The club that Hutchison thinks is an “obvious fit” for Martin if he chooses to play on in 2025

SEN’s Craig Hutchison doesn’t think Dustin Martin is a great fit for Gold Coast, but he does think there’s one obvious fit for the retired Tiger if he chooses to play on in 2025.

The club that Hutchison sees as a perfect landing spot for Martin is Fremantle.

While it’s widely expected that Martin will play for the Suns after his Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick in 2025 despite retiring from AFL footy last month, Hutchison thinks that the 33-year-old should consider moving to Perth to play for the Dockers.

With the Dockers challenging for top four throughout the 2024 season before dropping off late, Hutchison thinks that Justin Longmuir’s side is primed to contend in 2025 and would benefit from bringing the three-time Norm Smith Medallist to the club.

“I don’t think he’s a fit there (at Gold Coast), but I think there’s one obvious fit for him if he wants to play on,” Hutchison told the Sounding Board Podcast.

“My beliefs on this stuff is well tabled that you don’t bring in 30-pluses all the time, I know that’s a minority view.

“However, if you’ve never won one (a premiership), and you’ve got half a chance to win one, you can afford to take significant risk if you’re in the window.

“Fremantle are in the window. So I think Fremantle are the fit if he wants to cast his mind to playing again.

“I think Fremantle should burn some capital trying to make it happen.”

As Fremantle have never won an AFL premiership since joining the competition in 1995, Hutchison thinks it’s imperative that they throw everything at trying to win one as he feels their flag window is truly beginning to open.

“Let me make the case for Fremantle,” Hutchison said.

“Their last four games they lost by 41 points (combined), they lost them without Josh Treacy, Sean Darcy and Alex Pearce - three talls.

“If they win two of those they would have made finals and I think they would have gone as far as a Preliminary Final.

“I think at Round 19 or 20 they were thereabouts as nearly the second-best team in the competition.

“They’re young and they’re chips into bringing talent in already like Shai Bolton and they’ve got others brewing.

“They’ve never won one, so it’s the highest of premiums to win one … they’ve got a free hit at it because they’re going to contend.

“Even if they get 12 games out of him and influence, I think that’s their move … they’ve got an obligation to do everything to try and win a flag, Fremantle.

“It’s worth a throw at the stumps.”

As well as being linked to Shai Bolton, Fremantle are in the race to also recruit Richmond utility Liam Baker this off-season.