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One medal already well within Dusty’s grasp

In all likelihood Richmond superstar Dustin Martin will win the Brownlow Medal tonight.

Sep 25, 2017, updated Sep 25, 2017
Dustin Martin celebrates Saturday's preliminary final win with Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt. Photo: Julian Smith / AAP

Dustin Martin celebrates Saturday's preliminary final win with Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt. Photo: Julian Smith / AAP

And teammate Jack Riewoldt will be on hand to help him celebrate what they hope could be a taste of greater success to come.

The Tigers are gearing up for the premiership decider against Adelaide on Saturday and, as huge an honour as the Brownlow is, Riewoldt suspects Martin will have other things on his mind.

“We’ll go along, drink waters, and hopefully celebrate what is an individual achievement, but no doubt Dusty will speak about what it means to him and his teammates,” Riewoldt said.

“We’re really proud of the year he’s put together but there’s still a lot of water to go under the bridge with that.

“There’s been some interesting things pop up in Brownlow nights past, but he’s had a fantastic year.”

Riewoldt is right – there have been some huge Brownlow boilovers throughout the storied award’s history.

But with nearest rival, reigning Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield, ineligible through suspension surely no one can touch Richmond’s raging bull.

Asked if there is any chance of an upset result, 1978 Brownlow Medallist Malcolm Blight flatly replied “no”.

Blight, now a Gold Coast board member, said he still watches most games.

“I suppose I’ve watched him play 15 or 16 times – I reckon he (Martin) would get votes in 12,” Blight said.

“I get a feeling he might break the (votes) record, which would be quite outstanding.”

Fellow AFL legend Leigh Matthews suspects no player has had a good a season as Martin, who is expected to break the record for votes won.

Setting aside months of speculation about his future, Martin has run rampant with his famous ‘don’t argues’ and ball-gathering brilliance for a career-best year.

He convincingly won the AFL players association most valuable player award – the Leigh Matthews trophy – and the AFL coaches association award.

The players vote on the Matthews trophy and they demonstrated why Martin is the short-priced favourite.

He won with 1333 votes and Geelong star Dangerfield was well off the pace on 776.

TAB Sportsbet has Martin at $1.01, while Hawthorn onballer Tom Mitchell is next in the betting at a distant $9.

Adelaide vice-captain Rory Sloane and fellow midfielder Matt Crouch are seen as outside chances.

They will stay at home and attend a club Brownlow dinner ahead of the grand final.

-AAP

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