There’s reportedly “five or six” clubs monitoring the availability of Dustin Martin despite a view that the Tigers champion will retire at season’s end.
Martin is out of contract at the end of this campaign — a campaign the Tigers have fallen away badly to currently sit 17th on the ladder with just one win.
The 32-year old has been linked with a move to the Gold Coast Suns to reunite with former coach Damien Hardwick, however those close to Martin reportedly believe he’s “lost passion” to continue playing.
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Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph questioned whether Hardwick could yet convince Martin to make the move north.
“So many mixed messages. His teammates think like he’s likely to retire. They feel like, not that he’s checked out, but certainly that he’s lost the passion,” Ralph explained.
“They also feel like he wouldn’t go to a club like Gold Coast, because you’ve got to learn 40 new names. He’s just too shy.
“But there are a few people out there close to him that have said five or six clubs have expressed an interest.
“I just think what happens when you have a coffee date up there at the Burleigh Pavilion with Damien Hardwick?
“Funny things can happen and you can go from being very, very unmotivated, to just having the fire in the belly once Damien Hardwick does special things with you.”
It comes as the three-time Norm Smith medallist approaches his 300-game milestone, currently sitting on 297 AFL matches.
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Herald Sun reporter Glenn McFarlane revealed the Tigers and Martin’s manager, Ralph Carr, are plotting to rest him in the coming weeks to ensure he plays his 300th game against Hawthorn at the MCG in Round 14 — not against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval the week before.
“Richmond will, in the right possibility, rest him for a week so he plays (his 300th game) Round 14 vs. Hawthorn at the MCG,” McFarlane said.
“But there’s one caveat — there’s not many Richmond players left. I think they’ve got 26 or so (healthy players) to choose from this week. If they get a couple more injuries over the next few weeks, he might have to play.
“Imagine Dusty playing 300th game at the Adelaide Oval?”
Martin will reportedly not hold a press conference nor do any media interviews in the lead into his major milestone, however he has agreed to be in a photo with Richmond’s other 300-gamers — Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt, Shane Edwards, Kevin Bartlett and Francis Bourke.
INJURY SETBACK DELAYS MARTIN, BLUES TALKS
Jack Martin’s latest injury setback has put off contract talks with Carlton until the back-end of the season, reports the Herald Sun’s Glenn McFarlane.
Martin was a late out for the Blues’ loss to Sydney at the SCG after suffering a soft tissue injury at training days after his first game of the season the week prior.
In the last year of a five-season deal, contract talks with the Blues were set to progress before Martin’s most recent setback to continue an unfortunate run with injuries.
It’s believed rival clubs are keeping tabs on the 29-year old, who told the Herald Sun that Ikon Park is “where I want to be” as he looks to get his body right before picking up talks with Carlton again.
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“The talks were about to progress, but the bottom line is they’ll put that off and it’ll probably be the back end of the year,” McFarlane said on Midweek Tackle.
“They wanted to get his body right and get some continuity into his game style. One game back and you’re injured.
“There’s a few clubs looking around at him, absolutely.”
Fellow Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph pondered whether Martin could seek a fresh start elsewhere in hopes of getting a better run with injuries.
“Any chance a few of these blokes do a reverse Brisbane, who was able to secure the likes of Lincoln McCarthy because of the sun, sand and a really good medical team,” he said.
“Any chance they might say: ‘I want to play football, but right now I keep on breaking down?’”
McFarlane revealed the Blues’ major priorities otherwise are to lock away key quartet Jacob Weitering, Adam Cerra, Adam Saad and Blake Acres, who are all out of contract at the end of 2025.
Source Agencies
