Jon Ralph's take. Interesting
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Dustin Martin a wild child, but also a huge talent and will be a huge loss to Richmond by: Jon Ralph
•From: Herald Sun
•September 16, 2013 12:54PM
ANALYSIS:
DUSTIN Martin is almost certainly gone from Richmond, and it is difficult to know what to think.
Is it the blow to Richmond's midfield that will put their premiership hopes back years?
Or have they dodged a bullet, moving on a player who was only one big weekend or controversy away from disaster?
The gut feel is that we will only know when Richmond is compensated for the loss of a former pick three who is about to explode as a player.
If the Tigers could acquire Melbourne's pick two given the likely interest of Paul Roos, it is a body blow, but not a fatal one.
If Martin decides he will march into the pre-season draft to be picked up by GWS, it is a disaster on a grand scale.
His slashing first half against Carlton showed the player he will become as a 25-year-old when he develops a tank: a tough inside-ball monster who can finish and run and carry, and just about do it all.
For so long this contract saga has been a case of high-level brinkmanship and nothing more.
Richmond was prepared to pay $500,000 a year for a player already coming off a big deal, and his manager Ralph Carr wanted $600,000.
Carr shopped him around to all and sundry, and the rivals refused to bite, so sure were they that he would stay.
But now that he has officially told Richmond he wants to consider other options, it is hard to know how he stays at Punt Rd.
Could this just be Richmond biting back hard, happily releasing the news to call Martin’s bluff?
Perhaps, but if it is just a tactic it has plenty of risk associated with it.
Now all of those rivals who believed he was never really leaving will now seriously consider him.
Why wouldn't Carlton decide that they could get him and Dale Thomas, and transform their midfield?
Why wouldn't Paul Roos decide he is the man to turn Martin around?
Why wouldn't GWS say that they are prepared to take a risk on a wild child, especially given inside midfielder Taylor Adams will be heading back to Melbourne?
As far back as last November the Herald Sun reported that the club continued to counsel him about his erratic behaviour, warning him that he would not be contracted again if he failed to knuckle down.
The Tigers were worried about the company he kept, the repeated late-night sightings, and the total lack of contrition when the club pulled him in to discipline him.
But he was seen to have pulled his head in, seen to have concentrated hard on devoting himself to a professional lifestyle.
The only good news for Richmond is that his brilliant season will only increase his trade value.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/dustin-martin-a-wild-child-but-also-a-huge-talent-and-will-be-a-huge-loss-to-richmond/story-fn69a32t-1226720135922
