Richmond champion and recent Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee Matthew Richardson has paid a glowing tribute to Dustin Martin, as the current-day Tiger star prepares for his 100-game milestone, against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Martin, who made his AFL debut with the Tigers in 2010, is in career-best form this season.  He is averaging a highly-impressive 26.7 disposals per game, is ranked second in the competition for total kicks (223) behind his skipper Trent Cotchin (225), and has kicked 18 goals.

A crucial part of Martin’s development during 2014 is his increased stamina, which has enabled him to have a significant influence right throughout games.

“From day one of his AFL career, Dustin Martin has just been exciting to watch in full flight,” Richardson said.

“He had an immediate impact at league level, as a teenager, through his raw strength, ability to break tackles, win critical one-on-one contests, burst away from opponents and kick goals.

“Those attributes stamped him as a future star from the outset, and I’m rapt that now, into his fifth season, he’s living up to the weight of expectation that has been placed on him.

“His excellent form this year, after a fairly tumultuous off-season, says a fair bit about his character, too, in my opinion.

“After finishing second in the 2013 Jack Dyer Medal, he’s taken his game to an even higher level this season due to his capacity to rack up possessions over four quarters.  And, he’s so damaging with his possessions . . . a real game-breaking type of player.

“I reckon he’d be a runaway leader in the 2014 Best and Fairest count at this stage of the season.

“Martin turns just 23 later this week, so his best football is still ahead of him over the next few years.

He is going to be a vital part of Richmond’s 2015 revival plans, following the disappointment, from an overall team perspective, of this season.

“There’s no doubt that he can provide a major spark to help lift the Tigers back up the ladder.”