Dustin Martin contract, Josh Kelly contract, North Melbourne trade period plan to sign Tiger and Giant to $1 million per year dealsMay 12, 2017
Jake Niall@jakeniall
FOX SPORTSWhile North has made a nine-year offer of close to $9 million to Kelly, the Kangaroos are also among the bidders for Martin, who is a restricted free agent and whose management has suggested that contract talks would be on hold until the end of the season.
Normally a club would not be in a position to make simultaneous bids for players who would likely command around $1 million per season, but the Kangaroos — as a result of the sudden loss of veterans and with a number of other older players exiting soon — have the scope to land both Kelly and a player such as Martin.
Richmond remains confident of securing Martin, having already offered him a significant five-year deal that could potentially be revised upwards from the $800,000-plus per year it has put to his management.
While clubs bid for various players recognising that they might only land one, North knew it could not proceed with a pursuit of the Richmond star without having enough room to fit both Martin and Kelly.
North’s chances of securing Kelly, who is weighing up his future, are considered far better than its prospects of persuading Martin to leave Punt Road for Arden Street.
Kelly, as a Victorian, would be moving home if he left Greater Western Sydney and his father Phil played for North in the 1980s.
Martin has been happy with Richmond and in the unlikely event that he moved, the industry view is that it would be almost entirely a financial decision.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/north-melbourne-believes-it-has-space-to-sign-josh-kelly-dustin-martin-on-1-million-per-year-deals/news-story/5d993acd1557452c3f1dab896eae3834
