Reports of Dustin Martin's re-signing with Richmond greatly exaggeratedLuke Michael
The Age
16 June 2017So keen are Tigers' fans to see Dustin Martin commit to Richmond, many have twice this year been cruelly fooled into believing their star midfielder has re-signed for the club, by devious social media antics.
Not so much fake news, but rather reheated news, Richmond fans were caught prematurely celebrating after
an old Age article reporting his 2013 re-signing was widely shared through social media on Wednesday night.
The article has been viewed more than 27,000 times since Wednesday. It is not the first time this year Richmond supporters have been given false hope, with a similar prank played on April Fool's Day, when
an article on Martin's 2015 re-signing was widely shared online, becoming one of The Age's most read stories of the day.
Unfortunately for Richmond supporters, Martin remains out of contract and has put off talks with the club until the end of the 2017 season.
Essendon and North Melbourne have been heavily linked to the 25-year-old, whose stunning form this season has seen him surge into Brownlow Medal contention and significantly raised his market value.
Essendon is rumoured to be offering Martin an incredible $1.6 million a season, but Richmond CEO Brendon Gale said Richmond was not worried about retaining Martin.
"We're very confident of our position," he told AFL 360. "Dustin is having a fine season [and] the team has had a strong start to the year, so there's no distraction.
"It's fair to say the offer is a very strong one. It's reflective of the position he has at our club and the game – and credit to him, too."
Besides financial compensation, many pundits believe Martin's future will be decided by the on-field performance of the Tigers, who missed the top eight last year and were eliminated in the first week of finals from 2013 to 2015.
Former Collingwood champion Dane Swan, a good friend of Martin's, said a successful 2017 was key for Richmond to re-sign the star midfielder.
"Speaking to Dusty, I know that's something that drives him, not just the big contract which he's [going to] get no matter what, but playing finals," Swan told Fox Sports News.
"There's light at the end of the tunnel with Richmond ... and I think that's going to go a long way to helping him stay there."
This gives Richmond supporters another reason to be buoyed by their season to date, which sees them sitting 4th on the ladder heading into round 13 and in a good position to play finals.
Hopefully for Tigers' fans, this means the next article they read on Dustin Martin re-signing is not another cruel prank, but finally a cause for celebration signalling their superstar has committed to the club for 2018 and beyond.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/reports-of-dustin-martins-resigning-with-richmond-greatly-exaggerated-20170615-gwrzgs.html
