1. Dustin Martin was born on 26 June 1991 and is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League.
170 Facts About Dustin Martin
1. 2.
Dustin Martin won the Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond's best and fairest player in 2016, along with his first All-Australian selection.
3.
Dustin Martin has won three premierships, two Jack Dyer Medals and four All-Australian selections among other individual accolades, and won several major best-on-ground awards.
4.
Dustin Martin won numerous other accolades, including the Leigh Matthews Trophy, the AFLCA champion player of the year award and his second Jack Dyer Medal.
5.
Dustin Martin was born in Castlemaine, Victoria, to a Maori father, Shane Dustin Martin, and an Australian mother, Kathy Knight.
6.
Dustin Martin's father has family connections to the Ngati Maru tribe on New Zealand's north island.
7.
Dustin Martin is one of three boys, alongside brothers Tyson and Bronson.
8.
Dustin Martin first took up football at age six, learning the sport with the local Auskick program.
9.
Dustin Martin's parents separated when he was 14 and Martin moved to Sydney with his father, leaving school at Castlemaine High School after Year 9 and taking up full-time work.
10.
Dustin Martin worked various roles at his father's transport business including as a forklift driver while assisting his father's girlfriend's sports apparel business.
11.
Dustin Martin stayed for just four matches however, dominating so comprehensively he was moved to the Campbelltown Football Club's under 18s team despite being aged only 15.
12.
Dustin Martin even played for the club's senior team on one occasion that year.
13.
Dustin Martin did not return to school however, instead working three days a week for a local electrical contractor before a short stint as stonemason.
14.
Dustin Martin trained with Castlemaine's senior side over his first summer back and within four matches had impressed enough to be asked back into the Bendigo Pioneer's junior program.
15.
Dustin Martin continued to play for Castlemaine for most of the season, winning the Bendigo Football League's rising star award that year.
16.
Dustin Martin played four matches for the Pioneers TAC Cup team in a month that began to earn him the attention of AFL recruiters.
17.
Dustin Martin returned to the Pioneers side the following year and became a stand-out player.
18.
Dustin Martin ranked first at the club for disposals, contested possessions, clearances, inside-50s and score assists despite playing so few games, and placed second at the club's best and fairest awards night.
19.
Dustin Martin went on to be named at centre in the TAC Cup's team of the year.
20.
At an earlier age, Dustin Martin was overlooked for state representative football, missing out on the 2007 under-16 national championships as well as at the under-18 carnival the next year.
21.
Dustin Martin did play for Victoria Country in the 2009 AFL Under 18 Championships, averaging 21.4 touches, 7.2 contested possessions and 0.8 goals in the five games he played.
22.
Dustin Martin was rewarded for his efforts at the championships with a selection at centre in the tournament's All-Australian team.
23.
Dustin Martin gained the attention of AFL scouts from as early as 2008, with Sydney's recruiting boss Kinnear Beatson contacting Dustin Martin in an attempt to commit him to the club.
24.
Dustin Martin was however just two months too young to qualify for that year's draft and remained ineligible for the Swans' academy program.
25.
Dustin Martin placed seventh in the repeat sprints test and scored 14.3 on the beep test despite initial questions over his endurance ability.
26.
Dustin Martin was drafted by Richmond with the club's first pick and third selection overall in the 2009 AFL draft.
27.
Dustin Martin recorded the sixth most disposals of any Tiger to go along with four marks, three tackles and three clearances.
28.
Two weeks later Dustin Martin was convicted by the AFL tribunal for a high hit on Sydney's Josh Kennedy in round 3.
29.
Dustin Martin did not receive a suspension for the incident however, returning to football the following week.
30.
Media reports emerged after round 8 that the 18 year old Dustin Martin had received a significant contract offer from expansion club the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
31.
Dustin Martin later said he had never entertained the idea of moving to the start-up club.
32.
Dustin Martin drew the attention of Sydney coach Paul Roos by round 14, prompting Roos to send veteran Brett Kirk onto Martin in a tagging role.
33.
Dustin Martin was fourth for average disposals and fifth for average tackles.
34.
Dustin Martin missed just that one game in his debut season and finished the year ranked second at Richmond for clearances and inside-50s, as well as third for both contested possessions and disposals.
35.
Ahead of his second season Dustin Martin switched playing numbers, losing 36 in favour of the number 4 Guernsey, one of the club's most famous.
36.
Dustin Martin told media members assembled at the announcement that he hoped to be the next Richmond man to win a premiership in the Guernsey, with it having been worn in each of the club's ten previous league premierships.
37.
Dustin Martin kicked four goals and recorded 33 disposals in what was Richmond's first win of the season.
38.
Fairfax Media's Jake Niall went so far as to suggest that Dustin Martin should be in consideration for All Australian selection that year, despite it being just his second season at AFL level.
39.
Dustin Martin later spoke of seeking advice from teammates Nathan Foley and Trent Cotchin on learning how to break free of a tag.
40.
Dustin Martin did not miss a match in 2011, finishing the year ranked third at the club for goals kicked with a total of 33 over his 22 matches.
41.
Dustin Martin ranked third for disposals, second for inside-50s and fourth for total clearances.
42.
Dustin Martin doubled his previous year's Brownlow Medal vote tally to 12 and improved upon his Jack Dyer Medal standing, placing third at the club's best and fairest night and receiving the Maurie Fleming Medal as a result.
43.
Dustin Martin started the season proper out strongly too, scoring two goals and adding 16 disposals in round 1's loss to Carlton.
44.
The club said both had failed to uphold team standards and Dustin Martin was suspended for two matches for the incident.
45.
Dustin Martin returned to AFL football in round 17 after concluding what captain Chris Newman labelled a "mini-pre-season" in which he completed multiple dawn training sessions.
46.
Dustin Martin played in each of the club's seven remaining matches that season and recorded 20 more disposals in five of those matches.
47.
Dustin Martin placed tenth in the club's best and fairest count that year, his lowest finish to date.
48.
Dustin Martin ranked sixth at the club for contested possessions and disposals as well as fifth in clearances.
49.
Dustin Martin reached 30 disposals for a second time in round 7 before kicking three goals in the second half of a match against Melbourne in round 8 to help Richmond to their fifth win of the season.
50.
Between rounds 17 and 19, Dustin Martin turned in three consecutive games with more than 30 disposals, his first such stretch in his young career.
51.
Dustin Martin attracted the ire of the league's head office after celebrating a goal with a handcuff gesture to the crowd.
52.
Dustin Martin was issued a $2,000 fine that was suspended for two years.
53.
Dustin Martin later revealed the gesture had been in support of a friend who was incarcerated at the time.
54.
Dustin Martin finished the year second to only captain Trent Cotchin in disposals at the club and posted the second most score involvements of any player in the league that season.
55.
Dustin Martin was at the same time chosen for the retrospectively selected 2012 team.
56.
Dustin Martin recorded his best Brownlow Medal performance to date as well as his highest-yet finish at the club's best and fairest, securing the Jack Titus medal for second place.
57.
Six days later Dustin Martin was filmed by news media as he met with Greater Western Sydney officials and toured the club's training and administration facilities.
58.
The day before a Richmond-imposed decision deadline was to expire, Dustin Martin met with Essendon officials and coaches to discuss a potential move.
59.
Dustin Martin was reported for striking the Blues' Simon White in the third quarter of the match but was ultimately cleared due to what the AFL's Match Review Panel labelled insufficient use of force.
60.
In round 5 Dustin Martin kicked three goals in a win over the Brisbane Lions.
61.
The club managed a win despite his absence and Dustin Martin returned for the round 23 win over Sydney that saw Richmond into the finals for a second straight season.
62.
Dustin Martin ultimately received the Maurie Fleming medal by placing third in the award in addition to recording the second highest number of Brownlow Medal votes of any player at Richmond that year.
63.
Dustin Martin avoided the contract intrigue that surrounded him two years earlier by signing a new two-year contract extension in February 2015, eight months before his current deal was to expire.
64.
Also prior to round 1, Dustin Martin was issued a challenged by coach Hardwick, to utilise his improved running capacity to play a majority midfield role as well as improving his contested ball winning and tackling in the mould of Essendon captain Jobe Watson.
65.
Dustin Martin got off to a slow start kept to just 13 disposals thanks to a defensive tag by his Carlton opponents in round 1.
66.
Dustin Martin returned to his dominant best by round 2, though, gathering 31 disposals against the Western Bulldogs.
67.
Dustin Martin achieved the 30-plus-disposals mark on two more occasions in the next four weeks.
68.
In round 10, Dustin Martin was best-afield in Richmond's fourth straight win, recording 34 disposals, five tackles and a goal against Fremantle at Domain Stadium.
69.
Dustin Martin had lifted his contested possession, tackle and disposal counts to career-high levels.
70.
Dustin Martin closed the season strongly, too, kicking four lots of three goals over the remaining 12 home and away matches.
71.
Richmond's 91-point victory over Collingwood in round 21 was marred by a crowd incident, though, in which Dustin Martin celebrated a goal by displaying an obscene finger gesture to members of the Collingwood cheer squad.
72.
Dustin Martin was ordered by the AFL to pay a $2,000 fine for the action, the same fine that was suspended for a crowd gesture in 2013.
73.
Dustin Martin topped the club for disposals and inside-50s in 2015 and again narrowly missed a club best and fairest, this time placing second behind defender Alex Rance.
74.
Dustin Martin placed seventh in the Brownlow Medal tally in 2015, the best result of any Tiger that year.
75.
Dustin Martin posted a then-career best 21 votes, despite not polling for the first seven weeks of the season.
76.
Dustin Martin was again nominated to the All-Australian squad of 40 players but would fail to make final selection for the second-straight season.
77.
Dustin Martin remained highly rated in the eyes of his peers though, placing 20th in a poll of all AFL players held to judge the best players in the league.
78.
Richmond would find a patch of form beginning in round 8 however, as Dustin Martin turned in 28 disposals and a goal in an after-the-siren win over Sydney.
79.
Dustin Martin set a then-career-best mark with 38 disposals in that match.
80.
Dustin Martin repeated his recently-set career best disposals mark on two occasions in the next five weeks, before setting a new best with 43 disposals in the round 17 re-match against Essendon.
81.
Dustin Martin continued his prolific ball-winning ways until the end of the season, winning 30 or more disposals in five of his last six matches.
82.
Dustin Martin received significant personal accolades however, gaining his first All-Australian selection after breaking the club record for most disposals in a single season.
83.
Dustin Martin topped the club for inside-50s and contested possessions and placed only behind captain Trent Cotchin for clearances.
84.
Dustin Martin received his first Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond's best and fairest player after beating the previous year's winner Alex Rance by a single vote.
85.
Dustin Martin was the club's highest placed player at the Brownlow Medal and finished third overall in the count for the league's best and fairest player.
86.
Dustin Martin kicked another two goals the following week, but suffered a broken cheekbone in the win over Collingwood.
87.
Dustin Martin was ultimately given the medical all-clear to play the next week, despite speculation that he would sit out the match or at least play with a protective helmet.
88.
Dustin Martin did neither though and instead played a starring role in the rain-soaked match, recording 40 disposals, kicking two goals and gathering an equal-club-record 15 clearances in the victory over West Coast at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
89.
Dustin Martin came under another injury cloud less than a fortnight later after a mid-week training session saw him leave the track with groin soreness.
90.
Dustin Martin followed that match up with another best-afield performance against North Melbourne that saw him record a maximum three Brownlow Medal votes in three consecutive matches leading into Richmond's mid-season bye.
91.
Dustin Martin was second best in the league for metres gained and behind only Patrick Dangerfield for goals scored by the league's top 20 possession winners.
92.
Dustin Martin was at this point named in AFL Medias mid-season All Australian team.
93.
Dustin Martin continued his roll into the second half of the season including receiving a maximum ten votes from Richmond's, and opponent Carlton's, coaches in round 14, to enter first place in the association's, champion player of the year award.
94.
Dustin Martin narrowly avoided suspension in that match however, instead receiving fines for two separate incidents of careless conduct in which he hit back at tagger Nick Robertson during the match.
95.
Dustin Martin continued his form in the final weeks of the season including in round 23, when he was awarded the Ian Stewart Medal as the best afield in Richmond's win over St Kilda at the MCG.
96.
All year Dustin Martin had been plagued by yet another prolonged contract saga after his management announced the year prior that he would not be in a rush to sign a new deal.
97.
Dustin Martin spent the first part of the week in New Zealand where he discussed the offers with his father.
98.
Rumours began to circulate upon his return that Dustin Martin had made his mind up and would announce his decision on the following night's episode of The Footy Show.
99.
Dustin Martin put in another strong performance in the match two weeks later, forgoing midfield minutes in favour of time up forward where he kicked three goals in his side's 36-point win over Greater Western Sydney.
100.
Dustin Martin entered the night as an almost unbackable favourite to win the award on the back of ten matches where he was favourite to poll the maximum three votes.
101.
Dustin Martin ultimately recorded the maximum three votes on a record-breaking 11 matches and bested Patrick Dangerfield's 2016 sum to set a new record with 36 total votes to win the award.
102.
Dustin Martin was best-on-field in the win, recording 29 disposals, a staggering 21 contested possessions and two goals.
103.
Dustin Martin was awarded the Norm Smith Medal as a result, and thus became the first player in league history to win the award and a premiership in the same year as receiving the Brownlow Medal.
104.
Dustin Martin was recognised in numerous media awards as the season's best player including those from the Herald Sun, 3AW, SEN, Triple M and foxfooty.
105.
Dustin Martin received All-Australian honours for the second consecutive year as well as his second-straight Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond's best and fairest player.
106.
Dustin Martin entered 2018 as the best player in the league, according to a pre-season Players Association poll, up from 12th position at the same time the previous year.
107.
Dustin Martin trained at full strength during the off-season and played well in each of Richmond's two pre-season matches.
108.
Dustin Martin added his second five-goal haul of his career the next week, in a loss to Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval.
109.
That match marked the first time Dustin Martin had gone without scoring a goal or a behind since round 23,2016.
110.
In round 10's win over St Kilda, Dustin Martin kicked two goals and was named as one of Richmond's best by AFL Media.
111.
Dustin Martin followed his round 10 performance with 28 disposals and a goal in round 11's win over Essendon before sitting out of round 12's matchup with Port Adelaide due to a minor calf injury.
112.
Dustin Martin returned after just one match, contributing 22 disposals and a goal in Richmond's round 13 victory over Geelong.
113.
Later that week, Dustin Martin was named in Fox Footy's mid-year All Australian squad while being named in the Herald Sun and AFL Media teams of 22 players.
114.
Dustin Martin repeated the effort in round 18, named by The Age as Richmond's best in a win over St Kilda.
115.
Dustin Martin was again named by The Age as Richmond's best with a two-goal performance in round 22, a win over Essendon that saw the club secure the season's minor premiership.
116.
Dustin Martin entered that year's Brownlow Medal count as bookmakers' second placed favourite and ranked first in AFL Medias Brownlow Predictor.
117.
Dustin Martin became the 29th Richmond player to achieve the milestone and the quickest to do so, having achieved the feat eight years and five months after his initial debut.
118.
Dustin Martin finished the match with 29 disposals, 10 clearances and a boundary line goal that The West Australian said would have been the goal of the year had it been kicked during the home and away season and what Fox Footy commentator Jonathan Brown labelled "one of the greatest finals goals you'll ever see".
119.
Media reports following that match suggested that Dustin Martin had suffered a corked thigh during play, a claim seemingly supported by Dustin Martin's limited training program the following week, but nonetheless continually denied by club officials at the time.
120.
Less than a week later the club reversed its position, revealing Dustin Martin had suffered a serious corked thigh on his kicking leg and was continuing to deal with the effects of bleeding on the knee.
121.
Dustin Martin produced a significantly reduced output, finishing the match with just 19 disposals, six of which were kicks and represented his lowest kicking tally since round 23,2013.
122.
Dustin Martin was replaced in the reported line-up by teammate Jack Riewoldt after seemingly removing himself from availability before the tournament concept was confirmed.
123.
In round 1 Dustin Martin was described by AFL Media as "solid, yet not spectacular" with 30 disposals and seven inside-50s in his club's 33-point victory over Carlton.
124.
Dustin Martin was undisciplined in response, attracting an AFL fine and significant media scrutiny for an obscene gesture towards Giants ruck Shane Mumford and facing a Match Review report for an off-the-ball hit on defender Adam Kennedy.
125.
Dustin Martin challenged the classification at the AFL Tribunal, where the impact was downgraded, with the suspension subsequently reduced to one match.
126.
Dustin Martin was among Richmond's best players upon his return in round 5, kicking three goals and gathering 25 disposals after a tagging effort by Sydney's George Hewett saw him play long stints as forward.
127.
Dustin Martin was again subject to tagging in round 6, this time kept to 17 disposals and a single goal by Melbourne's Michael Hibberd.
128.
In round 9 Dustin Martin was spectacular, turning in a performance labelled my multiple media outlets as evocative of his best from his 2017 Brownlow-winning season.
129.
Dustin Martin recorded 13 disposals and four clearances in the first quarter of the win, before finishing the match with 37 disposals, 10 clearances and two goals.
130.
Dustin Martin earned 10 Coaches Award votes that match and was named in AFL Medias Team of the Week, a feat he repeated after 25 disposals and eight clearances in round 10.
131.
In round 13, injuries to captain Trent Cotchin, vice-captains Jack Riewoldt and Alex Rance as well as to early-seasons stand-in captain Shane Edwards saw Dustin Martin called upon to captain Richmond for the first time in his career.
132.
Dustin Martin performed well with 32 disposals, nine marks and two goals, earning a club-best three coaches votes despite an eventual loss to Adelaide in that match, the last before the club's mid-season bye.
133.
Dustin Martin was exceptional again following the bye, earning three Brownlow votes and the Ian Stewart Medal for best-on-ground with a game-high 36 disposals and six clearances against St Kilda in round 15.
134.
Dustin Martin was named to AFL Media's Team of the Week in rounds 18 and 19 after recording a personal season-high 38 disposals in the latter of those two matches.
135.
Dustin Martin bested that mark with nine votes as best afield with 34 disposals and 11 inside-50s in round 20's win over Melbourne, again earning Team of the Week honours.
136.
Dustin Martin suffered general soreness and was a late withdrawal from the following week's match, before returning with what multiple media outlets labelled one of the best performances of his career in round 22's win over West Coast.
137.
In Richmond's first final, Dustin Martin was a stand-out best on ground, kicking a career-high six goals in a 47-point qualifying final victory over the Brisbane Lions.
138.
Dustin Martin kicked four goals and recorded 22 disposals to be unanimously selected for the Norm Smith medal.
139.
Dustin Martin repeated his feat of 2017 in again receiving the Gary Ayres Award as the player of the finals series, and placed sixth in the club's best and fairest count.
140.
Dustin Martin returned to pre-season training in the first week of December 2019 and was labelled a certain selection for representative honours by Richmond and Victoria coach Damien Hardwick when the league announced a State of Origin exhibition match for bushfire relief fundraising was to be held in February.
141.
Dustin Martin contributed the standout performance of that match, helping Victoria to a victory over the All-Stars with a two-goal and 23 disposal showing that saw him awarded the Best on Ground medal.
142.
Dustin Martin sat out Richmond's first pre-season match that same weekend but returned in fine form for the final practice match against Greater Western Sydney a week later.
143.
Dustin Martin contributed 24 disposals and a goal in a round 1 win over Carlton under those conditions, and like all matches that season, with match time reduced by one fifth in order to reduce the load on players who would be expected to play multiple matches in short periods with a compressed fixture in the later part of the year.
144.
Dustin Martin broke through a tag in round 7 to contribute two goals and 16 disposals, before kicking another two goals and adding a game-high 23 disposals in a round 8 loss to Greater Western Sydney for which he received seven coaches votes as the second best player of the match.
145.
Dustin Martin improved on that output against the Western Bulldogs the following week, collecting the full ten coaches votes for a dominant display with 26 disposals, eight inside-50s and three goals including one from deep in the forward pocket that was highlighted by Fox Footy as a contender for goal of the year.
146.
Dustin Martin was among his side's bests with 24 disposals and seven coaches votes in a round 10 win over the Brisbane Lions before adding a season-best 30 disposals to earn nine votes as co-best on ground in the club's round 13 win over Essendon.
147.
Dustin Martin added a further five votes for a 28-disposal game in round 18, finishing the regular season with 42 coaches votes and earning 15th place in the award.
148.
Dustin Martin was named in a fourth All-Australian team, and he earned a club-leading 15 Brownlow Medal votes to place equal fifth in the prestigious award.
149.
Dustin Martin had a relatively quiet start to the finals, going goalless and recording 18 disposals in a qualifying final loss to the Brisbane Lions in week one.
150.
Dustin Martin led all Richmond players with two goals and 21 disposals in the preliminary final victory over Port Adelaide in week three, earning his side yet another Grand Final appearance.
151.
Dustin Martin became a three-time premiership player the following week, lifting Richmond to a 31-point victory over Geelong with a match-high four goals.
152.
Dustin Martin had a consistent season; however, he suffered a kidney injury when colliding with Brisbane midfielder Mitch Robinson in round 18, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
153.
Dustin Martin made his comeback game in round 1 with a 21-disposal game with two goals, but he decided to take personal leave until round 8, posting a solid 23-disposal game that included two goals; he would follow this up with a game that earned him two Brownlow votes in round 9.
154.
Dustin Martin had his most productive season since 2020 in a strong return to form which saw him named in the All-Australian Squad of 40.
155.
Dustin Martin kicked 25 goals in a season which showed flashes of his brilliant best including a number of Best on Ground performances throughout the latter part of the year.
156.
Dustin Martin played brilliantly in the penultimate game of the season - a farewell match for his great mates Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt in which Dustin Martin had 31 disposals and kicked three goals.
157.
Dustin Martin struggled through the early part of the 2024 season as many within the AFL Media acknowledged that he was in the twilight of his career.
158.
Speculation around his retirement, as well as a move away from Richmond continued throughout the season as Dustin Martin refused to speak to the media.
159.
Dustin Martin played in his 300th AFL game in Round 14 against Hawthorn at the MCG.
160.
Hawthorn would go onto win easily, before Dustin Martin broke his media silence by completing an interview with former Premiership teammate Jack Riewoldt, confirming his want to play on for the remainder of the season.
161.
Dustin Martin plays as a midfielder and a forward, often attending centre bounce contests as a midfielder before shifting to a forward role in the time between centre bounces.
162.
Dustin Martin is adept at playing a small full-forward role, and is consistently among the best players in the league at one-on-one win percentage when competing for the ball with a single direct opponent.
163.
Dustin Martin combines a unique ball-winning and long-kicking skill set, winning the second-most centre clearances of any player between 2017 and 2019, while gaining more meterage than any player who gathered two or more centre clearances a game during that time.
164.
In 2020, Dustin Martin was labelled the best player in the game by Triple M commentators Ross Lyon, while he was called the greatest player of all time by Network 7 commentator Daisy Pearce.
165.
In 2020, Dustin Martin was named by the Herald Sun as Richmond's best player of the AFL era, while The Age ranked him as the 13th-best player in the league during the same period.
166.
Since 2020, Dustin Martin has been lauded as one of the game's greatest-ever finals players, including by AFL Media, the Herald Sun, The Age and The Guardian.
167.
In December 2015, Dustin Martin was accused of making threats to stab a woman with a chopstick after she asked him to be respectful of other diners at the Mr Miyagi Japanese restaurant in Windsor in Melbourne's inner-south-east.
168.
Dustin Martin described an empty feeling after achieving his professional goals in his extraordinary 2017 season.
169.
In 2018, Dustin Martin became the new face of Bonds underwear.
170.
In 2022, a video from 2015 of Dustin Martin groping a woman surfaced on social media, with the AFL investigating the incident.