Richmond star Dustin Martin reaps the rewards of more settled AFL lifestyleGlenn McFarlane
Herald-Sun
September 07, 2014 A SILHOUETTED figure is wading in darkness in the shallows off Elwood Beach.
Hours earlier he would have been one of the state’s most recognisable faces — in appearance, reputation and tattooed arm-sleeve. Tonight he is just an anonymous figure doing a private recovery session.
He’s a regular here and lives just a short stroll away. None of the passers-by notice him, though they might be more attentive if they knew he is an AFL footballer.
More than that, he’s one of the great AFL stories of the season, and what he is doing late on this night has played a significant role in his success.
This is the Dustin Martin of 2014.
Far from the madding crowds ... far from the headlines — good and bad — that have played such a role in his AFL story so far ... far from the bright lights and temptations that can sometimes blind young stars.
The Dustin Martin of earlier times might have had a different version and location for his post-game recovery sessions.
But, according to those closest to him, and crucial in his development, this Richmond young bull has pulled his horns in.
They can see significant signs of this maturity on and off the field over the past 12 months that has seen him and his club begin to reap the rewards.
That much is certain as the Tigers prepare to take on Port Adelaide in today’s elimination final at Adelaide Oval in the club’s first back-to-back finals seasons since 1973-74 — almost 20 years before Martin’s birth.
“Sometimes he will just be out there in the bay, listening to music on his phone, just making sure he is doing everything possible to prepare himself for games,” his former teammate, best friend and house mate Dan Connors said. “Sometimes it is that dark, you can barely see out there.”
“Living with him, I know how he conducts himself during the week now. His professionalism is second to none.
“I think he just realises how much it helps his footy. He is a power athlete who is now maturing as a player. He knows the tips and secrets to get the best out of himself.”
That includes regular wading sessions at Elwood, his trips to the St Kilda Sea Baths, and his weekly visits down to Rye for regular massage sessions.
Then, there are his culinary pursuits. When he was the most monitored young footballer at Punt Rd. — perhaps even in the AFL — the Tigers took to paying for cooking lessons for him.
A few years on, Martin regularly cooks for Connors and Connors’ girlfriend, Chloe, with chicken, fish and salads on the menu.
“He is massive on organic food,” Connors said. “He shops everything organic from the supermarket.”
“He didn’t really know a lot about his body for a long time. He was probably playing at 90-plus kilos. Now he weighs about 87kg and that comes from preparing himself as best as he can.”
Martin’s measurements (187cm and 87kg) are now identical to the man whose number he wears — Royce Hart, when the Richmond legend was in his prime.
But it is not only diligence to his body that has made Martin one of the best performed players in the AFL this season.
It is also about the life choices he has made, and the support he has received from an assortment of mentors, as his sometimes chaotic young life has found equilibrium in the past year.
Richmond star Dustin Martin is unstoppable one-on-one close to goal. Picture: Simon Cross
Martin celebrates kicking the goal to sink Adelaide. Picture: Simon Cross Source: News Corp Australia
His coach Damien Hardwick said this week: “From my point of view, he’s been nothing short of outstanding this year.”
“His maturity level, like most young players, has improved and he’ll only get better over the course of time. He has made some really good decisions with his life.”
Martin’s best decision was to remain with the Tigers after a brief and potentially messy flirtation with leaving last September.
That came 12 months ago when he and his manager Ralph Carr decided to exercise their options and speak with other clubs after a long and fruitless contractual standoff.
It led to a much publicised tour of Greater Western Sydney’s facilities — all caught on camera — but what the vision didn’t show was that as much as Martin was not then contractually linked to Richmond, he was at least spiritually connected. When the Giants asked him about his mentors in life, he said they were Hardwick and his captain, Trent Cotchin.
The Giants felt he didn’t really want to leave; the Tigers were convinced he would stay, which he ended up doing after his approach to the market did not result in the level of interest that had been hoped.
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said on SEN this week: “His manager felt need to go and test the market.”
“Dan Richardson (Tigers football director) has an acute understanding of the market and he was pretty confident the offer we put in front of Dustin we stood by and we said ‘if you want to go and test the market, please do, but you are a required player’.
“Look, at the end of the day, he’s with us. My view is that he was never going anywhere and he’s continued to grow as a player and young leader and his football has been terrific as well.”
Richardson, a former player manager, would not go into details about the frustrations of last September other than to say: “We always felt he had bought into Richmond ... that is all in the past now.”
Carr explained this week that it was not all about money; he said it had as much to do with Martin’s desire to be closer to his father, Shane, who lives in Sydney, and with whom he is very close.
He said: “He was missing his family and he asked us to explore his options.”
Twelve months on, Carr doesn’t care that he was criticised, including by Richmond, for his role in the stand-off, saying that Martin’s long-time welfare was his only priority.
“We are thrilled that he continued his association with the Richmond Football Club,” Carr said.
“When we signed Dustin ... our goal was to try and assist in helping to make him a better person, together with his family, and to come to terms with the responsibilities of becoming a professional footballer.”
A two-year deal was sorted, for less money than the player hoped for, but all parties insist there will be no residual issues when contract negotiations recommence next year on a new long-term deal.
Connors revealed that Martin’s Sydney-based father decided to show his support to his son by attending as many games as possible this year, as has his mother, who lives in northern Victoria.
“His old man is his biggest supporter,” he said. “I don’t think he missed a game in the first 14 or 15 rounds. Dustin is a very loyal person, and that’s something he has got from his family.”
So how close did Martin come to leaving?
Connors, who was sacked by Richmond in 2012, after he and Martin slept in and missed an early morning training session, thought he was gone.
“I thought it was pretty much all over for him at Richmond,” he said. “But I honestly think it has been the best thing for him to stay.”
The investment Richmond has made in a shy but sometimes wayward kid from Castlemaine — picked with No. 3 in the 2009 national draft — has not been without its trials, but is starting to pay serious dividends.
Now 23, he is favoured to win this year’s Jack Dyer Medal, was selected in the All-Australian squad of 40 last week and has been one of his club’s best weapons in its incredible second-half run to the finals.
Off the field, he seems more settled. Richmond and Carr have worked independently on building his confidence socially, developing a few commercial relationships and he is now comfortable in speaking engagements with the Korin Gamadji Institute (KGI), the club’s centre for indigenous youth.
“He handles himself as well as we could ask for,” Richardson said. “But I don’t think he is ever going to be a player who seeks out the media and we will never pressure him to.”
“My impressions have always been of a shy person who is working hard to do the right thing. He has a bit of a different background to a lot of us, but he is working hard at his own footy and his personal development.”
No one pretends it has been an easy pathway.
Martin has had several mentors, including Chris Newman, Cotchin (with whom he lived for a period last year) and assistant/development coach Mark Williams, whose family still has him over for dinner once a week.
Other close friends include teammate Aaron Edwards, as well as Collingwood star Dane Swan and St Kilda veteran Sam Fisher.
Carr immediately points to Williams as a key mentor, who has developed an affinity with the natural-born footballer who still needs guidance off the field.
One of Martin’s early mentors, Bendigo Pioneers talent manager Ray Byrne, was a former teammate of Williams’ at Collingwood. Last week he sought Williams out at a Magpies’ past player function to thank him for his mentoring.
“Dustin could have gone either way, but the good thing he has gone the right way, and that’s what is good about footy,” Byrne said.
“I think what ‘Choco’ (Williams) has been able to do is just clear his head of everything else and he only thinks about footy now. Everything else will just take care of itself in good time.”
Byrne knew from the moment he first saw Martin at Pioneers training that he was going to be an AFL star.
“He was just a natural,” he said. “And the way he is playing now is exactly the way he used to play in the TAC Cup. The only difference is now he does it for 100 minutes.
“If he looks after himself, he will win a Brownlow. He should captain the club. If he keeps going and is mentored the right way, he is going to be an incredible player.”
http://www.news.com.au/national/richmond-star-dustin-martin-reaps-the-rewards-of-more-settled-afl-lifestyle/story-e6frfkp9-1227049894916
