Tigers great Francis Bourke, a five-time premiership player, former coach and club immortal, said it was unfair to label Martin the greatest Tiger of all time, but told this masthead Martin belonged alongside two of the club’s most fabled names.
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“I would put him in the ranks of Kevin Bartlett and Royce Hart, though. We are talking the cream of the cream here,” Bourke said.
“He has unique talents, his ball handling, his beautiful kicking skills, his ability, when he is at his best, to kick goals from upside down, inside out, roundabout – he just never missed, did he?
“I am thinking particularly of the Geelong game [2020 grand final] that we won up in Brisbane. He kicked them from the boundary, he kicked them from everywhere. I am sad to see him go, but I am so grateful he did what he did.”
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Hawkins will hold a press conference at Geelong on Tuesday afternoon, alongside his coach Chris Scott. He has played 359 games and kicked 796 goals for the Cats, the same club his father Jack, and maternal grandfather Fred Le Deux played for.
“Tom has been an incredible presence both on and off the field at Geelong for the past 18 years, with his ability to play consistently at an elite level, along with humility and care for his teammates, trademarks of his career,” Cats football department boss Andrew Mackie, a former teammate of Hawkins, said.
“He is a generational player who will rightly be celebrated for his achievements on field, as well as the role he has played shaping our club into what it is today. We thank Tom, his wife Emma, and their children Arabella, Primrose and Henry for all they’ve given our club.”
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The Tigers took to the training track on Tuesday, still digesting that Martin, who played 302 games and booted 338 goals, has called time on his grand career.
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said Martin was one of the club’s greats.
“So much has been said about Dustin’s impact on our club and the competition, but more than anything, and put simply, I think it is the joy that he gave the Tiger Army and those around him that might mean the most,” Gale said.
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“Three premierships and best on ground in each of them will always be his legend, and rightly, it, along with his unique aura, will be what he is best remembered for.
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“But I think Dustin would be most proud of what he was able to achieve playing for a team, for our team, and the magnificent role he was able to play within that system, which let him be every bit the footballing genius that he was always destined to be.
“That genius was most evident when the stakes were at their highest, when the crowd was at its loudest, when all eyes were on him, and when the moments needed a hero.
“Dustin did it his way, and we are all just so lucky to have been Richmond people during his era of dominance.
“So, all I can say on behalf of everyone associated with our great club is thank you to an icon. To our icon.”
Martin’s retirement comes almost two months after 92,311 turned up at the MCG to celebrate his 300th game when the Tigers hosted Hawthorn in round 14, and follows ongoing speculation about his future.
His final game for the Tigers was Saturday’s loss to North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium; a result that left the club mired to the bottom of the ladder and now likely to finish the season with the wooden spoon.
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But that mattered little to Tigers fans – nor other footy lovers – on Tuesday as tributes started to flow for the esteemed master of the “big-game”.
On X, Martin’s long-time manager Ralph Carr described the Tigers No.4 – who was recruited to the Tigers via the Bendigo Pioneers and Castlemaine – as “the people’s champion”.
“Dustin Martin ‘the peoples champion’ to me exemplifies loyalty and excellence in AFL. His dedication to the RFC and fans was and is unquestionable … Love you my friend,” Carr posted.
