin ahead of Dangerfield, who can’t win it, and the two of them at least 10 or 12 votes ahead of the next player.

If Martin was to become ineligible, the player with the third-most votes would be crowned the best player.

That would be awkward and it’s why rules of eligibility for winning the medal will surely be looked at by the AFL at the end of the season.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/expert-opinion/mark-robinson/dustin-martin-wants-his-stuff-in-australia-for-brownlow-night/news-story/7248204e9e3d26998241d9ea453f97a7