Leading AFL pundits believe Dustin Martin could be next out the door at Richmond following the shock resignation of coach Damien Hardwick last week – and the Gold Coast Suns could be in the box seat.
There was speculation last year that the three-time premiership winner could leave the Tigers to escape the Melbourne bubble following the death of his father Shane Martin.
The strong bond that Martin has with Hardwick would have been a key part of his decision to remain at Punt Road, but with the champion coach now out of the top job, Martin could again entertain a move.
Hardwick expressed a waning passion for his job and attributed his mental exhaustion to his 14-season tenure at Punt Road. Under his leadership, the Tigers underwent a remarkable transformation from a struggling team in the AFL to a three-time premiership-winning powerhouse.
However, in the past two seasons, the Tigers have experienced a decline from their previously dominant form. They barely managed to secure a spot in the top eight last year and have struggled to keep up with the competition in 2023.
Hardwick and Martin shared a special bond in their decade together at the Richmond Tigers
That included three premierships after the club had hit its lowest ebb, memories that will be with them forever
Pundits believe now that Hardwick is gone, Martin is likely to look for a way out of the Melbourne bubble, with Sydney and Gold Coast among his options
Both Hardwick and Martin began their careers at Richmond simultaneously. Hardwick debuted as a coach, while Martin made his first appearance as a player in round one of the 2010 season.
Four-time premiership winner Jordan Lewis believes Martin will look for a change of scenery for the twilight of his career.
‘I think (Martin) will play elsewhere … either [in] Sydney or Queensland,’ Lewis said on radio station RSN.
AFL analyst and former Port Adelaide midfielder Kane Cornes said Martin leaving could be mutually beneficial.
‘Yes, but it’s his call. I don’t think it’s Richmond’s call,’ Cornes said on SEN.
‘If he goes to the club and says, ‘This is what I want to do’, [it would be] like Damien Hardwick and [Richmond’s] ability to let him stand down.
‘With what [Martin’s] contributed to the club, he’s going to be a legend in the Hall Of Fame … he goes with their blessing.’
‘Because they’ve traded all their picks, it would free up a big portion of their salary cap … even if they paid some of Dustin Martin’s wage,’ Cornes said.
‘He’s not at his absolute best. He’s been really good and really solid … and for the first three quarters [against Port Adelaide on Sunday], I thought he’s the one that is going to win them the game, but then you don’t see him in the last quarter.’
Lewis won four flags with the Hawks but finished his career at the Melbourne Demons. He thinks Martin will look for a new club to finish his playing days with
Kane Cornes believes ‘Dusty’ would leave with Richmond’s blessing after everything he has achieved for the club
Former Magpies champion player and coach Nathan Buckley believes that Hardwick’s resignation could cause the dominos to fall at the Tigers and players like Martin could suddenly become available.
He believes that not only will Martin depart, but champion Jack Riewoldt could also consider leaving or retiring.
‘One thing I would suggest is once a stalwart like Damien Hardwick decides to step out, then everything is up for grabs,’ Buckley said on SEN.
‘What it was, it’s not what it’s going to be because there’s going to be a shift in perspective and a change in philosophy or direction.
‘So Dustin Martin could well end up wherever he wants to end up.’
Jack Riewoldt (right) is another Tigers champion who could leave the club in the wake of Hardwick’s resignation
Former Collingwood star and coach Nathan Buckley believes Martin is gettable and the Tigers star may look to leave Melbourne after Hardwick’s resignation
The Gold Coast Suns loom as a logical destination for Martin given its distance from Sydney and they fact they are a rising club
He believes Gold Coast looms as the logical destination, given they tried to sign Martin already and they are well distanced from the Melbourne bubble.
‘Gold Coast’s salary cap is not as precariously placed as it was 12 months ago, partly because Jack Bowes was traded out to Geelong. I’m not saying they’ve got a lot of space but they’re not in as bad a position as they were 12 months ago,’ Buckley said.
‘This is what we know about Dusty based on the people I speak to that know him far better than I do.
‘The attraction of living in Sydney or the Gold Coast is real at some stage down the track, whether it’s soon or after he retires. The Tigers will look somehow to get back into the first round of the draft, at the moment their first pick is pick 23.
‘Gold Coast, which has built a pretty good list, are likely to ask the question again. The view from one list manager I spoke to a couple of days ago is that the Suns could look to give up a top 10 pick for Dusty, which he’s probably not quite worth anymore, but Richmond would pay a large chunk of his salary next year.’
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