DUSTY RETURN A ‘MASSIVE BOOST’
RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has acknowledged Dustin Martin will still have “ups and downs” ahead of him as the Tigers superstar prepares to make his much-anticipated return against Collingwood on Saturday.
While Hardwick conceded Martin was not yet at his “optimal” fitness, he said the Brownlow medallist’s return was a “massive” boost for the team and the game.
After six weeks out of the Richmond side, Martin will line up for the Tigers for the first time since the team’s round 1 loss to Carlton following a period of personal leave from the club.
Martin returned to Punt Road for the first time almost two weeks ago after more than a month away as he took time out to cope with the loss of his father, Shane, who died last December.
Despite fears that Martin could walk away from the game, Hardwick said he never had any concerns the midfielderforward would not come back.
Hardwick said Martin’s return to the club had already provided a significant lift for the Tigers and hoped the team could feed off that against the Magpies.
“It’s a massive step for not only Richmond, but I think for AFL people (who) want him back as well,” Hardwick said on Thursday.
“The level of expectation, we’ll see how he operates. He has been training well, he looks fit, so we are looking forward to welcoming him back. Hopefully he has an impact for us on the weekend, which I’m sure he will.
“We got a massive lift last week (with him back at the club). He is such a vibrant personality within our footy club. He is an energy-in type of guy.”
Martin was ruled out of the Tigers’ trip to Perth last week to take on the West Coast Eagles due to his limited preparation, but Hardwick revealed he had put his hand up to play.
The coach conceded Martin’s fitness was still not at its peak but the team was happy with how he had presented so far: “We will put him out there and see how he goes” he said. “A 50 per cent Dustin Martin is still a pretty good player in our books.”