If you were designing the perfect modern footballer, it’s hard to think of a better prototype from a physical perspective than Richmond’s Dustin Martin. He has explosive pace, incredible strength and fantastic agility.

Though he’s a picture of fitness now, that wasn’t always the case. Several years before his name was read out by the Tigers at pick three in the 2009 draft, Martin experienced back troubles.

Garry McDonell – a masseur nicknamed ‘Dr Death’ – helped “fix up” Martin’s back concerns.

“I’ve been going there since I was 16,” Martin says.

“I challenge somebody – come and look at what we do. If I fall off the perch, I take it with me. Please come and see what we do” – Dr Death.

“It was a long trip from Castlemaine, it used to take me three hours there and three hours back.”

Why do they call him Dr Death? It’s simple.His treatments are effective, but extremely painful.

“I have big, tough footballers and kick-boxers,and they all scream,” McDonell says.

Martin is tough as nails on the football field, but admits McDonell’s treatments are almost unbearable.

“You’ve got to try your best not to swear at him,” Martin explains, “because the pain is excruciating.”

McDonell’s methods are unusual, but have proven very effective.

‘Dr Death’ believes he has “a gift”, but wants other physios, masseurs and sports scientists to learn from his techniques.

“I challenge somebody – come and look at what we do. If I fall off the perch, I take it with me. Please come and see what we do,” he says.

His methods may be dissimilar to those offered by most sports scientists but – if Martin’s form is anything to go by – they are well and truly worth investigating.

Words by Sam McInerney