The stage was set and Richmond talisman Dustin Martin dove straight into the limelight, kicking the first goal in his 300th match at the MCG on Saturday.
It was destiny for champion Tiger, who Richmond stopped against Adelaide last week so he could celebrate the milestone at the MCG, where he won three premierships.
Coach Adem Yze called up Martin and key forward Tom Lynch ahead of the Hawthorn clash, excluding Samson Ryan (injured) and Dion Prestia (injured).
Thousands of fans arrived sporting the same haircut as the Richmond icon, courtesy of a special Dustin Martin Barber at the Punt Road end of the G.
“I sent Nathan Buckley there, so it will be interesting to see when he comes to the studio today if he has the Dusty haircut,” his former teammate Jack Riewoldt joked in a comment.
Dustin Martin is mobbed by teammates after kicking the first goal in his 300th game
Martin kept a low profile in the run-up to the important match, but his closest loved ones were on hand to congratulate him as he headed to the MCG for the game.
The party started early, with fans packing Punt Road Oval to watch the VFL action before the main attraction.
They toured the concourse early and filled the Punt Road end of the stadium, giving Martin a raucous ovation as he emerged early to catch up with former Richmond strength and conditioning coach Peter Burge.
Friends and family formed a small honor guard for the superstar who hugged them all individually before walking across the banner in his honor.
Martin, a private person, declined all media requests before the game.
“I don’t think it’s a silent preparation,” coach Adem Yze said.
And in typical Dustin Martin fashion, he let his player do the talking.
‘The Greatest Showman turned up, didn’t he?’ Riewoldt said on Fox Footy.
The roar came before he even kicked it! responded fellow commentator Mark Howard.
Martin led the team into their clash against Hawthorn to a huge roar from the Punt Road faithful who turned out in their thousands for the clash.
Richmond retained Martin during their final clash against Adelaide to ensure he could celebrate the milestone at home with fans.
Fans felt the kick was the perfect script for the enigmatic Tigers star.
“Dustin Martin kicked the first goal at Punt Road End, we’ve seen it a few times throughout his career,” one fan posted.
“I wonder how many bettors had Dustin Martin to score the first goal,” another mused.
“Dustin Martin will always be a weirdo,” said another.
“Dustin Martin has been the greatest player of this generation, and probably the most clutch player to ever play the game. Give the man a statue outside the G. Congratulations on 300 games,” another Dusty fan posted.
Fans young and old packed Punt Road Oval next to the MCG before heading out onto the concourse towards the main attraction.
Many fans even got special Dustin Martin 300 haircuts at a mobile barbershop at the MCG
While neither the premiership nor the Norm Smith Medal is on offer this time around, Richmond’s modern-day superhero was relishing the opportunity to put on a show for his legion of fans to commemorate his latest milestone.
‘We are looking forward to it. It’s a massive game for him,” Yze said ahead of Martin’s 300th AFL game against Hawthorn on Saturday.
“His focus will be solely on performance and trying to get a victory for the Tiger Army, and we will try to do the same for him.”
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell prepared his team to play the role of “villains” and ruin Martin’s party.
The Hawks were heavy favorites, having won five of their last six games, but were wary of an injury-hit Richmond team that still has plenty of big-game experience.
“Probably half of their team are Dusty’s teammates on the main team, so it’s going to be a big challenge for us,” Mitchell said.
“There’s the two hours of the actual game and there’s the event that happens around it, which we have no control over.”
“The only thing we’re focused on is making sure we play the game the way we need to to get the win.”
Martin won three AFL premierships (2017, 2019, 2020) and three Norm Smith Medals in those same years, highlighting his impact in grand finals.
Martin also earned the prestigious Brownlow Medal in 2017 and was named to the Australian team four times (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020).
His awards include the Leigh Matthews Trophy, AFLCA Champion Player of the Year and the Gary Ayres Award, reflecting his consistency and excellence throughout his career.