Following Dustin Martin’s signing of a new seven-year deal with Richmond, Tony Greenberg compiles a list of 20 facts about the Tiger superstar’s fabulous football life . . .
1. He was born and bred in Castlemaine.
2. He first played football at under-10s level with Campbells Creek (a small town 4km south of Castlemaine).
3. He played senior football for Castlemaine at just 16 years of age in 2008, and late that season v Golden Square had five goals on the board up to half-time, playing in the centre and changing at full-forward.
4. His father, Shane, played football with Kangaroo Flat and Harcourt in the Bendigo league.
5. Dusty starred for Victoria Country in the 2009 under-18 national championships. In his final match of that carnival, against Western Australia, he had 28 disposals, five clearances, a remarkable 193 Super Coach points, and was subsequently named as the centreman in the under-18 All Australian team.
6. He was rated the second best kick, with both feet, at the 2009 AFL draft camp, and was rated second, with 2.89 seconds, over the 20-metre sprint.
7. The AFL player he felt he most resembled, as he prepared to enter league football ranks, was Geelong star Joel Selwood.
8. He was selected by Richmond with its first pick (No. 3 overall) in the 2009 AFL national draft.
9. He made his senior debut for the Tigers in Round 1, 2010, against Carlton at the MCG, wearing the No. 36 guernsey, and finished with 18 disposals in an encouraging display.
10. He played 21 games in his 2010 debut season and averaged a highly respectable 20.2 disposals per match.
11. He earned an AFL Rising Star nomination in 2010, but was ineligible to win the award after being found guilty of a rough conduct charge early that season and receiving a reprimand.
12. He averages 25.2 disposals, 9.6 contested possessions, 4.4 inside-50s, 3.9 clearances and 1.04 goals per match in his 175 senior league games to date.
13. He has missed just four games in his AFL career.
14. He has played in 87 wins, 86 losses and one draw with Richmond.
15. The most disposals he’s had in a league match are 43, against Essendon in Round 17, 2016 at the MCG.
16. The most contested possessions he’s had in a league match are 22, against Essendon in Round 17, 2016 at the MCG.
17. The most clearances he’s had in a league match are 15, against West Coast in Round 3, 2017 at the MCG.
18. The most inside-50s he’s had in a league match are 12, against Brisbane in Round 17, 2017 at Etihad Stadium.
19. The most goals he’s kicked in a league match are five, against Brisbane in Round 13, 2010, at the Gabba.
20. The most Brownlow Medal votes he’s polled in a season are 25 in 2016.
