RICHMOND has reportedly upgraded its contract offer to superstar Dustin Martin — but it is still significantly short on a monster offer put to him by rivals North Melbourne.
Martin, arguably the biggest free-agent in the competition alongside Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe, has driven his value through the roof with a number of best-on-ground performances this season, forcing Richmond back to the table with a revised offer.
As Channel 9’s Footy Classified on Monday night reported North Melbourne has offered Martin a deal worth more than $1 million per season for up to six years, The Australian reported the Tigers have also recently upped their offer to Martin’s manager Ralph Carr.
Bombers great Tim Watson said on Tuesday there is still a significant difference between the Tigers and Kangaroos’ offers — despite Richmond pushing up their offer.
“I would think it might be $300,000 to $400,000 per year difference,” Watson told SEN Breakfast.
“That’s significant. Even after tax that’s a significant amount of money.
“There’s always going to be a bigger offer to entice someone out of their club. It’s about what Richmond can pay to keep their payments structure in place.”
A report by The Australian’s Greg Denham claims North Melbourne’s massive long-term big-money offers to Martin and GWS Giants star Josh Kelly has had a ripple effect across the game, forcing clubs to increase their offers to keep players at their clubs.
The Australian reports the Kangaroos’ offers — a stunning nine-year deal worth almost $10 million for Kelly and a six-year deal worth more than $6 million for Martin — are a response to the club missing out on a series of high-profile recruitment targets recently.
Swans stars Dan Hannebery and Isaac Heeney both knocked back the Roos while the club also went after Port Adelaide’s Hamish Hartlett, Adelaide’s Brad Crouch, Hawks recruit Jaeger O’Meara and Essendon captain Dyson Heppell.
The Australian reported the Tigers opened negotiations with Martin heading into the 2017 season with a four-year offer worth just $3.4 million.
North Melbourne’s offer to him currently stands at almost double that, according to Fairfax Media.
The deal would be expected to last until at least 2022 for the 25-year-old goal-kicking midfielder, who has previously told Richmond he will not make a decision on his future until the end of the current season.
Veteran footy journalist Caroline Wilson told Channel 9 on Monday night the North Melbourne Football Club board of directors has given officials the greenlight to put a formal offer to Martin.
She reiterated North Melbourne, St Kilda and Greater Western Sydney have all registered their interest in signing Martin for next year.
North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein has welcomed the prospect of Martin coming to Arden Street next season.
“You wouldn’t complain about that,” Goldstein told SEN radio on Tuesday.
“In the end, all we’re focused on is trying to win a premiership. “If we can get two great individuals like them (Martin and Kelly) to come in and help us win a premiership, then that’s the goal and we’ll be all happy with that.”
Richmond’s football boss Neil Balme said the club was in constant contact with Martin’s agent and was not aware of specific offers from rival clubs.
“We accept that this is the way it is and we completely understand it’s Dustin’s right to consider his future,” Balme told Fairfax.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-well-short-of-rival-bid-for-star-dustin-martin/news-story/0177cf830bf476fa817393f83db5d171
