Richmond CEO Brendon Gale has responded to a shock report linking star midfielder Dustin Martin with a late career move to Sydney.
Daily Telegraph reporter Phil Rothfield spoke to Martin’s manager Ralph Carr, where he revealed that the Tigers star loved Sydney and enjoyed Rugby League, leading to Rothfield speculating that Martin could look to head north.
The 29-year-old is currently contracted to Richmond on a big-money deal until at least the end of 2024 and Gale said he couldn’t be more confident that he would be at Punt Road for the remainder of his career.
“It was a very interesting article,” he said on Sportsday.
“I’m not sure of the veracity of the article, Dustin (Martin) is contracted to 2024 and there was (another suggestion that he wasn't contracted until then). What I will say is Dustin is extremely professional and a proud competitor.
“He signed a seven-year contract for us at the end of 2017 and I’m confident he’ll play beyond that and my expectation is it’ll be at Richmond.
“I’ll leave it at that.”
Both Gerard Whateley and Andrew Voss saw the funny side of the story when it was raised on SEN’s Whateley on Tuesday morning.
“It felt to me like Buzz Rothfield has identified Dustin Martin as the most identifiable and compelling football figure in the country and thus he should move his talents to Sydney at the first available opportunity and succeed Lance Franklin at the Swans,” Whateley said.
“Am I interpreting that right?”
Voss said: “The conclusion you’ve reached there is you’re picturing in your mind Phil Rothfield with some jigsaw puzzle pieces.
“One of those pieces would be that I’m right in saying Dustin spent a bit of time in Camden where his dad lives in south-west of Sydney.
“Dustin spends a bit of time in the off-season because he’s not as recognisable so he likes the city. Dustin is an AFL player, that’s a big piece. He’s a superstar, that’s another piece.
“Sydney Swans, they have a club in Sydney, that’s another piece. Another piece of the Swans puzzle is they’re not going so well right at the moment.
“Historically - another jigsaw puzzle piece - is the Swans need a face.
“What more recognisable face than Dustin Martin?”