Dustin Martin’s comeback gets off to a controversial start as he cops arms-out penalty and is lucky to escape trouble after hitting a Magpie with a high fend
- Martin returned from five weeks of personal leave to play the Magpies
- He had a mixed start to the game with a handful of controversial incidents
- One included a borderline high fend on Collingwood player Nick Daicos
- He was also denied a goal and surrendered a 50 metre penalty for dissent
Dustin Martin is back, but was his first trademark fend a high shot that went unpunished by the umpires in the Richmond Tigers AFL clash with the Collingwood Magpies?
The Tigers are leading in their match against Collingwood at MCG with Tom Lynch booting five first-half goals to help his side to a 9.7 (61) to 5.7 (37) advantage at halftime.
Three-time premiership and Norm Smith Medal winner Martin made his return to AFL footy after a five-week absence during which he took indefinite personal leave as he worked through his grief over the death of his father Shane in the off-season.
Coach Damien Hardwick warned during the week that Martin would likely only be at 50 per cent of his brilliant best, but he has been heavily involved in the first half.
Unfortunately, that involvement was for the wrong reasons at times, with the superstar escaping a whistle for an apparent high shot, but then surrendering a 50-metre free kick for dissent.
Martin first got involved in the opening seconds with a tackle but it took 10 minutes for him to get his first touch, a left-footed screwdriver of a kick that clattered into the head of Collingwood’s John Noble.
His second kick was better. With the ball stuck in the midfield, Martin latched onto the loose Sherrin and got his second punt away. He found Lynch, who connected with Jason Castagna for the Tigers’ second goal.
Martin fends off Daicos in the Tigers clash with Collingwood at the MCG
Moments later Martin pulled out his huge ‘don’t argue’ fend on Nick Daicos and the star was well and truly in the match.
‘There’s the don’t argue,’ commentator Mark Howard said.
‘Good to see the Dustin Martin don’t argue back at the MCG.’
Four-time premiership winner Jason Dunstall added: ‘I think the biggest roar today was the Dusty fend off as well.
‘Probably lucky he didn’t get pinged for a high there.’
Disgruntled Pies fans were quick to call the incident out on social media.
‘Confirmation only Dustin Martin can fend people off above the shoulders,’ one fan commented on Twitter.
‘The @AFL once again confirming that it’s ok to fend off a player by pushing them in the face; if you’re Dustin Martin,’ an unhappy Pies supporter Tweeted.
The Punt Road faithful went berserk and every single Richmond player on the field rushed over to Dustin Martin in the third quarter to celebrate his first goal in his comeback game.
Martin had 12 disposals, two marks and six score involvements in a busy first half and he found some space eight minutes into the third term.
The 30-year-old marked despite pressure from Isaac Quaynor and then slotted the goal from a tight angle with ease.
Martin has largely been absent for the AFL’s crackdown on umpire dissent, but he became the latest player to fall afoul of the AFL’s controversial ‘hands out’ dissent rule.
Martin became the latest player to fall afoul of the AFL new dissent rules to protect umpires
Lynch fired him a perfect ball in the second quarter of their clash against the Collingwood Magpies at the MCG on Saturday which Martin appeared to have banged home for his first goal since returning from personal leave.
However the umpires ruled he pushed Isaac Quaynor to get to the ball, then Martin compounded the misery by throwing his arms out in exacerbation – handing the Pies a 50 metre piggy pack to the other end of the field.
‘For me, that’s play on. I’m not sure what the infringement is for,’ Nick Dal Santo said in commentary
‘Didn’t push him in the back, pushed him in the side, play on.’