38 BENDIGO ADVERTISER Wednesday September 27, 2017 bendigoadvertiser.com.

au

SPORT DUSTY'S BROWNLOW MEDAL WIN

Lois proud as punch

of grandson Dustin
BY LUKE WEST

DUSTIN Martins Nan says

from his age of five she knew
her grandson was going to be
a special football talent.
And on Monday night
there was no wiping the
smile off Lois Knights face as
she watched her Richmond
superstar grandson win the
AFLs Brownlow Medal.
Im proud as punch, an
elated Lois said.
I was very confident that
he could win it, but I nev-
er said to anybody that he
would win it; I didnt want to
put the mozz on him.
Lois started Monday night
at Campbells Creeks Five
Flags Hotel, where she en-
joyed a sip on a Dustin Mar-
tini drink that was served as
part of a special Brownlow
Medal function.
Campbells Creek was
where Martin first played
junior football in the un- HE'S DONE IT: Dustin Martin's Nan, Lois Knight, and Aunty, Ange Dehany, at the Castlemaine Football-Netball Club social rooms at Camp Reserve
der-10s. the moment Martin won the Brownlow Medal on Monday night. Martin won the Brownlow with a record 36 votes. Picture: LUKE WEST
Lois later watched the
closing stages of the Brown- (at Yapeen 11km out of Cas- package of Martin featur- Lois, who now has the AFL
low count at the Castlemaine tlemaine), which had a set of ing several of his renowned grand final to look forward
Football-Netball Club social goalposts, kicking the footy. dont argues was shown on to this Saturday as Martins
rooms at Camp Reserve, He was always out there the big screen as part of the Tigers take on Adelaide at
where Martin first played practicing kicking goals. Brownlow coverage. the MCG.
senior football as a 16-year- Hed go to school (Campbells Look at that I could Its very exciting we
old in 2008. Creek Primary School) then sit here all night and watch cant wait for Saturday.
As Martin polled the final come home and wouldnt his dont argues, Lois Hopefully, Richmond
three votes of the night to even go inside, hed drop his said proudly wins and Dustin wins the
break a deadlock with the bag and be straight off kick- He has been doing it Norm Smith Medal and then
ineligible Patrick Danger- ing the football. since junior football; he has he has won the lot.
field and move to a record 36 I can remember one of always had it. And shes thrilled that
votes to win the Brownlow my sons coaches at Camp- Lois husband, Laurie, Martin, who had been
outright, Lois leapt out of her bells Creek (Herb Rasmus- died nine years ago, but she chased heavily by North
seat with joy and embraced sen), who always kept an has no doubt he would have Melbourne this season, has
her daughter and Martins eye on Dustin, saying to me been looking down proud- re-committed to the Tigers
Aunty Ange Denahy. when Dustin was about nine ly on Monday night as his for another seven years.
I knew from the age of that he would be the next one grandson became a Brown- One day I thought he
about five that he was going from the Castlemaine area to low medallist. might be going, but then
to be a great player, Lois said. go to the AFL, and he was. Laurie didnt get to see when you see the way he
He always had a football While Lois was speaking Dustin play AFL, but he plays and how he is after the
in his hand and would al- to the Bendigo Advertiser would be so, so proud, just game, then I knew hed be SUPPORT: 2017 Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin with
ways be out in their paddock Monday night, a highlights like the rest of us are, said staying, Lois said. his Nan, Lois Knight.

Pioneers part of the journey to stardom

RICHMONDS Dustin Mar-
tin has got a bulging football
CV littered with accolades
the latest of which is the 2017
Brownlow Medal.
However, one award that
eluded Martin on his path to
AFL superstardom was the
Bendigo Pioneers Neville
Strauch Memorial best and
fairest Trophy.
Martin only played one full
season with the Pioneers in
2009 under coach Mark Ellis.
It was a season good
enough for Richmond to se-
lect Martin with pick No.3 in
the AFL National Draft in No-
vember that year, but in the
BROWNLOW
Leaderboard
36 - D. Martin (Rich)
33 - P. Dangerfield (Geel)
25 - T. Mitchell (Haw)
23 - J. Kennedy (Syd)
22 - L. Franklin (Syd)
clubs best and fairest award
he played second fiddle to
his captain Kallen Geary.
Geary won his second
Pioneers best and fairest in
a row in 2009 with 41 votes,
with Martin two back on 39.
I think I might have
robbed him that year, Geary
would go in the top three.
Then as the season went
on he started to assert him-
self and he had one of the big-
gest national carnivals that
anyone had had for a while
playing for Vic Country.
From that point on he put
his name up in lights.
Geary was a Vic Country
team-mate in 2009 of Martin,
who following an Under-18
National Championships
2009 FLASHBACK: Bendigo Pioneers' team-mates Dustin in which he averaged 21.4
Martin, James Keeble and captain Kallen Geary. touches per game was
named in the centre in the
chuckled on Tuesday. lot of confidence from early All-Australian team.
From what I can remem- on that he was going to get I remember there was
ber of that year, there was a picked up, but not that he one Vic Country game
against Vic Metro and he was
running down the wing and
kicked one on his right foot
that went about 55m. Then
about 10 minutes later down
the other side of the ground
he kicked one on his left
about 65m, Geary said.
He had the dont argue
back then, but we as players
werent sure whether hed
get away with it at AFL level
with the bigger bodies.
But he has taken it on and
he has made it his own.
Im absolutely rapt hes
achieved what he has be-
cause hes a fantastic fella.
LUKE WEST