Love him.
Incredible. Awesome player. Massive fan.
But give it a rest.
Probably top 50 ever yes. Which is amazing.
Analysis If Dustin Martin wins a 4th Norm Smith medal and premiership will he be regarded as the greatest player of all time?
- Thread starter Aristotle Pickett
- Start date
- Tagged users None
- Status
Incredible. Awesome player. Massive fan.
But give it a rest.
Probably top 50 ever yes. Which is amazing.
Thinking we get a Melbourne v Brisbane GF
This will hopefully soften the Geelong V Richmond flog off on Bigfooty
This will hopefully soften the Geelong V Richmond flog off on Bigfooty
- Jun 22, 2008
- 24,580
- 21,276
- AFL Club
- Geelong
..and they all have Dusty covered too.
- Oct 19, 2020
- 22,182
- 32,023
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Thread starter
- #29
Top 50 lol. He's top 10 at the moment imo.
- Oct 19, 2020
- 22,182
- 32,023
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Thread starter
- #30
At the moment.
Obviously. I'm not sure why some Geelong and Sydney supporters feel so threatened and offended at the prospect 
Jhye Clark 13
07, 09, 11, 22
- Feb 16, 2007
- 80,894
- 98,740
- AFL Club
- Geelong
- Other Teams
- Bulldogs, Pelicans, Saints
Yet D Martin averages more Brownlow votes per game than either Ablett or Judd and has a finals record to which the other pair could not hold a candle….
If we are talking single player influence on the highest thing you can achieve in the sport - Premierships - then Martin is possibly already in a league of his own. A further flag with him dominating the whole finals series - again - would merely increase his lead over these peloton players in his wake like Judd and Ablett Jnr.
If I want someone in my team to win individual awards, I am calling Judd or Ablett’s managers. If I want someone to win me a Premiership, then I make sure Ralphy Carr is on speed dial.
When Martin’s moments of truth have arrived he has over-delivered on his lofty promises like no footballer the preceded him. Ablett and Judd, FMD.
Last edited:
L_W_P
@peteplatinum on Instagram
He's in my personal top 10. Maybe top 5-6.
His regular season work lets him down though. He just doesn't have the consistency of other guys in this era.
He's the "Big Game Guy" of the last 20 years though. I put that caveat on it because I didn't really follow footy enough as a kid to really appreciate how good guys like Carey and Ablett Snr were, but Martin goes to a level no other modern player could touch come finals.
Only guy that went close was peak James Hird.
His regular season work lets him down though. He just doesn't have the consistency of other guys in this era.
He's the "Big Game Guy" of the last 20 years though. I put that caveat on it because I didn't really follow footy enough as a kid to really appreciate how good guys like Carey and Ablett Snr were, but Martin goes to a level no other modern player could touch come finals.
Only guy that went close was peak James Hird.
He is a great player, no doubt. Think that he is in the tier below the big guns like Carey, Matthews, Ablett and Lockett. I don't think many Norm Smith medallists are that influential that they win the GF for their teams and I don't think Dusty has either, his 2020 efforts were largely when the game was won, similar to Jarman in 97. More icing not cake.
Regarding the overall premise, it is hard in our game to have 1 guy that stands above the rest, because the game has different types of playrs more so than most sports. That is why while Carey is the best player I have ever seen, I couldn't sit here and say that it is indistputable because like the VCE, there are a small number of exceptional talents that get 99.95%.
Regarding the overall premise, it is hard in our game to have 1 guy that stands above the rest, because the game has different types of playrs more so than most sports. That is why while Carey is the best player I have ever seen, I couldn't sit here and say that it is indistputable because like the VCE, there are a small number of exceptional talents that get 99.95%.
Norm Smiths are a good way of identifying big-game players, but not "great" players overall.
Dusty's non-GF record would put him in the top 10% of players, along with 10 other mids of the last 10 years. Neale, Ablett, Pendlebury, Selwood, Cotchin, Fyfe, Dangerfield.
If you were putting together a team to win a GF at the start of the season, you'd still not pick Martin first out of that list. The hardest step is getting there. There's a reason Dusty didn't win the Norm Smith in 2022.
Dusty's non-GF record would put him in the top 10% of players, along with 10 other mids of the last 10 years. Neale, Ablett, Pendlebury, Selwood, Cotchin, Fyfe, Dangerfield.
If you were putting together a team to win a GF at the start of the season, you'd still not pick Martin first out of that list. The hardest step is getting there. There's a reason Dusty didn't win the Norm Smith in 2022.
What are the expectations on him next year?
Is he over injuries?
Is he over injuries?
Jhye Clark 13
07, 09, 11, 22
- Feb 16, 2007
- 80,894
- 98,740
- AFL Club
- Geelong
- Other Teams
- Bulldogs, Pelicans, Saints
And Dangerfield has a higher average then Martin. It's strange that a supporter base that's spent the best part of a year thinking the league is corrupt - inc umpires - would use an umpire award as a basis for argument.
Now this myth that Martin is some kind of finals wonder based on 3 norm Smith medals needs to be put to bed.
For starters, only one of those GF's he was best on ground.
Martin in finals:
22dpg, 27 goals, 31 tackles, 59 clearances
Dangerfield in finals:
24dpg, 24 goals, 95 tackles, 147 clearances
Both should be on 1 NS medal.
Also, Dangerfield was robbed of a Brownlow in 2017 where on paper, he was above what Martin managed.
These two highlighted points just show how little people understand of Martin’s career.
Dustin Martin has the 9th most Brownlow medal votes in history. And coincidentally he has the 9th most Brownlow votes per match in history. Whatever we think of Brownlow votes as any guide to anything, Martin is definitely not a player whose regular season work has let him down. Neither does he lack consistency.
And the second highlighted statement that Martin’s 2020 efforts were largely when the game was won, that is just straight out wrong. Very strange statement.
He is already the best finals player of all time, and there is a fair distance to second.
Now you are being silly JTG.
Martin has been a tremendous player full stop, home and away & finals.
His home and away performances without his finals deeds would still have him regarded as an elite AFL player in the top echelon. His finals performances, where I think he has been best on ground in around 10 of his 16 finals, including in his only 3 Grand Finals, would make him a living legend without his home and away deeds. Put the finals and home and away performances together and he stands head and shoulders as the most influential player on his team’s Premiership fortunes in living memory, possibly ever.
Dangerfield averages 24 disposals in 26 finals. And a respectable 1.6 goals + goal assists. He has played in two Grand Finals. He was rubbish in one and played a very strong game in the other, where the result was never in any doubt. I don’t know how many of his finals he has been BOG, maybe a small handful?
Martin averages 22 disposals in his 16 finals. He averages 2.8 goals + goal assists which is on another planet compared to Dangerfield. Tom Hawkins for eg. averages 2.3 goals + goal assists in his 32 finals. Martin has been BOG in around 10 of his 16 finals.
You can’t be serious trying to compare Dangerfield’s finals record favourably with Martin’s.
I'm a Richmond fan, and I'll argue that with you. I have KB at No 1, and Martin in the following group of 5-6 others.
Look, a lot of Martin's fame rests on his 3 Norm Smiths and fair enough too - but the fact is, other than 2020 when he was clearly the most important player on the field, he was just one of many in the discussion. 2017 - Rance, Houli, Edwards all worthy (for what it's worth, I thought Martin was BOG too, but I understand the arguments for the others), 2019 - they could have given it to the boot-studder or the cheer squad, it was a perfect team performance.
Martin is very, very good, and a great finals player.
- Feb 9, 2015
- 4,661
- 9,201
- AFL Club
- Geelong
Yes, but if Coby Burgiel wins 5 Norm’s and 5 flags he’ll take over as the GOAT.
- Mar 26, 2015
- 11,912
- 22,002
- AFL Club
- Carlton
- Other Teams
- Melbourne Tigers, Bendigo Braves, OKC
Thanks for the comparison. I don't think he even has Matthews covered.
If Dusty happens to play another 60 games, his disposal average will come down a lot closer to Leigh's, then it's just goals separating them, and Matthews has a clear advantage there.
Also finals record:
LM = 19W - 10L (GF = 4W - 3L)
DM = 10W - 6L (GF = 3W - 0L)
Finals averages:
LM = 20.2disp - 2.5goals
DM = 22disp - 1.7goals
Career stats:
Even if you compare their best seasons, Matthews has the edge IMO.
I voted maybe. I might have to change it to no.
L_W_P
@peteplatinum on Instagram
Maybe it's just the outside perception, or the crazy high bar he sets for himself.
Alot of the time it feels like Martin is cruising, or not putting in a full 100%.
It doesn't mean he's not impacting games but when you see him turn it on for finals you wish he could do that more often. Again though, not watching every single Richmond game means us neutrals probably miss a lot of things.
Still an absolute all time gun and the finals GOAT
- Mar 26, 2015
- 11,912
- 22,002
- AFL Club
- Carlton
- Other Teams
- Melbourne Tigers, Bendigo Braves, OKC
So he's the 9th best player in history?
- Oct 19, 2020
- 22,182
- 32,023
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Thread starter
- #49
Disposal average is not necessarily a valid indicator.
- Apr 3, 2016
- 5,389
- 10,954
- AFL Club
- Sydney
I used to work in a DVD rental store and he would regularly return his DVDs without rewinding them.
Oxygen thief.
Oxygen thief.
- Status
