Sport
1 May, 2026
Dusty in Crocs’ game of year
IN the world of Australian Rules football, names don’t come much bigger than Dusty Martin, one the greatest players in the history of the game who helped the Richmond Football Club to three premierships in four years.
To give you an idea of his influence, Martin won all three Norm Smith medals in those premierships, awarded to the best afield in a grand final.
He also picked up the Brownlow Medal in 2017, becoming the first player to win the triple of premiership, Norm Smith and Brownlow Medal in the one season.
Add four all-Australian selections and the multitude of other awards he’s accumulated over his career, and you start to get a sense of his influence on the game.
In 2024, after a record crowd of 92,311 fans witnessed his 300th AFL game, Martin announced his retirement and hasn’t pulled on the boots, in any form of football since.
Until now. In what is a huge coup for Aussie Rules football in Far North Queensland, he will line up for the Port Douglas Crocs tomorrow at the Port Douglas sporting complex in his first game of footy since hanging up the boots for the Richmond Tigers.
Undefeated so far this season, the Crocs boast one of the strongest line-ups in the competition and currently sit atop the AFL Cairns senior men’s ladder.
Challenging them tomorrow are the South Cairns Cutters, also undefeated and sitting just below the Crocs in second place on the table.
Throw in the X-factor of Dusty Martin into the mix and we’re in for a cracking game of football in FNQ.
The seniors kick off at 2pm at the Port Douglas sporting complex tomorrow afternoon with pre-purchase tickets available at trybooking.com or at the gate.
If you can’t get to the game, you can stream it live at youtube.com/aflcairns.
