Dustin Martin is Chopsticking with Richmond

I’m convinced we’re getting Fyfe.

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Well if fyfe’s all about his brand, Essendon is pretty good at brand, even though we’re almost as middle of the road on field as you can get.

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The comment was about what Martin was like at the same stage that Zerrett is now. Martin wasn’t as good then. In fact Martin hasn’t really been what he is this year before, this year is something new. So yes while he appears the best currently the question does remain, how long will that last? I am not sure his game sty;e is suited to long term brilliance, Zerrett’s is though.

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I just can’t see Richmond loosing him, why would they, window is now, albeit only opened half way.

They are better off throwing the cash at martin to keep him, blow the rest and next years picks another player.

That way, when it all fails they can go back to square one and say at least we tried.

Loosing martin now, for them,would be a pretty bone head move.

“NEVER judge a book by its cover,” Dad used to say.
I never really thought about it, nor understood it. That is — until I met Dustin Martin.
A closed book in public but a colourful open book in private.
But it is the cover of his book which really throws people. Some see scary tattoos and a don’t argue stare.
But look a little closer and you could see amazing artwork celebrating family and heritage.
Years on I’m starting to understand what Dad was trying to say.
EARLY DAYS
The first time I met Dusty was in November 2009 just after he was drafted.
I had seen a picture of him in the paper a few days earlier with a tattoo which read “Live Free Die Free” and I remember thinking, “Oh dear”.
He was drafted alongside Ben Cousins, whose stomach tattoo (Such is Life) was pictured in the same paper, and the media immediately drew comparisons.
I remember walking past Jake King that pre-season thinking, “Hell, I’m going to have to get a couple of tattoos just to fit in around here.”
Dusty was a top-three draft pick but an atypical draftee — not quite the structured football program and private schoolboy upbringing.
He left school at Year 9 and ended up working various forklift jobs with his dad, playing senior footy on weekends at Castlemaine at the age of 15.
He was named the rising star of the competition and recognised by the Bendigo Pioneers late the following year, playing in the TAC Cup at his top age year.
When he joined Richmond, he was a shy kid. I guess we all were really (except for Rancey) but Dusty didn’t give you much and seemed extra guarded.
We had completely different styles — he had a “if you don’t like me, I don’t really care and if you do like me I still don’t really care” way about him, whereas I was always trying to please everyone, trying to fit in and be this perfect person around the club.
I didn’t know it at the time but in hindsight a part of me was probably jealous of Dusty for having the confidence to be himself without seemingly a care in the world.
I didn’t realise it until much later that it was Dusty who was teaching me the value and virtue of being yourself, being real and not wearing a mask (although Dusty likes to think he wears a cape occasionally).
THE TWO OF US
Relationships are tricky at the best of times in an AFL team.
I remember talking to Wayne Campbell, our leadership co-ordinator (now at the Giants), who said relationships were important but no one expected you to be mates with everyone.
“Be respected, not liked.”
So with so little in common — the tattoos and general lack of connection between us — I rationalised it that we were just from two different worlds brought together by football and just had to be teammates and play footy together.
The classic alpha males not wanting to show our emotions and therefore connection was never truly made.
But all that changed. A lot.
Not long after proposing to Brooke I remember talking about relationships and connections and out of the blue I sent him a text (no, I didn’t call … the new age form of closeness) and Dusty came over for dinner. That dinner changed my life.
I remember talking to him on our couch about where he was in life, what was going on around him and where I was at.
Something struck a chord. Our weaknesses were each other’s strengths.
He was real and imperfect but lacking structure and I was really structured trying unsuccessfully to be perfect.
There was a part of him I wanted to help and there was a part of me I thought he could help.
Not long after that dinner, in between house moves Dusty was at a pretty low point and I invited him to live with Brooke and me.
I learnt so much about Dusty, the depth of him as a human being, some of the challenges he had faced growing up, the reason he behaved in certain ways at particular times and, most importantly, the genuine, caring and nurturing human he is.
I think if Dusty’s story is ever told in full and with no blankets on it, it would open up this incredible sense that even the toughest, most talented people suffer from the same challenges in life as all of us, whether you’re an elite sportsperson, a mum, a dad, a schoolteacher or a CEO of a big business.
We all need love, support and to know we are worthy.
Once you’re an AFL player the expectations are suddenly to be this amazing intelligent public speaker and mature adult. To be a role model in the way our parents are our role models.
LATE-NIGHT WALK
When Dusty was 20 everyone expected him to act 30 when in reality, like most AFL players who have had limited experiences outside footy, he was more like a 16-year-old.
For every year I grew, Dusty probably needed two.
He had a greater learning curve and in some small way I thought I could help. Little did I realise he could help me more.
Living together we would sit on the couch for hours and just talk.
We played a lot of PlayStation and luckily he wasn’t very good. But mostly we walked and talked.
I recall one night he couldn’t sleep and around 1am snuck into my bedroom and woke me up.
Walking was often the best thing for us both so at 1am off we went in the darkness, sharing stories of our youth (which are the moments I cherish) and also our fears.
This particular night, however, we were wearing dark hoodies and got pulled over by the cops who were patrolling the area.
I’m not sure who was more startled but after revealing our identities they drove off laughing.
MY GIRL’S HERO
A lot of people are fascinated by Dusty.
Someone said recently the most popular dog’s name for Tiger fans is Dusty.
If you really knew Dusty you would know he loves food. Loves restaurants. And he REALLY loves kids.
Last weekend after the loss to Sydney my eldest daughter was in the rooms.
I had given her a cuddle but she was a bit shy given the vibe and all that was going on.
As soon as Dusty appeared, she calls out “USTY” with pure excitement and runs straight over to him — nice big cuddle, leaving me a touch shattered but also humbled.
Fair to say our two girls adore him, tattoos and all. It’s funny how kids don’t judge. And they’re instinctive. Whenever he’s out at our home he’s always lying on the floor with them, doing drawings, puzzles and playing hide and seek.
Doesn’t really sound like Dusty, does it?
Trent Cotchin is hopeful Dustin Martin will stay a Tiger.
I live a part of my life through Dusty in a way I never lived myself.
I’m not a party goer, don’t go out much and don’t really drink much either.
Dusty is very different and yet we also now value the exact same things — having fun and being true to yourself.
Behind every man there’s a little boy wanting to stay childlike and I love that about him, too, never forgetting to embrace the kid in us — after all it’s still a game and the fundamentals are play, have fun and compete.
DUSTY’S FUTURE
In recent years the most impressive thing to me about Dusty is the incredible investment he has made in himself, educating himself around mindset, lifestyle balance, business courses, supporting charities or the community in various ways.
He is generous with his time outside of the football club and enjoys helping people even if the spotlight gets him in trouble.
It’s impressive the way in which he lives his life now considering where he was.
He is still childlike (not childish) but has grown up a lot and his work ethic, effort and focus directly relates to him being alongside Rancey as one of our most consistent performers over the past four years.
To the point where he is now one of the Brownlow Medal favourites.
With free agency today the media loves to speculate each year on a player’s contract to create a year’s worth of headlines.
But it’s only a distraction if you let it be.
Next year is irrelevant today.
It’s topical I know and I have not a lot to offer except I’m hopeful and confident he will be a Richmond man next year and beyond.
But it will be what it will be and it is certainly out of my control.
A wise man once said that yesterday’s history, tomorrow’s a mystery and today’s a gift — and that’s why it’s called the present. I’m loving the present.
I’m loving the connection the players and coaches have forged with each other — vulnerabilities, imperfections and all.
And I will never again judge a book by its cover.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/expert-opinion/trent-cotchin-reveals-the-truth-about-dustin-martin/news-story/75a932d1e62db8c8466069000fc848f8

That confirms he’s staying at Richmond.

Nah, it confirms that if trent wasn’t marrired to brooke he’d be with dusty.

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LOL.

Thanks for posting that barnz, it was a good read.

Nah, it confirms that Ninthmond are farking terrified of losing him because they know they’ll plummet when they/if they do, and so they’ll do anything for it not to happen.

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Its a pitty Cotchin & Richmond don’t know him like you do, surely the’d be happy to be rid of him :smirk:

What it confirms is mostly people are neither all bad or all good.

Dusty seems like he’s got many good qualities, but plenty of issues like all of us.

Likes the partying, has anger issues,suspect friends n family, and supposedly terrible with dealing with the basics of life regarding financial matters.

But man can he footy.

But going into a new environment, without the network he has had built around him by Richmond will absolutely be a risk.

In this case the risk would be as catastrophic as the reward would be glorious.

I say fark it let’s go balls in.

I mentioned this last time we had interest in him but the only person I know who has had anything to do with Dusty is my uncle. He taught him at Castlemaine and being a mad footy head (Geelong) always made mention that Dusty was a good kid. My uncle isn’t a rough nut either. Def a hippy type…

Well, he sounds positively awful.

We got bullied in the midfield against Sydney last Friday, it’s a minor miracle in itself that we should have won the game despite Kennedy owning us in the clearances. It was like watching a Year 6 kid playing against a bunch of preps. You can see why we are going after Dusty. I want this club to be successful again, and an absolute elite player like him will probably improve us to the same extent as the recruitment of Dangerfield has done to Geelong.

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Are we?

Who knows.
Certainly none of us.

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Kelly with hep zack darcy Fanta walla mcg

Despite the reports of his off field vices I’m finding myself more and more agreeing with WOB about this guy, it’s kitchen sink time. Would instantly make us an infinitely better team.

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Yep, he’s dragged Richmond across the line with a few close games…

Wins clearances, goes forward and kicks goals, bullies opponents, is one of the best players in the league and one of our great weaknesses (clearances and contested footy) would be absolutely ridiculous for us not to make a massive play for him.

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