The old saying of 'less is more' certainly rung true for Dustin Martin in 2017 after his historic season came down to a series of meditating, according to Richmond's mindfulness coach Emma Murray.
Murray gradually introduced the program in 2015 before upping the workload in 2016 and says Martin, in particular, embraced it more than most and reaped the rewards for his dedication in 2017.
"Dusty started working with me in early 2016, and what's fantastic about Dusty is he takes what you're saying and he just does it," Murray told St Kilda champion Danny Frawley on SEN.
"He doesn't question it, he doesn't do it for just half a game, or do it for one day, or do it on the field but not for training.
"If that's what you're telling him will work for him, then he does it religiously and his whole life has become more simple."
Martin credited Murray in his Brownlow acceptance speech after becoming close friends with her son, Will, who became a quadriplegic after an accident in 2016.
In 2017, Martin would meditate with Will before every game, becoming something of a pre-game ritual with Murray describing her work as someone who helps people use mindfulness to excel at any role they may have in life.
"But as they learn that and as they use that in their jobs and their sport, as a consequence they also can take that into their families and they can perform better as a parent or as a partner or as a friend," she said.
