Matthew Lloyd questions why Dustin Martin continues to delay contract talks with Richmond
DUSTIN Martin has an offer from Richmond in front of him worth $1 million a season for six years. MATTHEW LLOYD wonders why he has put talks off until the end of the season.
Richmond
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IT’S hard to understand why the most in-form player in the game, Dustin Martin, and his manager, Ralph Carr, will not discuss his contract with Richmond until the end of the season.
Martin employs Carr to get him the best possible deal, so I do not begrudge him holding out on Richmond while Martin puts together a career-best season.
But why put talks off until year’s end?
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Martin has an offer in front of him worth $1 million a season for six years with the Richmond Football Club. It is there for him to sign any day he chooses.
Martin could have another five best on grounds and win the Brownlow Medal, but that offer from Richmond wouldn’t change much at all. You can only pay one player so much in your salary cap and Richmond would be derelict in its duty if it paid him any more than that.
North Melbourne or another club may be willing to pay him $1.25 million per season but when you put the two deals side-by-side, the extra money he receives will be insignificant in comparison to the cult figure status he has at Richmond as well as the relationships he has formed with his coach Damien Hardwick and teammates during eight years at Tigerland.
Martin has been brilliant for Richmond, but Richmond has been even better for Martin.
Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt and Alex Rance not only form the leadership group of the Richmond Football Club, but they are also the face and spokesmen for the playing group.
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In an area of game that is forever growing, Martin has been shielded from the media because he has never felt comfortable or wanted to do it and having three champions at the club alongside him, it hasn’t hurt the club.
Take the offer at North Melbourne and it would be a different story.
What price do you put on that if you were another club? Martin is never going to come in and be the captain like Chris Judd was at Carlton or sell the club like Patrick Dangerfield does at Geelong. That must be taken into account when making an offer to a player that would receive the biggest contract in your club’s history.
This is Martin’s biggest payday and it will be life changing. It should set him up for the rest of his life so it’s not a decision he would be taking lightly along with his manager and family, but unless he is seriously considering leaving, which would surprise me, I wonder why this needs to be dragged out like this.
Martin plays at the MCG in front of more than 50,000 adoring fans on almost a weekly basis. He is part of a top-four side bound for finals. His team was the fourth-youngest to take the field last weekend and has plenty of scope for growth. He is surrounded by superstars who ease his off-field pressure.
Oh, I also forgot to mention that he will pocket more than $1 million a year to be in that environment. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence, which is why waiting until possibly October (if the Tigers make it all the way to the Grand Final) is too big a distraction.
Richmond CEO Brendon Gale said a number of weeks ago that the club would like an answer from Martin and his management sooner rather than later. But that is not going to happen.
Richmond wouldn’t want to upset the apple cart right now by demanding an answer, but it may suggest to Ralph Carr that they would like to know by September 1 so this allows it time to decide if it will match offers from other clubs or turn its attention to raising the stakes in luring the Giants’ Josh Kelly as Martin’s replacement.
Martin is a super player and at 26 is at the peak of his powers. Martin is ranked No.1 at Richmond for disposals, clearances, inside 50s, contested possessions, metres gained and score involvements in 2017.
Martin’s contract status isn’t affecting his form or Richmond’s yet and I say yet as that could change.
Everyone in football knows that Martin and Richmond are the perfect fit for each other.
Nobody wants to see the charade that Carr took Martin on a number of years ago when he was out of contract and toured Greater Western Sydney’s facilities when both the Giants and Tigers knew very early on that Martin never intended to play there.
The sooner Martin signs with Richmond the better.
It would be a wonderful outcome for the Tigers and an even better one for Martin.
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