Dustin Martin

At 32 years old, Dustin Martin has this physical status:

Dustin Martin (born 26 June 1991) is a registered Australian rules footballer playing for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Martin was drafted by Richmond with the third pick in the 2009 national draft, and he made his AFL debut in the 2010 opener.

He had been nominated for the 2010 AFL Rising Star Award, but he was ineligible to win due to suspension. Martin received the Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond's best and fairest player in 2016, as well as his first All-Australian pick.

Martin has won two premierships, two Jack Dyer Medals, and three All-Australian awards, in addition to other individual accolades, and he has also received several major best-afield awards in both of his seniorship years (Martin is one of only four players to win the award twice) and the Gary Ayres Award as the player of the finals series; he has won two premierships). Martin had what Leigh Matthews, the AFL legend, called the best individual season by a VFL/AFL player, in 2017.

Despite constant rumors about his playing career, Martin received the Brownlow Medal, the league's highest individual award, as well as a premiership and the Norm Smith Medal, becoming the first player to win both three sports in a single season.

In addition, he has received numerous other awards, including the Leigh Matthews Trophy, the AFLCA Champion of the Year Award, and his second Jack Dyer Medal.

Early life and junior football

Martin was born in Castlemaine, Victoria, to Shane Martin, a Mori father, and Kathy Knight, an Australian mother. On New Zealand's north island, his father has family links to the Ngti Maru tribe. Martin is one of three boys, alongside brothers Tyson and Bronson.

Martin began playing football at the age of six, discovering the sport through the local Auskick club. In one of the paddocks at his family's three-acre home in Yapeen, he would also play regularly with his brothers on a self-constructed field. He played junior football for Campbell's Creek before transferring to the Bendigo Pioneers under 15 team.

Martin and his father left school at Castlemaine High School after Year 9 and moved to Sydney with his dad. He served in various capacities at his father's transportation business, including as a forklift driver and also assisting his father's sporting clothing company. He completed a regular twelve-hour days but later said he disliked "working long hours" in what was "not a great job." When in Sydney, he continued to play football, starting with the Ingleburn Magpies Junior Australian Football Club's under 16 team. He played for only four games but was ruled by his general ability to the Campbelltown Football Club's under-18s squad despite being young only 15. He even played for the club's senior team on one occasion earlier this year. He inquired about joining the Sydney Swans junior academy but discovered himself ineligible because he had not lived in Sydney for the required three years.

By late December 2007, Martin moved back to Victoria to live with his mother after a year in Sydney. He did not return to school but instead spent three days a week for a local electrical contractor before embarking on a short stint as a stonemason. Martin returned to his dream of playing AFL football after a few years as a fast bowler for Guildford. He played for Castlemaine's senior team during his first summer back, and within four matches he was accepted back to the Bendigo Pioneers' junior team. He stayed with Castlemaine for the majority of the season, winning the Bendigo Football League's Rising Star Award that year. In a month that caught AFL recruiters' interest, he also played four games for the Pioneers TAC Cup team.

He returned to the Pioneers the following year and became a standout performer. Martin will have 24.7 disposals and 9.7 contested possessions in 11 games with Bendigo. Despite playing so few games and finishing second at the club's highest and fairest awards night, he also ranked first at the club for disposses, contested possessions, inside 50s, and scoring assists. Martin went on to be named at center in the TAC Cup's team of the year.

Martin was overlooked for state representative football at a young age, losing out on the 2007 under 16 national championships as well as the under-18 carnival next year. Martin did however play for Victoria Country in the 2009 AFL Under 18 Championships, averaging of 21.4 touches, 7.2 contested possessions, and 0.8 goals in the five games he played. He scored twenty-eight disposals and five clearances against Western Australia in the final match of the season. With a pick at center of the tournament's All-Australian team, he was recognized for his efforts at the championships.

Martin attracted the interest of AFL scouts from as early as 2008, with Sydney's recruiting manager Kinnear Beatson calling Martin in an attempt to commit him to the club. This came as a result of a previous attempt to enroll the club's junior academy program. He was however too young to draft for the Swans' academy program at the time, and remained ineligible for the Swans' academy program. When he was draft number six in 2009, the Swans were once more concerned about drafting him, hoping he would be drafted at number six. That was on the back of an outstanding draft camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in October of this year. He had good results at the camp, finishing second in the kicking efficiency test and the 20 meter dash in 2.89 seconds, the second fastest at the camp. Despite initial concerns about his endurance, he finished eighth in the repeat sprints and scored 14.3 on the beep test. Emma Quayle, a Los Angeles draft specialist, said he was "a strong-bodied, well-minded midfielder who pays attention to his feet," he said at the time. When Richmond officials became certain that Melbourne (who held picks number one and two in the draft) would pick other players before Martin, they travelled to Bendigo, where they would be able to guarantee him with their pick.

Personal life

Martin was accused of making threats to stab a woman with a chopstick after she begged him to be courteous of other diners at the Mr. Miyagi Japanese restaurant in Windsor, Melbourne's inner-south-east. Two days after the suspected incident occurred on the Saturday night of 5 December, the woman in question contacted Richmond to report. When confronted, she pleaded inebriated, yelling Martin, who was loud and insulting, and threatened to stab her in the chest with a chopstick. In addition, she said Martin slammed his hand into the wall next to her head while threatening to inform the club of the incident. Martin and Richmond's joint statement admitted that he had been inebriated and behaving disorderly, and that he had phoned the woman to request an apology for any offence he had caused, which was ultimately accepted.

Following an investigation into the occurrence, a police probe was launched, but it was deferred by a fortnight after the woman in question refused to make a formal statement. "After reviewing CCTV footage and consulting with all sides of the investigation, including many independent witnesses at the restaurant on the night, investigators determined that no criminal offence took place," a police spokesperson said. The AFL launched a new probe in the month that followed, but the Martin was not charged with any attempt to kill or other criminal offense. "There is no evidence to back up Dustin Martin's assertion that the complainant was physically assaulted," the league said in a tweet. Martin ultimately received no criminal or league-imposed punishment for the alleged offence, but he did receive a $5,000 fine for being inebriated and behaving inappropriately in public. Given the club's impending public retal harm the ultimately unfounded incident inflicted on him, they decided to suspend the fine.

Martin admitted he suffered from anxiety and depression in 2018 in a feature article for The Age's Executive Style magazine. After achieving his career goals in his remarkable 2017 season, he described an empty feeling.

Martin became Bonds' new star in 2018. At the same time, he signed a new four-year deal with Puma's European sportswear brand, making him the first Australian on a multi-year personal sponsorship contract. Martin's agreement was ended in April 2019, however, after the brand started offering his new playing shoe. Since the 2017 season, Martin has worked with Foxtel and Bang & Olufsen.

In 2022, a video of Martin groping a woman surfaced on social media, with the AFL investigating the situation.

Source

AFL career

Martin was drafted by Richmond with the club's first pick and third pick overall in the 2009 AFL draft.

He arrived at the club as an extremely shy and underdeveloped personality, a characteristic that was also noted by teammate Trent Cotchin, who said that although Martin was 18 "he seemed much younger in some of the ways he behaved." In fact, he had trouble getting used to professional football's aspirations. He was forced from exercise and verbally reprimanded by club leadership after a big night out. Despite these challenges, his on-field growth was so that he would make his debut in the 2010 season's opener, a 56-point loss at the MCG to Carlton. Martin had four marks, three tackles, and three clearances in his sixth most disposals of any Tiger (18) to go along with four marks, three tackles, and three clearances. Martin was cleared by the AFL tribunal for a high blow on Sydney's Josh Kennedy in round 3. Despite being suspended for the incident, he returned to football the following week. Martin finished fourth in the league for clearances and eighth for hard-ball gets after four matches. After round 8, media reports revealed that the 18-year-old Martin had been given a lucrative contract offer from expansion club the Greater Western Sydney Giants. The bid, which the Herald Sun's Mark Robinson estimated to be worth $2.4 million over three seasons, would go into place in the new team's first AFL season in 2012. Martin later said he had never entertained the thought of joining the start-up team. He had gained traction for his on-field efforts once more in round 10, this time being named for the 2010 AFL Rising Star award after a 21 disposal and 11 clearance match against Port Adelaide. Martin was considered ineligible for the award, despite being convicted by his previous tribunal conviction, but not in the event that his points were calculated at the end of season awards. By round 14, he attracted the attention of Sydney coach Paul Roos, causing the Roos to forward veteran Brett Kirk into Martin in a tagging role. Despite all the extra attention, he still managed to score 18 disposals and a goal in the match at the MCG. Martin ranked second in the club's clearances and inside 50s, as well as third for disposals and challenged possessions, after 17 rounds. At the same time, he ranked first among the season's Rising Star nominees in clearances, contested possessions, and within 50s. He was also ranked fourth for average disposals and fifth for average tackles. He was rested by the club until returning to play in the final five matches of the season. He played just one game in his debut season as well as third for both challenged possessions and disposals. Martin also received six votes in the Brownlow Medal competition this year, the most by any Richmond debutant since Craig Lambert in 1988. He reiterated his commitment to the team (and denouncement of the former GWS overtures) by signing a two-year contract extension that will keep him at Richmond until the end of the 2013 season. The new length was estimated by the Herald Sun to be in the vicinity of $400,000-a-year.

Martin switched playing numbers, losing 36 in favour of the number 4 Guernsey, one of the club's most popular. He told media members assembled at the news that he hoped to win a premiership in Guernsey, with the shirt having been worn in each of the club's ten previous league premierships. However, when returning to training, he received considerably less praise from coach Damien Hardwick, who chastised him for being out of shape and not sticking to his off-season training regimen. Any lingering effect had presumably worn off by March, when Martin returned to the club's best-22 for the season's first game. Martin "single handedly destroyed" North Melbourne in his team's victory at Etihad Stadium in round five, according to the Daily Telegraph. Richmond's first victory of the season came after he kicked four goals and recorded 33 points. Despite the fact that it was his first game with more than 30 disposals to his name, Martin wasn't the last game of the month, with Martin going for 35 touches and a goal in a victory over the Brisbane Lions this week. By then, he had begun to receive a reputation for his basketball winnings and his ability to kick goals in a midfielder's position. Despite being just his second season at AFL level, Fairfax Media's Jake Niall went so far as to say that Martin should be considered for All Australian selection this year. Martin was given more attention as a result of a tag in round 7's match-up with Fremantle due to this newfound praise and his previous two matches. Martin later shared that he sought support from teammates Nathan Foley and Trent Cotchin on how to break free of a tag. Martin finished tenth in the league for total kicks and fifth for handball takes after 11 rounds. In addition, he was ranked 10th in the league for score involvement at 29 percent. In a round 13 win over Brisbane, he'll have his best single-game goalkicking effort since he booted five majors against Brisbane.

Martin did not miss a match in 2011 and ended the year as third at the club for goals kicked with a total of 33 in 22 games. He was also ranked third for disposals, second for within 50s, and fourth for total clearances. Martin doubled his previous year's Brownlow Medal vote total to 12 and also improved upon his Jack Dyer Medal performance, placing third on the team's best and fairest night and winning the Maurie Fleming Medal as a result.

Martin was fitter than he had ever been before in the club's 3.8 kilometre run around Melbourne's Tan track, finishing sixth sixth. In round one's loss to Carlton, he started the season off strong, scoring two goals and adding 16 disposals. In Richmond's loss to the West Coast in round 5, he received his first best-on-ground recognition of the year, receiving the maximum three Brownlow Medal votes. In a win over eventual grand finalists Hawthorn, four weeks later, he notched his first 30-plus disposal match of the year, raking in 32 touches along with two goals. Martin and teammate Daniel Connors skipped a mandatory training session at the club on July 3rd. The pair had overslept after taking sleeping tables the night before, and was given only to Connors, according to a Richmond statement. Martin also admitted to being inebriated with alcohol that night. Both players had failed to meet team requirements, according to the club, and Martin was suspended for two matches because of the incident. Connors, who was on a final warning for indiscretions under coach Hardwick's direction, was fired. Martin returned to AFL football in round 17 after concluding what captain Chris Newman called a "mini-pre-season" in which he attended multiple dawn training sessions. Martin appeared in all seven of the club's remaining games this season and had 20 more disposals in five of those matches. Martin finished tenth in the club's best and fairest count this year, his lowest finish to date. He came in second in controversial possessions and disposals as well as fifth in clearances.

Rumours of possible off-field abuse circulating in the 2013 pre-season, to the point where they became the common talking point for Richmond players and employees during the summer. Ex captain Chris Newman refused to answer questions regarding the negative rumors, while coach Hardwick and new captain Trent Cotchin reiterated Martin's solid on-field pre-season preparations. In any case, Martin was under the supervision of new Richmond assistant coach Mark Williams, who was charged with helping Martin off-field and learning about life and life skills for Martin when the club's strict procedures were not followed. Martin was in good football form early this season, arguably in his team's best players at halftime of both rounds 1 and 2. However, his second half drop-offs' appearances ended disappointingly. In round three, he had a perfect four-quarter appearance, with 35 interceptions and seven inside, as well as kick two goals. For the second time in round 7, he converted 30 minutes before scoring three goals in the second half of a match against Melbourne in round 8 to help Richmond win their fifth game of the season. In round 12, he scored his season-best four goals as a result of Adelaide's victory. Martin's first games with more than 30 disposals came in three straight games between rounds 17 and 19, his first games in his young career. Martin was averaging 24.5 yards per game at the end of round 191. Martin had appeared in all of Richmond's matches, including its 15 wins, by the end of the season, including the 15 winners. The club finished fifth in the league and qualified for its first finals series in 12 years last year. In a 20-point loss, Carlton Martin lost by six within 50s, a goal, and 19 disposals. He also sparked the ire of the league's head office after celebrating a goal with a handcuff gesture to the crowd. Martin was fined $2,000, which was suspended for two years. He later revealed that the gesture had been done in favour of a friend who had been jailed at the time. Martin finished second in the league this year second, behind only captain Trent Cotchin in firings, and tied for the second most score appearances of any player in the league this season. In addition,, he was selected in the inaugural AFL Players Association 22under22 squad, an annual award that honours outstanding young talent in the AFL. He was selected for the 2012 team in a retrospective manner. Martin also achieved his best Brownlow Medal results to date (16 votes), as well as his highest-yet finish at the club's highest and fairest, winning the Jack Titus medal for second place.

Following the conclusion of Richmond's season, Martin began a highly publicized search for his playing services as he came out of his second AFL deal. He had already turned down all of Richmond's early contract offers before that point. Richmond released a statement on September 13th announcing that Martin will be competing for contract offers from other clubs. Martin was filmed by news outlets six days after he spoke with Greater Western Sydney officials and toured the club's training and administration departments. The Giants ruled out of following Martin the very next day, leaving him with very few choices other than Richmond. Melbourne, the other front-runner to secure him, had pulled out the day before. According to media reports at the time, the issue was primarily financial, with Martin and his leadership declining Richmond's bid of over $500,000 per season in favour of a six-seven thousand transfer from another club. Martin met with Essendon officials and coaches the day before a Richmond-imposed decision deadline was due to expire, to discuss a potential transfer. Despite the meeting, Martin would ultimately make the decision to remain with Richmond, signing a new two-year contract on September 30.

Martin was welcomed back to the club with open arms by coach Hardwick, who lamentated the public's view of the union but said Martin would "realize that (the club) is the place he always wanted to be," despite the fact that the deal was not finished. Despite starting the year off with a loss to the Gold Coast, the club's victory over Carlton at the MCG on round 2 saw Martin kick two goals and add 21 disposals. He was also charged with striking the Blues' Simon White in the third quarter of the match, but the AFL's Match Review Panel ruled that the use of force was insufficient. In round 5, Martin kicked three goals, beating the Brisbane Lions. Despite his name and the club's recent scoring woes, Hardwick has ruled out a full-time move forward, citing Martin's versatility and ineffective in the midfield to limit him to a single position. Martin scored a career-best 36 disposals in Round 10's victory over the GWS Giants, but two weeks later he added four goals in a losing match against North Melbourne. Though Martin had been tried across half-back and up forward this season, it was at this point that he decided to become one of the top midfielders in the league. Martin was making real progress towards the end by shooting average 27 times and kicking 18 goals. He had only been limited to fewer than 20 disposals on two occasions, which was worrying. Martin was "maturing into one of the league's most offensive footballers" by July, according to Herald Sun columnist Jon Ralph. Martin was the league's best one-on-one finisher, winning 15 of his 27 contests this year, according to Champion Data's statistics, who were released in mid-August. His win rate was more than doubled from the league's average of 26% at 56%. Richmond went from cellar dwellers to finals contenders in a straight sequence, but Martin missed the team's must-win match against St Kilda in round 22, his first loss in his entire career to date due to a hamstring strain. Despite Martin's absence, the club won for the round 23 victory over Sydney that saw Richmond advance to the finals for the second straight season. Martin's 29 disposals on the team's 57-point loss suggest that a road trip elimination final against Port Adelaide would be too much for his team. Martin set a career-best record for disposals in his second year as a player and finished second at the club for within 50 points. Despite the fact that he did not make the final squad, he received his first nomination to the All-Australian squad of 40 players and began the club's best and fairest odds to win. He earned the Maurie Fleming medal by placing third in the category, in addition to receiving the second most Brownlow Medal votes of any player at Richmond this year.

Martin avoided the contract controversies that surrounded him two years ago by completing a new two-year contract extension in February 2015, eight months before his new one was due to end. Martin was also ordered by boss Hardwick to use his new running skills to play a majority midfield role, as well as improving his contested ball winning and grappling in the mold of Essendon captain Jobe Watson. He got off to a slow start, but he was restricted to only 13 disposals due to his defensive tag from his Carlton rivals in round 1. Martin returned to his best by round two, but the Western Bulldogs had 31 disposals against him. In the upcoming four weeks, he set a 30-plus disosal record on two separate occasions. Martin was the best-afield in Richmond's fourth straight victory, with 34 tackles, five tackles, and a goal against Fremantle at Domain Stadium on Saturday. Martin was in good form and featured in the top-five Richmond players in 12 of 15 key statistics categories, including first place in both total disposals and total inside-50s, following the midpoint of the season. He had also improved his contest possession (9.67 per game), tackle (4.0) and disposal (26.56) to career-high standards. He finished the season strongly, with four lots of three goals over the remaining 12 home and away matches. Richmond's 91-point victory over Collingwood in round 21 was marred by a crowd, but Martin celebrated a goal by displaying an offensive finger gesture to members of the Collingwood cheer squad. The AFL had fined him $2,000 for the offence, the same fine that had been suspended for a crowd gesture in 2013. Martin's side qualified for the third season in a row, but they were disqualified in a elimination final for the third time in a row. In the 17 point loss to North Melbourne at the MCG, Martin had 21 disposals this season. Martin dominated the club for disposals and inside 50s in 2015 and then just barely missed out on a club record and fairest, this time behind defender Alex Rance. In 2015, he came in seventh in the Brownlow Medal tally, the highest result of any Tiger this year. Despite not polling for the first seven weeks of the season, he took a then-career best 21 votes. Martin was once more nominated to the All-Australian squad of 40 players, but he would not be able to make final selections for the second time in a row.

Martin, who suffered from a tumultuous off-season in which he was under police scrutiny, concentrated on continuing on-field improvements after seeing his image tarnished by a turbulent off-season. He remained highly regarded in the eyes of his peers, placing 20th in a poll of all AFL players to determine the best players in the league. Martin was even more impressed by club officials by mid-February, when he was playing in an intraclub practice match. Martin too looked less than his best when his team began the season 1–6 on the wins table. Despite 30-plus disposal matches (each with a goal) in rounds 2 and 6, there was no doubt. Richmond would start back to form in round 8 after Martin put in 28 disposals and a goal in a dramatic victory over Sydney. Martin was crowned best-on-field and given the Yiooken Award for the first time in his career during the Dreamtime at the 'G match in round ten. With 38 disposals in that game, he tied for the highest score in the sport's history. He was averaging 27.5 disposals per game and led all Richmond players in pressure acts, a significant defensive stat. Martin repeated his career best disposals record on two occasions in the next five weeks before setting a new record with 43 yards against Essendon in the round 17. He finished third on the club's single game disposals record. Martin maintained his good ball winning ways until the end of the season, winning 30 or more disposals in five of his last six games. Martin's stellar year ended his career with his side losing just eight of their 22 matches this season. Martin received his first All-Australian selection after breaking the club's record for most disposals in a single season. He also topped the team for inside-outputs and contest possessions, and was ranked second only behind captain Trent Cotchin for clearances. However, his 113 clangers dominated all players in the league and established a new league record for clangers in a single home and away season. After defeating Alex Rance, the previous year's champion, by a single vote, Martin received his first Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond's best and fairest player. He was also the club's highest-placed player at the Brownlow Medal and came in third overall in the league's best and fairest player poll. In back-to-back years of the award, he became Richmond's first player to receive more than 20 votes in back-to-back years. Martin was also granted life membership status at Richmond after meeting the 150 game mark in round 20.

Richmond, a resurgent Richmond squad, started the 2017 season with a 43-point victory over Carlton. In addition to a new game-plan that included faster ball-movement and a greater dedication to tackling, the club saw another leap from Martin, who put in a spectacular four-goal effort. In the victory over Collingwood, he kicked two more goals the following week, but he suffered a fractured cheekbone. Despite rumors that he will miss the match or at least play with a protective helmet, he was eventually given the medical all-clear to play next week. Martin did not participate in the rain-soaked match, collecting 40 disposals, kick two goals, and clearing an equal-club-record 15 clearances in the Melbourne Cricket Ground victory over West Coast (MCG). Less than a fortnight later, he emerged from a mid-week training session with groin soreness. Despite the fact that he did not miss a match due to the soreness, he was far below his absolute best for a few weeks until he scored 35 disposals in round 9's close loss to the GWS Giants. Martin was named the best-afield Yiooken Award for the second year in a row. He capped his match against North Melbourne with another best-afield appearance that earned him a maximum three Brownlow Medal in three consecutive matches leading up to Richmond's mid-season bye. To that end, Martin was ranked number one in the league for disposals (29.9 per game), clearances (6.7), and contest possessions (14.5). He was also the second best in the league for meters gained (564.4 per game), second only to Patrick Dangerfield for goals scored by the league's top 20 possession champions, and second best in the league for meters gained (564.4 per game). He was also selected in AFL Media's mid-season All Australian team at this time.

He continued his march into the second half of the season by receiving maximum ten votes from Richmond's and opponent Carlton's coaches in round 14, to claim first place in the association's first place of the year award. He set a new AFL record by breaking eight attempted tackles by his Port Adelaide opponents, which culminated in Richmond's promotion to the top-four teams on the ladder last week. He was voted Player of the Month by the AFL Players Association in June for his performances between rounds 11 and 15. Despite being tagged, Martin played in his second 40-plus disposal match of the season a fortnight after Richmond's victory over the Brisbane Lions. In addition, his 12 inside-50s were the equal second best recorded in a match by a Richmond player. He barely avoided suspension in that match but ended up receiving fines for two separate cases of careless conduct in which he struck back at tagger Nick Robertson during the game. Martin was named AFL Player of the Month in July, making him the first player to win the award in back-to-back months. He became the first player to be nominated in every month of that year when he was nominated in August (one of six players each month). In Richmond's victory over St Kilda at the MCG, he maintained his form in the final weeks of the season, including in round 23, where he was given the Ian Stewart Medal as the best afield. Richmond won 15 games and finished in the top-four for the first time in 16 years. His 667 disposals were ranked third in the club's history at the end of the home and away seasons. His 137 within 50s and 144 clearances were ranked second in the company's record books. His 115 clangers also broke his own club and league record set the previous season, while still breaking his own record set the previous season.

Martin's year has been marred by yet another extended employment story, after his administration announced the year ahead that he would not be rushing to sign a new contract. He had already announced that he would postpone a decision on a contract until the end of the season. That will not put an end to rumors of increasing bids as his form grew throughout the season to the point where he is regarded as one of the top players in the competition. Though Richmond began talks with a bid that was expected to be worth close to $800,000 a year, North Melbourne emerged as a front-runner to lure him, with a six-year contract estimated to be worth more than $6 million over the life of the contract. That bid had apparently been matched by Richmond by July, prompting North Melbourne and other suitors to raise their hands once more. Essendon came right back as another suitor with a target set by North Melbourne. Negotiations in the pre-finals came to a stop bye week, with Martin's camp now prepared to address the increasing contract offers. North Melbourne made a final offer over seven years, but Richmond's price was much less, with a closer look at $1.1 million. Martin spent the first week of the week in New Zealand, where he discussed the prospects with his father. Following Martin's return to work, rumors began to circulate, and rumors that he had made his decision and would announce it on the following night's episode of The Footy Show. When Martin accepted Richmond's bid on Thursday 31 August, he saved him more than $2 million over the course of the contract. In the home of Martin's agent Ralph Carr's agent Ralph Carr's son, a handshake arrangement was reached that afternoon before he signed the contract officially in the days that followed. Martin officially announced his decision in a pre-recorded interview that aired on The Footy Show, despite the fact that several media outlets had already covered the news in the hours before.

Martin and his Tigers were in the finals of a top-four match-up against Geelong at the MCG in a new deal. It was his first finals victory since 2001, with Richmond's 28 disposal and perhaps best-on-ground effort. In his team's 36-point victory over Greater Western Sydney, he put on another good showing two weeks later, forgoing midfield minutes in favour of time up forward. Martin would have been able to participate in the grand final, but he would be recognized for his outstanding and fairest player of the season off-field at the Brownlow Medal count. He came in last night as the front runner of ten matches where he had been expected to vote the maximum three votes. He ultimately received the highest three votes on a record-breaking 11 matches, defeating Patrick Dangerfield's 2016 total votes to win the award, setting a new record of 36 total votes. Dangerfield got the next most votes (33) but was ineligible to win after being suspended in July for a volatile tackle against Carlton. As a result, Martin's runner-up, Tom Mitchell, came in second, finishing with 25 votes total. Martin would lead his team to a grand final match against minor-premiers Adelaide a few days later. Richmond dominated Adelaide in the second half of a close first half, securing a 37-year drought breaking premiership with a 48-point victory in front of more than 100,000 spectators at the MCG. Martin was the best-on-field winner in the victory, with 29 disposals, a stunning 21 contested possessions, and two goals. As a result, he was named the Norm Smith Medal, becoming the first player in league history to win the trophy and a premiership in the same year as being named as the Brownlow Medalist.

Leigh Matthews, the home and away season VFL/AFL legend, had been named the highest by any player in the game's history. It was also one of the most coveted by the time of the grand finals. Martin also received both the Players Association and Coaches Association awards for player of the year, the former of which was named after Matthews himself. He was also named in numerous media awards as the season's best player, including those from the Herald Sun, 3AW, SEN, Triple M, and foxfooty.com.au. Martin received the All-Australian Award for the second year in a row as Richmond's best and fairest player. The Coach's Association had also named him as the best performer in the 2017 AFL finals season, with him receiving his first Gary Ayres Award.

According to a pre-season Players Association poll, Martin emerged as the best player in the league this year, up from 12th place last year. He trained at full capacity during the off-season and excelled in both Richmond's two pre-season games. By AFL Media in round 1, he was ranked as one of Richmond's best players by AFL Media for a result that included 32 disposals and a goal. In a loss to Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval, he scored his second five-goal haul of his career this week. Martin would defeat the Brisbane Lions in a rainy and cold 93-point victory. Richmond's second best player behind only captain Trent Cotchin scored numerous game-highs, 10 inside 50s, and five votes in round 6, as Richmond's second best player behind only captain Trent Cotchin. Martin had only one of his 150 disposals in Richmond's defensive 50, but he'd play forward of the ball at virtually every other position of the match. Martin was practically locked out of Richmond's victory over North Melbourne by Ben Jacobs and only had 16 disposals, his lowest figure in more than a year. Since round 23, 2016, Martin went without scoring a single point or a behind for the first time since round 23, 2016. Martin kicked two goals and was named one of Richmond's best by AFL Media in round ten's victory over St Kilda. In round 11's win over Essendon, he maintained his form with 28 disposals and a goal before being disqualified from round 12's match against Port Adelaide due to a minor calf injury. To that point, this was Martin's fifth game in his AFL career due to injury or suspension, and his first since round 22, 2014. In Richmond's round 13 victory over Geelong, Martin returned after just one match, with 22 disposals and a goal. Martin was named in Fox Footy's mid-year All Australian squad later this week, as well as 22 players from the Herald Sun and AFL Media teams. In a victory over Adelaide at the MCG, Martin kicked a game-high two goals and added 30 disposals. He was back in Richmond's best player in a loss to the Greater Western Sydney in which he received six coach awards. In round 18, he referred to his efforts in round 18, which was deemed by The Age as Richmond's best in a win over St Kilda. Despite a good tag from Collingwood's Levi Greenwood, he scored three goals in round 19. Martin was voted by The Age as Richmond's best player in round 22, a victory over Essendon that saw the club secure the club's minor premiership for the season. Martin ranked first in the league for within 50s and score contributions, as well as second for center clearances and seventh for goal assists for the first time this season. Martin, ranked at rover in the AFL's Player Ratings team of the year, was nominated for the AFLPA's MVP award and received his third straight All-Australian selection at the end of the season. He ranked second in AFL Media's Brownlow Predictor, making him the second favorite on the year's Brownlow Medalist and first in AFL Media's Brownlow Predictor.

Martin won his 200th AFL match in a qualifying final over Hawthorn in the first week of the finals series. He became the 29th Richmond player to reach the record and the quickest to do so, eight years and five months after his debut. With 29 disposals, ten clearances, and a boundary line goal, The West Australian said it would have been a goal of the year if it had been kicked during the home and away season, as well as Fox Footy commentator Jonathan Brown's description of "one of the best finals goals you'll ever see." Martin had sustained a corked thigh during play, according to media reports after the match, but club officials continued to deny it. Martin recovered after suffering a serious thigh injury in his kicking leg and was dealing with the effects of bleeding on the knee. Despite the injury, Martin was involved in what would be a humiliating preliminary final loss to Collingwood, which saw Richmond's season come to an end. He had a hugely reduced output, ending the game with just 19 disposals, six of which were kicks, and his lowest kicking total since round 23, 2013. Martin was named by Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson as the league's second best midfielder and the fourth best player overall during the 2018 season. Martin came third in the club's best and fairest count behind only Kane Lambert and eventual winner Jack Riewoldt after winning the award in each of the previous two seasons.

Martin was to captain one of four franchise-style AFLX teams in a forthcoming pre-season tournament in 2019, according to a media story in November. After apparently removing himself from service before the tournament concept was revealed, Martin was bumped in the team's reported lineup by teammate Jack Riewoldt. In lieu of that, he made his first football appearance of 2019 in any of Richmond's two pre-season games in early March. Martin's club's 33-point victory over Carlton was described by AFL Media as "solid but not spectacular" in round 1. In Richmond's round two loss to Collingwood, he was effectively tagged by Collingwood's Levi Greenwood and held to just 19 disposals. In round 3, the Giants repeated the tactic, limiting Matt de Boer to only 15 yards. Martin was uncharacteristic in reaction, triggering an AFL fine and significant media scrutiny for an offensive gesture against Giants ruck Shane Mumford and facing a Match Review report for an off-the-ball smash on defender Adam Kennedy. Initially, Martin was given a two-week suspension for the incident that the AFL's Match Review Officer described as intentional conduct and high head contact with medium impact to the head. Martin appealed the classification at the AFL Tribunal, where the effect was downplayed, with the suspension reduced to one match. On his return to Richmond in round 5, he was one of the best players on the team, kicking three goals and collecting 25 disposals after a tagging effort by Sydney's George Hewett saw him play long stints as forward. In round 6, Martin was again exposed to tagging, this time with 17 disposals and a single goal by Melbourne's Michael Hibberd. Martin was fantastic in round 9 of the Brownlow-winning season, with a show evocative of his best from his tenure as evocative of his best from his 2017 Brownlow-winning season. In the first quarter of the victory, he had 13 disposals and four clearances before ending the game with 37 disposals, 10 clearances, and two goals. He received ten Coaches Award votes in the match and was named in AFL Media's Team of the Week, a feat he repeated after receiving 25 disposals and eight clearances in round 10. Martin kicked three goals in round 11's loss to North Melbourne for the second time this season. Martin was called upon to captain Richmond for the first time in his career after injuries to captain Trent Cotchin, vice-captains Jack Riewoldt and Alex Rance, as well as early-season stand-in captain Shane Edwards. Despite losing to Adelaide in that match, which was the last before the club's mid-season bye, he did well with 32 disposals, nine marks, and two goals, receiving a club-best three coaches vote. He had averages of 25.3 disposals and 1.1 goals per game at the time, and AFL Media had him rated as a mid-season candidate for his fourth straight All-Australian pick. Martin was outstanding in round 16 after the bye, receiving three Brownlow votes and the Ian Stewart Medal for best-on-ground with a game-high 36 disposals and six clearances against St Kilda. Martin was selected as a member of AFL Media's Team of the Week in rounds 18 and 19, after posting a personal record-high 38 disposals in the latter two matches. His seven coaches' votes earned him his 18th place on the award's leaderboard. In round 20's victory over Melbourne, he beat him by nine votes as the best afield with 34 intercepts and 11 inside-50s, earning Team of the Week honors. Martin suffered with general exhaustion and was a late departure from the following week's match, before returning to what several media outlets called one of his best performances of his career in round 22's victory over West Coast. Martin set a new career record with 13 inside 50s, the most by any player in the league in a game that season, with a game-high 35 disposals and 818 meters gained. Martin was named in the All-Australian team's squad at the end of the regular season but he was disqualified for the final 22 players. Martin was also selected in the AFL's Player Ratings team of the year and then placed equal-11th overall in the coaches association player of the year honors, according to Age chief football reporter Jake Niall's and the Herald Sun chief football reporter Mark Robinson's teams of the year, as well as placing equal-11th in the AFL's best 22 in the year's best 22 players. Martin's 23 Brownlow Medal votes saw him finish with the equal-sixth most votes (but officially ineligible due to suspension) and beating Kevin Bartlett for the most votes by a Richmond player in club history. Martin was the best on ground in Richmond's first final victory over the Brisbane Lions, scoring a career-high six goals. That was the most final figures for a Richmond player since Bartlett in 1980 grand finals. Martin had 22 disposals and two goals in the preliminary final victory over Geelong a fortnight earlier, but the game's first quarter was limited in part due to a leg injury. Martin was a premiership player and again the Norm Smith Medalist as the best on ground as his Richmond team defeated Greater Western Sydney in the grand final the following week, for the second time in three seasons. Martin was unanimously selected for the Norm Smith after he kicked four goals and completed 22 defensive plays. He was just the fourth player in AFL/VFL history to win twice. Martin continued his 2018 success by winning the Gary Ayres Award as the player of the finals series once more, placing him sixth in the club's best and fairest ranking. Martin was named by Champion Data as the league's fourth best player of the year, while Herald Sun chief football reporter Mark Robinson named Martin number one on his list of the top players in the league this year.

Martin returned to pre-season preparations in the first week of December 2019 and was named a certain number for representative honours by Richmond and Victoria coach Damien Hardwick as the league announced a State of Origin exhibition match for bushfire relief fundraising was scheduled in February. Martin was praised for his contribution to Victoria's victory over the All-Stars thanks to his two-goal and 23 disposal display that earned him the Best on Ground award. He missed Richmond's first pre-season match against Greater Western Sydney a week later, but he returned in fine form for the final practice match against Greater Western Sydney. Despite an uninterrupted pre-season, the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic in Australia by mid-March saw the season's future, including Martin and Richmond's premiership defense. The AFL Commission later announced that a reduced 17-round season would continue as planned, but that fans would remain without access due to public health bans on group gatherings. Martin had 24 disposals and a goal in a round 1 victory over Carlton under those conditions, and as always, the match time was reduced by one fifth in order to reduce the workload on players who would be scheduled to play multiple matches in short periods with a compressed fixture in the later part of the year. The AFL commission suspended the season just three days later, after several states enforced quarantine restrictions on their borders, effectively ending the possibility of continuing the season as planned. Martin, who had been on vacation for 11 weeks, made 20 disposals in a round 2 draw with Collingwood in early-June, before being disqualified from Richmond's round 3 loss to Hawthorn due to minor rib bruising. He returned from one week away with 18 disposals in a loss to St Kilda, and in early July, when all Victorian sides were relocated to the Gold Coast in response to a virus outbreak in Melbourne. In a round 8 loss to Greater Western Sydney for whom he received seven coaches' votes as the second best player of the match, he fought through a tag to produce two goals and 16 disposals before scoring two goals and finishing a game-high 23 disposals. Martin boosted his output against the Western Bulldogs last week by getting the full ten coaches' vote for a dominant performance against the Western Bulldogs, eight inside, and three goals, one from deep inside the forward pocket that was emphasized by Fox Footy as a contender for goal of the year. Martin was selected in the Herald Sun, The Age, and Fox Footy's mid-year All-Australian squads following the match. With 24 disposals and seven coach votes in a round 10 victory over the Brisbane Lions, he was one of his teammates' bests on ground before winning nine votes as co-best on ground in the club's round 13 victory over Essendon. Martin received a further five votes in round 18 for a 28-disposal game, ending the regular season with 42 coaches and earning his 15th position in the honor. He was named in his fourth All-Australian team as well as receiving a club-leading 15 Brownlow Medal vote for his equal-fifth position in the prestigious award. In a qualifying final loss to the Brisbane Lions in week one, he got off to a slow start to the finals, going goalless and recording 18 yards. In comparison, he was clearly on ground in his semi-final victory over St Kilda a week earlier, delivering game highs in inside-50s (10), clearances (six), score involvements (nine), and meters gained (597). In the preliminary final victory over Port Adelaide over week three, Martin led all Richmond players with two goals and 21 disposals, earning his team yet another Grand Final appearance. He became a three-time premiership player the following week, leading Richmond to a 31-point victory over Geelong with a match-high four goals. Martin was back-on-ground in each of the previous two premierships, becoming the first player to win his third Norm Smith medal in league history. In addition, he received the Coaches Association Gary Ayres Award as a participant of the finals before receiving the Jack Titus Medal for second place in the club's highest and fairest award.

Martin was once more ranked the top player in the game prior to the 2021 season as part of the Herald Sun's annual pre-season list. Martin appeared in both official and office pre-season matches in February and March after a complete and interrupted pre-season training session. Martin had a decent year but suffered with a kidney injury while playing with Brisbane midfielder Mitch Robinson in round 18, effectively ending him for the remainder of the season.

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