When Richmond legend Dustin Martin retired in August 2024, he did so as the greatest finals player of the century, if not all time.
asserted
he → retire → century
Three Norm Smith Medals and near maximum votes in nine of the 13 finals he played after the Gary Ayres Medal was introduced in 2016 was an astounding achievement.
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Medal → play → 2016
He is a legend at Richmond and one of the greatest players to play the game.
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He → play → game
No one imagined anyone would come close to achieving the same feat as Martin in the next 75 years.
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anyone → imagine → years
Yet, less than three years later, one Brisbane Lions’ player is suddenly in the frame to match Martin’s finals record.
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player → match → record
The Lions’ midfielder has two Norm Smith Medals and has polled votes in the Gary Ayres Medal in six of his 10 finals (Hugh McCluggage has polled in five of those 10 Lions’ finals in the same period).
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McCluggage → have → period
As the first man to win two Norm Smiths, and the player who the finals award is named after, Gary Ayres knows greatness when he sees it.
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he → win → it
A key driver in any traffic of the Hawks premiership run in the 1980s, Ayres says Martin still stands aloft.
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Martin → say → 1980s
“Dusty could identify moments in a game where he could potentially separate teams on the scoreboard,” Ayres said.
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Ayres → identify → scoreboard
But that doesn’t stop him being impressed with Ashcroft’s remarkable finals record, achieved before he has turned 23 or reached 100 matches (he has played just 83 games).
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he → stop → games
Martin was 22 years old when he played in his first final in his 86th match in the 2013 elimination final.
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he → play → final
“[Ashcroft’s] ability to impact and make decisions under extreme pressure – and there is no more pressure than finals – is outstanding.
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ability → impact → finals
Nothing seems to faze him.
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Nothing → seem → him
He does things which have an impact, and no doubt when it comes to planning, the opposition do a little more around him to quell his influence,” Ayres said.
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Ayres → do → influence
“What makes it even more remarkable is that he is so young.”
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he → make → ?
Ashcroft shows no signs of slowing down.
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Ashcroft → show → signs
He polled eight coaches votes as the Lions’ dismantled Adelaide last Saturday night at the Gabba to further entrench his growing reputation in finals.
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Lions → poll → finals
His brilliant performances began late in the third quarter of the 2024 semi-final against the Giants when the Lions fell 44 points behind.
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Lions → begin → Giants
He had missed the previous year’s finals as he recovered from a knee reconstruction, but in just his second final, he discovered a taste for the extra heat of the contest.
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he → miss → contest
He had three clearances in the third quarter as he compiled 27 disposals to be influential in the comeback win which propelled the Lions to a premiership.
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which → have → premiership
In that year’s grand final win over the Swans, he became the youngest winner of a Norm Smith Medal at the age of 20 years and 145 days.
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he → become → years
Ashcroft’s golden locks and ability to accumulate disposals and extract the ball from contests is nowhere near as eye-catching as the brute force and skill which Martin brought to the big stage between 2017-2020, but it is effective.
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it → accumulate → 2017
And his team is now one preliminary final win away from presenting him with the opportunity to do what Martin did not have the chance to achieve: three consecutive Norm Smith Medals.
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Martin → present → chance
That’s mad to even contemplate, but the big-game performer has averaged 26 disposals, 4.5 tackles, 5.8 clearances and 5.5 inside 50s from his 10 finals.
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performer → ’ → finals
Martin, whose famous fend-off made him impossible to tackle, inspired teammates.
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him → make → teammates
He averaged 22.1 disposals, 1.9 tackles, 3.6 clearances and 4.7 inside 50s in his 16 finals between 2013-2022, but the numbers did not reveal the full extent of his influence.
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numbers → average → influence
Ashcroft also averages more score involvements in finals (8.8) over the past three seasons than any other player.
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Ashcroft → average → player
just pipping Geelong champion Patrick Dangerfield, who averages 8.1 score involvements per game in his seven finals from 2024-2026.
Martin averaged eight score involvements in his 16 finals (he played in three losing elimination finals before the Gary Ayres Medal was introduced in 2016).
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Medal → pip → 2016
On key statistical measures, he only pips Ashcroft for goals per final (1.7 to 0.6), with the Lion ahead in average disposals, uncontested possessions, marks, clearances, inside 50s, score assists, score involvements and tackles per final.
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Lion → pip → final
Statistics told less of the Martin story, of course, as he led the Tigers to three flags, filling his teammates with the confidence that he was unstoppable when big moments arrived.
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moments → tell → confidence
He kicked 10 goals in three grand finals.
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He → kick → finals
Ashcroft has kicked two in his two grand finals.
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Ashcroft → kick → finals
Martin made others believe Richmond could win a flag.
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Richmond → make → flag
Ashcroft became the most important addition to the team which had just fallen short of victory in 2023.
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which → become → 2023
But could the Lion match the Tiger in 2026?
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Lion → match → 2026
Get around our AFL finals coverage
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who → get → count
Somehow the depleted Swans are just one win from another grand final
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- The draft: Footy recruiters reveal what they look for
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country.
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they → avoid → country
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