Richmond player development manager Mark Williams was extremely impressed with the progress made by young Tiger gun Dustin Martin throughout 2013, both on and off the field.

‘Choco’, who joined the Tigers just over a year ago, following a stint as Kevin Sheedy’s senior assistant coach at GWS, and before then as a premiership coach with Port Adelaide, quickly developed a rapport with Martin.  And, it’s a relationship that he’s been keen to nurture.

“Our family’s been really close with him.  He’s come over every week, enjoyed spending time with my kids and wife, and having dinner with us,” Williams told ‘Roar Vision’. 

“I’ve also seen the development (in Martin) that others wouldn’t have . . .

“He’s been at Caulfield Grammar and presented to the Year 9 group, for my son Louis, and he was outstanding.

“There were some concerns going into it, but straight away afterwards, the headmaster said, can he come back every year!

“It’s just a fantastic story he’s got to tell, and it really inspired the young kids.

“He’s talked to a lot of people at the KGI and I think he can build his confidence and the belief in himself.”

In terms of playing performance, Williams highly rated Martin’s 2013 season . . .

“I was really impressed by how he played,” Williams said.

“He had 55 shots on goal, and midfielders don’t (usually) have that, so that’s brilliant.

“He also had the second most possessions for us and, something that people wouldn’t realise . . . he was No. 2 in the AFL for score involvements.  So, he’s touched the ball somewhere in us scoring, the second most in the whole AFL, which is just unbelievable.”