In just his first year, Dustin Martin impressed Tiger fans across the country and has featured among Richmond's best players since his debut. In his second season, Dustin Martin has excelled and is getting noticed by the football world as an elite A grader and one of the more dangerous players in the Richmond line up.
In his early years Dustin played for Castlemaine in the Bendigo Football League before moving to Sydney with his father. In Sydney he played for the Campbelltown Blues, mostly in the Under 18's, playing one senior game in that season. He then moved back to Castlemaine in which he had a stellar season for the Bendigo Pioneers, and was runner up in the best and fairest. Martin represented Vic Country averaging 21 touches and was then selected in the under 18's All Australian.
Dustin was selected at No. 3 in the 2009 AFL draft by the Tigers. From this decision came comments from critics that Dustin had matured too early, suggesting that he had peaked and would not get any stronger. With Martin going from strength to strength he has silenced the critics, becoming well known for his ability to brush off players with the "don't argue".
In 2010 he played 21 games, averaging 20 disposals, scoring 11 goals and polling 6 Brownlow votes. He emerged as one of the many players that the Tigers will be building a premiership team around, a team which will contend for a flag in future seasons.
The pre-season had somewhat of a rocky start where Dustin received a spray from Dimma over his off season fitness. Showing his true commitment to his career and the club, Dustin has worked exceptionally hard to be in great shape by consulting club dieticians and fitness staff.
Only five rounds into the 2011 season Dustin Martin is showing glimpses of the future of this footy club. Already, he has averaged 25 disposals in the first five rounds of the 2011 season, and kicked 9 goals 4 behinds, showing a massive improvement on an already impressive start to his career.
In his game against North Melbourne, the best of his career so far, and touted by Dimma as his "breakthrough game", Dustin Martin has shown all of his strengths with clearances, moving forward and scoring goals, and his unbelievable ability to brush of larger players as though they were boys.
These are the attributes that earned him a Best on Ground performance. He, along with Jack Riewoldt, sparked the fight back which turned a 22 point first quarter deficit into a 9 point win. Jack's ability to control the forward line, score assists and his own scoring prowess, along with Dustin Martin's ability to run and carry, kick long to a contest and also to kick to advantage attributed to the win.
The game included great performances from the young brigade with Bachar Houli, Trent Cotchin, Jake King, Brett Deledio, Chris Newman and flashes of brilliance from Robbie Nahas and Matt White.
The game against North Melbourne showed the raw talent coming through the Richmond ranks at present. With still a lot of work to be done, our young tigers showed more intensity and greater hunger than North, which will in future translate to wins as the season progresses.
Dustin Martin figures as an important part of the future success of the footy club.
Though success in a team comes from the many parts, the future looks bright for the young tiger. Jack Riewoldt has started the individual medal count success by winning the Coleman Medal in 2010. With 6 Brownlow votes in his first season there is not much doubt in my mind that Dustin Martin will win a few medals of his own throughout his career.
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