Dustin Martin adds another milestone to his stunning AFL career when he plays his 300th game for Richmond on Saturday.
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Three premierships, three times winner of the Norm Smith Medal, one Brownlow Medal and four All-Australian honours headline a football CV that comfortably sits alongside the greats of the game.
His impact on Richmond and the game itself has been remarkable - something his former Tiger team-mate Andrew Collins still marvels at.
Collins, who like Martin was a graduate of the Bendigo Pioneers, summed up his former Richmond team-mate's ability to impact games like few before him.
"You can't play at that level 100 per cent of the time, but Dustin had that great sense of timing to be able to do his most brilliant things at the most important times,'' Collins said.
Drafted to the Tigers from Castlemaine and the Bendigo Pioneers in 2009, it didn't take Martin long to turn heads at Punt Road.
"On the training track Dustin was just about dominant from day one,'' Collins said.
"You could tell he had superior ball handling, the talent to win the ball and it was hard to lay a glove on him even at that stage.
"We were in awe of his talent. He was so raw and no-one ever dreamed he would have the career that he's had, but you could see he was something special from day one."
FROM SHY TEEN TO AFL SUPERSTAR
The changerooms of an AFL club and the egos that come with it would have been a somewhat daunting prospect for a shy teenager straight out of Castlemaine, but Collins said Martin had few issues amalgamating with his Richmond team-mates.
"Dustin was humble and a good country kid,'' Collins said.
"He integrated into the group straight away and he was a popular member of the group.
"He had his funny little quirks, but he was good fun and he developed relationships with everyone at the club from the bottom to the top."
At the time the Tigers were starved of success and the expectations on the number three selection in the AFL National Draft were high.
Collins said the pressure to perform was never a factor for Martin.
"We had quite a few high draft picks around the club at the time and we were starting to build,'' he said.
"If Dustin felt the pressure you certainly couldn't tell. It's been such a credit to him the way he's dealt with everything throughout his career.
"He's been an absolute freak, really."
Collins played alongside Martin in 14 games for the Tigers in 2010 and his early form gave the Tiger faithful a hint of what was to come.
"Right from the start it was his ball control that was amazing,'' Collins said.
"Watching his highlights now you still get tingles watching the things he was able to do at important times of games.
"That's probably been the thing that we'll remember about him most. 2017, 2019, and 2020 (grand finals) he showed that more than probably any other AFL player that's lived."
Collins played 36 AFL games for Richmond and Carlton before returning to central Victoria to play with his "home" clubs Bridgewater and Sandhurst.
On Saturday he'll pull the boots on again for Bridgewater in the Mean Machine's LVFNL clash with Calivil United.
After the game he'll tune in to watch the second-half of Dusty's milestone moment against the Hawks.
"Anyone ever involved with Dustin would be able to sit back with a huge amount of pride,'' Collins said.
"I was lucky enough to watch the start of his journey and we've all followed his career with pride.
"He's such a humble person that's taken everything in his stride."
