Dustin Martin fulfilled his destiny by winning the 2017 Brownlow Medal, writes Jon Ralph

DUSTIN Martin took the 2017 season by the scruff of the neck in the first minute of its first game and hasn’t let go yet. JON RALPH examines Dusty’s stunning season.

Dustin Martin at the Brownlow Medal. Picture: AAP Images

DUSTIN Martin took the 2017 season by the scruff of the neck in the first minute of its first game and hasn’t let go yet.

Just seconds into the AFL’s season opener against Carlton he picked up his first handball en route to a 33-possession, four-goal masterclass.

Everything he has done since on this rollicking ride of a season has led to him fulfilling his Brownlow Medal destiny.

BROWNLOW RECAP: HOW DUSTY WON IT ALL

PICTURE: SPECIAL: HOW DUSTY DID IT

On Monday night the same drama that has been such a part of Richmond’s season followed Martin throughout the Brownlow count.

His biggest danger was an asterisk, as Patrick Dangerfield led him by a vote with two rounds remaining.

It should have been one of the great Brownlow counts as two players with epic seasons went head to head all night.

Instead for the entire night we held our breath and hoped Dangerfield would not become the third player in 21 years to be an ineligible winner.

As Martin said himself, it was just downright “awkward”.

Dustin Martin with his Brownlow Medal. Picture: AAP Images

Finally as the last votes of the night were awarded the dread eased with Martin the sole winner — and with a record 36 votes.

His count echoed the pattern of his actual games this year, roaring home when all was on the line with five best-afields in the final seven games.

This win had been coming since Dangerfield’s line-ball tackle on Matthew Kreuzer.

But to be honest, it has been coming since Martin exploded onto the football landscape at 17, declaring he was born to play football.

Why did it take this long given his undoubted brilliance?

Once Martin could play on sheer talent, perhaps starring in spite of his off-field antics.

His extracurricular activities were a weekend on the turps, the chaser a Vegas trip with his mate Dane Swan.

Now he adds two boxing sessions to his weekly training routine, backed up by some pilates to help his flexibility.

In short, he deserves everything that has come his way this season.

As he said himself on Monday night, he was told to pull his head in by dad Shane and manager Ralph Carr several years ago.

“I was just a young bloke who liked to play up every now and then and Ralph and my old man were sick of it,’’ he said.

“They sat me down and told me to pull my head in or they weren’t going to help me anymore. So I pulled my head in.”

A night that could have been a procession instead had lashings of drama.

Dustin Martin’s father Shane watches the Brownlow Medal from Auckland. Picture: Alex Coppel

It took Dangerfield missing out on votes despite 32 possessions and two goals against Collingwood in Round 22 for Martin to finally overhaul him.

How many nights like this does the AFL need to revamp its Brownlow eligibility given Dangerfield is one of the fairest players in history?

As usual, the AFL made a total meal of its AFL goal and mark of the year awards.

First Lance Franklin’s stunning dash down the wing was overlooked for Daniel Rioli’s clever but not brilliant one-two and snap deep in the pocket.

Then Jeremy Howe seemed decidedly unimpressed when his incredible leap over Tom McDonald was done in by Joe Daniher’s admittedly impressive leap over Jake Carlisle.

It was just a blatantly wrong decision given Howe’s mark is one of the all-time greats.

Surely it’s time to make this award one voted on by the All Australian committee rather than a random website vote.

The AFL can’t position its awards as smacking of integrity when Howe’s mark and Nick Riewoldt’s back-with-the-flight SCG mark aren’t awarded as the best of the year.

Again it was a midfielder’s medal, although at least Lance Franklin (22 votes), Ben Brown (14 votes) and West Coast’s Josh Kennedy (13) found their way into the top 40 vote-getters.

But the hero of the night was Martin, effortlessly handling his victory interview and speech with dry wit and a dash of his own brand of humour.

Now the Year of the Tiger has just the final, most important box to check, with Dustin to be front and centre on Saturday as he has been all season.