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He did it against the best of the best in the highest stakes games of the season.Let me provide some perspective.
Martin’s player rating in 16 x finals (so includes his injured ones) and adjusted for 2020 shortened games:
16 x finals average player rating = 19.34
DeGoey:
14 x finals = 13.66
Nick Daicos:
6 x finals = 10.32
Danger:
26 x finals = 14.94 (inc adjust for 2020)
Martin’s average in the 12 x finals from 2017-2020 was 22.37.
He played at a level in finals we will never see again (take out his PF in 2018 when on one leg and he averages 20.19).
And not enough is made of his 3 x Gary Ayres medals. Nobody else has come even remotely close to 2… not even close. If he doesn’t get injured in 2018 he could have 4 of them.
Naicos would need to average 23 over his next 10 x finals to bring his final player rating average up and level to Dusty after 16 finals.
After Richmond lost the QF he went BOG / BOG / BOG to close out the flag.
His 4-years from 2017-2020 will never ever be matched. Keeping in mind if the players MVP was decided AFTER finals, he’d have three of them in that period.
Martin’s best football was in finals and it’s better than anyone has ever produced by so far it’s not even close.

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Let me provide some perspective.
Martin’s player rating in 16 x finals (so includes his injured ones) and adjusted for 2020 shortened games:
16 x finals average player rating = 19.34
DeGoey:
14 x finals = 13.66
Nick Daicos:
6 x finals = 10.32
Danger:
26 x finals = 14.94 (inc adjust for 2020)
Martin’s average in the 12 x finals from 2017-2020 was 22.37.
He played at a level in finals we will never see again (take out his PF in 2018 when on one leg and he averages 20.19).
And not enough is made of his 3 x Gary Ayres medals. Nobody else has come even remotely close to 2… not even close. If he doesn’t get injured in 2018 he could have 4 of them.
Naicos would need to average 23 over his next 10 x finals to bring his final player rating average up and level to Dusty after 16 finals.
After Richmond lost the QF he went BOG / BOG / BOG to close out the flag.
His 4-years from 2017-2020 will never ever be matched. Keeping in mind if the players MVP was decided AFTER finals, he’d have three of them in that period.
Martin’s best football was in finals and it’s better than anyone has ever produced by so far it’s not even close.
Jai Newcombe has played in 4 career final so far, all 4 of them he has been rated number 1 by the player ratings system. Thats a pretty good effort i think.
I look forward to seeing how high Newcombe can go in Finals.
Back to Dusty, he won 6 individual awards in regards to Finals footy....phenomenal.
Totally agree, Newcombe is killing it. Martin averaged just over 19 in 16 x finals (you got to add 25% to the 2020 finals). His average includes when injured in the 2018 PF and coming back from a 10-week layoff in the 2022 EF.Just on Jai:
Player Rating Average - 21.15 so far over his 4 career Finals matches which is very good.
Totally agree, Newcombe is killing it. Martin averaged just over 19 in 16 x finals (you got to add 25% to the 2020 finals). His average includes when injured in the 2018 PF and coming back from a 10-week layoff in the 2022 EF.
So far Newcombe has played 4 x finals at his peak performance age and in peak physical condition.
If he maintains it for another 12 x finals, wins 3 x Ayres awards and 3 x Norm Smith’s then he can join the great man.
I won’t re-hash it all again, but when you review Martin’s goals, goal assists and score involvements in finals from 2017-2020 it’s beyond belief. Overall, from 2017-20 he was our best midfielder AND in finals kicked more goals, had more goal assists and more score involvements than any other player.If Jai can also kick more goals too (which Dusty did) then even better for him and Hawthorn.
I won’t re-hash it all again, but when you review Martin’s goals, goal assists and score involvements in finals from 2017-2020 it’s beyond belief. Overall, from 2017-20 he was our best midfielder AND in finals kicked more goals, had more goal assists and more score involvements than any other player.
In the B2B finals in 2019-20 he kicked 19.2. So in the 2019PF he kicked 2.2 … in 6 other finals across 2019-20 he didn’t miss. 17 straight. Very few ‘gimmes’ either.
Everyone is playing for second when it comes to finals.

Quick query. Who was given best on ground in the 2017 Grand final in the Gary Ayres award? Houli?Dustin Martin - Votes: AFL Coaches Association (AFLCA) Gary Ayres Award (Best Finals Player)
Gary Ayres Award started in 2016
*Equal Best on Ground
**Outright Best on Ground
2017
vs Geelong - Qualifying Final: 9 votes**
vs GWS - Preliminary Final: 8 votes*
vs Adelaide - Grand Final: 8 votes
Total: 25 votes (ave - 8.33)
2018
vs Hawthorn - Qualifying Final: 7 votes
vs Collingwood - Preliminary Final: 0 votes
Total: 7 votes (ave - 3.50)
2019
vs Brisbane Lions - Qualifying Final: 9 votes*
vs Geelong - Preliminary Final: 0 votes
vs GWS - Grand Final: 10 votes**
Total: 19 votes (ave - 6.33)
2020
vs Brisbane Lions - Qualifying Final: 0 votes
vs St Kilda - Semi Final: 8 votes**
vs Port Adelaide - Preliminary Final: 10 votes**
vs Geelong - Grand Final: 10 votes**
Total: 28 votes (ave - 7 votes)
2022
vs Brisbane Lions - Elimination Final: 0 votes
Total: 0 votes (ave - 0 votes)
Games Under Gary Ayres System: 13
Total Votes: 79
Ave Votes Per Finals Game: 6.07
5x Outright Best on Ground games
2x Equal Best on Ground games
Yep, Houli got 10. Martin 8. But upon re-watch, Martin was easily BOG … played the perfect midfielders game. He had 22 contested from his 29 touches and went at 86% … unheard of.Quick query. Who was given best on ground in the 2017 Grand final in the Gary Ayres award? Houli?
Yep, Houli got 10. Martin 8. But upon re-watch, Martin was easily BOG … played the perfect midfielders game. He had 22 contested from his 29 touches and went at 86% … unheard of.
Player rating of 30.9! What is the highest ever recorded? There would definitely have been higher, but that seems the highest I’ve read in my time.Gary Ayres Award votes (given by the coaches) had Houli with 10 votes and Martin with 8 votes.
Player ratings - Martin: 30.9, Houli - 7.5
Its all about opinions. In the eyes of the coaches Houli was best on ground, in the eyes of player ratings Martin was best on ground.
So we have two separate mechanisms.
What about a third mechanism - Norm Smith medal judges:
5 judges voted 3, 2, 1
13 - Dustin Martin, Richmond: 33331.
10 - Bachar Houli, Richmond: 32221.
2 - Alex Rance, Richmond: 2.
2 - Shane Edwards, Richmond: 2.
2 - Dion Prestia, Richmond: 11.
1 - Jack Graham, Richmond: 1.
Chris Judd (MMM, Chairman) - D Martin, B Houli, J Graham.
Terry Wallace (AFL Nation) - B Houli, S Edwards, D Martin.
Daisy Pearce (Channel 7) - D Martin, B Houli, D Prestia.
Mark Maclure (ABC Radio) - D Martin, A Rance, B Houli.
Jake Niall (Fox Sports) - D Martin, B Houli, D Prestia.
Now for the stats...
Martin
29 disposals (22 contested)
83% disposal efficiency
2 goal assists
9 score involvements
1 mark (0 contested)
6 clearances
1 tackle
2 goals (2 behinds)
Houli
25 disposals (6 contested)
76% disposal efficiency
0 goal assists
4 score involvements
11 marks (1 contested)
1 clearances
5 tackles
1 goal (2 behinds)
At the end of the day it comes down to opinion. There's no doubt at all that Houli played a great game, but Martin was better. It would of been interesting though if Houli had of converted those two behinds into goals...he may have got the Norm Smith medal.
Player rating of 30.9! What is the highest ever recorded? There would definitely have been higher, but that seems the highest I’ve read in my time.




Thanks for that!Luke Shuey produced a rating of 35.7 in the 2018 Grand Final. Martin is ranked 2nd (2017) for ratings in Grand Final matches since player ratings was introduced in 2010.
- His 2017 Grand Final is the second highest rated Grand Final of all-time. Luke Shuey’s 2018 Grand Final is miles ahead of anyone else, Dusty comes in at No.2. The rating was 30. If you get a 15 rated game, that’s an All-Australian type game. If you get a 20, it’s wow. If you get a 30 then you just go back and watch that performance over and over and over.
- His 2020 Grand Final comes up as the sixth best Grand Final. Keep in mind that is with shortened quarters. If you extrapolate that out to a full game then it comes out as the second best Grand Final as a 32 rated game.
Thanks for that!
Had no idea Luke Shuey’s game was that highly rated.
Houli's 1.2 probably did it. If he'd kicked 3 straight then that probably would've been enough to get him the Norm. Still a great game from the man, miss him.Gary Ayres Award votes (given by the coaches) had Houli with 10 votes and Martin with 8 votes.
Player ratings - Martin: 30.9, Houli - 7.5
Its all about opinions. In the eyes of the coaches Houli was best on ground, in the eyes of player ratings Martin was best on ground.
So we have two separate mechanisms.
What about a third mechanism - Norm Smith medal judges:
5 judges voted 3, 2, 1
13 - Dustin Martin, Richmond: 33331.
10 - Bachar Houli, Richmond: 32221.
2 - Alex Rance, Richmond: 2.
2 - Shane Edwards, Richmond: 2.
2 - Dion Prestia, Richmond: 11.
1 - Jack Graham, Richmond: 1.
Chris Judd (MMM, Chairman) - D Martin, B Houli, J Graham.
Terry Wallace (AFL Nation) - B Houli, S Edwards, D Martin.
Daisy Pearce (Channel 7) - D Martin, B Houli, D Prestia.
Mark Maclure (ABC Radio) - D Martin, A Rance, B Houli.
Jake Niall (Fox Sports) - D Martin, B Houli, D Prestia.
Now for the stats...
Martin
29 disposals (22 contested)
83% disposal efficiency
2 goal assists
9 score involvements
1 mark (0 contested)
6 clearances
1 tackle
2 goals (2 behinds)
Houli
25 disposals (6 contested)
76% disposal efficiency
0 goal assists
4 score involvements
11 marks (1 contested)
1 clearances
5 tackles
1 goal (2 behinds)
At the end of the day it comes down to opinion. There's no doubt at all that Houli played a great game, but Martin was better. It would of been interesting though if Houli had of converted those two behinds into goals...he may have got the Norm Smith medal.
they are also early finals. not Pfs and GFs, against ripper teams at their homeTotally agree, Newcombe is killing it. Martin averaged just over 19 in 16 x finals (you got to add 25% to the 2020 finals). His average includes when injured in the 2018 PF and coming back from a 10-week layoff in the 2022 EF.
So far Newcombe has played 4 x finals at his peak performance age and in peak physical condition.
If he maintains it for another 12 x finals, wins 3 x Ayres awards and 3 x Norm Smith’s then he can join the great man.
it's often forgotten that while the count was close, Dusty got the 3 from 80% of the judges. only Wallace the spewer saw it differentlyGary Ayres Award votes (given by the coaches) had Houli with 10 votes and Martin with 8 votes.
Player ratings - Martin: 30.9, Houli - 7.5
Its all about opinions. In the eyes of the coaches Houli was best on ground, in the eyes of player ratings Martin was best on ground.
So we have two separate mechanisms.
What about a third mechanism - Norm Smith medal judges:
5 judges voted 3, 2, 1
13 - Dustin Martin, Richmond: 33331.
10 - Bachar Houli, Richmond: 32221.
2 - Alex Rance, Richmond: 2.
2 - Shane Edwards, Richmond: 2.
2 - Dion Prestia, Richmond: 11.
1 - Jack Graham, Richmond: 1.
Chris Judd (MMM, Chairman) - D Martin, B Houli, J Graham.
Terry Wallace (AFL Nation) - B Houli, S Edwards, D Martin.
Daisy Pearce (Channel 7) - D Martin, B Houli, D Prestia.
Mark Maclure (ABC Radio) - D Martin, A Rance, B Houli.
Jake Niall (Fox Sports) - D Martin, B Houli, D Prestia.
Now for the stats...
Martin
29 disposals (22 contested)
83% disposal efficiency
2 goal assists
9 score involvements
1 mark (0 contested)
6 clearances
1 tackle
2 goals (2 behinds)
Houli
25 disposals (6 contested)
76% disposal efficiency
0 goal assists
4 score involvements
11 marks (1 contested)
1 clearances
5 tackles
1 goal (2 behinds)
At the end of the day it comes down to opinion. There's no doubt at all that Houli played a great game, but Martin was better. It would of been interesting though if Houli had of converted those two behinds into goals...he may have got the Norm Smith medal.
i preferred him doing it around halftime in the 2019 PF. laughing Boy was pretty undangerous after thatHim sitting Dangerfield down to ice the 2020 flag is one of the iconic moments of modern football