AFL: Latest news on Dustin Martin’s personal leave from footy
As the Dustin Martin rumour mill kicks into overdrive the longer he remains away from Richmond, Gary Ablett Sr has spoken of his own dramas before taking a break from the game.
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As Dustin Martin’s absence from Richmond grows, so do the inevitable sightings of a 30-year-old who appears removed from the day-to-day life of an AFL player.
On Tuesday, he was seen casually dining with a group of friends at Kew’s Charcoal Grill on the Hill. The previous weekend Martin and some mates were spotted at the Beach Hotel in Albert Park.
In both instances, Martin was always well behaved.
The inevitable rumours have accompanied his football absence, including a suggestion he went to Richmond last month and retired.
Richmond, however, categorically refutes that Martin has retired and the club remains confident he will play again this year. Martin is said to have requested the club respect his privacy, which Richmond has done.
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If and when Martin does retire from the game, he will leave in an extremely strong financial position given he is said to have invested his earnings smartly.
An early exit wouldn’t be a first.
Cyril Rioli (age 28) and Alex Rance (30) quit when they were among the best players in the game.
Thirty-one years ago, Gary Ablett, who was then the AFL’s biggest name, announced his retirement at 29.
“By 1991, I was suffering from depression very badly,’’ Ablett said. “There were even times where I was crying before games, (given) the expectation on me after becoming the yardstick of the AFL in 1989.
“I felt under so much pressure to perform. I was driving Ron Hovey’s truck and twice stopped and bawled my eyes out. I got to the stage where I couldn’t keep going the way I was. I just felt burnt out.
“The break gave me breathing space and time to process things. I got to a point where I could lay down a strategy and still play football with the hope of eventually overcoming it.”
That “breathing space” had Ablett miss the first 12 games of 1991 before he returned in round 13. He went on to play a further 114 games and boot 544 goals, including the “ton” in 1993-94-95.
As for Rance and Rioli, neither sadly played another AFL game.
Richmond tight-lipped as Dusty remains on leave
Richmond superstar Dustin Martin remains on personal leave from the club with Tigers coach Damien Hardwick describing the situation as “personal in nature.”
Martin was again absent on Friday morning as his teammates went through their captain’s run before Sunday’s clash with St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
The Tigers granted Martin personal leave last week as grieves the death of his father, Shane, who passed away last December at the age of 54.
“It is personal in nature,” Hardwick said of the Martin situation on Friday morning.
“I do understand everyone has a job to do and the intrigue, but the fact of the matter is we’re just dealing with it internally at this stage.
“When we have information, you’ll be the first to know, trust me,
“We appreciate that everyone does want to know where we’re at, but we’ll keep our cards pretty close to our chest.”
Hardwick said the club had “no further update at this stage” on the triple Norm Smith Medallist’s return date.
“We give him time and wish him all the very best and now we can’t wait to welcome him back at some stage,” he said.
“When that is, I’m not too sure so when we get further information you’ll get further information.”
Forward Jack Riewoldt was on the track on Friday as he pushes to play on Sunday in Maddie’s Match, which is an annual match played in honour of his cousin, Maddie, who passed away in 2015.
Riewoldt underwent thumb surgery after an injury in round one.
“We just have to make sure he’s 100 per cent right,” Hardwick said.
“He’s such a warrior for us, we just have to make sure he gives himself the best opportunity to play his best footy.”
Star midfielder Dion Prestia (hamstring) remains a week away for a return.
“I was probably a little bit too bullish on him after the game (last week), but he probably needs to get through a few more sessions at high speed,” Hardwick said.
“We’re pretty confident he’ll be available next week.
“Dion’s so important to how we play and the way he covers the ground, so we’re looking forward to hopefully welcoming him back against the Bulldogs next week.”
WE KNEW HE WAS STRUGGLING
Richmond veteran Jack Riewoldt says he is glad close mate Dustin Martin has taken a break from football rather than “pushed through” as he deals with the heartbreak of his father’s death.
The Tigers granted Martin personal leave last week and on Monday night coach Damien Hardwick said the club had no clarity on when he would return.
Martin’s dad, Shane, died in New Zealand in December, aged 54.
Riewoldt told AFL360 on Tuesday night that it was “clear to a few of us that he was struggling before he probably even knew it himself”.
“But I’m glad that he’s identified it and didn’t just try and push through … and is trying to get himself back to being the best Dustin he can be,” Riewoldt said.
Riewoldt was drafted three years before Martin and played in Richmond’s run of three flags in 2017-20 alongside him.
He said there was a fine balance between reaching out to make sure he was all right and letting him heal himself.
“I’ve texted him and a lot of the players have texted him, and he’s responded to a few guys, but is also taking his time to deal with what he’s dealing with,” he said.
Martin is among the game’s highest-profile players as a one-time Brownlow and triple Norm Smith Medallist.
Riewoldt said he hoped the media would take a step back and allow him to take time to decide what was best for him to do.
“He’s nearly the face of AFL football,” he said.
“How’s the media going to treat him when his mates, the club, people that know him are crying out for people to take a step back and leave him alone?
“I think this is a really interesting time in football media.”
Hardwick told AFL360 on Monday that Martin was taking his time to figure out what he needed to move forward.
“Grief is a thing that is really like an injury, there is no two ways about it, you have to get some treatment to make yourself heal,” Hardwick said.
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