Dustin Martin

[achillesjones]

You have to remember that most of these guys have been picking up a lazy 8000k+ per week over their contract years then suddenly need to deal with life’s bills like the rest of us.
When you’re on a good thing, it’s hard to let go of it.
Dusty and Tom 20,000 per week with nice holiday breaks and off season destinations.

 

[nswtiger]

not just for Dusty
but his life structure is gone now .he is looking for that .......predictability consistency and support .is what a AFL players gets .their life is simple ........training recovery and play ..and more importantly admiration
hard to let go of esp when you thrive in that environment .....

 

[Cooper O'Reilly]

One thing's for sure we have no idea what conversations were been had by Blair & Yze with Dusty throughout the season.
What we do know is it was apparent during the year that he was a shadow of his best. All the rhetoric coming from Ooze was we were doing absolutely everything to get him healthy, enjoying his footy & playing well.
Whether it was injury or mental fatigue or both, the bottom line is we only saw fits & starts of the champs best. He didn't play in a win all year.

It may well have been the case that given the state of our list & our plight that the footy dept. said to him there wasn't much point in him going on with us next year or it might have been a lowball one year deal. Who honestly knows but as Gale said towards the end of the season the club's preference was that he'd finish up a one club player. All I know is that there's so much said in club land that we nor the media are privvy to.

Then I hark back to when Houli was tapped on the shoulder by Blair.
He wanted another season but we said no when it was obvious injury & form was starting to desert him. Bachar flirted with the idea of heading elsewhere & then wisely decided that wasn't a great move. We have great memories of Bachar as a Tiger. Am hoping Dusty makes a similar decision.
Not just because I don't want to see him in other colours. I think it's been an obvious decline in performance & would hate to see him struggle for a year or so just as much.

If he’s not in a Richmond jumper then I don’t care how badly he struggles. His decision and he wears the consequences good and bad

 

[No 4]

You have to remember that most of these guys have been picking up a lazy 8000k+ per week over their contract years then suddenly need to deal with life’s bills like the rest of us.
When you’re on a good thing, it’s hard to let go of it.
Dusty and Tom 20,000 per week with nice holiday breaks and off season destinations.

Dusty has made good investments in properties and has good secondary source of income. I say well done Dusty!

 

[ANDREW]

You have to remember that most of these guys have been picking up a lazy 8000k+ per week over their contract years then suddenly need to deal with life’s bills like the rest of us.
When you’re on a good thing, it’s hard to let go of it.
Dusty and Tom 20,000 per week with nice holiday breaks and off season destinations.

My heart bleeds for them, poor buggers.

 

[The_General]

Probably supplied the info, remember when ouzo said he would prefer if players were able to announce moves during the season like NRL? , club knew and milked the retirement memorabilia

I don't think they were talking about Dusty, more Baker. There was speculation and real Intel he was going.
Even according to media reports, Dusty said no I'm done, but has now changed his mind.

 

[Brodders17]

Not just because I don't want to see him in other colours. I think it's been an obvious decline in performance & would hate to see him struggle for a year or so just as much.

I guess the one saving grace if he does go to the Suns is that no one will actually see his decline.

 

[Feeling Tigerish]

Will always be the goat, but ffs I’m glad the circus is moving onto another club.

 

[tigers80]

I’m now firmly in the belief that the whole Dusty to the Suns is a distraction we don’t need.
I’m sure the club and especially the coach is now over the constant barrage of questions re: Dustin’s future.
Go well Dustin.
You’ve served us well, and vice versa which I think is forgotten in all this.
The TIGERS in a way shaped you as a person.
I’m sure the Suns won’t.

 

[Harry]

We would all love for Dusty to remain a one club legend but if he wanted to play on next year it would be for the best he played at GC. For where we're at we need all 23 players hungry and chasing and applying pressure every week and unfortunately Dusty won't be able to do this. He could however provide the experience and the difference GC need to take the next step. In saying all that, why the retirement circus?

 

[Little Ziggyadee]

We would all love for Dusty to remain a one club legend but if he wanted to play on next year it would be for the best he played at GC. For where we're at we need all 23 players hungry and chasing and applying pressure every week and unfortunately Dusty won't be able to do this. He could however provide the experience and the difference GC need to take the next step. In saying all that, why the retirement circus?

How many people get paid $350k and do sweet FA?
That's excalty what he will doing on the coast.
Night's out, beach and sun.

 

[artball]

Night's out, beach and sun.

rain, humidity, traffic jams, plastic surgery disasters, crowded beaches shaded by skyscrapers ...

 

[seven]

rain, humidity, traffic jams, plastic surgery disasters, crowded beaches shaded by skyscrapers ...

…Warwick Capper

 

[gutfull]

If he’s not in a Richmond jumper then I don’t care how badly he struggles. His decision and he wears the consequences good and bad

Question , he wants to continue his career ?. Well why the F not Richmond ????.
To F hard hey ??.
See ya ..... no longer yellow & Black .

 

[Ripplestick]

Whilst Dusty is my all time favourite Tiger, there were signs all year of his level of interest waning and the ending was somewhat orchestrated.

Firstly I think he genuinely had a crack pre-season and was very fit, fit to play midfield as was planned by Yze. 2024 was a year of unknowns but also a year of possibilities.

Then he was injured for round zero and subsequently missed round 3 and our season and injury list spiralled out of control from there.

As the losses mounted, it was clear we were done for the year and with no finals on the horizon, Dusty's motivation took a steep dive.

He wanted to make it to 300 for a number of reasons, but he was done at the RFC.

I reckon, and thought at the time that the back injury in game 301 was a furphy. A subsequent trip to NZ confirmed that in my eyes.

I think he came back for the north game as he saw it as the best opportunity to win one last game and belt out the club song one last time. It wasn't to be and he hung up the boots immediately.

The fact he/Ralph have so quickly engaged again with GC shows to me that whilst he saw his time at the RFC as being over, primarily due to no immediate prospect of success, he still thinks he is good enough and that GC may give him one last shot at glory.

 

[Sintiger]

I reckon, and thought at the time that the back injury in game 301 was a furphy.

I don't know if it was a furphy or not but I was at the North game and he had no power in his running and had trouble bending down for the ball with freedom.

 

[Carter]

Folks need to stop with the conspiracy theories. It feeds in with the unreasonable Hardwick hate.

Unfortunately this whole thing reads to me as a predictable chapter in dusty’s life.

Comfortable within the military confines of elite football, but Punt Road not the same as it was. Friends retired, mentor somewhere else, success an echo of the past.

Out of footy for the first time, a man unsure of himself in a new world with so much time to … do what exactly? I haven’t read/heard of any specific interest outside of football.

He’s reaching for something and he has my empathy and good wishes. Club needs nothing from him but happiness.

 

[adamgrovecraig]

I'm disappointed by the lack of honesty and transparency in all of this, and I think the club was involved in it, too. They wanted to sell the merchandise. I don't think everything has to be every last dollar.

I also find it hard to accept the idea "we had the best of him and we got the flags". Flags are important, but having integrity around the people involved is important too. I'd give one back to have had this end better. I don't think I'll ever think of him the same.

I don't begrudge him for wanting a new challenge or to keep earning. That's everyone's right. There's just a better way this could have been handled.

 

[MD Jazz]

Folks need to stop with the conspiracy theories. It feeds in with the unreasonable Hardwick hate. People need to question their outlook.

Unfortunately this whole thing reads to me as a predictable chapter in dusty’s life.

Comfortable within the military confines of elite football, but Punt Road not the same as it was. Friends retired, mentor somewhere else, success an echo of the past.

Out of footy for the first time, a man unsure of himself in a new world with so much time to … do what exactly? I haven’t read/heard of any specific interest outside of football.

He’s reaching for something and he has my empathy and good wishes. Club needs nothing from him but happiness.

Folks need to stop speculating.......but FWIW here's my 2 cents!

 

[Carter]

Folks need to stop speculating.......but FWIW here's my 2 cents!

Well I mean you did mention how Dusty was our ‘talisman’ and that ‘fans trusted Dusty and he trusted us’ a few pages back

Or you could adopt a more level-headed, less cringey approach

Lol