Brisbane youngster loved Dusty belting
RICHMOND superstar Dustin Martin cruised around in almost a Zen-like state on the way towards a cupboard full of medals and accolades.
But the then soon-to-be minted Brownlow and Norm Smith medallist cracked in a prickly Round 17 clash with Brisbane Lions firebrand Nick Robertson.
Robertson punched and probed, niggled and nudged, as he tried to slow the Tiger locomotive on track to 40 disposals, two goals and three Brownlow votes. Martin, eventually, had a gutful of the dark arts and responded with a swinging arm of his own.
“A few whacks here and there,” Robertson said with a laugh.
“I wasn’t really saying much because I couldn’t say, ‘you’re going s---house’, or anything.
“He’s just a bloody good player so I thought I’d give him a whack here and there, and a few too many whacks and he retaliated, which is good.
“It’s always good when you get that retaliation, that’s when you know you’ve got them, so keep doing it.”
Luckily for Martin the retaliation attracted only a $1500 fine from the match review panel and not a Brownlow-stripping suspension.
Martin was at the peak of his powers when the young Lions travelled to Etihad Stadium to face the eventual premiers, having rattled off four best-onground performances in seven games. But Robertson, who was suspended for headbutting Trent Cotchin early in the same game, enjoyed the contest.
“I like playing on good players because you learn a lot yourself,” he said at the Lions’ summer camp in Launceston.
“He’s obviously a freak, he’s got a lot of talent there. I think playing on the best obviously helps you develop.”
Robertson also tangled with “Bondi billionaire” Lance Franklin in Round 7.
The Sydney star wanted to run back inside 50, after roaming up the ground, but Robertson was not about to give up the territory easily, despite some pointed advice from the champion goalkicker.
“He didn’t really like it,” Robertson said. “He told me, ‘you do that again mate I’m going to flog you’, and sure enough he turned around and gave me one.”