MYSTERY continues to surround the fitness of Richmond gun Dustin Martin with fresh suggestion the Brownlow medalist may be suffering from a knee issue emphatically shut down by the club on Monday.
Martin failed to train with teammates on Monday morning and was restricted to light duties on the sidelines ahead of Friday night's blockbuster preliminary final against Collingwood.
Even after that, he removed his GPS and left the track before the majority of his teammates finished the session.
As revealed on AFL.com.au, Martin also failed to complete last Friday's training session, with teammate Daniel Rioli revealing the midfield bull picked up a corkie against Hawthorn the previous Thursday night.
NO PUBLIC TICKETS Tigers, Pies members snap up prelim seats
However, media commentator David King suggested on Monday morning the problem might be to do with his knee.
Those claims were categorically denied by football manager Neil Balme on Monday afternoon.
"David King … he's got someone to whom he answers who says, 'You must get a story, I don't care whether you make it up, you've got to get a story'," Balme said.
"He's pulled it from … somewhere I can't mention.
"Everyone has a job to do, but it's quite amusing I must say.
"I'll guarantee you, unless something happens to Dusty between now and the weekend, he will play on Friday night."
King suggested Martin's lack of recent training was associated with "a significant knee issue".
"I had someone call me on the weekend and just sort of said there's more to the Dusty story than we're being told," King told SEN radio.
"I think he's got a significant knee issue, now whether the issue is a management issue, everyone's got something at this stage, but their fab four has been pretty much unimpeded the last two to three years, really.
"They haven't missed games of football. You've got to keep an eye on this one. It's a real story."
However, King said there was little doubt Martin would line up against the Magpies.
"We're not saying Martin won't play, it's what can he do and where can he play?" he said.
"The last two weeks he's played 80 per cent in the midfield – does he have that volume in him?"
Martin barely broke a sweat during his teammates' warm up, and then ran through some light fitness testing drills with a trainer.
Leaving the club, he hitched a ride with captain Trent Cotchin to avoid the waiting media outside Punt Road around lunchtime, but offered a thumbs up sign as the car departed.
Balme was emphatic the 2017 Norm Smith medalist was on track to play despite his training duties.
"I don't know how many times we have to say it – there's nothing wrong with him and he'll play," he said.
"I just don't get it, why you keep asking us the same question and getting the same answer.
"He's fine, I can guarantee you, he's fine. People train differently to each other.
"I kind of admire your interest but I get a bit tired of getting asked the same question, giving the same answer, and no one wants to believe me."
Martin's premiership teammate Nathan Broad was another notable absentee from the main group early in the session at Punt Road, with the defender running a slow lap on his own before doing some gentle stretching exercises.
Broad has been quiet for a number of weeks and had just three touches in the qualifying final win over the Hawks.
However, he got moving later on and looked to run freely in a number of drills.
Rioli, who had scans on Friday on the finger he jarred in the day's earlier match practice, trained with the main group, as did Kane Lambert, who failed to complete Friday's session.
Balme said all three would be available to play, as would be Dan Butler, who has turned a corner in his rehabilitation from a round 16 ankle injury.
"[Butler] is the one who's having a go and training, he'll more than likely be close to available to play I would think," he said.
"We're lucky we've got an extra week to prepare for the game, so I reckon all of our blokes who played last week will be available to play, including 'Broady'."
