Richmond's Jayden Short has sent a warning to the rest of the competition as champion Tiger Dustin Martin looks to return to his best in 2024.
Martin is currently working through his 15th pre-season in the yellow and black and has already set personal bests on the track ahead of the new year, with the 32-year-old looking to improve on a strong 2023 season.
The triple Norm Smith Medal winner was Richmond's sole All-Australian squad selection this year in what was a difficult season for the Tigers, who bid farewell to premiership coach Damien Hardwick after ten rounds and would fall short of a top-eight finish.
Martin would average over 23 disposals and 1.2 goals per game for just the fifth time in his career and would do so for the first time since 2019.
Since returning to training after the off-season, Martin has been a standout in the eyes of his teammates, with Short making note of the "great role model" the triple premiership midfielder is for his peers.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Short said Martin is shaping up for a strong 2024 after recording a number of new records to start his pre-season program.
"He's been unreal. The way he came back from the off-season was unbelievable," Short said.
"I suppose when you get a new coach, everyone's got to impress again. It's been good for our young boys, they get to impress a new coach and certainly us older boys as well.
"The way Dustin showed up was amazing. He's probably into his 15th year of AFL and he's setting PBs in the gym and his running's certainly always improving as well.
"He's a great role model for everyone at this football club and I'm just lucky that I get to play alongside him and get to watch him go about his business every day.
"It makes us all want to get better when you see one of the best players in the competition always trying to get better, it's hard not to want to better yourself.
"He's an awesome footballer, but an even better person so we're very lucky to have him."
The continuous attention that surrounds Martin will continue through next year with the hard-hitting midfield-forward set to see his lucrative seven-year deal at Punt Road come to an end.
Martin's name was floated as a potential trade target for the Suns this year, with speculation on the veteran's future increasing when Hardwick joined the Queensland club as their new senior coach.
The Tigers will face Gold Coast as part of the Opening Round fixture next year to start their home and away campaign and could be buoyed by the returns of key position players Tom Lynch and Josh Gibcus next year.
A foot injury kept Lynch to just four appearances this year, with a lengthy rehabilitation process still placing some doubt over his chances of having Gold Coast to start Richmond's new era under coach Adem Yze.
Gibcus has returned to full training after a year riddled by multiple hamstring issues, with the young defender in line for a return to play against the Suns in early March.
The Tigers will make the trip to Heritage Bank Stadium for their encounter with Hardwick's Suns on Saturday, March 9 before returning to the MCG the following week to play Carlton.
