Richmond moves on contracts Jake Niall
The Age
April 26, 2013 Richmond has signalled confidence in the future of Dustin Martin at the club by instigating contract talks aimed at securing Martin, skipper Trent Cotchin and Coleman medallist Jack Riewoldt in coming weeks.
The Tigers hope to have that talented trio - regarded as three of their top four - signed over the next month, along with emerging defender Dylan Grimes and key back Alex Rance.
But contract talks with Martin are less advanced than those with Cotchin, whom the club has indicated it is willing to sign on a long-term deal, but who also has the option of signing a two-year deal that would make him a restricted free agent at the end of 2015.
The Tigers are facing pressure on their salary cap, which is already tight, due to having elite players coming out of contract this year and also the handicap of having very little extra space created by the veterans allowance.
The Tigers have only Chris Newman on the veterans list, which gives clubs an extra $112,000 per veteran. Geelong, which has several veterans with 10-plus years on its list, in effect can pay its playing list $500,000 or more than Richmond.
Richmond football operations general manager Daniel Richardson confirmed the Tigers had started discussions with the managements of those five players - Cotchin, Martin, Riewoldt, Grimes and Rance - and that the club hoped to have them tied up ''in the next month or so''.
He said the discussions about Martin were ''preliminary''.
But the mere fact the Tigers have spoken to Martin's manager, Ralph Carr, about a new contract confirms they are happy with the progress of Martin, whose future was the subject of much discussion over summer and whom the club had been concerned about.
Martin has been consistent in Richmond's four games to date - he was best afield against the Bulldogs and a good contributor in the other three games - with perhaps the only rider that he could improve his ability to run out games.
Cotchin is in his sixth year with the Tigers and would qualify as a restricted free agent if he signed a two-year deal. Regardless of the term, he is certain to become the club's highest-paid player, ahead of Brett Deledio, who signed a hefty five-year contract last year.
Deledio will be eligible for veteran status in 2015, after completing his 10th year, but the Tigers' relative youth and lack of long-term senior players has deprived them of that veterans list advantage enjoyed by the likes of Geelong, Sydney and West Coast.
Grimes, whose career has been interrupted by a succession of hamstring injuries, is highly regarded.
The Tigers also have their top draft pick from 2010, Reece Conca, and midfielder Daniel Jackson coming out of contract this year.
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