When Dustin Martin introduced he was retiring, it was a second of celebration.
Not for the actual fact he was leaving the sport – nobody likes to see a champion go – however a celebration of a footballer who had given his all to the membership he liked and achieved a lot within the sport – virtually an ideal profession.
It was utterly comprehensible that, after a season the place he struggled to get on the sphere for one motive or one other, he determined sufficient was sufficient, calling to an finish an important profession.
He made it to uncommon territory, the three hundredth membership at his beloved Tigers – simply the seventh within the membership’s historical past – stamping his identify as one of many all-time greats of the sport.
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He deserved all of the fanfare and private accolades, regardless of his poor Tigers limping over the road to assert the picket spoon on the again of a disappointing season, affected by accidents to an already weakened squad.
But it surely looks as if the 33-year-old will not be about to go quietly into the world of retirement; the Gold Coast have confirmed talks about reviving his profession subsequent season.
The AFL’s guidelines have this clause relating to retirees and free company:
17.1 Free Brokers
(c) A Participant who elects to retire or has lodged a ‘Participant Request for Removing from a Record’ kind within the kind prescribed in Schedule 1 as Kind 40, won’t be a Free Agent beneath Rule 17.1(b) within the related 12 months.
The primary a part of the clause, ‘a participant who elects to retire’, appears to suit Martin to a tee: he has undoubtedly carried out that by way of press bulletins, interviews and even Richmond promoting retirement merchandise.
Nonetheless, it appears the catch is that the official retirement kind doesn’t get formally signed off on by the AFL till the tip of the season, which means he’s nonetheless a contracted participant, and may finally change his thoughts as typically as he likes till then.
Due to this fact, he stays a free agent, and it has been revealed that he has reached out to his former coach Damien Hardwick for a possible reunion.
A break of a few months appears to have rekindled his ardour for footy in a really comparable approach to Hardwick – who was adamant he was burnt out at his retirement media convention from Richmond, however just a few months later signed as coach of Gold Coast.
Martin’s transfer to the Suns wouldn’t be as a lot of a difficulty if all the things was open and sincere, and the switch dealt with within the appropriate method.
He was out of contract on the finish of 2024 after his mega seven-year deal signed on the very top of his profession in 2017 – nothing was contractually protecting him at Punt Highway.
However nonetheless, why all of the smoke and mirrors? Why undergo the charade of retiring if that wasn’t his final plan?
It appears fishy that this concept simply popped into his head from scratch over the previous month whereas.
This story was truly one of many worst-kept secrets and techniques this season. No less than two former gamers, David Schwarz and Brendan Fevola, to not point out different media figures, adamantly went on the document that discussions to get Dusty to theSuns had been effectively underway from very early on this season.
Dustin Martin of the Tigers celebrates kicking a aim. (Photograph by Quinn Rooney/Getty Photographs)
Martin is famously a person who doesn’t like speaking or giving interviews to clarify himself, so who is aware of what his motivation actually is. Is it that he loves footy a lot he can not give it away, does he need extra premierships, or simply to be at a membership that’s successful extra constantly?
The disappointing factor is that Richmond is ready to get nothing from dropping certainly one of their greats, as he’s more likely to head north as an unrestricted free agent due to his so-called ‘retirement’.
One other massive situation is his wage on the new membership, which is reported to be round 1 / 4 of his former deal per 12 months.
Martin confirmed glimpses of his finest in 2024, with a number of nice objectives this 12 months reminding us of his prime, together with three in opposition to Essendon in spherical 11, after which an excellent end from 50 for the primary aim of his three hundredth sport.
However his consistency week to week, in addition to his skill to step up and lead a youthful enjoying group, appeared past him – Father Time catches up with us all.
Sure, Martin is now not the participant that he was, however was he simply going by way of the motions this 12 months within the remaining season of his contract, biding his time till he might transfer to reunite with Hardwick once more?
Is the reported $250,000 to $400,000 that he could get a season on the Suns a good value for a participant with all his talent and honours? It looks as if a sneaky approach to wedge a star into a decent wage cap.
On one hand, it could possibly be argued that he’s effectively previous his prime; on the opposite, you don’t lose your soccer IQ and sport smarts in a single day, and with the rising expertise on the Suns, he might effectively have a renaissance and develop into one of many Suns’ finest immediately.
Damien Hardwick throughout his Richmond teaching days. (Photograph by Graham Denholm/AFL Pictures by way of Getty Photographs)
It simply feels basically fallacious for the Tigers to obtain nothing in compensation for a champion of their membership and the sport – and the underhanded nature of the departure of a participant who means a lot to the yellow and black appears a bitter approach to finish his time at Punt Highway.
The AFL wants to maneuver to cease this loophole that permits gamers to do as Dusty is ready to do: the retirement clause needs to be registered and take impact instantly on the day of their official announcement, every time that could be.
Whether or not they care or not given the three premierships he introduced, Tigers followers have been performed for mugs – they thought they had been saying goodbye, and lots of loaded up on Martin merchandise as his farewell performed out.
An evidence to them, on the very least, can be useful.
It’s not a very good look, particularly given it seems Martin needs this to occur simply as a lot, if not much more than, Gold Coast. If cash will not be the motivator, and he gained’t get a lot, then what’s the driving issue? Why the Suns and never the Tigers?
Personally, I don’t see a lot profit for both social gathering, aside from advertising worth; promoting memberships and merchandise for his new membership and giving them a marquee face to proceed their makes an attempt to crack a historically rugby league-dominated market.
In all chance, ought to Martin develop into a Solar, Harwick will match him in someplace, taking a spot from a youthful, inexperienced participant. There’s a very good probability, given his current document, that he’ll solely play a fraction of the season to handle accidents and fatigue.
The Suns ought to make the finals both this 12 months or subsequent for the primary time of their historical past, after which he’ll have one other retirement.
All in all, it’s a transfer that in all probability doesn’t have to be made. Dusty has achieved a lot within the sport as it’s – get pleasure from retirement, get to the footy as a spectator if the love continues to be burning, and even mingle with followers.
Gold Coast had higher watch out, too – signing a participant close to the tip like Martin has the potential to disrupt progress greater than increase it. The Suns are a group already on track with out him, and actually don’t want this potential distraction.
Dusty isn’t the primary participant to un-retire in recent times, however he’s probably the most distinguished: the AFL must outlaw ‘pretend’ retirements earlier than they develop into a pattern.
