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Dustin Martin, nicknamed "Dusty", is the only player in VFL/AFL history to win three Norm Smith Medals, claimed across Richmond's premiership dynasty of 2017, 2019 and 2020. He is widely regarded as one of the games most exciting players. His combination of power, skill and composure under pressure producing performances on football's biggest stage.
He spent his entire 15-season career at Richmond, retiring in August 2024 with 302 games and 338 goals. His 2017 season is considered one of the most decorated individual campaigns in AFL history - Brownlow Medal, Norm Smith Medal, a premiership, Leigh Matthews Trophy and AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year all in the same year.
Dustin Martin was born on 26 June 1991 in Castlemaine, Victoria, to New Zealand Māori father Shane Martin and Australian mother Kathy Knight. He grew up in regional Victoria and developed through the TAC Cup with the Bendigo Pioneers, where his explosive power, rare strength and exceptional ability to win contested possession quickly established him as one of the most highly rated young players in the country. Richmond selected him with pick 3 in the 2009 national draft, and he made his AFL debut in Round 1 of 2010 against Carlton Football Club at the MCG.
His early seasons were promising rather than dominant. Martin was raw, powerful and clearly gifted, but he was still developing the professionalism and consistency that would later define his career. Opposition coaches began targeting him with close attention from early in his career, recognising the influence he could have around stoppages and inside 50. By 2012 and 2013 he had established himself as one of Richmond’s most influential players, although the club was still searching for sustained finals success.
The foundations for Martin’s greatest achievements were laid in 2016. Richmond, under coach Damien Hardwick, had assembled a core group that was beginning to mature together. Martin won his first Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond’s best and fairest and earned his first All-Australian selection, signalling the arrival of one of the game’s dominant players.
In 2017 he produced probably the best individual season of his career. Martin kicked 37 goals, averaged more than 29 disposals per game, polled a then-record 36 Brownlow Medal votes to win comfortably, and capped the season with a brilliant Grand Final performance against Adelaide Football Club. His 32 disposals and two goals earned him the Norm Smith Medal and helped end Richmond’s 37-year premiership drought.
Two further Grand Final best-on-ground performances followed, against Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2019 and Geelong Football Club in 2020, making Martin the first and only player in VFL/AFL history to win three Norm Smith Medals. Each performance reinforced his reputation as one of the greatest big-game players the sport has ever produced.
His father Shane’s deportation to New Zealand in 2016 due to criminal associations presented a significant personal challenge, one that Martin handled with characteristic privacy. Throughout his career he became renowned for avoiding the spotlight away from football, rarely granting interviews and maintaining a low public profile despite being one of the most recognisable athletes in the country.
Later seasons brought injury challenges, particularly across 2021, 2022 and 2024, as Richmond’s premiership era gradually came to an end. Martin reached the 300-game milestone in 2024 before retiring later that season. He finished his career with 302 games and 338 goals, all for Richmond.
His three Norm Smith Medals remain unmatched in VFL/AFL history, while his 213 Brownlow Medal votes rank among the highest career totals ever recorded. More than any statistic, however, Martin will be remembered for his ability to produce his very best football on the biggest stage, a quality that places him among the greatest players the game has seen.
