![Dustin Martin thanks Richmond fans after his 300th AFL game on Saturday night at the MCG. Picture by Getty Images Dustin Martin thanks Richmond fans after his 300th AFL game on Saturday night at the MCG. Picture by Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/shjDWP57NvFsN4SYJTNkJk/a351c149-001b-411c-b2a7-de7dd8a2e6ba.jpg/r0_222_5883_3752_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Central Victoria's greatest football product and probably the best player ever to pull on a Richmond jumper.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Dustin Martin was given a special reception as more than 92,000 packed the MCG to celebrate the Richmond star's 300th AFL game on Saturday evening.
The former Castlemaine footballer brought the Tiger faithful to life when he kicked the first goal of the game against Hawthorn, but the Hawks had the last laugh in securing a comfortable eight-goal win.
While disappointed not to win in his 300th game, Martin savoured his milestone and post-game he gave a rare insight into what footy and the Tigers mean to him.
"It's amazing - it's a disappointing result, but I love the Tiger army so much, I love the club so much it means the absolute world to me," Martin said in an interview on Fox Footy.
"All the love I've received this week has just meant the absolute world to me."
"Thank you everyone who sent me a message.... I've felt so loved this week and from the bottom of my heart I appreciate it."
TIGER KING GIVEN ROYAL RECEPTION
At the end of the game Martin strode around the MCG waving to, and thanking, the Richmond fans who adore the 32-year-old.
"Our players love playing with him, he's never made it about himself, so to see him walking around the ground to acknowledge our fans was a really nice moment," Richmond coach Adem Yze said of Martin.
Martin was given a guard of honour by Richmond and Hawthorn players and he was chaired off the ground by Tiger team-mates Tom Lynch and Toby Nankervis.
Waiting for him and at the end of the guard of honour were his two biggest fans - his mother, Kathy, and his grandmother, Lois.
Martin's popularity was shown by an official attendance of 92,311.
It was the eighth-highest attended AFL home and away match of all time and the second-highest Richmond home crowd of all-time.
The last time Richmond had a home game draw a crowd of that magnitude was in round four, 1977.
Speculation that Martin's 300th game would be his last was quickly put to bed by Yze after the game.
"He will discuss (his retirement) as it gets closer to the end of the year, right now he's in a really good space, he's training well, he's enjoying training and he's loving being around the footy club," Yze said.
The Tigers have the bye next week and then face Carlton at the MCG on June 30.