Dustin Martin trained with NRL hard man turned boxer Paul Gallen for a month during layoff  

Dustin Martin trained with Paul Gallen in Sydney as he stepped aside from footy for personal reasons, strengthening his bond with the former NRL star and reigniting rumours he could move north of the border.

The three-time Norm Smith medalist hasn’t played since the Round 1 loss to Carlton and took indefinite personal leave as he struggled to come to terms with the death of his father last December.

The Richmond superstar returned to the club last week and coach Damien Hardwick all but confirmed he will play in the blockbuster clash against Collingwood in Round 8.

Martin has kept in tip-top shape thanks to boxing sessions, gym work and running and has trained for a month at Gallen’s gym.

The former Cronulla Sharks captain, however, was tight-lipped over Martin’s training regime.

‘I gave Dusty my word that I wouldn’t say anything if the media found out about it and I have to respect that,’ Gallen told the Daily Telegraph.

According to the report, Martin and Gallen share a strong bond and the Tigers gun is increasingly fond of life in Sydney, where he moved as a teenager. 

The three-time Norm Smith medallist looked sharp as he returned to training this week

The 30-year-old returned to training this week for the first time since taking indefinite leave

Martin has two years left on the seven-year he penned with Richmond in 2017 and the Telegraph noted the three-time premiership winner could consider a sensational switch and move to the New South Wales capital.

‘Dusty loves Sydney,’ Martin’s agent, Ralph Carr, told News Corp last year.

‘He’s there a lot and he originally lived in Camden with his dad. You’ve got to live there to really know how good it is.’ 

He certainly wouldn’t be short of suitors with Sydney, where the Giants may revive their interest after coming close to land Martin in 2013. 

Martin reportedly trained with former NRL star Paul Gallen in Sydney

Speaking in 2020, Carr revealed Martin was on the verge of joining GWS nine years ago, only for the deal to be pulled at the 11th hour.

‘It was certainly gonna happen,’ Carr told AFL Trade Radio.

‘Dusty had had not the year we’d hoped in 2012, and in 2013 he was missing his family, so it was definitely gonna happen.’

‘We thought the deal was done, we’d been up there, Dustin was gonna reunite with his father in Sydney because he’d had personal issues about not being close to his father.

After quitting rugby league, Gallen has carved out a new career in boxing

‘The deal was done and the next thing I heard was that it got pulled from above.’

For the time being, Martin remains a Richmond a player and Tigers performance manager Peter Burge revealed on Thursday that the midfielder dazzled in a training session with the VFL side in Melbourne and was ready to return next week.

‘He trained on Friday in a big session with the other guys who have a VFL bye and then we can look at him again next week,’ he told the Herald Sun.

‘He has got through pretty much everything as planned which has been great and we look forward to him training again next week. We will revisit it next week.’