RICHMOND superstar Dustin Martin has been ruled out of Friday night's game against Port Adelaide with a sore calf.
Martin will not travel with the team to Adelaide on Thursday and was instead spotted in the international section of Melbourne Airport on Thursday morning.
The gun midfielder is travelling to New Zealand to visit his father Shane.
Richmond football manager Neil Balme said it made sense for Martin to use the break to see his father.
"He'll have a couple of days off, which he was going to have to have anyway to let his calf settle," Balme told Macquarie Sports Radio.
"So, he gets a chance to go and see his father … it's a great opportunity for him to do that.
"We expect him to play next week, almost certainly."
Balme also revealed he flew to New Zealand a few weeks back to visit Shane Martin.
"I hadn't actually met him, so I spent a couple of days with him and it was really enlightening," Balme said.
Martin's absence may open the door for midfielder Anthony Miles to play his first game of the year, with the 26-year-old in red-hot form at VFL level.
On Tuesday coach Damien Hardwick commented on the selection squeeze that has kept Miles out of the side this year and has seen Sam Lloyd in and out of the team.
Miles had 43 touches on the weekend and kicked three goals in another all-round performance.
Jacob Townsend played managed time in the VFL, which could indicate the Tigers' intention to bring him back after last playing in the AFL in round nine, while Jason Castagna is available to return from a knee injury.
Daniel Rioli is expected to play at least one more game in the VFL after getting through his third match back from a broken foot on Sunday.
Richmond has a nine-day break between its clash with the Power and its round 13 showdown against Geelong on Sunday week.
The Tigers expect the reigning Brownlow medallist to return to Australia on Sunday or Monday and start preparing for the game against the Cats.
Martin last missed a match in round 22, 2014, when he withdrew a day before a clash with St Kilda due to a hamstring issue.
That match was the only game he's missed with injury during his career.
His absence on Friday night will end a run of 83 games in succession, the equal fifth-longest current streak in the AFL.
