Richmond star Dustin Martin wants to consider all free agency optionsJON RALPH,
Herald Sun
December 11, 2016 DUSTIN Martin’s contract negotiations could drag well into next year, with the Tigers star unwilling to sign away his free agency rights early.
The 25-year-old is a restricted free agent at the end of 2017 but has told friends he wants to take his time to consider his options beyond next season.
The midfield dynamo has come off his best season, finishing third in the Brownlow Medal as well as winning the Jack Dyer Medal and All-Australian honours.
A player of Martin’s versatility and durability could easily command $1 million a season, with the salary cap about to rise by at least 10 per cent next year.
It means if Richmond is to secure him early and sidestep a long-running contract saga they will have to pay well in excess of $800,000 a season.
His manager Ralph Carr refused to discuss his contract position on Saturday, with Martin still every chance to remain at Richmond long-term.
But he is known to believe that having earned free agency he will wait until he has all available evidence in the back end of next season before making a decision.
Martin took notice of Nathan Fyfe’s free agency stance in August, when the Fremantle star said players had a right to assess their futures.
“The idea of free agency is that players do have a say in their career and it would be remiss of me not to look at every possible option,’’ Fyfe said.
Richmond can match a rival’s free agency offer and will have salary cap room after trading star Brett Deledio and coming to a financial settlement with Chris Yarran in recent weeks.
Yarran’s deal with free up $400,000-$500,000 of room for 2018, while Deledio was one of Richmond’s highest-paid players.
Ideally the Tigers would sign Martin early in the season to remove his contract as a distraction for a side desperate to return to the finals.
But the Tigers have also undergone significant change that must be bedded down after revamping their football, coaching and recruiting departments in recent months.
Player managers and their clients will await the success of those changes after Richmond won just two of their last nine games in 2016.
Martin has missed just four games in his seven-year career, two of them for a club-based suspension with Dan Connors in 2012.
Only turning 26 in June, he is aware this will be his most lucrative contract with his current deal around $600,000-$650,000 a season.
With the notable exception of Lance Franklin, Hawthorn has been spared the concern over haggling with its stars, consistently signing them before they become free agents.
Free agent Grant Birchall has just been re-signed until 2019, with fellow free agent Luke Breust starting talks on a new deal.
But increasingly player agents are holding off on talks given their players have earnt free agency by eight years and are keen for them to maximise it.
Richmond will continue talks with Martin after meeting his management at the start of the off-season.
St Kilda and Adelaide have already denied they were keen to lure him away from Richmond.
Yet if Martin does end up out of contract towards the end of the season he would be chased by most clubs given his awesome package of skills.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-star-dustin-martin-wants-to-consider-all-free-agency-options/news-story/1625a0e01263ef835cb161f2130fd8d8
