Stay with Richmond, Dusty. It's the right callWayne Carey
The Age
31 August 2017As much as Dustin Martin would look great in a North Melbourne guernsey next year, staying with Richmond is the right call.
Not just for Martin, but also for the Roos who have already made the most important decision in their recent history by re-signing Brad Scott.
If Scott had been let go, or left for Gold Coast, I would have had big concerns about the immediate future of the club.
An untried coach with a young list could mean a long time in the footy wilderness, but with Scott at the helm until 2020 Roos fans should sleep safe in the knowledge they can rebound before too long.
They might not have the top-end talent of the Tigers, but we've seen at Punt Road how quickly things can change if you have the right people at the club and back youth.
Damien Hardwick added Toby Nankervis, Josh Caddy, and Dion Prestia in the trade period, made a few tweaks to the club's game plan and unleashed his little men inside 50.
While North's aggressive recruiting strategy is to be admired, it doesn't necessarily guarantee success will come that much sooner.
Of course, Martin would be a fantastic addition to any midfield, not least for the Roos given they lack that sort of explosive power around the ball.
But signing him up at $1.5 million a season over seven years might not be the right move for the club long term, given how restrictive that could be for future recruiting.
The most consistent premiership sides in recent years have had much more conservative pay models.
Think Hawthorn and Geelong, who wouldn't be paying anyone more than $1 million.
While the Cats recruited a genuine star in Patrick Dangerfield, that wasn't about the money and he could have commanded much more elsewhere.
Sydney were also one of those teams before they signed Kurt Tippett and Lance Franklin.
While they're a decent chance of winning the flag this season, that move is yet to pay off and the Swans have had to sacrifice players such as Shane Mumford and Tom Mitchell.
Given how many senior players have departed Arden Street during the past 12 months, the Roos would certainly have a war chest.
You do have to spend your money on someone, so I don't begrudge them being proactive.
As for Martin, the difference in the offers he's received from North Melbourne and Richmond might work out to be very minor once his career is over.
On the surface, an extra $2 million over seven years is a lot of money. Martin would almost be earning the average wage for an AFL player on top of the $1.2 million per year the Tigers have on the table.
But as my colleague Caroline Wilson wrote only a few days ago, retiring as a one-club player can pay off financially in a big way, especially if you add a Brownlow Medal and even a premiership on top.
If Martin moved to North after winning the Brownlow his marketing capacity would be severely diminished. What Tigers fan would want to invest in someone who no longer plays for them?
Martin has a savvy manager in Ralph Carr who could easily turn a Brownlow into an extra $100,000 or even $200,000 through promotional material – if he stayed. Add a flag, and that price skyrockets even further.
The other thing that Martin has no doubt taken into account is just how difficult it can be to move clubs.
No matter how good or how experienced you are, walking in the doors of a new footy club can feel like your first day of high school.
You have to start again building relationships and forging trust, and for someone who seems more introverted like Martin that would be hard.
In Richmond, he has a club that has shown him enormous faith, which he has repaid on the field over the past few years.
The people at Tigerland know his habits and idiosyncrasies, and they know his family situation well, given Martin has been granted leave on a number of occasions.
I'm sure North would be just as accommodating, but at Punt Road those plans are already in place. It's comfortable for him.
With $1.5 million a year hanging over your head, the pressure of expectation can also be a tough burden to carry.
As the main man in a young side, Martin would come in for much more attention. At the moment, he has great allies around the ball like Trent Cotchin, Prestia and others.
As if that's not enough, the Tigers also have an opportunity that few other teams possess.
Having finished in the top four they'll be playing in front of crowds of 80,000-plus for at least the next fortnight and possibly longer if they can reach that final week in September.
They have a genuine shot at the premiership this year, and you can't put a price on success.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/wayne-carey-stay-with-richmond-dusty-its-the-right-call-20170831-gy83qg.html
