Player Watch #4 Dustin Martin GOAT and King of Punt Rd - OFFICIALLY RETIRED

[captain blood 17]

We will never know why Dusty reached out to the Suns, or why they blabbed about it.

Anyway, all forgotten now, Dusty a one-club Tiger legend.

Even Jack is doubting that story re the contact. And other news networks have said the same. Every chance GC was using a little creative license on the he contacted us stuff.

 

[Rocco sifreddi]

Even Jack is doubting that story re the contact. And other news networks have said the same. Every chance GC was using a little creative license on the he contacted us stuff.

They are trying to stay relevant, Carmichael Hunt, Gary Ablett jnr, reality is nobody cares about a soulless club.

 

[PaulBulluss]

His highlights from 2023 (last year).



Sad how the cliff came quickly in 2024. Injuries? Lack of motivation? New coach? Combination of all of these things? Who knows. But in 2023 he averaged 23.6 disposals and 1.2 goals per game and just missed out on making the All Australian team.

Combination of all those things, for sure.

At his age and with almost 300 games under his belt you can imagine how hard it became to play at 100% with any kind of niggle (which every player carries through a season).

Also factor in the inevitable loss of fitness base due to not being able to put in the kind of pre-season he did when he was younger/in his prime.

Then add the psychological side of it where he's now playing at a club indisputably at the beginning of a total rebuild as opposed to competing for the ultimate prize.

And then think about the impact of no longer playing with his mates, probably (definitely?) the most enjoyable aspect of the game for Dusty. Not saying he wasn't mates with the 2023 list or that he was a bad teammate to them, just that in combination with all of the above this would've affected his ability to muster the kind of drive he had in previous years.

It's a pity, when he was 28-29 I thought he'd be able to play in a forward pocket well into his 30s.

 

[Lunchtime]

Combination of all those things, for sure.

At his age and with almost 300 games under his belt you can imagine how hard it became to play at 100% with any kind of niggle (which every player carries through a season).

Also factor in the inevitable loss of fitness base due to not being able to put in the kind of pre-season he did when he was younger/in his prime.

Then add the psychological side of it where he's now playing at a club indisputably at the beginning of a total rebuild as opposed to competing for the ultimate prize.

And then think about the impact of no longer playing with his mates, probably (definitely?) the most enjoyable aspect of the game for Dusty. Not saying he wasn't mates with the 2023 list or that he was a bad teammate to them, just that in combination with all of the above this would've affected his ability to muster the kind of drive he had in previous years.

It's a pity, when he was 28-29 I thought he'd be able to play in a forward pocket well into his 30s.

I still think he was a bit unlucky not to be in All Australian team in 2023 but he just missed out. 5 AA's is better than 4 AA's.

When you think about it.... Cripps, The Bont, Neale, and Daicos will all get more AA's than Martin.

 

[DickieKnee]

I still think he was a bit unlucky not to be in All Australian team in 2023 but he just missed out. 5 AA's is better than 4 AA's.

When you think about it.... Cripps, The Bont, Neale, and Daicos will all get more AA's than Martin.

AAs are for the media darlings. That's why Geesook feature heavily.

 

[one eyedtiger]

I still think he was a bit unlucky not to be in All Australian team in 2023 but he just missed out. 5 AA's is better than 4 AA's.

When you think about it.... Cripps, The Bont, Neale, and Daicos will all get more AA's than Martin.

He absolutely should've been AA in 2023. He played mainly as a forward, I don't remember his split exactly but it was something like 70-30. Those numbers for a forward are off the charts.

The AA panel though, I no doubt believe compared his numbers to his peak 2016-2020 and thought "nah not that good of a year. He was one of the best forwards in 2023, he should've been in the team. Even if it was on the bench.

You can mount a case that he should've been an AA in 2019 where his stats were similar to his 2018 and 2020 years, both of which were All Australian seasons for Dusty.

Ultimately it doesn't really matter, AA is never perfect and plenty of players miss out who are deserving. Dusty sits comfortably as one the all time Tiger greats and one of the best players of the modern era. The only people who will care about the All Australians, will be people trying to sling shit at Dusty and his standing in the game (the main board). Every half logical and well balanced football fan will agree with his standing in the game regardless of the number AA jackets in his wardrobe.

 

[Cleansweep17]

I still think he was a bit unlucky not to be in All Australian team in 2023 but he just missed out. 5 AA's is better than 4 AA's.

When you think about it.... Cripps, The Bont, Neale, and Daicos will all get more AA's than Martin.

Martin got 4 AA squads too I believe

AAs squads that converted to AAs:

GAJ got 8/8

Dusty got 4/8

There isn’t actually that much in it as people think. Richmond were just shit so he didn’t get those 50/50 bench decisions.

 

[Daka]

It's a pity, when he was 28-29 I thought he'd be able to play in a forward pocket well into his 30s.

300 is amazing, but in saying that I thought he would have been able to play a lot more than that.
I think the injury took 50 games from him, you add in the passing of his father & losing a little motivation along the way all adds to it.

He pretty much played 250 games with barely any injuries the odd niggle here & there, nothing major sometimes he didn't even miss a game even when he was sore at his peak, than it all came abruptly to an end.

I would be shocked if he goes up to the Gold Coast given Cotch & Riewoldt's recent comments, to me it just doesn't seem like the best thing for him, and i am not just saying that cause I am a Richmond supporter.

He loves golf & he seems "happily retired" why would he want to go back into a pressure cooker, when at times he struggled for motivation even when Hardwick was here especially 2022, 2023 proved he never lost the ability, he was a little older & his form dipped like any other great of the game. you add the injury and it all makes sense.