Richmond boss Brendon Gale expects to see AFL famous person Dustin Martin again at his sensible finest subsequent yr because the Tigers search to atone for an “uncharacteristic” marketing campaign.
Martin managed simply 9 video games final season as an inconsistent Richmond clawed their approach into the finals, solely to be eradicated in week one.
They have loaded up once more for 2023, with the acquisition of increase recruits Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper laying naked their premiership ambition.
And a fit-again Martin is essential to the plan.
The 31-year-old joined his teammates for pre-season coaching at Punt Road on Monday, keen to construct a robust platform over summer season.
“He’s an impeccably well prepared athlete,” Richmond CEO Gale mentioned.
“A lot of people probably wouldn’t get that impression, but he is. He’s really finely tuned and he’s really, really proud.
“He’s performed at a really, very excessive degree for a very long time and that is not going to proceed eternally, however he is nonetheless acquired a really, essential function to play at our soccer membership.
“He’s well supported and we expect him to respond this year.”
Martin has been by a turbulent 18 months on and off the sector.
His father Shane died final December and the famous person went by a prolonged rehabilitation from a lacerated kidney, which ended his 2021 season early.
Martin spent six weeks’ private depart away from Richmond early final season and missed one other seven video games whereas sidelined by hamstring accidents on the finish of the home-and-away marketing campaign.
Post-season hypothesis the Tigers’ talisman would depart the membership with two years left on his contract was in the end put to mattress, and Martin was cleared final month by the AFL integrity unit over his actions in a leaked video of Mad Monday celebrations from 2015.
“He had a really tough year, coming back from a fairly significant injury to start with, and the tragic loss of his father,” Gale mentioned.
“He’s been training pretty hard, he’s been away up north, and he’s been doing a fair bit of boxing away from the club.
“He’s a proud athlete and he is a proud man and he’ll stay up for getting again within the swing of issues, that is for positive.”
Gale also said coach Damien Hardwick has a fire in his belly for 2023 after the heartbreaking elimination final defeat to the Brisbane Lions in September.
Richmond won their last four home-and-away games to secure a top-eight spot but were knocked out in a pulsating two-point loss at the Gabba.
“(Hardwick) in all probability wasn’t that keen about the best way we completed up final yr,” Gale mentioned.
“It was an uncharacteristic yr and we’re trying ahead to atone.”
Hardwick is abroad on a vacation and research tour however will return within the coming weeks.
