Veteran Richmond star Shane Edwards has revealed how his brilliant Tiger teammate Dustin Martin manages to sustain his great passion for AFL football.

With two premiership medals, two Norm Smith Medals, two Jack Dyer Medals and three All-Australian blazers, there doesn’t seem anything more Martin could achieve in what has been an outstanding career at the game’s highest level.

But Edwards believes there’s a very good reason why Dusty won’t become complacent any time soon.

“In footy terms, and the way he approaches the game, he’s still like a child,” Edwards told ‘Sportsday SA’.

“He just plays on instinct and he’s so excited to go out and train in the mornings. Melbourne winters, if you’re not wearing long sleeves, it takes you a warm-up to actually get excited for training.

“He’s always excited. He gets everyone up on the track just from having a laugh and not taking it too seriously and that rubs off on everyone. He doesn’t take things too seriously, but he takes the serious things serious enough, if that makes sense.

“He knows when to switch on and he knows when to switch off.

“We’ve never really had anyone at the club like that, that can lead by example, and there’s a lot of guys that identify with that sort of leadership.

“He’s a massive influence at the Club, off the field as well as on the field.

“He’s evolved into a crucial figure.”