Dustin Martin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dustin Martin |
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Martin playing for Richmond in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Dustin Martin | ||
| Nickname(s) | Dusty | ||
| Date of birth | 26 June 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Castlemaine, Victoria | ||
| Original team | Bendigo Pioneers (TAC Cup) | ||
| Draft | No. 3, 2009 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 2010, Richmond v. Carlton, at the MCG |
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| Position(s) | Midfielder / forward | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Dustin Martin (born 26 June 1991), often called "Dusty", is a former professional Australian rules footballer. He played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Richmond picked him third in the 2009 national draft. He played his first AFL game in 2010.
Dustin Martin is known for his amazing achievements. He won three premierships with Richmond. He also won the Norm Smith Medal three times, which is a record! This award goes to the best player in the Grand Final. In 2017, he had an incredible season. He won the Brownlow Medal for the league's best player. He also won a premiership and a Norm Smith Medal in the same year. No other player has done this before!
Contents
Dustin Martin's Early Life and Junior Football
Dustin Martin was born in Castlemaine, Victoria. His father is Māori and his mother is Australian. He has family connections to the Ngāti Maru tribe in New Zealand. Dustin has two brothers, Tyson and Bronson.
He started playing football at age six with the local Auskick program. He also played with his brothers at home. Later, he played junior football for Campbell's Creek. He then joined the Bendigo Pioneers under 15 squad.
When he was 14, his parents separated. Dustin moved to Sydney with his father. He left school and started working full-time. He worked in his father's transport business. He also helped with a sports clothing business.
In Sydney, he kept playing football. He started with the Ingleburn Magpies under 16 team. He was so good that he quickly moved to the Campbelltown Football Club's under 18s. He even played one senior game at just 15 years old.
After a year, Dustin moved back to Victoria to live with his mother. He didn't go back to school. Instead, he worked as an electrical contractor and a stonemason. He also played some cricket. But his main goal was to play AFL football. He trained with Castlemaine's senior team. He soon rejoined the Bendigo Pioneers junior program. He played well for Castlemaine, winning an award in the Bendigo Football League. His play for the Pioneers also started to get the attention of AFL recruiters.
The next year, he became a top player for the Pioneers. He played 11 games and was a leader in many stats. He was named in the TAC Cup's team of the year. Dustin also played for Victoria Country in the 2009 AFL Under 18 Championships. He played well and was chosen for the tournament's All-Australian team.
AFL teams noticed Dustin from 2008. The Sydney Swans were very interested in him. He also did well at a special draft camp in Canberra. He showed he was strong and could kick well with both feet. Richmond Football Club decided they wanted him. They told him they would pick him in the draft.
Dustin Martin's AFL Career Highlights
Dustin Martin was picked by Richmond as the third overall player in the 2009 AFL draft. He was very shy at first. But he quickly showed his talent on the field. He debuted in the first game of the 2010 season.
Becoming a Star: 2016 Season
Dustin worked hard to improve his game. In 2016, he had an amazing year. He set a new club record for the most disposals (getting the ball) in a season. He was chosen for his first All-Australian team. This means he was one of the best players in the league. He also won the Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond's best and fairest player. He finished third in the Brownlow Medal count.
The Unforgettable Year: 2017 Season
The 2017 season was one of the greatest ever for an AFL player. Dustin Martin was incredible. He started strong, even playing with a broken cheekbone! He won the Yiooken Award for best on ground in the Dreamtime at the 'G match. He was also named in the mid-season All-Australian team.
There was a lot of talk about which club Dustin would play for next. Many clubs wanted him. But he decided to stay with Richmond, signing a new deal.
Richmond made it to the finals. Dustin played a huge part in their success. They won their first final since 2001. Then, he won the Brownlow Medal with a record 36 votes. Days later, he led Richmond to win the Grand Final. It was their first premiership in 37 years! Dustin was the best player in the Grand Final, winning the Norm Smith Medal. He became the first player to win the Brownlow, Norm Smith, and a premiership in the same year. He also won other big awards, like the Leigh Matthews Trophy and the AFLCA champion player of the year.
More Premiership Glory: 2019 and 2020 Seasons
Dustin continued to be a top player. In 2018, he was named in the All-Australian team again. He played his 200th AFL game in the finals.
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In 2019, Dustin helped Richmond win another premiership. He kicked six goals in the first final, which was amazing! In the 2019 AFL Grand Final, he was again the best player on the field. He won his second Norm Smith Medal, becoming only the fourth player to do so.
The 2020 season was different because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Dustin still shone. He played in the special State of Origin match for bushfire relief and was named best on ground. Richmond went on to win their third premiership in four years. Dustin was once again the best player in the 2020 AFL Grand Final, winning his third Norm Smith Medal. This made him the only player in history to win the award three times!
Later Career: 2021-2024
In 2021, Dustin had a consistent season but suffered a kidney injury that ended his year early. He returned in 2022, but took some personal leave. He later came back strong, but a hamstring injury sidelined him again.
In 2023, Dustin had a great season, showing flashes of his best form. He was named in the All-Australian Squad of 40. He played brilliantly in the farewell game for his friends and teammates, Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt.
The 2024 season saw Dustin play his 300th AFL game in Round 14 against Hawthorn. Over 92,000 fans came to celebrate this huge milestone. He kicked the first goal of the game! On August 6, Dustin Martin announced he was retiring from AFL football.
Dustin Martin's Playing Style
Dustin Martin plays as both a midfielder and a forward. He is known for his incredible strength and his famous "don't argue" fend-off. This move makes it very hard for opponents to tackle him. He can win the ball in the middle of the field and then kick it long or score goals. He is one of the best players at winning one-on-one contests for the ball.
Many experts call Dustin Martin one of the greatest players in AFL history. He is known as a "matchwinner" because he can change the game by himself. He is often called the best player of his generation.
Statistics
| G | Goals | B | Behinds | K | Kicks | H | Handballs | D | Disposals | M | Marks | T | Tackles |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 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 | 6 |
| 2011 | Richmond | 4 | 22 | 33 | 14 | 311 | 175 | 486 | 78 | 72 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 14.1 | 8.0 | 22.1 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 12 |
| 2012 | Richmond | 4 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 257 | 190 | 447 | 63 | 60 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 12.9 | 9.5 | 22.4 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 5 |
| 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 | 16 |
| 2014 | Richmond | 4 | 22 | 27 | 15 | 385 | 175 | 560 | 108 | 56 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 17.5† | 8.0 | 25.5 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 13 |
| 2015 | Richmond | 4 | 23 | 24 | 13 | 400 | 197 | 597 | 103 | 89 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 17.4 | 8.6 | 26.0 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 21 |
| 2016 | Richmond | 4 | 22 | 9 | 9 | 427 | 257 | 684 | 99 | 80 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 19.4 | 11.7 | 31.1 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 25 |
| 2017# | Richmond | 4 | 25 | 37 | 29 | 479† | 265 | 744 | 103 | 88 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 19.2 | 10.6 | 29.8 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 36± |
| 2018 | Richmond | 4 | 23 | 31 | 21 | 362 | 221 | 583 | 86 | 50 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 15.7 | 9.6 | 25.3 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 19 |
| 2019# | Richmond | 4 | 23 | 32 | 15 | 377 | 223 | 600 | 96 | 56 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 16.4 | 9.7 | 26.1 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 23 |
| 2020# | Richmond | 4 | 20 | 22 | 11 | 251 | 162 | 413 | 52 | 46 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 12.6 | 8.1 | 20.7 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 15 |
| 2021 | Richmond | 4 | 16 | 19 | 7 | 200 | 161 | 361 | 46 | 36 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 12.5 | 10.1 | 22.6 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 11 |
| 2022 | Richmond | 4 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 114 | 51 | 165 | 31 | 15 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 12.7 | 5.7 | 18.3 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 2 |
| 2023 | Richmond | 4 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 280 | 192 | 472 | 94 | 38 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 14.0 | 9.6 | 23.6 | 4.7 | 1.9 | 8 |
| 2024 | Richmond | 4 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 128 | 98 | 226 | 50 | 17 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 9.8 | 7.5 | 17.4 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 1 |
| Career | 302 | 338 | 232 | 4563 | 2757 | 7320 | 1169 | 835 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 15.1 | 9.1 | 24.2 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 213 | ||
Notes
Honours and Achievements
Team
- 3× AFL premiership player (Richmond): 2017, 2019, 2020
- AFL minor premiership/McClelland Trophy (Richmond): 2018
Individual
- 3× Norm Smith Medal: 2017, 2019, 2020
- Brownlow Medal: 2017
- Leigh Matthews Trophy: 2017
- AFLCA champion player of the year award: 2017
- 4× All-Australian team: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
- 3× Gary Ayres Award: 2017, 2019, 2020
- 2× Jack Dyer Medal: 2016, 2017
- Victoria representative honours in State of Origin for Bushfire Relief Match: 2020
- State of Origin best on ground: 2020
- 2× Yiooken Award: 2016, 2017
- AFL Rising Star nominee: 2010
Personal Life
Dustin Martin has also worked as an ambassador for different brands. In 2018, he became the face of Bonds underwear. He also signed a deal with the sports brand Puma. He has done promotions for Foxtel and Bang & Olufsen too.
