When perfection is not everyone’s brew
LIKE a lot of AFL followers, I love watching Dustin Martin play.
On the field, Martin’s persona is easily defined. He’s brash, confident, supremely skilful, plays with a hard edge but is also remarkably unselfish.
His even-keeled demeanour and single-minded approach is similar to the T1000 played by Robert Patrick in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The two even share a passing resemblance.
Put simply, the reigning Brownlow medallist is as close to football perfection as it comes.
Off the field, Dusty’s rising profile means he is on the cusp of joining Australia’s most-loved and instantly recognisable athletes as a marketing powerhouse in his own right.
But while the likes of Johnathan Thurston, Tim Cahill and Sally Pearson have won people over as much for their sporting exploits as their infectious laughs and goofy nature, Martin has been comfortable enough remaining an enigma within the Australian sporting landscape.
It’s worked to an extent, with manager Ralph Carr landing Martin several new sponsorship deals since his breakout 2017 season.
But the premiership-winning star still has yet to give much of himself as a person, What do you think of this? @samdfnq Tell us what you think unless it’s come with a price tag on it.
He’s done paid-for interviews with commercial stations, revealing who he would play for in 2018 as well as opening up about the challenges of having his bikie dad deported to New Zealand.
He tugged at people’s heart strings when he said he’d trade his Brownlow, Norm Smith medals to have his old man, Shane, living with him in Australia again.
The story of him giving his Norm Smith medal to the son of a Tigers employee, who had become a quadriplegic after jumping off a pier two years ago, was also very moving.
But Martin keeps these parts of his life very much compartmentalised, as he’s entitled to do.
Meanwhile, much of Martin’s play this season has been typically dominant. His trademark fend still makes him impossible to tackle and the Tigers will again be premiership contenders.
Maybe Martin will never endear himself to the public the way other Australian sporting legends have.
But, then again, maybe just watching him play should be enough.