- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Momentum is the most irresistible force in football, and right now, Richmond has it.
The Tigers surged into a third-placed finish off the back of six wins out of seven heading into the finals. AFL protocol sees them scheduled against the higher-placed Geelong at their very own MCG.
Now, Dustin Martin, the hottest Brownlow medal favourite in history, and the biggest signature in football this season, has re-signed with the club for seven years.
The timing, on the verge of a finals series where Richmond has a double chance and every hope of progressing to preliminary final weekend and beyond, is perfect.
Martin’s manager, Ralph Carr, on The Footy Show last night where the announcement was officially aired, suggested his player was forgoing around $2 million by staying with the Tigers, which equates to around $285,000 a year.
On the figures that have been airing through the media, we can be confident that Martin has signed for somewhere between $1.1-$1.2 million per year.
Based on other observations from The Footy Show, it seems fair to say that his father Shane had a significant influence on the decision to stay with Richmond. The club’s investment in and handling of the relationship between son and father has paid dividends.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
If Richmond were the wife and Martin the husband, North Melbourne was the temptress trying to seduce him away. Unfortunately for the Roos, they lack sex appeal. The membership is small. The crowds low. Etihad is soulless, and playing there every second week is harsh on aging joints, bearing in mind that Martin will be 33 in the seventh year of his contract.
Playing a few games in Tasmania each year isn’t much of a lure. At some point, the Roos may even merge with Gold Coast.
Sure, North might get the odd older player from a rebuilding club looking to offload some assets, like Nick Dal Santo from St Kilda or Jarrad Waite from Carlton. They can also get fringe players that aren’t getting a game at a higher ranked club, like Jed Anderson at Hawthorn or Nathan Hrovat from the Western Bulldogs. Marley Williams crossed over from Collingwood.
Ultimately, there hasn’t been much to eat after a whole lot of fishing.
Shaun Higgins was a get, to give credit where it’s due, but even he thought he was leaving a sinking ship for a club on the rise. Wrong on both counts.
Our own Josh Elliott, the self-confessed most one-eyed North Melbourne supporter on earth, gave a breakdown of their future strategy and prospects yesterday. The rebuild is going to be a long one.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Martin came to Richmond at ground zero of their rebuild, and has yet to even play in a winning final. Halfway through his career, it was a tough sell to ask him to go through it all again, even for close to $300,000 extra per year.
Outside Martin, the Tigers have three genuine stars in the prime of their careers. Underneath them is a core group in their early to mid 20s that suggest their best football is in front of them. There will be close to 100,000 people at their qualifying final in a week’s time. It’s a good place to be right now.
With a record-breaking Brownlow medal to come, and his stature in the game assured, if Martin can lead Richmond to a flag through his on-field exploits, he will go down in history as an icon of Tigerland forever more. His name will be mentioned in the same breath as Jack Dyer, Royce Hart and Kevin Bartlett.
Given the offers made to Martin, and Josh Kelly from GWS, it’s clear that the Kangaroos are in the market for a young explosive midfielder to build their team around.
Christian Petracca is out of contract at the end of 2018, and would be the next natural target. Melbourne fans might have to spend next year wondering if their player will stay or go.
Always the bridesmaid, but never the bride, North went chasing after Richmond’s Dust, and in the end… they got Richmond’s dust.