NO BITING THE DUSTY
WHILE his father remains exiled in New Zealand, extra family support has arrived for Dustin Martin ahead of tomorrow’s grand final.
His brother Tyson came to Richmond training yesterday morning, only a couple of hours after flying in from his Barcelona home.
Tyson arrived at Punt Rd unannounced with his partner, but they were soon ushered into the club rooms.
One of most extraordinary features of Martin’s Brownlow Medal-winning year has been his ability to separate his onfield form from off-field stress.
There was the week-byweek speculation about whether Martin would stay with the Tigers — a soap opera that only ended when he signed a massive seven-year contract extension.
Then there is his father Shane, who was deported to New Zealand late last year because of his links to the Rebels motorcycle club.
Tigers assistant coach Justin Leppitsch has heard the Brownlow medallist occasion- ally say during his tumultuous season that he has felt under the pump.
But it is the only way Leppitsch would know.
“Nothing bothers Dusty — winning Brownlows, I guess the disappointment of not having his father in the country to be here, just the week-to-week talk about his contract,” Leppitsch said.
“There has been so much put on his plate and you wouldn’t know it.
“At times he says ‘ oh, it’s been a stressful week’, but you couldn’t tell by looking at him.
“He’s amazing, how well he takes not only credit, but also adversity — he’s a well-balanced man.”
The only speculation about Martin now is whether he can become the first player to pull off the Brownlow-Norm Smith Medal quinella.
While other players have the Brownlow and the Norm Smith to their names, none have won them in the same year.