The best 10 games of Dustin Martin’s AFL career
Dustin Martin will be remembered as one of the AFL's modern greats. We rank the 10 best games of the Richmond champion's decorated career.
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The legendary Leigh Matthews made waves before Dustin Martin's 300th game when he didn’t include the Richmond superstar in his best three players of this century, citing his Norm Smith Medal performances as “only" three of his 299 games to that point.
It would be facetious to suggest the player of the 20th century meant Martin hadn’t performed in most of his non-grand finals and a quick look at the Richmond champion’s games list can take your breath away.
Martin has polled three Brownlow votes in 42 of his 283 home-and-away games.
And then he is likely the best finals performer of all time.
As one premiership teammate said when quizzed about Martin’s best games: “it was always when we needed it”.
Naming Dusty’s best 10 games is a nearly impossible task and could easily all just be finals games.
Here is our best attempt.
Is the list right? And what favourite games of yours did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.
10. Grand final, 2019 v GWS Giants
22 disposals, 4 goals, 12 contested possessions, Norm Smith Medal
As ho-hum as it gets for Martin in a grand final.
He booted two of Richmond’s first four goals when the game was still alive and famously passed one off for Marlion Pickett as the Tigers dominated the Giants by 89 points.
Martin was very good and was a unanimous choice for the Norm Smith Medal from the five judges.
9. Round 22, 2019 v West Coast
35 disposals, 1 goal, 13 inside-50s, 13 contested possessions, 3 Brownlow votes
In a tough and tight game against the reigning premier, Richmond needed a win to lock down a top-four spot and Martin stood tall.
He had 20 touches in the first half and kicked a vital goal late in the third term to bring the margin back to one point at the final change.
The Tigers would win by six points in a late-season classic.
In a similar game two years before, Martin beasted Fremantle in round 22, 2017 to secure a top-four finish and according one Tiger out there that day, he simply “dominated”.
8. Preliminary Final, 2020 v Port Adelaide
21 disposals, 2 goals, 12 contested possessions, 6 score involvements
The stats don’t jump out from this night but in a game where only 12 goals were kicked all night, Martin bagged two of them.
He also had a game-high six score involvements and no Tiger had more disposals.
In enemy territory and in wet conditions, this effort remains special for Richmond fans.
Martin’s 2017 preliminary final effort against GWS was also instantly iconic, as he helped break a tight game open around three quarter-time.
7. Round 5, 2011 v North Melbourne
33 disposals, 4 goals, 13 contested possessions, 3 Brownlow votes
This was just Martin’s 26th game but it was a sign of things to come.
He collected the maximum Brownlow votes for the first time and 272 games later, this remains his second-best SuperCoach performance.
Richmond hadn’t won a match in its first four games of the season but Martin put on a clinic in a nine-point win.
A few weeks later in round 13, he would boot five goals against Brisbane in a game some at Richmond thought was his announcement match.
6. Round 3, 2017 v West Coast
40 disposals, 2 goals, 15 clearances, 21 contested possessions, 3 Brownlow votes
This remains Martin’s best clearance game and for all our memories of his right foot cutting through defences, it’s easy to forget the inside beast he can be.
In wet conditions, the Richmond No. 4 was just too tough in an important 11-point win that gave his side belief at the start of a huge season.
5. 2019 Qualifying final v Brisbane Lions
14 disposals, 6 goals, 13 contested possessions
Playing at the Gabba, Richmond was down by 12 points at quarter time and facing a home crowd going crazy.
But Damien Hardwick stuck with his plan of playing Martin deep forward and he bullied his Lions opponents, snagging an equal career-high six goals.
His 14 disposals was the lowest he had recorded in 103 matches but Martin’s impact was supreme.
4. Round 9, 2020 v Western Bulldogs
26 disposals, 3 goals, 14 contested possessions, 3 Brownlow votes
Played in front of less than 3000 people on the Gold Coast, this remains Martin’s best ever SuperCoach performance.
It was pure domination in short quarters, with Martin peerless in his damage with ball in hand, raking in 182 SuperCoach points.
3. 2017 Grand Final v Adelaide
29 disposals, 2 goals, 22 contested possessions, Norm Smith Medal
Some still say that Bachar Houli deserved this Norm Smith but Martin’s performance was the quintessential grand final winning effort.
He had to do it tough – his 22 contested possessions remains an equal career-high – and was important as the Tigers broke the Crows after quarter time.
Then he bagged the coveted final goal of the match as an exclamation point.
Martin capped off his perfect season and was just building the legend.
2. 2017 Qualifying Final v Geelong
28 disposals, 9 inside-50s, 15 contested possessions, 4 goal assists
You can be forgiven for forgetting the nerves and uncertainty around Richmond going into the first final of 2017.
Richmond was still carrying the weight of its hapless past 37 years and Geelong was the perennial contender who had so much September experience.
And really, few Tigers played well in an ugly and nervous first half, except Dusty, who looked unperturbed.
Martin shrugged off Tom Stewart a couple of times to shake clear any September shackles and send Richmond on their way.
1. 2020 Grand Final v Geelong
21 disposals, 4 goals, 10 contested possessions, Norm Smith Medal
The Cats led by 21 points midway through the second quarter and Martin had been held pretty well in check by Jake Kolodjashnij in the 2020 decider.
Then Dusty flipped the game himself.
He goaled from an extremely difficult snap with Kolodjashnij all over him just 90 seconds before halftime and dribbled one home to give Richmond the lead in the third term.
His final goal, late in the last quarter, in which he shook off the normally resolute Patrick Dangerfield and snapped from the pocket remains Jack Riewoldt’s favourite Dusty moment.
The Cats did plenty right that night but Martin snatched a flag away.
To almost single-handedly drag his side back into a grand final and then win it, this was Martin’s finest hour.
Originally published as The best 10 games of Dustin Martin’s AFL career
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