Last year, Dustin Martin was lost to football, battling anxiety and personal tragedy. On Saturday, he returned to the MCG with a bang, reminding everyone why he is one of the AFL's greatest players. The Richmond superstar, who spent a week in hospital after a kidney laceration in 2021 and later mourned his father, showed no signs of rust as he led his team to victory over Collingwood.
Martin's performance was a masterclass in controlled aggression. He oscillated between savage and surgical, delivering a 90-degree pass here, an intervention in a melee there, and a shove to the windpipe when required. Every time Collingwood threatened, Martin stood taller, asserting his dominance. 'Step out of my way, young upstarts, this is my moment, my arena, my competition,' his body language seemed to say.
The player of the match was Tom Lynch, but it was Martin's day. After his first goal, he slapped the black tape on his lower deltoid, a gesture that spoke volumes. Martin is loathe to let anyone in, but his talent and grief were on full display. Underneath the swagger, there is doubt, but he repeats three words to himself: 'Strong. Aggressive. Unstoppable.'
Martin's return comes after a tumultuous period. He began 2021 being compared to legends like Matthews, Carey, and Ablett, but finished the year in hospital, subsisting on bananas and YouTube clips. He lost two stone and mourned his father. At 30, there was a real chance he was lost to football. But the club and fans gave him space, and he owed the game nothing.
On Saturday, he was back, looking like he had spent the last month squatting and scowling. The Collingwood coach described his team as eight dates into a relationship, while the Tigers are married with three kids. Martin's innate sense of when to turn up the wick and when to dial it back was on full display, giving hope to the rest of us.
