Richmond face $2.8m gap on North Melbourne’s huge Dustin Martin contract offer

DUSTIN Martin’s future at Richmond is on a knife edge, with the Kangaroos offering him an extra $2.8 million to switch. Tigers fans take our poll on whether he should stay or go.

At present, Dustin Martin would be leaving a huge amount of cash on the table to stay at Richmond. Picture: AAP

RICHMOND has been urged to up its offer to Dustin Martin, with the superstar free agent staring in the face of a $2.8 million salary sacrifice to stay at Punt Road.

The Tigers’ best offer is $1.1 million over seven years — $400,000 a year short of the staggering $1.5 million a season offered by North Melbourne.

The Kangaroos’ offer is the biggest in the game’s history, eclipsing mega deals for Gary Ablett, Lance Franklin, Tom Scully and Tom Boyd.

PAY UP: DUSTY WORTH EVERY CENT, TIGERS

RAW ROOS: MARTIN CHASE LEAVES KANGAROO STARS IN LIMBO

At present, Dustin Martin would be leaving a huge amount of cash on the table to stay at Richmond. Picture: AAP

WILL HE LEAVE? BE AFRAID, RICHMOND, BE VERY AFRAID

Martin, 26, will sit down with father Shane in New Zealand next week to make the biggest decision of his eight-year football career.

Richmond will not be able to get near that $1.5m offer given wage commitments to high earners Trent Cotchin, Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt and Dion Prestia

But like Riewoldt and Cotchin before him, he might stay if the Tigers are able to show they have come some way to bridging that gap.

The North Melbourne offer is almost double the $825,000 a season Martin was initially offered by the Tigers at the start of this season.

Veteran list managers Chris Pelchen and Gary Buckenara yesterday told the Herald Sun the Tigers would have some cap wiggle room.

The salary cap will climb to $12.6 million next year, with over $1 million in marketing allowances through the additional services agreement.

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Buckenara said Martin also had to decide if he was prepared to be tagged and physically targeted every week as a North Melbourne player.

Hawthorn and St Kilda list builder Pelchen said under the new CBA there was “scope” for a team in finals contention to pay in excess of $1.1 million to a “franchise player”.

“It is risk versus return. In the case of someone like Dusty who could be the difference, it wouldn’t surprise me if they extend their offer,’’ he said.

“With the increase in the CBA there is the chance that a club like that will have some scope.”

“If you look at Riewoldt, Rance and Cotchin as their highest paid player, they still don’t have a $1m player yet.

“If he is considered a franchise player, in such circumstances you have to pay above the market rate. The effect is that it limits your mid-range players. Instead of having players in the B grade range, you have a couple of C graders.”

Former Hawthorn recruiting boss Buckenara, forced to let go of Lance Franklin under a $10 million, nine-year deal, believes the Tigers could sell an increased offer to their fans.

“If they lose him at the moment they are going to take a big hit. As a club they need to be seen to be doing their very best to keep him.

“Maybe they can go another $50,000 or $100,000 a year as a goodwill gesture. They could say it is the highest offer ever in the history of our football club.

“Then they can say they have done their best. If the members don’t think they have done their best and he leaves they might pull the joint down.”

Buckenara says it is an impossible decision for Martin given the attractions of both offers.

“He can say an extra three million dollars over seven years, what will that do for me?’’ Buckenara said.

Would Dusty leave best mate Trent Cotchin? Picture: George Salpigtidis

“I have got a small window of opportunity in my life and that will buy me a few more investment properties, set me up for the rest of my life.

“But he seems quite happy at Richmond and if he goes to North who are a struggling side, which player is every club going to target?

“At Richmond he has Cotchin and other players around him, but that weighs into the decision.

“Will you enjoy it getting smashed from pillar to post week in and week out, getting very little support around you?”

“Or is there another club we don’t know about yet?”