"Come back through the VFL": Richmond coach jests about Dustin Martin's return ahead of milestone match

The Tiger champion was kept from the trip to Adelaide after the club revealed he’d been battling illness during the week.

Aidan Cellini

WRITER | June 7, 2024 - 11:42am

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Fresh off their second victory of 2024 - ironically without champion Tiger Dustin Martin for both of them - Richmond coach Adem Yze could not wipe the small of his face in the post-match press conference.

Amid a tumultuous start to his coaching career and one of the worst injury crises the club has faced, Yze has kept a buoyant mindset.

The trip to Adelaide was a successful one, resulting in an eight-point win as a host of experienced players returned to the side.

Martin's absence from the win has opened the door to playing his 300th AFL game in front of the Tiger army at the MCG when the club faces Hawthorn in Round 14.

However, Yze quipped post-match on Thursday that the champion would struggle to return to the senior side given the performances of the Richmond players.

“It's huge, but we did win so he might have to come back through the VFL,” Yze joked when asked about Martin's return.

“In all seriousness, it's a massive week for our club and one that we want to celebrate one of our greatest players.

“We do that really well at our footy club, we celebrate our people, and this is an opportunity to celebrate one of our best.

“We'll have an amazing week leading up to it, our players will want to play well for him and make it a big occasion.

“We're not going to shy away from the fact that we want to be a big spectacle.”

Martin has achieved just about everything a player can in the AFL, staking claims to be one of the best in the modern era, rivalling the likes of Gary Ablett Jnr and Chris Judd.