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Richmond have celebrated Dustin Martin's eagerly-anticipated AFL return with a commanding 27-point triumph over fierce rivals Collingwood at the MCG.
Dustin Martin's eagerly-anticipated AFL return has been a success but his teammate Tom Lynch has stolen the show in Richmond's 27-point victory over Collingwood.
Martin gathered 23 possessions in his first game since round one, when he stepped away from football to deal with personal issues, as the Tigers improved their record to 4-4 to jump back inside the top-eight.
The three-time Norm Smith medallist was mobbed by every one of his Richmond teammates when he slotted his first goal early in the third quarter.
Martin's 293rd career major extended the Tigers' lead to 30 points, setting them on their way to a comfortable 17.11 (113) to 12.14 (86) triumph in front of 64,481 fans at the MCG.
After snapping his second goal midway through the last quarter, the Richmond faithful started chanting "Dusty" to rubber-stamp the comeback of one of the AFL's modern greats.
"It was great to see him back and I think the fans and the AFL in general were pleased to see him step on the ground," Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said.
"It was a pretty touching moment when the whole side got to him and I'd say there were a few misty eyes in the coaches box and the down below as well.
"It was a nice moment to get some reward for the hard work he's put in himself.
"He got through and he'll get better again next week which is exciting.
"He brings enormous spirit to our footy club."
Martin played mainly as a forward, working in tandem with Lynch as the former Gold Coast co-captain produced one of the best games of his 12-year career.
The Tigers full-forward had a first half to remember, kicking five goals, taking eight marks and collecting 18 possessions to be the most influential player on the ground.
Lynch had a career-high 25 touches and finished the match with 6.1, backing up his seven-goal haul against hapless West Coast last week.
Richmond youngster Rhyan Mansell could attract some attention from the match review officer after appearing to strike Collingwood dynamo Jack Ginnivan late in the third quarter.
Ginnivan, who was reportedly spoken to by the Magpies' hierarchy after a drinking session after his Anzac Day heroics, was fairly quiet but still managed to slot three goals and frustrate the opposition and their supporters.
In a rare highlight for Collingwood, Will Hoskin-Elliott brought down a mark-of-the-year contender late in the match.
"I said to the boys at three-quarter time 'I'd rather lose by 10 (goals) than die wondering,'" Pies coach Craig McRae said.
"We tried to keep coming at them and try more risks; some paid off, some didn't."
Richmond will be gunning for a third-straight win when they meet Hawthorn at the MCG next Saturday, while Collingwood's next assignment is a clash with the Western Bulldogs on Friday night.
