Martin ‘absolutely’ capable of leading Tigers: GaleJon Pierik
The Age
November 9, 2021 Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale has given a glowing endorsement of Dustin Martin as a leader, declaring he could “absolutely” be the next Tigers captain.
Gale said there was no hurry to settle on a replacement for Trent Cotchin, who has stepped down, having led in a club-record 188 matches, including three premierships in the past four years.
The Tigers say they have several strong candidates but Martin is by far the most high profile, should the Brownlow medallist want the role.
Gale said Martin, 30, was a “terrific leader” who was meticulous in his preparation.
“When Dustin came to the club, he had a few rough edges but a lot of 18, 19-year-olds do. With growth and maturity and responsibility, those edges are smoothed out,” Gale said.
“Dustin is an uber-professional. His preparation to get the best out of himself is inspiring, to be honest. He is a terrific leader and he has got a strong sense of who he is and really cares about his teammates and his club.
“They are all really strong leadership attributes and that’s something he really wanted to develop. I think, absolutely, he is more than capable to fill that role.”
As a three-time Norm Smith medallist, Martin’s on-field skills are not in question, nor his football nous, but the question facing the Tigers and Martin is whether he would want to be the frontman and regularly deal with sponsors and the media – an increasingly important part of the job.
Martin has traditionally been loath to conduct interviews but, conversely, this appears to have increased his advertising appeal under the guidance of celebrity and football manager Ralph Carr.
Tigers teammate Jack Riewoldt has said Martin would be a good captain “with the right team around him”.
Midfielder Jack Graham, former Gold Coast skipper Tom Lynch, Dylan Grimes, Jayden Short and Nick Vlastuin are also among those club insiders believe could also do the top job.
“We aren’t in a hurry. We have got a process ... in place and we will work through that. I think the depth gives us the ability to make a really strong decision,” Gale said.
St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt has been a vocal advocate of Martin being handed the captaincy, declaring how impressed he had been with Martin at quarter-time and three-quarter-time in a practice match last year when he had been assertive, demanding, supportive and articulate when addressing teammates.
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