Richmond coach Adem Yze has made a call on when Dustin Martin will play his much-anticipated 300th game.
The 299-gamer will not play against the Crows at Adelaide Oval this Thursday night, and will instead play his 300th AFL game against Hawthorn at the MCG in Round 14.
At his Tuesday morning press conference at Punt Road, Yze said the three-time Norm Smith medallist was “ill” and would not be available for selection following a five-day break in between last Saturday’s loss in Geelong and Richmond’s Round 13 fixture.
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“Our decision’s made — he’s a bit crook today,” Yze told reporters on Tuesday.
“We’ve only got one training session (before the Adelaide trip). It was always going to be based on how he got through today, and to be fair, there (are) two or three players in that category that are over 30 (years of age) that we’ve got to monitor today.
“But he’s actually ill today, so that’s taken it out of our hands, so he’ll miss this (week), and the silver lining to that is he’ll get to play his 300th in front of our crowd against the Hawks next week.
“We’re disappointed he’s not available this week, but for our supporters and our Tiger Army, they’ll get to see him (at the MCG).”
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Martin’s exclusion comes after Melbourne great Garry Lyon urged the 32-year-old to suit up against the Crows.
“Dustin Martin should play his 300th game this (Thursday) in Adelaide,” he told Fox Footy’s On the Couch on Monday night.
“He should walk into (Yze’s) office and say ‘mate, I know you’re going to let me play my 300th the week after, but this is a team game we play’, and for him to say ‘I’ve won everything there is to win in footy, I’ve got three Norm Smiths, the Brownlow, every single title. I will happily celebrate my 301st game back at the MCG, because right now, we’ve got 26 fit players on our list, and you need me in Adelaide’.
“He’s got a heap of accolades. It would be one of the great accolades if Dustin walked into that club and said ‘Adelaide people will celebrate my 300th game against the Crows, I’ll bust my arse over there for them, the kids will appreciate me being there, and guess what? The Richmond fans who have blown so much wind — rightfully so — up my bum for a long time are going to come out in even greater numbers next week at the MCG for my 301st’. And you know what? It won’t make much of a difference.
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“OK, if everything was even, then he should 100 per cent play at the MCG for marketing, for the Richmond faithful, for all those things — but it’s not (even). These are the most extraordinary circumstances for a first-year coach.
“The team’s getting smashed, they’ve lost (Mykelti) Lefau again with an ACL, now’s the time for him — and I won’t think less of him if this doesn’t happen, by the way — but I reckon it’d be one of the great moments of the year for Dusty to walk in and say ‘we’re suffering too much here to start playing games about when and where I won’t play 300 — 301 at the MCG will do me just nicely, I’ll go over there (to Adelaide) with the boys’.
“As I said, I’ll think no less of him if he says ‘no, I’ll take the rest’. But, in the overall scheme of it, 300 in Adelaide and it’ll be the greatest 301st game ever, because he’s done all that (won the big awards).”
In other Richmond selection news ahead of Thursday night, veteran midfielder Dion Prestia (managed) and mercurial forward Shai Bolton (concussion protocols) are expected to be available for returns, while Tim Taranto (wrist) is in the frame.