Richmond superstar Dustin Martin has always been as enigmatic as he has been talented.
Despite being an A-grade star of the current competition and arguably one of the greatest players of all time, footy fans know very little about the three-time Norm Smith medalist.
Following reportsย that Martin may be dating Australian model Jessica Gomes, the Zero Hanger thought it would be interesting to do some digging on media shy star.
Here are five interesting things you might not know about the dynamic Tiger.
Boxing coach
After starting his first few pre-seasons in average shape, Dusty is now known for having one of the best work ethics in the league.
Despite having all the resources of an elite AFL club, Martin has engaged with his own 'boxing guru' away from Punt Road to maintain his fitness.
While he is still a star of the competition, a post-footy boxing career would no doubt be exciting for fans, especially after Australian boxer Michael Zerafa challenged the Brownlow medalist to a fight earlier this year.
Nearly a Swan?ย
After moving to Sydney at the age of 14, Martin took up full-time work while playing for Campbelltown Football Club's under 18's. In one game that year, despite only being 15, Martin played for the senior side.
On the back of his impressive performances in local footy, Martin enquired about joining the Sydney junior academy but was eventually deemed ineligible as he hadn't lived in Sydney for the minimum three years required. Sorry Swans fans.
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Pre-footy employmentย
After leaving school in Year 9 and making the move to Sydney, Martin worked full time in a number of different roles.
Before he had turned 18, Martin had been a forklift driver, assisted in a sports apparel business, worked for an electrical contractor and as a stonemason. He also played some cricket on the side.
Number swap
The No. 4 at Richmond is synonymous with Dustin Martin, but in the first year of his career Dusty actually wore number 36.
After a standout debut season in 2010, Martin was awarded with the famous No. 4, which had been worn in each of the Tiger's previous 10 premierships. When the swap was announced, Martin told the media that he wanted to be the next Richmond player to win a flag in the iconic number. 10 years later, he has won three.
Giant offerย
Martin has been linked with a move to Western Sydney throughout his career, as many other stars have. At one point the Giants did come close to signing the star, with Martin touring the club's facilities in 2013.
This however, wasn't the first time the Giants tried to snare the star. In Round 8 of his debut season, 18-year-old Martin was offered a contract reported at the time to be worth $2.4 million over three seasons to start in the Giants' inaugural 2012 season.
Martin declined the offer, going on to play every game for Richmond the following year and finishing third in the club's best and fairest.
