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STEVE Adamson acknowledges there hasn’t been a lot for Campbells Creek to celebrate over the past 64 years.
That’s how long ago it was that the Magpies won their last senior premiership – 1953 in the Maryborough-Castlemaine District league.
The Magpies are best known as the “100-goal club” for the day in June, 1990, when they wrote their name into the Guinness Book of Records for their senior score of 100.34 (634) against Primrose.
However, the Magpies now have another claim to fame – the junior club of newly-crowned AFL Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin.
Martin first played juniors with Campbells Creek in the under-10s and one of the most treasured possessions of Adamson – as passionate about the Magpies as they come – is one of Martin’s first registration forms that he now has framed.
Now a superstar with Richmond where he is a Tigers’ cult hero, Martin polled a record 36 votes on Monday night to win the Brownlow.
“We haven’t had too much to celebrate for more than 60 years, but to have Dustin win the Brownlow Medal, well, this is something to celebrate,” Adamson said late Monday night.
Adamson coached Martin for one year in the under-12s in 2001 and on Monday night was the chief organiser of a Brownlow Medal function at Campbells Creek’s Five Flags Hotel, which was filled with a sea of yellow and black.
One of the drinks being served on the night was a “Dustin Martini”.
“I knew halfway through the season that he was going to be a very strong chance of winning the Brownlow,” Adamson said.
“It’s absolutely amazing what he has achieved and it was great to see the place here tonight was packed.
“When he played in our juniors you could tell that he had something special. As a 10-year-old he could kick so well on both his left and right foot… who does that at 10 years of age?”
One of the trademarks of the powerful Martin has become his iconic “don’t argue” fend off of opposition players.
According to Adamson’s wife, Kerrie, the “don’t argue” was one of the traits of Martin’s uncle, Steve Knight, during his football career at Harcourt.
“Steve used to tuck the ball under his arm like a rugby player and he’d give the don’t argue,” Kerrie said.
“He was a great player, Steve, who was scouted by Carlton, but he just didn’t have the passion for football that Dustin has always had.”
Steve died in a car accident in 1989.
Adamson has fond memories of his sons, Cody and Josh, spending hours upon hours playing footy in a paddock with Dustin and his two brothers, Bronson and Tyson, at the Martin’s former Vaughan Springs Road property at Yapeen.
“They would play football all day out there… the five of them would play two-a-side with one umpire,” Adamson said.
“They’d play for an hour, have a break, get on their bikes and chase rabbits off the field and then get playing again.
“Dustin’s mum Kathy would call them inside to eat, but Dustin would stay outside in the paddock trying to kick goals from ridiculous angles.
“You just couldn’t get the footy out of his hand.”
Meanwhile, the Magpies are also the recipients of a new Isuzu D Max ute after Martin won the Sunday Footy Show’s Lou Richards Medal.
