Richmond Tigers superstar Dustin Martin concussed in loss to Melbourne Demons

Liam O'Loughlin

Richmond Tigers superstar Dustin Martin concussed in loss to Melbourne Demons image

Richmond Tigers superstar Dustin Martin has been concussed in his side's loss to the Melbourne Demons on Saturday night, ruling him out of a blockbuster clash next weekend.

The 29-year old was taken from the field in the third quarter and was unable to return, after a head knock he sustained challenging for the ball in the air.


“Yeah he’s concussed so he’ll obviously miss next week which is disappointing but that’s the lie of the land at the moment,” Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said of Martin.

“Player health and well being is paramount for our medical staff and the AFL so we’ll abide by that he’ll take his 12 days.”

Meanwhile, the coach conceded Martin’s enforced layoff may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, revealing the Tigers superstar has been hampered by a foot issue in recent weeks.

“He has had some foot issues that have not been significant but it has impacted him,” Hardwick said.

“Last week it was a little bit the same so in fairness although he’s going to miss some time it might be the best thing for him.

“He’s a proud man, he’ll never put his hand up and complain but the fact of the matter is he hasn’t been his explosive self because of that, so he’ll get better.”

It was Martin's 250th game in the AFL, but the Tigers struggled to get up for it against a quality Demons outfit, falling 82-48 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The concussion for Martin will see him miss the clash with the unbeaten Western Bulldogs next weekend, due to the AFL's 12-day stand-down policy. 

The Tigers are already without Dion Prestia (hamstring) and Nick Vlastuin (knee), and also look set to lose Kane Lambert, who suffered a calf injury in the loss against the Dees. 


Richmond now move to 3-3 to start their title defence, and will be hard-pressed to be the rampant Dogs in round 7. 

 

Liam O'Loughlin

Liam O'Loughlin Photo

Liam has been with The Sporting News since 2019, helping lead both NRL and cricket content, as well as delving into the world of combat sports and NFL. A true rugby league tragic, he has spent the past 20 years playing, coaching and volunteering for his beloved junior club, Penshurst RSL. 

Away from work, Liam has a lifelong passion for all things pro wrestling and has travelled abroad to attend showcase events for WWE, AEW and NJPW.