What a year it has been for the AFL’s biggest star. The freight train that is Dustin Martin has been running through opposition midfields all season, one fend-off at a time.
Now at the business end, a Brownlow medal and premiership medallion would be the cream on top of a breakout year for Martin and the Tigers.
But for all the religious worshipping, do we really know who these players are? Are they gods, or glorified, overpaid people who live a charmed life without everyday hassles and stresses?
It’s easy for us to make judgements from up in the stands. The image we get of sports people often leads us to generalised conclusions about who they are, which makes it important for athletes, clubs and governing bodies to manipulate their image.
Take Roger Federer as an example. His effortless serving action, textbook groundstrokes and unrivalled tactical nous bring together an all-round game that is as close to perfection as the tennis world may have ever seen.
And when he steps off court, this image of perfection grows stronger.
With long-term, multi-million dollar deals with luxury brands that promote unrivalled excellence, such as Mercedes-Benz and Rolex, as well as his partnership Nike and the creation of his own label, ‘RF’ (a letter pairing that also coincidently appears in the word ‘peRFect’), capitalises on the marketability from his peerless sporting success.
At the recent US Open, Federer branded a vibrant pink Nike swoosh on a dark headband, positioned as perfectly as ever in the middle of his forehead. The headband is as associated to the image of Federer as any backhand winner.
Commentators, media and spectators alike all buy into this perfect image. But everyone has flaws. I’m sure Roger occasionally gets angry at his kids. Potentially he even swears when he gets stuck in traffic!
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Then we examine Dustin Martin.
During the early years of his career, you could easily make judgements on Martin’s personality based on the way he appeared on the football field. His muscular body covered in tattoos, disengagement with the media, and his famous ‘don’t argue’ fend-off, combined to give the impression of a player not to be messed with.
Couple this with off-field incidents – the chopstick incident in 2015, the relationship his father had to motorcycle gangs, and his Vegas trip with Dane Swan – and you’ve got an extremely talented footballer who sponsors don’t want to have anything to do with.
During those years, Richmond may have been open to offloading an asset that was costing them more than what it was worth. However, the Tigers and Martin’s manager reinvented him, and now he’s preparing to win his first Brownlow medal.
They recognised the opportunity to maximise his future earnings, turning the once bad-boy of the AFL into the game’s biggest stars. When he re-signed with Richmond, Martin didn’t conduct a press conference or issue a club statement, but he sold the rights to his announcement to The Footy Show. Who knew you could sell the rights to announcements!
AAP Image/Julian Smith
Martin appeared on The Footy Show as a softly spoken, humble player, who wishes for his father to be allowed in the country to watch his son play football. His image was immediately softened.
He will attract new members, desperate to get his No.4 on their backs, and sponsors will be queuing up to get on the Martin and Tiger cash train. These opportunities wouldn’t have been as large at North Melbourne.
If the Tigers win the flag this year, will we see Martin lift the cup with a new Jeep tattoo branded across his forehead as the cameras go click?
It would be a fitting end to the season for bloke that plays in the ‘don’t argue’ way.
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