Dustin Martin

Dustin Martin
Personal information
Full nameDustin Martin
Date of birth26 June 1991
Place of birthCastlemaine, Victoria
Original teamCastlemaine (BFL)
Bendigo Pioneers (TAC Cup)
Draft3rd overall, 2009
Richmond
Height/Weight187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
89 kg (196 lb; 14 st 0 lb)
Position(s)Midfielder
Club information
Current clubRichmond
Number4
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2010–Richmond111 (121)
1 Playing statistics correct to end of Round 3, 2015 season.
Career highlights

Dustin Martin (born 26 June 1991) is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for Richmond in the Australian Football League (AFL). In 2009 he played with the Bendigo Pioneers and the Victoria Country side in the under-18 national championships. He also made the All-Australian team in the centre position.[1]

Early life

Martin was born in Castlemaine, Victoria to a Maori father from New Zealand and an Australian mother.[1] He played football for Castlemaine in the Bendigo Football League before he left school after year 9 and moved to Sydney with his father, Shane. In Sydney he played for the Campbelltown Blues under 18's team, playing a senior game at the end of the season. Meanwhile he worked at Shane's transport business and Shane's girlfriend's sports apparel business.[1]

Early football career

At the end of 2007 he moved back to Castlemaine where he played for the Castlemaine senior side.[1] He played the last four games of the 2008 season for the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup. He returned to the Pioneers side the following year and played exceptionally well, coming runner-up in the best and fairest count. While playing for Bendigo he averaged 24.7 touches (9.7 of them contested) and 115 Supercoach points from 11 games. He also finished first in disposals, contested possessions, inside 50's and score assists.

Things got even better from there for Martin. He represented Vic Country in the under 18's championships, averaging 21.4 touches (7.2 contested) and 111 Supercoach points in five games. In one of the best games playing for Vic Country, Martin gathered 28 touches, 5 clearances and 193 Supercoach points against Western Australia in the final match of the under-18 national championships. He was selected in the under 18's All-Australian team.[1]

Professional career

Martin entered the AFL draft camp at the AIS in Canberra, finishing equal second in the kicking efficiency test and ran the 20 m sprint in 2.89 seconds, the second fastest at the camp.[1][2]

Martin was drafted to Richmond with the third selection in the 2009 AFL Draft.[3]

He debuted in the opening round of the 2010 season against Carlton. Despite the Tigers losing by 56 points, Martin impressed with 18 touches, four marks and three tackles and scoring 62 in AFL Dream Team. He only missed one game in his debut season, winning a 2010 AFL Rising Star nomination for his performance against Port Adelaide in Round 10 and finishing the year ranked second at Richmond for clearances and inside 50s and third for contested possessions and disposals.[3]

In round 5, 2011 against North Melbourne, Martin had what was described by Richmond coach, Damien Hardwick, as his "coming of age", kicking four goals and gathering 33 possessions.[4]

On 4 July 2012, Martin was suspended for two weeks for failing to attend training, along with Daniel Connors who was sacked for the incident.[5]

In early 2013, Martin was the subject of social media rumours that he was the player involved in police, Australian Crime Commission (ACC) or AFL investigations into performance enhancing drug use. Richmond's coach Damien Hardwick denied that any of this was true and called the accusations "un-Australian".[6]

Martin was selected in the inaugural AFL Players Association 22under22 team in September 2013. This annual award recognises the best young talent in the AFL.[7]

Martin has been reported to be seeking offers from other clubs, but as of 16 September 2013, he had denied making a firm decision to leave Richmond.[8] In late 2013 Dustin signed a 2 year contract that states that he will stay with the club until at least the end of 2015.[9]

In 2014, Martin was joint winner, along with Brett Deledio, of the prestigious and most important award in the AFL season; the Talking Tigers Player of the Year, finishing on 51 votes. Also finished 2nd at the club in the Brownlow, with 13 votes. Martin also made the 2014 All-Australian Squad.


Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2014 season [10]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Led the league for the Season only*
Led the league after Finals only*
Led the league after Season and Finals*

*10 games required to be eligible.

Season Team # Games G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
Totals Averages (per game)
2010 Richmond 36 21 11 6 210 215 425 50 70 0.5 0.3 10.0 10.2 20.2 2.4 3.3
2011 Richmond 4 22 33 14 311 175 486 78 73 1.5 0.6 14.1 8.0 22.1 3.5 3.3
2012 Richmond 4 20 23 23 257 190 447 63 60 1.2 1.2 12.9 9.6 22.4 3.2 3.0
2013 Richmond 4 23 23 32 382 175 557 110 63 1.0 1.4 16.6 7.6 24.2 4.8 2.7
2014 Richmond 4 23 27 15 405 184 589 112 58 1.2 0.7 17.6 8.0 25.6 4.9 2.5
Career 109 117 90 1565 939 2504 413 324 1.1 0.8 14.4 8.6 23.0 3.8 3.0

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Robinson, Mark (7 November 2009). "Dustin Martin's born to play AFL". Herald Sun.
  2. ↑ "Emma Quayle's draft camp latest". The Age (Melbourne). 2 October 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Quayle, Emma (1 August 2010). "He's strong and he's bold". The Age (Melbourne).
  4. ↑ Buckle, Greg (24 April 2011). "Martin fires Tigers to win over North". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  5. ↑ Wilson, Caroline (4 July 2012). "Tigers sack Connors, suspend Martin". The Age (Melbourne).
  6. ↑ Ralph, Jon (15 February 2013). "Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says Dustin Martin victim of ‘whingeing' social media". Herald Sun.
  7. ↑ McInerney, Sam. "22under22 Team Announced". AFL Players' Association. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  8. ↑ Richmond star Martin open to offers, AFL.com.au, 16 September 2013
  9. ↑ "Dustin Martin re-signs with Richmond". The Age (Melbourne).
  10. ↑ Dustin Martin's player profile at AFL Tables

External links