Richmond has made Dustin Martin a contract offer and remain confident he will stay a Tiger

RICHMOND remains confident Dustin Martin will stay at the club beyond this season despite the star refusing questions regarding his contract and leaving a press conference early on Wednesday.

RICHMOND remains confident star midfielder Dustin Martin will stay at the club.

Martin will become a free agent at the end of the year and his contract already one of the hot topics this season after he put talks on hold.

The Tiger has generated plenty of headlines regarding his future, none more so than when he refused to answer questions about his contract on Wednesday before leaving a press conference early.

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But that has done little to dent Richmond’s confidence he will be a Tiger beyond this season with football boss Neil Balme declaring the club has put forward an offer he believes Martin will accept.

Dustin Martin’s contract expires at the end of the season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“It’s a terrific opportunity for a bloke like Dustin with free agency to make sure he gets the right deal,” Balme said.

“We’ve made him a terrific offer and he can take as long as he likes to consider it as far as we’re concerned as long as he plays good footy in 2017.

“We’ve got every confidence that he’ll be a Tiger long-term and I’m pretty sure he thinks the same way.

“I think we’ve made an offer that eventually will be fine and I reckon he will find that as well.”

Asked whether Richmond is concerned Martin could remain unsigned for the entire season, Balme said: “They’ve got every right to take as much time as they like to consider it.

“We’re totally comfortable with that because we know where he fits in the market and we know what we’ve offered him and we know that that’s all reasonable.”

Richmond is confident Dustin Martin will stay. Picture: Mark Stewart

Richmond has held discussions with Martin’s manager, Ralph Carr, with Balme revealing the relationship is “strong”.

“When I first came back I had a breakfast meeting with Dusty and Dan (Richardson) and Ralph and myself and we went through it all,” he told SEN. “I was really impressed. We’re talking the same language, it’s just a matter of finding where Dusty fits in our program and also within the AFL larger program as to what we need to be able to pay him.

“He’s an exceptional player for us and we want to do the long-term deal with him.”