Richmond party a bush bash as Melbourne-based fans celebrate
Richmond legend Dustin Martin was happy for his premiership teammates to take the spotlight on Sunday after becoming the AFL’s first three-time Norm Smith Medallist.
A day after Dustin Martin elevated his name above any other AFL great, the Richmond champion was happy to let his teammates bask in the spotlight of the premiership success he sparked on Saturday night.
Richmond’s post-premiership celebrations on the Gold Coast were starkly different to the raucous gatherings of the Tiger Army that greeted them at Punt Rd in 2017 and 2019.
Richmond’s home ground lay empty on Sunday. But their Gold Coast base was also quiet, with only family and staff in attendance for a largely private gathering.
The only Richmond fans in attendance were the two sons of a Channel 7 cameraman who were awestruck to be called into a photograph with Tigers captain Trent Cotchin.
Cotchin likened their low-key celebrations following a 31-point defeat of Geelong to a country footy club bash.
That would appeal to the publicity-shy Martin, who was raised in Castlemaine and guards his privacy.
With the Gabba empty shortly before midnight on Saturday, the Tigers gathered in the centre circle to belt out their theme song one last time, just as they did last year at the MCG.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced an evacuation of Victorian clubs to Queensland, but the 2020 AFL season finished with a sense of continuity.
Richmond are again the best team and Dusty remains the envy of the competition.
Martin’s record-breaking third Norm Smith Medal moved him ahead of dual-winner Luke Hodge and Gary Ayres from Hawthorn and Adelaide champion Andrew McLeod.
His celebrations after the 2019 premiership are part of football folklore.
After celebrating at Punt Rd last year, Martin left his car parked at the MCG for months and embarked on an overseas trip that included a stint partying with tennis superstar Serena Williams.
He may have been best on the ground again in the grand final but, according to Cotchin, it was young Tigers star Liam Baker who took charge of the party back in the hub.
The pandemic has curbed Martin’s travel options as well, but he plans to stick around Queensland a while longer, though his exact destination is undisclosed.
The Brownlow Medallist’s four-goal performance on Saturday, along with his sustained excellence in finals, has raised questions as to where he sits among the pantheon of greats.
Cotchin declared him a “freak” with an “insane belief in his own ability”.
Jack Riewoldt, who took a spin in a golf cart with Tom Lynch while nursing the premiership cup, described him as the best player of the last decade.
AFL legend Leigh Matthews, who caused a stir when accidentally issuing Nathan Broad with two Norm Smith votes for second best behind Martin when he meant Jayden Short, delivered the exclamation point.
“Put it this way — Dusty’s the only player I don’t get insulted being compared to,” Matthews told The Sunday Footy Show.
“He has got the strength and power of a bricklayer and the touch and the deft skills of a surgeon.”
At one stage on Saturday, there were fears the first grand final played outside Victoria and at night might need to be delayed as torrential rain hit Brisbane.
Instead the decider was memorable for the action on field, including the dramatic opening which saw Gary Ablett injured in his final game and Nick Vlastuin felled, and the excellence of Martin.
Despite the rain, a crowd only a handful shy of the 30,000 Covid-19 capacity attended, while the television viewership peaked at 4.283 million and averaged 3.812 million.
It is the largest television audience since the Bulldogs triumph over the Swans and the highest ever for any decider in which either Richmond and Geelong have played.
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